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Fruit Distribution and Diversity in the Homestead of a Southern Island of Bangladesh

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Fruit Distribution and Diversity in the Homestead of a Southern Island of Bangladesh Advances in Biological Research 3 (5-6): 208-214, 2009 ISSN 1992-0067 © IDOSI Publications, 2009 Fruit Distribution and Diversity in the Homestead of a Southern Island of Bangladesh 1M.L. Rahman, 23Mirza Hasanuzzaman and M.K. Islam 1Farm Division, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh 2Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh 3Horticultural Research Centre, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur-1701, Bangladesh Abstract: The purpose of the study was to determine the diversity and distribution of fruit species in the homestead and to explore the relationship between farmers’ characteristics and fruit diversity in their homestead. In the study, 28 fruit species were identified. Among 28 fruit species, Banana, Mango and Jujube were found in the 100% homestead surveyed. The Relative Prevalence of most common species like Banana, Betel nut, Coconut, Date, Mango, Papaya, Guava, Jujube were very high while that of less common species like Kaow, Pineapple, Litchi, Star apple etc. were found very low. Black berry and Jujube were found highly diverse (0.986) fruit species followed by Mango (0.984), Jackfruit (0.984). The traditional homestead fruit production system and fruit diversity in the study area was found very poor due to management practices. Fruit diversity should be increased to fulfill the nutritional needs as well as to conserve the genetic resources and environmental balance. Key words: Fruit Diversity Preference Distribution Home garden INTRODUCTION nutrition deficiency diseases are being increased at an alarming rate. The people of Bangladesh are directly related to There are 19.9 million homesteads in our agriculture. We have almost attained self-sufficiency in country [1]. Their homesteads are the main source of cereal production. But as regards fruit production, we do fruits. Where there is a home, there is a homestead. still depend on foreign supplies. For balanced nutritional Every farm families have large or small homestead needs sufficient fruit intake is necessary. Fortunately area where different types of fruits are grown. Practical Bangladesh is favourite playground of nature. It offers a experience indicates that majority of the farmers highly congenial environment for the growth of different cultivates homestead fruits in unplanned way. A large varieties of fruits like Banana, Papaya, Pineapple, area of every homestead remain as follows because of Litchi, Jackfruit etc, which are more nutritious compared poor plant population where as plantation of diversified to the imported foreign fruits like orange, grape, apple fruit trees in planned way considering the harvesting etc. The proverb goes that every season has its period, a farmer can easily get year round fruit supply special fruits in Bangladesh. Even though having from his homestead garden and also can get more this situation, our fruit production is not sufficient production of fruit from their garden. So fruit diversity in to meet up our domestic need. During last three decades homestead is necessary [2-5]. population of Bangladesh increased from 75 million It is necessary to develop sound plans and to 129 million, simultaneously food grain production procedures for fruit diversification in homestead. increased from 10 million to about 20 million tons. But For doing so it is first necessary to have a clear fruit production did not increased at the same rate. understanding of the present position of homestead The minimum dietary requirement of fruit per day per fruit diversity and the factors related to fruit diversity person is 85 g, where as our availability is only 30-35g. In in homestead of the farmers. Fruit diversity and is view of the fact, the consumption and availability of fruits relationship with farmer’s various characteristics greatly is very negligible. As a result, imbalanced nutrition and helpful for planning and implementing effective fruit Corresponding Author: Mirza Hasanuzzaman, Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh Tel: +88-02-8157580 208 Advan. Biol. Res., 3 (5-6): 208-214, 2009 diversification program to increase balanced food intake interview schedule was pre-tested with 10 households of the farm family. and then final shape was given to the interview schedule. Therefore, the study was carried out to identify the The study was carried out for a period of 2 months time fruit species being grown in the homesteads of Hatiya from October to December 2005. Data for fruit diversity of Island, to know the magnitude of diversity of fruits in the the homestead were collected using questionnaire. homesteads of the Island. Information was recorded through interviews of family members like head of the family, housewife and others. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data were collected mainly on name and numbers of fruit species, demographical characteristics of the households, The study was conducted in Hatiya Island. It is socio-economic information. In this study only fruit located in the southern part of Noakhali district of species was identified and calculated. Bangladesh. It is located between 22°00 and 22°35 north Relative Prevalence (RP) of species was calculated by latitude and between 90°58 and 91°14 East longitude. using the following formula: The population of this island is approximately 345000 and the total household number is 47747. Total area under RP = Population of the species per homestead × homestead is 18,118 ha. The average area of homestead is % Homestead with the species. 0.28 ha and the average size of the household is 7.377. Per-head land is 0.25ha including new “char”. These relative prevalence values were used to rank The study area is located in the tropical belt and the species in different regions according to Millat-e- enjoys fairly equitable tropical monsoon climate. The Mostofa [7]. The mean dominance rank was determined temperature is almost uniform throughout the year. The by pooling the entire set of data of all the three regions. maximum and minimum temperatures are normally The most commonly used formula of Simpson [8] index recorded 35°C and 10°C, respectively. Mainly three (D) was used to calculate Species diversity (D) as follows: seasons are seen among the six seasons. May to October 2 is Rainy season, November to February is winter and D = 1 - Pi March to April is summer season. The study area is under AEZ-18 [6]. The texture of topsoil ranges from loamy to Where: th clay loam. The subsoil texture is mainly clay loam, the Pi is the proportional abundance of the i species such sub-stratum is usually clay. The pH of soil of this island that, ranges from 6.6-8.3, from neutral to basic. The organic Pi = Ni/N matter content ranges from 0.6% to 2.3% in the topsoil, Ni = Plant population of ith species and slowly decreased in the sub soil. N = N123 + N + N + ................. Nn , The selection of the study site was purposive where where n is the number of species natural vegetation was rich compared to the other area of Bangladesh. All households were grouped into five farm Microsoft Excel® programs were used to process all categories like marginal (0.15 ha), small (0.16-0.25 ha), collected information. SPSS® (Statistical Package for Social medium (0.26-0.5 ha), large (0.51-0.75 ha) and very large Science) software [9] was used to estimate the descriptive (0.76-1.00 ha) according to size of homestead area. statistics of the data. Fruit Diversity was described under A sample of 80 households were selected, twenty from the headlines of Species richness, Relative Prevalence of each union and five from each category. The collected species and Species diversity. The collected data were lists were verified through survey the villages and compiled, tabulated, coded and analyzed in accordance discussion with the households. with the objectives of the study. Qualitative data were Information was collected from both primary and quantified by means of suitable scoring techniques. The secondary sources. These were gathered by survey as statistical measures such as number and distribution were well as non-survey methods. The survey sources include used for describing the variables of the study. In order to interviews through a pre-tested interview schedule; explore the relationships of the selected characteristics of key informant and farmers’ group discussion while the farmers with the fruit diversity of their homestead, the non-surveys include the information through field Pearson’s products moment correlation was computed at survey, direct observations and secondary sources. five percent (0.05) and one percent (0.01) level of Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. The significance. 209 Advan. Biol. Res., 3 (5-6): 208-214, 2009 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION From the study it was observed that species richness and fruit diversity of homestead is increasing day by day. Fruit Species Richness in Homestead: A wide variety of But the increasing rate is very low. The distribution of the fruit species was found in the study area. All most 28 plant species was influenced by macro and micro- useful fruit species were identified in the homesteads environmental factors of the homestead and the needs surveyed in the study area of Hatiya upozilla in Noakhali and choices of the family members. Species richness district. The list of the identified plant species were varied from one location to another and also from one presented in the Table 1. farm category to another. The total number of fruit species per homestead in The observed 28 fruit species were belong to the study area ranged from 8 to 26 with a mean of 18.2. different family. All most 18 families were identified and The higher number of fruit species was found in larger presented in Table 3. Among these families, Palmaceae farms and less number of fruit species in smaller farms.
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