FARMERS’ KNOWLEDGE OF WILD MUSA IN INDIA 5 AGRO-ECOLOGIES IN THE AREAS OF EXISTING WILD MUSA Wild Musa species are largely distributed in 1999). The few remaining forests are some tropical rain forests, wet evergreen disturbed by the incursion of humans. forests to deciduous forests of low rainfall zones. The hilly tracts of these areas harbour These ecological zones are characterized by a mosaic of tropical forests where Musa wide climatic variation ranging from tropical, species may occur (Figure 1). and subtropical, temperate to alpine zones. The temperature ranges from 8-15oC (mean Tropical rain forests are found in the minimum) to 30-35oC (mean maximum) and northeastern Indian Himalayas including average annual temperature is between 18 Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, parts and 22oC. March to April are the hottest of Nagaland to the southeast of India proper, months while November-January are the cold and also in the Andaman and Nicobar months. Rainfall is well distributed Islands. Some tropical forests still exist in throughout the year except for February- Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura of northeastern April. Tropical rain forests receive rainfall in states, and in interior areas of western Ghats the range of 3 200-3 800 mm per year and of Karnataka and Kerala (Rao, 1996; Rao, Chirapunji of Meghalaya state receives one of the world’s highest annual rainfalls. Figure 1. Areas of India where wild Musa occurs 6 FARMERS’ KNOWLEDGE OF WILD MUSA IN INDIA Table 1. Details of exploration zones States Localities or locations Number of villages or Ethnic groups or tribes groups consulted (Approxi- mate) Tawang, West Kemeng, East Villages > 50 Nitshi, Apatani, Sherdukpens Arunachal Pradesh Kemeng, Lower Subansiri, Groups > 50 Adi Aka, Monpa, Mishmi Lohit- Villages > 15 Meghalaya Jowai, Nongpoh, Shillong Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia Groups > 18 Assam Kamrup, Kochbihar, Villages > 32 Koch, Bodo, Hajong, Aitunia, Kokrajar, Nalbari< Groups > 30 Karbi and Ahom Dibrugarh, Tezpur, Kaziranga reserve forest Tripura Agartala, Ambassa, Udaipur, Villages > 22 Reangs, Chakmas, Meksha Dhrmanagar Groups > 20 and Raichak Aizawl, Kolasib, Ssairang, Villages > 20 Mizoram Luushai, Pawi, and Pang Seling Groups > 20 Manipur Imphal, Thamenglong, Villages > 30 Manipuri, Kabui, Maram Noney, Ukhrul, Senapati Groups > 25 Meiteis, Thado and Ao Dimapur, Kohima, Mao Song Villages > 25 Naga, Sema, Angami, Ao, Nagaland Sang Groups > 20 Mon, Lotha and Chakesang Mysore, Coorg, Dharwar, Villages > 35 Jenu Kuruba, Bedar, Naika, Karnataka Sirsi, Koraga, Kuruba, Groups > 25 Koraga, Kuruba, Sholiga Sholiga Shevoroy hills, Pechipparai, Villages > 50 Toda, Kattu Naikar, Ko Tamil Nadu Kanya kumari, Tirunelveli, Groups > 28 rava,Malayali, Mudugar Gudalur, Nilgiri Hills Kerala Silent Valley, Munar forest, Villages > 25 Irulas, Mylar, Malayalan, KMTR reserve forest, Groups > 20 Mudugar Andhra Pradesh Arakku Valley, Tirumala Bhil, Chenchu, Gondu, Villages > 10 Hills, Rajamundry, Banjara Groups > 10 Vishakapatnam Andaman and Nicobar PortBlair, Chouldhari reserve Villages > 30 Andamanese, Bo, Shompen, Islands forest, Rut Island, Bamboo Groups > 30 Nicobarese, Sintelenese Flat Island, Manglutan, Havelock Island, Ross Island Tropical moist forests receive an annual of the subtropics or in tropical highlands. rainfall of 1 200-1 600m. Southwest monsoon Musa balbisiana can be found farther north accounts for the maximum rain in the and in areas with strong dry seasons. In India, northeastern states, western Ghats and the remaining wild species occur at an Andaman and Nicobar Islands from April- altitude between 500-1 000 m above sea level August. Depressions during November- in the sub-Himalayan mountains and western December and the southwest monsoon make Ghats (Figure 2). In northeastern India in up the annual rainfall in eastern Ghats and Khasi, Jaintia, Naga, Patkai and Garo hills, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Relative wild Musa species may occur also at both humidity is usually high ranging between 82 lower and higher altitudes. In the western and 85 percent. Ghats, two centres of diversity, namely Agasthiarmalai and Silent Valley, are under Domesticated banana is basically a tropical moist tropical evergreen forests where crop but can grow in the warmer parts of evolution of Musa species has taken place subtropical regions. Of their progenitors, separately from the northeastern zone. Musa acuminata is more tropical, but some subspecies of it can also be found at the edges FARMERS’ KNOWLEDGE OF WILD MUSA IN INDIA 7 Table 2. Types of questionnaires used during the surveys and exploration process Type of questionnaire Questionnaire A Questionnaire B Questionnaire C Target group and For individuals or For village communities – General For village community – on topics of questionnaire individual families Information improved varieties Information requested 1. Name and family details - Village holding and types of tribal - Number of domesticated 2. Land holding (backyard; communities Musa varieties community land or Jhum - Distribution of tribal communities - Time since they have been cultivation) - Types of vegetation and prevailing cultivated 3. If backyard: types of farming systems - If there is a new fruit plants maintained - Composition of surrounding introduction, source and 4. If bananas are grown: vegetation mode of introduction varieties grown; - Extent of spread of wild Musa - Reasons for cultivating a number of clumps - Types of wild Musa in their area new variety maintained per variety; - Distribution pattern of wild Musa - Socio-economic reasons nature of cultivation - Intensity of spread of wild Musa for introduction of new (perennial or rationing); species varieties cultivation practices; - Climatic conditions of the location - Marketing channels for disposal of bunches (temperature, rain fall, length of commercial varieties (consumed or sold to winter period, number of rainy - Method of multiplication village market or sold to days) of commercial varieties – contractors); - Occurrence of natural calamities suck bits or peppers, seeds importance of bananas (drought, floods, frost and - Mode of exchange of and plantains in their frequencies of occurrence) material diet; - Utility of wild species - Mode of conservation, other uses of the plant - Extent and mode of commercial season and duration of like flower buds, exploitation, if any conservation pseudostem core, etc., - Important traits noticed for the wild - Conventional value added indigenous technical Musa, like better fibre content, products, if any knowledge (ITK). sweet pulp, enhanced ash/dry matter content of plant parts - Distinct traits of wild species like rhizomaous roots or erect bunch or seedy fruits - Observation on the wild spp. About their adaptations to abiotic stresses like drought, high/low temperature - Natural conservation of wild species - Community efforts to conserve efforts wild Musa species, if any - ITK of wild species - Validity of proof, if any on ITK 8 FARMERS’ KNOWLEDGE OF WILD MUSA IN INDIA Figure 2. Natural habitats of wild Ensete Figure 3. Natural habitats of wild Musa superbum in western Ghats spp. in Andaman Islands The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Figures 3 Eastern Ghat forests are located along the and 4), consisting of 350 islands and islets, coastal line of the Bay of Bengal. Originally lie in the Bay of Bengal (latitude 6o14oN and they extended from northern Orissa down to longitude of 92-94o E). Within a land area of Andhra Pradesh. However, due to rapid 8 500 km2, endemic flora has evolved over deforestation in this zone, hardly any forests millions of years due to insular nature and exist except for some pockets of northern physical isolation among islands and also Andhra Pradesh in Arakku Valley and from neighbouring continental land masses. southern Orissa where wild Musa species are The major islands are: North Andaman, known to occur. They are low hills with an Middle Andaman, South Andaman, Little altitude of 300-400 m above sea level, annual Andaman, Car Nicobar, Teressa, Katchal, rainfall ranging from 900-1 300 mm and RH Kamorta, Noncowry, Little Nicobar and of 78-80 percent. The occurrence of Musa Great Nicobar. species in different geographical locations in India is illustrated in Annex 1 whilst the genetic diversity of wild bananas is shown in Figures 5 to 15. Figure 4. Natural habitats of wild Musa spp. in Nicobar Islands FARMERS’ KNOWLEDGE OF WILD MUSA IN INDIA 9 GENETIC DIVERSITY OF WILD BANANAS Figure 6. Musa balbisiana var. Andamanica 10 FARMERS’ KNOWLEDGE OF WILD MUSA IN INDIA FARMERS’ KNOWLEDGE OF WILD MUSA IN INDIA 11 Figure 13. Fruits and seeds of Ensete glaucum Figure 14. Fruits and seeds of Ensete spp. Figure 15. Fruits and seeds of wild Musa spp. FARMERS’ KNOWLEDGE OF WILD MUSA IN INDIA 13 MUSA AND ITS EVOLUTION Bananas belong to the family Musaceae, in The majority of domesticated alones, the order Zingiberales. The family Musaceae however, are of hybrid origin between Musa has two genera, Musa and Ensete, of which acuminata and the other major wild species Musa encompasses wild and domesticated in Eumusa, Musa balbisiana (Genome BB). bananas and plantains. Musa has been They are either AB, AAB, or ABB in subdivided into five sections, Callimusa, genomic terms. Australimusa, Eumusa, Rhodochlamys and Incertae sedis (Daniells, et al., 2001). The The key mutation required to convert wild genus Ensete is present in Africa and Asia, banana fruit into readily consumable fruit and is considered an old and relict genus with was parthenocarpy.