Prospects of Agroforestry in Manipur

Manipur has a long historical tradition of growing trees onfarms and around homes. Homegarden is one of the most suited example of growing trees.Homegardens represent a type of agroforestry (agrosilvopastoral) involving “multispecies combinations of a variety of economically useful plants includingtrees, shrubs, vines, and herbaceous species, often in association with livestock, in small landholdings around or adjacentto the home.Agroforestry is any sustainable land-use system that maintains or increases total yields by combining food crops (annuals) with tree crops (perennials) and/or livestock on the same unit of land, either alternately or at the same time, using management practices that suit the social and cultural characteristics of the local people and the economic and eco­logical conditions of the area. Agroforestry can potentially contribute to the government’s strategy to promote millets. It can also support the action plan for Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), which makes environmental protection and conservation a participatory process.The National Agroforestry Policy of India (NAP, 2014) is a comprehensive policy framework designed to improve agricultural livelihoods by maximizing agricultural productivity for mitigating climate change. The National Agroforestry Policy of India (NAP, 2014) is a path-breaker in making agroforestry an instrument for transforming the lives of the rural farming population, protecting ecosystem and ensuring food security through sustainable means. Traditionally, people resorted toagroforestry practices for the inter-dependent benefits ofthe three components, viz. trees, crops and livestock inaddition to the 6Fs, i.e. food, fruit, fodder, fuel, fertilizerand fibre. The nutrient cycling exchange and positivespill-off effects of each component brought sustainability to farm production mechanisms. In spite of multiple benefits from agroforestry practices, majority of farmers have been hesitant to adoptthese systems on large scale primarily because of certainapprehensions about the tree component such as longrotation, reduction in gross area and complicated legalprocedures involved in tree farming trade and marketfluctuations. One of themajor concerns in large-scale adoption of agroforestry inspite of the huge potential is the lack of a well-defined setof regulations and guidelines related to harvesting, transportation and marketing of agroforestry produce.
The economy of Manipur state primarily depends on agriculture, and emphasis has been given to augmenting the agricultural production of the state. Traditionally, people in the hills cultivate on high slopes and abandon the plots after a few years in the practice of jhum cultivation. Due to jhum cultivation, land degradation is one of the significant environmental concerns adversely affecting productivity and socio-economic conditions. Arable land is by and large marginal, and hence, agriculture has persistently been at subsistence level in Manipur.There are four agro-climatic zones in the state, viz.1) Sub tropical plain zone,2) Sub tropical hill zone,3) Temperate sub alpine zone and 4) Mild Tropical Hill Zone. Some of the recommend systems as per ICAR NEH RC, which are highly productive and suitable for different zones are summarised below.
* In Temperate and Sub-Alpine Agro climatic Zones of Manipur (Senapati, Ukhrul, Kamjong, Chandel, Churachandpur and Kangpokpi)
1. Pine with field/ vegetable crops (pea, radish, potato, sweet potato, cabbage, turnip, cauliflower, mustard, maize, and taro).
2. Plums with vegetables (pea, radish, cabbage, cauliflower, bean).
3. Pears with vegetable and broom grass (Pears with cabbage, cauliflower, and bean and broom grass).
4. Apple with field and vegetable crops (Apple with potato, barley, bean, cabbage and radish).
5. Fig with food crops (Fig with maize, black gram, soybean, paddy and finger millet)
* In Sub-tropical Hills (Chandel, Tengnoupal, Churachandpur, Kangpokpi) and Plains Agro climatic Zones of Manipur (Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kakching)
1. Alder/ Needlewood with large cardamom.
2. Needlewood with pineapple.
3. Needlewood with ginger and turmeric.
4. Khasi mandarin with pineapple/vegetable crops (Mandarin with pineapple/beans/radish/ginger/turmeric/cole crops etc).
5. Guava, banana and Moringa (Tree tomato, guava, banana and Moringa are the fruit crops grown in kitchen garden or farm boundaries).
6. Siris/Fig with rhizomatous crops (Siris/Fig with ginger, turmeric and taro).
7. Fig/Kachnar with broom and napier.
* In Mid Tropical Hills and Plains Agro climatic Zones of Manipur (Tamenglong, Noney, Pherzawl, Churachandpur and Jiribam)
1. Mandarin with crops (beans, chillies, ginger and turmeric).
2. Arecanut with betel vine.
3. Arecanut with pineapple.
4. Arecanut with pineapple and betel vine.
5. Arecanut with black pepper.
6. Arecanut with pineapple and black pepper.
7. Banana with pineapple.
8. Coconut, arecanut, jackfruit and banana etc. around fish pond in homestead.
The Sub Mission on Agroforestry (SMAF), Department of Forest, Government of Manipur also suggested species combinations as summarized below.
a) In Ukhruldistrict (Tree species:Kadamba, Alder, Treebean and Oak and Fruit species: Apple, Kiwi, Cardamon, and Avocado).
b) In Senapati district (Tree species: Kadamba, Alder and Treebean and Fruit species: Apple, Kiwi, Plum and Peach).
c) In Kamjong district (Tree species: Kadamba, Alder and Treebean and Fruit species: Plum, Pomegranate and Guava).
d) In Churchandpur district (Tree species: Kadamba, Treebean, Champak, Beechwood, Almond and Red Cedar and Fruit species: Guava, Litchi and Cashewnut).
e) In Jiribam district (Tree species: Rubber tree, Champak, Kadamba, Almond, Teak, Agar wood, Treebean, Jackfruit and Bay leafand Fruit species: Litchi, Citrus, Lemon, Tamarind, Cashewnut and Coconut).
Modern agriculture is unsustainable, largely because of our overemphasis on production and its achievement through in-appropriate physical, chemical and biological manipulation that results in neglect of maintenance functions within agro-ecosystems. Agroforestry is a composite, diversified and sustainable production system. This helps to optimize the ecosystem functioning and better management of land, water and biological resources. Recommended species compositions for the region will have positive impact on the soil and water resources and need to be further improved with suitable technological interventions to carter the needs of the local populace and help in improving the socio-economic conditions of the farming communities.