Full-length paper Asian Agri-History Vol. 16, No. 4, 2012 (371–392) 371

Probable Agricultural Biodiversity Heritage Sites in : XIV. The Chotanagpur Plateau Region

Anurudh K Singh

Department of Genetics, MD University, Rohtak 124001, Haryana, India (email: [email protected])

Abstract The Chotanagpur Plateau in eastern India is a geohistorically unique region, being the oldest landmass on the earth. Agriculture has been practiced in this region from the ancient times, and appears to be an extension of the Ganga basin agriculture. Being the link between the Eastern and the Satpura Hills with transitional ecology, the region has functioned as the passage for migration of fl ora and fauna from the Indo-Malayan region to peninsular India. For these reasons, it is very rich in fl oristic diversity and endemism of species. The region is dominated by tribal populations, including ancient tribes such as the Oraons, who are involved in diverse agricultural activities, starting from hunting-gathering of products, fi shing, and livestock rearing to settled agriculture. The region can be credited for evolving farming/production systems suited to different toposequences in slopy terrain, such as rice-based effi cient production systems, pulse-based mixed cropping systems, facilitating conservation of fertility and effi cient use of water and genetic diversity, such as early maturing and drought-resistant gora varieties in rice, the Chotanagpuri sheep breed in animals, and production of cottage products such as tasar silk (along with ), etc. The present article discusses these contributions of the region, proposing it to be another national agricultural biodiversity heritage site based on the established indices.

The Chotanagpur region is a plateau in rainfall than the adjacent , which eastern India, covering much of the recently explains its drier vegetation. However, it created state, as well as the does include patches of moist deciduous bordering areas of Orissa, , and swampy areas, thereby offering , and Chhattisgarh. The Gondwana diverse ecologies for agriculture. The substrates attest ancient origin to the region derives its name probably from plateau. Geohistorically, it was part of the the Nagavanshis, who ruled in this part Deccan Plate, which broke free from the of the country, and Chutia, a village on southern continent during the Cretaceous the outskirts of , which has the period to embark upon a 50-million-year remains of an old fort belonging to the journey that was violently interrupted by the Nagavanshis. The name of the newly northern Eurasian continent. Climatically, created state of Jharkhand, which covers the the Chotanagpur region receives less major part of the plateau, is derived from 372 Agricultural biodiversity heritage sites the domination of scrub vegetation, locally proposed as another agricultural biodiversity called ‘jharies’. heritage site, based on the indices illustrated by Singh and Varaprasad (2008). Agriculture in the region is very old, as the earliest settlements of the Chalcolithic period extended from the Ganga basin to Location and extent the Chotanagpur Plateau. Limited numbers Ecologically, the Chotanagpur region lies of bronze and copper tools have been between the moist deciduous forests of recovered, refl ecting that agriculture was the and the practiced from the times of early human and the lower reaches of the Gangetic settlement. The economy of the region from Plains in eastern India, extending across this period onwards was exclusively based the states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and West on agricultural components, such as stock Bengal. The Chotanagpur plateau is one raising, hunting, fi shing, etc., in addition to of the oldest landmasses on the earth. It conventional fi eld agriculture involving most is composed of Precambrian rocks that of the population. On the basis of latitude, the are more than 540 million years old. The plateau can be divided into three steps, each plateau in its entirety lies between the providing diverse ecology for adoption of basins of the Ganges and the Son Rivers different agroecosystems, thereby evolving to the north, and the River to both diverse production systems and the south. To the north of Chotanagpur important genetic diversity in the important lie the Rajmahal Hills, which are very commodity crop species cultivated in sloping important on account of their fossiliferous terrain; for example, early maturing and deposits (containing knowledge about the drought-resistant gora rice varieties, breeds such as the Chotanagpuri sheep, and the richness of fl oristic diversity, phylogeny use of local biodiversity in cottage products and plant evolution). To its west lie the such as tasar silk and lakh (lac). Thus, the highlands of Chhattisgarh and the districts region being the oldest landmass on the earth of . Biogeographically, with geohistorical uniqueness, rich fl oristic the Chotanagpur plateau has a special diversity containing components of both signifi cance, as it forms the northern limit the northern and the southern hemispheres, of Peninsular India that lies within the practice of agriculture from the ancient Paleotropic region. Rodgers and Panwar times involving majority of the people, (1988), in their biogeographic classifi cation signifi cant contributions in the development of farming systems, practices and products such as various mixed and intercropping The Chotanagpur region is a plateau systems and evolving valuable genetic in eastern India, covering much of the diversity in component crops facilitating recently created Jharkhand state, as subsistence agriculture, and natural resources well as the bordering areas of Orissa, management under the fragmented sloping West Bengal, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh. landscape, the Chotanagpur plateau is being Asian Agri-History Vol. 16, No. 4, 2012 373 of India, recognized this plateau as part of Landscape province 6B (Deccan peninsula). The region has undulating topography Thus, the Chotanagpur region constitutes the presenting a highly dissected landscape of southern and eastern plateau of Jharkhand small hillocks and mounds. The dominant and contiguous districts in Orissa and West landscape in the area is represented by Bengal. Administratively, it comprises all moderate to gentle slopes with numerous the southern districts of Jharkhand, districts streams dissecting the uplands into a of and part of and western peneplain (an area reduced almost to Medinapur district of West Bengal, and a plain by erosion) with isolated hills the Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh districts (Fig. 2). On the basis of altitude, the plateau of Orissa. The other districts of the region is divided into three steps – the highest include Singhbhum, , Ranchi, step is in the western part of the plateau, , Palamu, and , and called pats (900–1,100 m); the next part Santhal Pargana of Jharkhand (Fig. 1). contains larger portions of the old Ranchi

Figure 1. Location and extent of the Chotanagpur Plateau (dark solid line in Jharkhand, and dotted line in Orissa and West Bengal). 374 Agricultural biodiversity heritage sites

River trough (narrow channel). The western portion of the Hazaribagh plateau constitutes a broad watershed between the Damodar drainage on the south and the Lilajan and Mohana rivers on the north. The Damodar basin forms a trough between the Ranchi and Hazaribagh plateaus resulting from enormous fractures at their present edges, which caused the land between to sink to a great depth, and incidentally preserved from denudation, the Karanpura, Ramgarh Figure 2. The exotic landscape of the Chotanagpur plateau (Source: soumya9. and coalfi elds. Further, to the east, blogspot.com). the passes tamely into the sector, the lowest step of the Chotanagpur plateau (Purulia). In the and Hazaribagh districts and some parts of west, the generally lies at old (600 m); and the lowest a lower height than surrounding areas. On step covering districts of old Manbhum the east, the Ranchi plateau intrudes and (Purulia) and Singhbhum with an average the southern part of the division merges height of 300 m. with the pat region. Also, on the west are The pat region is also referred to as the the Surguja highlands of Chhattisgarh and Western Ranchi Plateau, and is believed of Uttar Pradesh. The to be composed of Deccan lava. The next Lodh Falls drop from a height of 140 m of part of the Ranchi plateau gradually slopes these hills, making it the highest waterfall down towards the southeast into the hilly on the Chotanagpur Plateau. The and undulating region of Singhbhum and and Pakripat plateaus are physiographically is highly dissected. The Damodar River part of the pat region. Therefore, in the originates from here and fl ows through a lowest step of the Chotanagpur Plateau, the rift valley. There are many waterfalls on the edges of the Ranchi plateau, where rivers coming over the plateau surface, form Agriculture in the region is very waterfalls when they descend through the old, as the earliest settlements of the precipitous escarpments of the plateau, and Chalcolithic period extended from enter the area of signifi cantly lower height. the Ganga basin to the Chotanagpur The Hazaribagh plateau is often subdivided Plateau. Limited numbers of bronze into two parts – the higher plateau and the and copper tools have been recovered, lower plateau. The higher is referred as the refl ecting that agriculture was practiced Hazaribagh plateau, and the lower as the from the times of early human Koderma plateau. It is generally separated settlement. from the Ranchi plateau by the Damodar Asian Agri-History Vol. 16, No. 4, 2012 375

Manbhum area covers the present Purulia The plateau has predominantly that district in West Bengal, and district is derived from peculiar rock formations. and parts of of Jharkhand. The The common are red and yellow, fi ne Singhbhum area contains much more hilly loamy to clayey, non-calcareous with slight and broken country, with hills alternating to moderate acidic in reactions. This soil with valleys, steep mountains, deep forests exhibits a high percentage of acid-soluble on the mountain slopes and some stretches ferric oxide and lower pH ranging from 5 to of comparatively leveled or undulating 6.8. The soils of the region mainly consist landscape in the river basins. of components formed from disintegration of rocks and stones, and on this basis can Agroclimate be divided into: red soil, found mostly in the Damodar valley, and the Rajmahal The climate of the plateau is humid and area; micacious soil (containing particles sub-humid, characterized by hot summers of mica), found in Koderma, Jhumeritilaiya, and cool winters. Basically, the climate is Barkagaon, and areas around the Mandar hill; tropical type with three distinct sandy soil, generally found in Hazaribagh seasons: summer (March to mid June), and Dhanbad; black soil, found in the monsoon (mid June to October), and Rajmahal area; and laterite soil, found in the winter (November to February). May is the western part of Ranchi, Palamu and parts of hottest month with the temperature going Santhal Parganas and Singhbhum, and some up to 45°C. During May and June, the higher parts of the plateau. The climate of state also experiences hot winds known as Koderma is a transition type between the the loo. January is the coldest month with dry and moderately extreme climate of temperatures ranging from 6°C to 22°C. northern India and the warm, humid climate Likewise, the humidity varies from 38% of the Bengal Basin. The laterite soil being (April–May) to 94% (August–September). acidic in nature is not suitable for traditional On the basis of the ratio of total monthly agriculture and is referred as usar land. precipitation and total monthly evaporation, Thornthwaite (1933) placed the region There are two sets of rivers fl owing in the under dry sub-humid category. The average region, rivers fl owing from the southern rainfall varies between 1,000 mm and 1,600 part of the Chotanagpur plateau and the mm, while the potential evapotranspiration rivers fl owing from the Chotanagpur plateau (PET) is 1,400 to 1,600 mm leading to towards the north. Damodar, Barakar, Koel, a short dry moisture regime. The annual and Suvarnarekha are the principal rivers of rainfall is suffi cient for 80% of the annual the region that largely contribute towards PET ensuring moisture availability for a the agriculture in the region. growing period ranging between 150 and 180 days (up to 210 days in some places) Floristic diversity in a year. The soil is dry for more than 90 days. The mean annual soil temperature is The region is very rich in fl oristic diversity more than 22°C. because of its past geological history. It is 376 Agricultural biodiversity heritage sites believed that in the geological past, this (L.) Skeels, Lagerstroemia parviflora plateau formed a link between the Satpura Roxb., Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb., and Hill Ranges and the Eastern Himalaya Symplocos racemosa Roxb. that allowed species exchanges between these ranges (Hora, 1949). Plants from At higher altitudes, there are shola-type the Eastern Himalayas, Assam, Myanmar, forests characterized by Phoenix robusta Malay Peninsula and other countries of Hook.f., Pterospermum acerifolium Benth., Southeast Asia migrated from here to the and Clematis nutans Royle; new name C. Eastern and and Sri Lanka. roylei Rehder. (Davis et al., 1995). The Jharkhand is even recognized as a distinct also includes patches of moist geographic region (IND-JK) in the Indian deciduous forests and swampy areas, with subcontinent by the Royal Botanic Gardens, several interesting plant species such as Kew (Brummitt, 2001). Syzygium cuminii, Manilkara hexandra Dubard, Ficus L. spp., and kamala or The forest vegetation of the Chotanagpur kamopillaka [Mallotus philippensis (Lam.) Plateau is represented by three major groups Muell.] that are typical of moist deciduous as per the classifi cation by Champion and forests. Seth (1968): (i) Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests (3C/C3a and 3C/E1); (ii) Northern The dry deciduous forests are typically Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests (5B/C1c, composed of three stories, with an upper 5B/C2, and 5/DS2); and (iii) Central Indian canopy reaching 15–25 m, a high understory Subtropical Hill Forests (8A/C3). The total at 10–15 m, and an undergrowth at about vegetation cover on the plateau is about 3–5 m. The vegetation is characterized by 29.61%. Of this, 3.19% area is under very , usually in association with dense forest cover whereas 11.39% has Anogeissus latifolia, Terminalia alata Herb. moderately dense forests, 13.76% has open Madr. ex Wall, Lagerstroemia parvifl ora, forests, and 0.92% area has scrubland. Pterocarpus marsupium, Aegle marmelos, Syzygium operculatum (Roxb.) Nied. (syn. The general vegetation comprises of S. nervosum DC.), Symplocus racemosa, tropical dry deciduous and moist deciduous and Croton oblongifolius Roxb. (Puri et al., forests and is characterized by sal (Shorea 1989; Davis et al., 1995). Lianas (woody robusta C.F. Gaertn.), usually in association vines) are common in dense forests. A dry with bael [Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa deciduous scrub that grows to about 3–6 m ex Roxb.], dhautha [Anogeissus latifolia in height is another common habitat. This (Roxb.) Bedd], palas [ scrub includes bamboo and shrubs, such as (Lam.) Taub.], mohua [Madhuca indica J.F. Holarrhena R.Br. spp. and Dodonaea Mill. Gmel.; syn. M. longifolia Macbride var. spp. (Puri et al., 1989). latifolia Roxb. A.Chev. (=Bassia latifolia Roxb.)], Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb., The hills of the region Dillenia pentagyna Roxb., Schleichera with montane subtropical forests have oleosa (Lour.) Oken, Syzygium cuminii Pittosporum wightii A.K.Mukh., Grewia L. Asian Agri-History Vol. 16, No. 4, 2012 377

members of the family Zingiberaceae, The plateau has predominantly red such as Hedychium coronarium Koenig., soil that is derived from peculiar rock and other families of sedges and grasses. formations. The common soils are The Netarhat hills have moist and dry red and yellow, fi ne loamy to clayey, deciduous sal forests. The Lodh Falls of this non-calcareous with slight to moderate area represent an ideal riverine ecosystem, acidic in reactions. harboring a very important economic orchid of the region called Pholidota imbricata Lindl., locally called ‘Pathal Kela’, and spp., Meyna spinosa Roxb. ex Link, Berberis 10 out of 11 species of Dendrobium. asiatica Roxb. ex. DC., Reinwardtia Economically, this area is highly suited for indica Dum, Thalictrum foliolosum DC., the cultivation of Pyrus communis L. (pear Polygala L. spp., Lobelia alsinoides Lam., or naspati). The Barkapahar hillock, near L. heyneana Roem. & Schult., Clematis Ranchi, on steep slopes has sal forests and gouriana Roxb. ex DC., etc., above 1,220 at places mixed forests with Acacia Mill. spp. and Bauhinia variegata L. (kachnar). m. The areas between 650 m and 1,220 m On the gentle slopes towards the foothills are dominated by Litsea monopetala (Roxb.) occur Shorea robusta, Bauhinia L. spp., and Pers. (syn. Tetranthera monopetala Roxb.), Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L. (night jasmine). Chinese banyan tree (Ficus microcarpa There are some Terminalia alata trees too L.f.), Ficus mollis Vahl, Symplocos scattered. racemosa, Alangium salvifolium (L.F.) Wang., Indigofera pulchella Roxb. (syn. Dry scrub forest is the common vegetation I. cassioides Rottler ex DC.), Vitis L. spp., of the region, consequent to which, the Bauhinia vahlii Wight & Arnott, B. sericea state Jharkhand apparently draws its name, Lace var. anguina, Persea bombycina (King because of the domination of scrubs, ex Hook.f.) Kosterm. (food plant of muga locally called ‘jharies’. The scrubs include silkworm), Chionanthus ramifl orus Roxb., bamboos and shrubs, such as Helicteres and Caesalpinia bonduc (Linn.) Roxb., to isora L., Flacourtia indica (Burm.f.) Merr. name a few. The Saranda forests in the (syn. F. ramontchi L’Hérit), Flemingia hilly region of West are very suitable for orchid habitat and have all the 11 species of Dendrobium Sm., and the The region is very rich in fl oristic last remnant population of Bulbophyllum diversity because of its past geological Thouars, an epiphytic orchid represented by history. It is believed that in the the single species, Bulbophyllum crassipes geological past, this plateau formed a Hook.f., and an interesting orchid Pecteilis link between the Satpura Hill Ranges trifl ora (D.Don) Tang & F.T.Wang. Saranda and the Eastern Himalaya that allowed also hides amongst its dense forests the species exchanges between these Ligirdah swamp, which harbors a unique ranges. swamp vegetation dominated by the 378 Agricultural biodiversity heritage sites strobilifera (L.) W.T. Aiton., Woodfordia lowlands with heavy soils are cultivated fruticosa (Linn.) Kurz., Ziziphus mauritiana with rice. Thus rice, , maize, and Lam. (syn. Z. jujuba Mill.), and Z. vulgaris pigeonpea are major crops during the rainy Lam. The important grasses in the scrub season (kharif) and vegetables, pulses, and forests are Arundinella setosa Trin. Gram. oilseeds during the postrainy season (rabi). Pan., Cymbopogon martini (Roxb.) Wats., Rice and are also cultivated under Capillipedium assimile (Steud.) A. Camus, irrigated conditions. Direct sowing of ragi, Chrysopogon fulvus (Spreng.) Chiov. red gram, and black gram and ridge planting (syn. C. montanus Trin.), Pennisetum of maize are some common unique practices pedicellatum Trin., Themeda caudata followed in the region. (Nees) A. Camus, Themeda quadrivalvis (L.) Kuntze., etc. The kharif season starts from the third week of May and lasts till the end of October with rice, maize, arhar or pigeonpea, etc. Most Agriculture and agrobiodiversity early varieties of paddy are grown by the Despite good rainfall, the crop productivity broadcast method. The rabi season starts by in the region is very poor, because of the the end of October and lasts up to the last slopy, undulating terrain, non-availability week of February. The main crops grown of , and poor water and soil during this season are surgujiya wheat, conservation. The transitional climate (dry gram, mustard/oilseeds, barley, , etc. and warm humid) of the region is refl ected In double-cropping, mustard seed is sown in the cropping pattern, which shows after maize and wheat after paddy. During cultivation of a mixture of wet and dry crops. the zaid season (the short season during Rice is the dominant crop everywhere, the summer months, between the rabi and whereas maize, wheat, barley, minor millets, kharif), which begins from March and ends gram, oilseeds, and pulses (legumes) are by the second week of May, people grow supplementary crops. Sugarcane is grown mostly vegetables such as kadu, kohra, in fairly well-defi ned areas. Jute, a crop of bhindi, French beans, etc. However, there the hot, moist lowlands, is found only in the are three major harvests in a year: bhadai, eastern-most districts. dominated by maize that is sown from May to June and harvested in Bhado (August to Rainfed agriculture is the traditional farming, September); aghani, consisting primarily practiced in the region. A toposequential land of rice sown in mid June and gathered in use is prevalent among tribal farmers. High the month of Aghan (December); and rabi, and medium slopes with light textured red made up largely of wheat that ripens (in the soil are cultivated with niger, leguminous plains) in spring. trees, upland rice, finger , maize, pigeonpea, etc.; medium slopes with light Most farmers practice cultivation of selected or heavy textured sandy soil are cultivated traditional long-duration rice varieties with with rice in kharif and vegetables in rabi; low inputs of manure in the lowlands, which and lower slopes lowlands and deep have plenty of water during the rainy season. Asian Agri-History Vol. 16, No. 4, 2012 379

Winter crops, such as rapeseed, linseed, The traditional cropping systems are barley, lentil, and gram are cultivated rice–toria, rice–mustard, rice–niger, rice– successfully following the monsoon season. groundnut, rice–lentil, and rice–sesame. Rice is also cultivated on residual soil In Alfi sols and related red soil zone in and moisture, particularly in the mid-uplands. around the Ranchi region, the common However, since there are poor irrigation cropping systems are rice–chickpea/ facilities, the most common cropping linseed, groundnut–barley, and finger pattern is still rice–fallow, which covers millet–chickpea (Rathore and Gupta, 87% of the total medium land plots. 1991). A recent study on indigenous cropping systems in the tribal areas have The local farmers have made appropriate shown dominance of legume-based mixed selection for rice genotypes suited to and intercropping systems among tribal different terrains of the region, i.e., uplands, communities, such as pigeonpea + rice, mid-uplands, lowlands. This has resulted in pigeonpea + black gram, pigeonpea + fi nger generating genetic and varietal diversities millet, pigeonpea + maize, cowpea + rice, in rice. Consequently, in uplands short- gram + wheat, gram + linseed, and gram + duration (85–90 days) gora rice varieties mustard; and crop rotations including rice– like Goradhan are grown; in the mid-uplands (or baad) selected medium-duration rice gram, rice–lentil, rice–wheat–mungbean, varieties, like Jarli, Balibhojan (120 days) rice–pea, groundnut–wheat, maize–wheat are grown; and lower down the hilly terrain, and different vegetables; and paira cropping especially in the medium land (where soil (no-tillage, relay sowing by broadcast in moisture is available for longer periods) standing crop of lowland rice before its or lowlands, long-duration rice varieties harvest) and recently developed potato- like Sugandha (150 days) are grown based cropping systems in rice lowlands. (Fig. 3). The medium lands are known as Lathyrus seed are broadcast in standing ajan in and kanali in Purulia. Other rice crop to get yield without irrigation. common extant rice varieties of the region The basic principle applied in these mixed are Cauvery, Palman, Bala, etc. and rotation systems is to take advantage of the nitrogen-fi xation capacities of legume crops for soil fertility conservation (Dey and Sarkar, 2011).

Under agroforestry, mixed cropping involving cereals, pulses, and vegetables is practiced. A number of horticulture crops are grown as per the topography and climatic regimes. Litchi cultivation in the region, particularly in the Ranchi area, and Figure 3. Rice-based production system in jackfruit cultivation all over the plateau is lowland (Source: topnews.in). known nationally. 380 Agricultural biodiversity heritage sites

[Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek var. radiata], Most farmers practice cultivation of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.), kulthi or selected traditional long-duration rice horsegram [Macrotyloma unifl orum (Lam.) varieties with low inputs of manure Verdc.], lentil (Lens culinaris Medic), in the lowlands, which have plenty of linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.), mothbean water during the rainy season. [Vigna aconitifolia (Jacq.) Marechal], niger [Guizotia abyssinica (L.f.) Cass.], rice bean [Vigna umbellata (Thunb.) Ohwi & H. Raising of livestock for meat, dairy products, Ohashi], sesame (Sesamum indicum), toria and wool has been part of the traditional or rapeseed (Brassica rapa L. var. toria), agriculture. The region has been using tuar or pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) and conserving diverse domestic animal Millsp.], and Vigna vexillata (L.) A.Rich. populations, including local and crossbred (tubers are eaten). cattle, like black Bengal goat, Chotanagpuri sheep, murrah and local buffalo, broilers Fodder and fi ber crops. Arundinella setosa, and many varieties of ducks. Axonopus compressus (Sw.) Beauv., Bridelia squamosa (Lam.) Gehrm., Capillipedium assimile (Steud.) A. Camus, guria grass Representative crop species in various (Chrysopogon fulvus), Crotalaria alata crop groups Buch.-Ham., dennanath grass (Pennisetum Cereals, pseudocereals, and millets. pedicellatum Trin.), Eulaliopsis binata Amaranth (Amaranthus hypocondriacus (Retz.) C.E. Hubb, Heteropogon contortus L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), gundli L., Iseilema laxum Hack., jute (Corchorus (Panicum antidotale Retz., a cultivated capsularis L.), kenaf (Hibiscus sabdariffa millet generally used for forage in the rest of L.), Milletia extensa (Benth.) Baker (syn. the country), maize (Zea mays L.), mandla or M. auriculata Baker), Themeda caudata wild fi nger millet (Eleusine indica Steud.), (Nees) A. Camus, Themeda quadrivalvis, pedda wundu or wild barnyard millet and Wendlandia tinctoria (Roxb.) DC. [Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv.], ragulu or fi nger millet (Eleusine coracana Vegetables. Balsam apple (Momordica Gaertn.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), sanwa or balsamina L.), bhindi or okra [Abelmoschus barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea esculentus (L.) Moench], bottle gourd Link.; syn. Panicum frumentaceum Roxb.), [Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley], and sorghum [ (L.) brinjal (Solanum melongena L.), cucumber Moench]. (Cucumis sativus L.), Curcuma angustifolia Roxb. (source of starch), drumstick Grain legumes and oilseeds. Black gram (Moringa concanensis Nimmo, M. oleifera [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper], Brassica spp., Lam.), kakrol or ban karela (Momordica castor (Ricinus communis L.), chana or dioica Roxb. ex Willd.), karela or bitter chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), cowpea gourd (Momordica charantia L.), kundri (Vigna unguiculata L.), green gram (Coccinia indica Wight & Arn.; syn. C. Asian Agri-History Vol. 16, No. 4, 2012 381 grandis Voigt), Momordica subangulata potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), potato yam renigera (Wall. ex G.Don) W.J. de Wilde, (Dioscorea bulbifera L.; syn. D. sativa), ridge gourd [Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb.], Pueraria tuberosa (Roxb. ex Willd.) DC, Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Poir., sponge suthni or lesser yam [Dioscorea esculenta gourd [Luffa cylindrica (L.) Roem.], and (Lour.) Burk.], tava khira (Curcuma sugar beet [Beta vulgaris L. var. orientalis angustifolia), and Vigna vexillata var. (Roth) Moq.]. wightii (Benth. ex Baker) Babu & Sharma (cultivated for tuberous root). Leafy vegetables. The tribals from and around the Ranchi Plateau have been using Fruits. Alangi [Alangium salviifolium (L.f.) 33 plant species as leafy vegetables (Kumar Wangerin], aonla (Emblica officinalis and Kumar, 2000). Most of them are also Gaertn.), bael (Aegle marmelos), ber important from the medicinal point of (Ziziphus mauritiana), chiroli or chironji view. They include Achyranthes aspera (Buchanania lanzan Spreng.), custard L., Amaranthus spinosus L., Bauhinia apple (Annona reticulata L.; A. squamosa purpurea L., B. retusa Roxb. ex DC., L.), guava (Psidium guajava L.), gular Boerhaavia diffusa L., Centella asiatica (Ficus glomerata Roxb.; syn. F. racemosa (L.) Urban, Cleome L. spp., Euphorbia L.), imali (Tamarindus indica L.), jackfuit hirta L., Ficus L. spp., Ipomoea aquatica (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.), jamun Forsk., Ophioglossum reticulatum L., (Syzygium cuminii), karonda (Carissa Oxalis corniculata L., Polygonum L. spp., Portulaca L. spp., Rumex vesicarius L., carandas Lour.), mango (Mangifera etc. In addition, bathua (Chenopodium indica L.), papaya (Carica papaya), paker album L.), green amaranth (Amaranthus [Flacourtia indica (syn. F. ramontchi); F. hypocondriacus L. and A. viridis L.], methi sepiaria Roxb.], persimmon (Diospyros (Trigonella foenum-gracium L.), sarson or melanoxylon), pineapple (Ananas comosus mustard green [Brassica juncea (L.) Hook.f. L.), shahatoot or mulberry (Morus nigra & Thomson], swamp cabbage (Ipomoea L.; M. alba L.), Solanum torvum Sw., toddy aquatica), and palak (Spinacia oleracea palm (Borassus fl abellifer L.), and Ziziphus L.) are cultivated. rugosa Lam. (syn. Z. glabra Roxb).

Rhizomes, tubers, and bulbs. Arvi or taro [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott], country Under agroforestry, mixed cropping potato (Coleus forskholii Briq.; syn. C. involving cereals, pulses, and vegetables barbatus Benth), Dioscorea kalkapershadii is practiced. A number of horticulture Prain & Burkill., D. wightii Hook.f., crops are grown as per the topography galphuli edible tubers (Flemingia vestita and climatic regimes. Litchi cultivation Benth. ex Baker; F. procumbens Roxb.), in the region, particularly in the Ranchi khamalu or Asiatic yam (Dioscorea alata area, and jackfruit cultivation all over L.), nara tegu (D. glabra Roxb.), pitharu the plateau is known nationally. khanda (D. belophylla Voigt ex Haines), 382 Agricultural biodiversity heritage sites

Spices. Ginger (Zingiber offi cinale Rosc.), mango ginger (Curcuma amada Roxb.), turmeric (Curcuma domestica Valet.; syn. C. longa L.), wild turmeric (Curcuma aromatica Salisb.), and Zingiber purpureum Roscoe var. palamaunsis (Haines) K.K.Khanna.

Other crop species. They include plantation crops such as plantain (Musa sapientum L.), Persea bombycina for muga silk, and ornamental crops such as carnation Figure 4. Collecting forest produce, part of (Dianthus caryophyllus L.), gerbera traditional agriculture. (Gerbera L. spp.), rose (Rosa L. spp.), chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum L. spp.), neem, karanj, etc.), gums, resins, guggul or marigold (Tagetes erecta L.), tuberose incense materials, dyes and fermented drinks, (Polianthes tuberosa L.), terrestrial orchids, soap and cosmetics, raw material for wooden bulbaceous flowers, and night jasmine toys, drums, musical instruments, brooms and (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis). brushes, perfumes (sandalwood oil, khus oil), and tendu leaves (Diospyros melanoxylon). Timber. Anjan (Hardwickia binata Roxb.), The leaves of trees such as Terminalia asan (Terminalia tomentosa Wight & Arn.), tomentosa and T. arjuna provide good feed baheda [Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) for rearing of silkworms under the sericulture Roxb.], bakli or dhautha (Anogeissus industry. Similarly, the leaves of Acacia latifolia), khair (Acacia catechu Brandis), and Ficus spp. are used for rearing of lakh kulu (Sterculia urens Roxb.), sal (Shorea robusta), Terminalia alata, and tree of or lac insects [Laccifer lacca (Kerr)] under haven (Ailanthus excelsa Roxb.). the lac industry. Bamboo and bhabar (an Indian fi ber grass; Ischaemum angustifolium Multipurpose species. Dendrocalamus Hack. ex Oliv.) from Chotanagpur supply asper Backer ex K.Heyne (timber, edible, raw materials for paper manufacture. Some ornamental), Diospyros melanoxylon, palas other species sought after for extraction of or fl ame tree (Butea monosperma), karanj gum and resins are Anogeissus latifolia, arjun [Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre], kosum or [Terminalia arjuna (Roxb. ex DC.) Wight & Indian lac tree (Schleichera oleosa), mahua Arn.], Boswellia serrata Roxb. (syn. B. glabra (Madhuca indica; syn. M. longifolia var. Roxb.), dikamali (Gardenia gummifera L.f.), latifolia), neem (Azadirachta indica A. kulu (Sterculia urens Roxb.), and Lannea Juss), and Phoenix humilis Royle ex Becc. coromandelica (Houtt) Merr.

Agroforestry, gum, and resin species. Non- Medicinal plants. Alangium salvifolium wood forest products collected/made by the (L.F.) Wang., arjun (Terminalia arjuna), tribals are the main source of livelihood (Fig. ashwagandha [Withania somnifera (L.) 4). They consist of oilseeds (mahua, sal, Dunal.], baheda (Terminalia bellirica), Asian Agri-History Vol. 16, No. 4, 2012 383 brahami [Centella asiatica (L.) Urb.], Sharma & Shastry (syn. O. sativa L. forma Caesalpinia bonduc (Linn.) Roxb., chitraka spontanea Roshev.), O. rufi pogon Griff. (Plumbago zeylanica Linn.), hadjod [Cissus (syn. O. spontanea Roschev.), Echinochloa quadrangularis Linn. (CQ)], Flemingia crus-galli, Rhynchosia bracteata Benth. ex strobilifera (L.) W.T. Aiton., gadhahpurna Bak., R. minima DC, R. rufescens (Willd.) (Boerhaavia diffusa L.), ghritakumari (Aloe DC., Vigna aconitifolia (Jacq.) Marechal, barbadensis Mill.), jyotishmati or mal- V. hainiana Babu, Gopin. & S.K.Sharma, V. kangani (Celastrus paniculatus Willd.), triloba (L.) Verdec. var. trilobata, Zingiber kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata Wall. casumnar Roxb. (syn. Z. purpureum var. ex Nees), pani bel (Cissus repanda Vahl.; palamauensis), etc. have been recorded. syn. C. rosea Royle, Vitis repanda Wight & Endemic species. Nayar (1996) identifi ed 20 Arn. and V. rosea Royle), Pueraria tuberosa centers of plant endemism in India, of which (Roxb. ex Willd.) DC, salai (Boswellia Chotanagpur is one that has been recognized serrata), sarpagandha (Rauvolfi a serpentina as an important ‘microcenter’ and recorded Benth. ex Kurz.), shatawar (Asparagus Acacia donaldii Haines, A. thompsonii var. racemosus L.), sonapatha or shyonaka [Oroxylum indicum (L.) Benth. ex Kurz; galbana Haines, Aglaia haselettiana, Carum syn. Bignonia indica L.], Soymida febrifuga villosum Haines, Chrysopogon hamiltonii (Roxb.) A. Juss., Symplocos racemosa, Haines, Crotalaria ramosissima Roxb., Terminalia alata, Vigna sublobata (Roxb.) Dimeria ornithopoda Trin. var. gracillima Bairig. et al. [syn. V. radiata (L.) R. Wilczek Bor, Eriolaena hookeriana Wight & Arn. var. var. sublobata (Roxb.) Verdc.], etc. viridis, Iseilema holei Haines., Lohopogon kingii, Mucuna minima Haines, Ophiuros Wild relatives of crop species. Arora and megaphyllus Stapf ex Haines, Pycnocycla Nayar (1984) recorded Coccinia indica; glauca Lindl., Rhyncosia hainesiana P. (syn. C. grandis), Cucurma longa Linn. Satyanar., Sophora bakeri C.B.Clarke ex (syn. C. domestica Valeton), Mucuna Prain, and Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. var. capitata Wight & Arn., Phoenix robusta maritima. Later, Nayar et al. (2009) reported Hook.f., Vigna sublobata (syn. V. radiata Albizia orissensis K.C.Sahni & Bennet, var. sublobata), and Zingiber capitatum Cajanus cajanifolius, Erythrina resupinata Roxb. from the region. Later, many more Roxb., and Phyllanthus narayanaswamii wild relatives of crops, such as Abelmoschus Gamble from the region. Recently, several crinitus Wall. [syn. A. cancellatus (L.f.) more species have been described as endemic J.O. Voigt], Acacia donaldii Haines, to the region, such as Clematis roylei var. Cajanus cajanifolius (Haines) Maesen, patens (Haines) Kapoor, Dendrocalamus C. scarabaeoides (L.) Thours, C. sericeus strictus (Roxb.) Nees var. sericeus (Munro) (Baker) Maesen, Dioscorea bulbifera L. Gamble, Leucas lanata Wallich ex Benth. (syn. D. sativa), D. glabra Roxb., D. wightii var. nagpurensis C.B.Clarke ex Haines, Hook.f., Eleusine indica Steud., Indigofera Ligusticum alboalatum Haines, Swertia pulchella, Momordica balsamina, M. angustifolia Buch.-Ham ex D.Don var. subangulata renigera, Oryza nivara pyramidalis Haines, and Zingiber purpureum 384 Agricultural biodiversity heritage sites var. palamaunsis (Singh et al., 2001). A & McCann, Nervilia carinata (Roxb.) representative set of endemic species are Schltr., and N. falcata (King & Pantl.) listed in Table 1. In addition, the orchids Schltr. are endemic to the region, which Dendrobium herbaceum Lindl., D. regium are of great ornamental value (Kumar and Prain, Habenaria gibsoni var. foetida Blatt. Rawat, 2008).

Table 1. List of representative endemic species from the Chotanagpur Plateau region.1 Species Family Habit Distribution Remark Acacia donaldii Fabaceae Scrambling tree Northern Eastern Agroforestry Ghats Albizia orissensis Fabaceae Tree Northern Eastern Less known species Ghats Bupleurum Apiaceae Herb Northern Eastern Used for sudorifi c andhricum Ghats complaints Cajanus Fabaceae Shrub Northern Eastern Green manuring cajanifolius Ghats Clematis roylei Ranunculaceae Herb Chotanagpur plateau Medicinal var. patens Dendrocalamus Poaceae Shrub Chotanagpur plateau Strong bamboo strictus var. sericeus Dimeria Poaceae Herb Chotanagpur plateau Grass ornithopoda var. gracillima Iseilema holei Poaceae Herb Chotanagpur plateau Grass Leucas lanata var. Lamiaceae Perennial herb Chotanagpur plateau Medicinal nagpurensis Phyllanthus Euphorbiaceae Undershrub Northern Eastern Wild relative narayanaswamii Ghats Pycnocycla Apiaceae Herb Northern Eastern Roots used to treat glauca Ghats dysentery Sophora bakeri Leguminosae Shrub Jharkhand Medicinal Swertia Gentianaceae Annual herb Jharkhand Medicinal angustifolia var. pyramidalis Zingiber Zingiberaceae Herb Chotanagpur plateau Genetic resource purpureum var. palamaunsis 1. Source: Nayar, 1996; Singh et al., 2001; and Kumar and Rawat, 2008. Asian Agri-History Vol. 16, No. 4, 2012 385

Threatened species. Aglaia haselettiana, human population in the region is of tribal Carum villosum, and Pycnocycla glauca origin, belonging to more than 30 different have been reported to be under threat by tribes. Vidyarthy (1968) originally classifi ed Rawat and Wikramanayake (2001); Oryza them on the basis of their association with nivara, Jasminum strictum Haines, and specific cultural activities. It included Ligusticum albo-alatum Haines presumed hunter-gatherers (such as Birhor, Korwa, extinct by Nayar and Sastri (1987, 1988, Hill Kharia); shifting agriculturists (such 1990); and Clematis roylei var. patens, as Sauria, Paharia); simple artisans (such Leucas lanata var. nagpurensis, and as Mahli, Lohra, Karmali, Chik Baraik); Zingiber purpureum var. palamaunsis found and settled agriculturists (such as Santhal, in the region have been listed to be under Munda, Oraons, Ho, ). threat by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India. Most of these tribes are partly dependent on Table 2 lists the species reported to be under the forest resources for their living (Fig. 4). threat from the region. Some of the other tribes recorded are Baiga, Asur, Chero, Gond, Larmali, Kond, Kurmi, Tharu, Kols, Tamar, Khewar, Birjia, Savar, Associated culture and tribes Korwa, Malpaharia, Parhaiyas, etc. These The Chotanagpur region is known for non- tribals collect non-wood forest products Aryan, Austric tribes. Around 22.5% of the from the forests and are also engaged in

Table 2. List of representative species under threat from the Chotanagpur Plateau region. Species Family Habit Threat level1 Remark Aglaia haselettiana Meliaceae Tree I Vegetation Carum villosum Apiaceae Herb EX/EN Genetic resource Clematis roylei var. Ranunculaceae Liana EN Medicinal patens2 Jasminum strictum Oleaceae Shrub I Ornamental, genetic resource Leucas lanata var. Lamiaceae Perennial herb EN Medicinal nagpurensis2 Ligusticum albo-alatum Apiaceae Herb P.EX/EN Vegetation Pycnocycla glauca Apiaceae I Medicinal; roots used in dysentery Oryza nivara Poaceae Tall herb I Wild relative of rice Zingiber purpureum var. Zingiberaceae Shrub EN Fruit, genetic resource palamaunsis2

1. EN = Endangered; I = Indeterminate; EX = Extinct; P.EX = Possibly Extinct. 2. Listed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). 386 Agricultural biodiversity heritage sites subsistence farming. The tribal communities Chhattisgarh, Orissa, and Bengal, are the sell bamboos and canes, seed-oils and fats, original inhabitants of India. cordage, mats, baskets, etc., in their ‘hats’ (weekly local village markets). The Gaderiyas are another scattered and small populated lesser-known scheduled The Birhors are a traditional nomadic caste community whose origin is not primitive tribe of the Chotanagpur region, known. They are living with tribals and belonging to the forest-hunting type. scheduled caste communities since a long Ethnically they belong to Austro Asiatic time, according to their knowledge. They Mundari group of the Proto-Australoid are famous for their traditional occupation stock. They are still mostly landless and of livestock rearing and are known as a earn their living by rope making, hunting, caste of shepherds, engaged in grazing of gathering forest products, and fi shing. They sheep, collection of sheep fur, preparation are threatened to extinction. of woolen thread, and blanket weaving.

The Mundas are tribal people having their Technology and products origins in the Kols of the Vindhya Mountains. The Mundas also have resemblances in Despite good rainfall, the region suffers cultural traits with the Santhals. They are from poor crop yields. This is because of settled agriculturists, besides earning their non-availability of irrigation systems and livelihood by means of collecting minor loss of most of rainwater in the runoff forest products. They are also engaged in due to slopy and undulating terrain, soil fi shing and animal husbandry and work as lacking in water-holding capacity, because unskilled laborers. They developed the parha of rocky origin, and poor quality of water. system of government, which is basically a The topsoil gets eroded every year, because confederacy of village governments. of runoff and lack of soil conservation efforts, further limiting the agricultural The Oraons are considered to be related to productivity. Nevertheless, the local farmers the Proto-Australoid stock, which has been have developed practices to protect and described as ‘pre-Dravidian’ and ‘Veddoid’ facilitate water resource management along (Kirk et al., 1962). They generally speak with effi cient utilization, with methods like the . The Oraons mainly water harvesting in artificial structures, depend on agriculture and are believed to water recycling, earthen bunding, stone have fi rst introduced plow cultivation into bunding, stone-cum-earthen bunding across the Chotanagpur Plateau, with the present the slopes and strengthening such bunds system of pastureland management working with weeds, bushes, etc., and management together in unison. Recent fi ndings have of water from rivulets. Similarly, they suggested that the pre-Dravidian aborigines, have developed practices to improve soil whose descendants are speakers of the fertility and restrict soil and water erosion Munda Austric languages, living today by building low-cost structures like the doba in parts of Chotanagpur (Jharkhand), (Dey et al., 2003). Asian Agri-History Vol. 16, No. 4, 2012 387

For increasing productivity, the farmers have Agriculture in the area is largely oriented developed practices, such as supplying water towards rice cultivation for subsistence. to the uplands close to the homesteads, called Local farmers typically distinguish four barhi, from dug wells. The barhi land is different land types according to the land’s intensively used for cultivation of cash crops position in the microtopography: upland, such as vegetables and potato to meet the food mid-upland, medium land, and lowland. requirement of the family and to get immediate The farmers’ perception about increasing income. In distant fringe areas, the traditional soil fertility as one goes down in the farmers largely cultivate drought-resistant toposequence (land position) has been and fl ood-resistant long-duration traditional corroborated by soil analysis of the Indian varieties of rice. These areas have remained Statistical Institute (ISI). Accordingly, isolated from the Green Revolution, and farmers have adapted to the local topography therefore offer appreciable genetic diversity by adjusting cropping patterns (particularly for collection and conservation. with adaption of rice varieties) and crop management practices according to the To mitigate the unpredictable monsoon, plot’s position and land type. Upland plots farmers grow selected crops and varieties are typically planted with short-duration such as gora rice, which are short-duration (85–90 days), drought-tolerant traditional (85–90 days), tolerant to drought, low in varieties (TVs) of rice or minor millets that yield, but ensure sustainable productivity, generally provide low yields. Mid-upland because of their capacity to escape drought. plots are typically planted with medium- Some of these varieties grown in the region duration TVs, whereas medium land plots can survive even in a drought-like situation. – where soil moisture is available for a They are grown on highlands where the longer period than on the higher terraces – water runoff is higher; some of them mature are most widely planted with long-duration barely in 60 days, compared to the 90 days of TVs. At the bottom of the toposequence, i.e., usual varieties. In these cultivable uplands, on lowland plots, farmers typically plant during the monsoon, the other crops that long-duration rice TVs, with low inputs are cultivated are traditional minor millets, of manure (as the soils are comparatively such as fi nger millet, kodo millet or gundli, rich in fertility) or modern varieties (MVs) of rice (Fig. 3). Thus, planting of TVs is solely or in association with other crops as predominant, though MVs of rice are also mixed crops. cultivated (the share of land area planted with MVs was 21% on lowland and 24% on medium land) mainly on medium land and The Chotanagpur region is known lowland plots where the ambient moisture for non-Aryan, Austric tribes. Around is higher, and the soils are better suited to 22.5% of the human population in the MVs, which tend to be more sensitive to region is of tribal origin, belonging to water availability. Average paddy yields more than 30 different tribes. differed signifi cantly across land types, and the yields generally increase as one moves 388 Agricultural biodiversity heritage sites down in the toposequence. Rice yields and bacterial leaf blight), and long-duration averaged 2.1 t ha-1 on upland plots compared varieties, such as Bhojna, Kalam dani, with an average yield of 3.3 t ha-1 on lowland Malti, Sugandha, Rajashri, etc., for rainfed plots. Analysis of traditional farming lowland (Lakra et al., 2009) (last two with technical effi ciency at the disaggregated resistance to gall midge and rice blast). The plot-level suggests that poor rice farming level of genetic diversity among TVs of the households in the region are considerably region is signifi cant and consequently Gene more effi cient technically than they appear, Campaign (an NGO working in the region) based on the aggregate farm-level analysis has collected seeds of more than 1,000 distinct (Fuwa et al., 2007). rice varieties, most of which were about to be lost. Recently, these have been screened Chandel et al. (1989) recorded considerable in collaboration with the Indian Agricultural genetic variability in rice, which is Research Institute (IARI), against bacterial predominantly adapted to the varying leaf blight, identifying eight of these TVs – degree of soil conditions. They collected Hardimuri, Kala Jeera, Bhatind, Sitwa Dhan, more than 150 distinct landraces of Oryza Sarna Gora, Chaina Gora, Lamba Asari, sativa var. indica with amazing genetic and Jhulur – with resistance to this second variability in plant height, foliage color, most devastating disease of rice (Tyagi et al., internode length, stem thickness, stiffness of 2009). straw, maturity, grain size, color, and aroma, glume color, etc. The agroecological diversities and terrestrial heterogeneities have generated ecotypes and The primitive upland cultivars cultivated in the morphotypes in important small millets as region as the rainfed upland crop are of short well, several of which have been used in duration and photoperiod insensitive, e.g., the breeding improved cultivars. For example, varieties of rice called Goradhan. Consequent in fi nger millet, RAU 8 has Ranchi local in to natural selection pressures, these varieties its parentage. In kodo millet, the variety JK have developed signifi cant genetic diversity 41 is a selection from a local germplasm of for duration (short) and resistance to drought, Chotanagpur; and in little millet, Birsa is a as they can withstand moisture stress to a selection from local Gundli 1. certain degree. Some of the commonly known short-duration gora varieties are Black gora, Among fi ber crops, landraces have been Brown gora, White gora (BP23), and many collected in jute. Among pulses, in mungbean, others, like Jhuli, Baid, Budhadhan, Soreya, resistance to Cercospora leaf spot has been Sathi, Bala bora, Bhadai, Jarki, Asmi, Saro recorded, while in pigeonpea, wild relatives salar, Rohni, Dhani gora, etc. Similarly, of Cajanus cajan are naturally distributed traditional cultivars have evolved for midland in the region, such as C. scarabaeoides, C. with medium-duration varieties, like Jarli, sericeus, and Rhynchosia bracteata, which Balibhojan, Arababa, Rash, Bakra, Bali, have been found to be sources of resistance Hiradhan, Lunchi, Birsadhan, Hazaridhan, to pod fl y damage and general resistance etc. (last two with resistance to rice blast to other diseases (Sharma et al., 2003). Asian Agri-History Vol. 16, No. 4, 2012 389

In sesame, white has been derived fruit characters, and yield (Nath et al., through selection from a local collection 2001). Similarly, Carissa carandas exhibits from Palamu (Duhoon et al., 2004). variability for fruit and plant type.

The Plateau has recorded signifi cant amount The tribal-dominated people of Jharkhand of variability for fruit characteristics have generated a significant amount of such as shape, size, color in solanaceous knowledge about the medicinal properties vegetables (brinjal) and in cucurbits such as of a large number of plant species used in the cucumber, ridge gourd, pointed gourd, etc., local tribal medicinal system. Additionally, which has been used in developing many they have been exploiting various natural of the present cultivars. Among spices, resources for different other purposes, such signifi cant variability has been recorded as alternative food under which there is in the case of ginger and turmeric. Some a high consumption rate, for example, of indigenous ginger (Zingiber officinalis) young bamboo shoots and a number of root cultivars are Maran, Kuruppampadi, Ernad, and tuber crops, which are mostly harvested Wynad, Himachal, and Nadia. The region unsustainably from nearby forests. Bamboo is very rich in the diversity of ornamentals, and sabaigrass are important resources particularly the commercially signifi cant used in the manufacture of rope and paper. tropical orchids, which are represented by The sticky, resinous secretion of the tiny a large number of species; for example, lac insect, Laccifer lacca, which deposits Dendrobium, a group of epiphytic orchids lac on the twigs and young branches of comprising 11 species, is distributed several varieties of soapberry and Acacia throughout the altitudinal gradient of the trees and the sacred fi g (Ficus religiosa) plateau (Kumar et al., 2011). in forests, is commercially exploited for the production of lakh. The Chotanagpur The region is known for important region contributes 41% of the total lakh traditional varieties of mango – Bathua, production of the country. Tropical tasar silk Bombai, Himsagar, Kishen bhog, Gopal production originated in the Chotanagpur bhog, Sukul, Rani pasand, Safed maldah, plateau of India; however, its origin and Chausa, Fazali, Zardalu, etc. – extending history are lost in antiquity. Tasar culture from the middle and lower Gangetic plains. is a way of life for the tribals and forest In litchi, which is cultivated extensively in dwellers. Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna) and the region, appreciable genetic diversity has asan (Terminalia tomentosa) are breeding been recorded resulting in the collection hosts for the moth, which produces the of 51 accessions (Karihaloo et al., 2005). cocoon from which tasar yarn is reeled. Some commonly known extant varieties are For these reasons, feasibility studies are Shahi, Rose scented, China, Purbi, Early being conducted to evolve new production bedana, and Late bedana. Rich genetic systems, involving economically important diversity has been recorded in jackfruit trees or shrubs with vegetables, spices (Artocarpus heterophyllus) in the Santhal and other basal crops. For example, the Parganas for tree characters, fruit behaviors, cultivation of vegetables under the edible 390 Agricultural biodiversity heritage sites bamboo is being discussed with plantation of Dendrocalamus asper plantlets raised The tribal-dominated people of through tissue culture and intercropped Jharkhand have generated a signifi cant with potato (Solanum tuberosum), tomato amount of knowledge about the (Lycopersicon esculentum), pea (Pisum medicinal properties of a large number sativum), and ginger (Zingiber offi cinalis). of plant species used in the local tribal medicinal system. The region is also known for knowledge about the medicinal properties of even food crops. For example, Kurthi, which is used like a pulse, is considered a cure for agriculturally speaking, under severe threat kidney stones. Karhaini, a drought-resistant due to human-induced activities such as variety of rice from the region, has been mining, industries, settlement, infrastructure identifi ed to cure jaundice and also used in development projects, and direct harvest of the preparation of a rice beer called handiya forest products, overgrazing of pastures, (named after the earthen pot used for its and forest fi res, which have been causing fermentation or brewing). Indeed handiya or severe erosion of biodiversity in general rice beer is culturally associated with native and of agrobiodiversity in particular. The tribals. Another common liquor is called majority of forest lands are lost due to these mahu, made from the mahua fruit. reasons, even after their due recognition in supporting livelihoods. Its unique Sheep and goat farming is a specialized biodiversity needs protection for improved occupation associated with certain tribes understanding of evolution. Being one of and communities, and the region has made the oldest landmasses on earth, the region signifi cant contributions with evolution and might hide some unforeseen knowledge conservation of breeds, such as the short concerning the evolution of the earth and Chotanagpuri sheep. phytodiversity. Thus, there is an urgent need to conserve the rich biodiversity (including Future perspective fossil) of the region before it is lost forever, particularly with an immediate in situ Despite the biogeographical signifi cance conservation of special habitats. and uniqueness, the Chotanagpur Plateau is, In addition to deforestation, soil erosion due to rainwater runoff is another major problem The agroecological diversities and causing concern for the sustainability of the terrestrial heterogeneities have agrobiodiversity in the region. Appropriate generated ecotypes and morphotypes in rainwater harvesting methods need to be important small millets as well, several evolved. Improving the existing knowledge of which have been used in breeding on contour bunding along slopes would improved cultivars. help develop and promote sustainable agriculture. Asian Agri-History Vol. 16, No. 4, 2012 391

2: Asia, Australasia and the Pacifi c. IUCN, Being one of the oldest landmasses Cambridge, UK. on earth, the region might hide some unforeseen knowledge concerning the Dey P and Sarkar AK. 2011. Revisiting indigenous farming knowledge of Jharkhand evolution of the earth and phytodiversity. (India) for conservation of natural resources and combating climate change. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge 10:71–79.

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