Bamboo- The ‘Timber’ of Mao-Naga Community Kreni Lokho* and D. Narasimhan Research Correspondence Abstract Background: Bamboos are group of plants of wide Kreni Lokho* ranging cultural and economic values to local D. Narasimhan communities. The present study was carried out to Department of Botany, Madras Christian College, understand the importance of bamboos for the Mao- Tambaram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India Naga community of Manipur, India, and the *Corresponding author: [email protected] associated Traditional Knowledge. Ethnobotany Research & Applications 18:27 (2019) Methods: Ten artisans (two females and eight males) were selected purposively for the study. Open-ended interviews conducted in person, and telephonic Oko kodzü interviews were used to collect data. Prior Informed Oko mostii khru: Kovo hi oprobu omu kali koe, ea hihi Consent (PIC) was taken from the knowledge no pfo chüheli vo pajü solowe ea kovo hino kasha-e partners prior to the interview. Voucher specimens molobowo nekolo obo bue. Kovo vahino amodo have been deposited in Central National Herbarium sokowo hiwoli oprobu hinahi chongho amazhü pajü (CAL), India. bue tikocho hi Ememei yi mosülo koru dunoe. Results: Our study records the uses and associated Dado khru: Kovo vano larü rüpu koru duno pfotomei traditional knowledge on six bamboo species. The chacha ye netomei kahei hi kodoloe. Pfole heno vu Mao-Naga are capable of distinguishing species kovo vahino mapra no ano kocho ea chükrei kakrü from their taste, texture and physical appearance. bvü leno kakrüwo, oko hi süpuloe. Kovo pa, onghu Except Bambusa pallida, all other species are ye solukhe khrumei hi oprodzü no somothu lowo consumed. In addition, the Mao-Naga also consume (voucher specimen to kowe) Central National bamboo borers (Omphisa fuscidentalis) infesting Herbarium li hi thokhio tie. bamboos. Bamboos are used in traditional soil conservation techniques. Bamboos also play an Phoprakolo: Larü hina lihi kovo ota choro vano rükhi important role in the community’s calendric system, hithoe ea hikhrumei hi kovo vano ovo koso ea as seasonal indicators. kostümei lapro khrumei hi-e riikhithoe. Ota krükrü-o kobu kovo khrumei hi kovoba koto, oke ea onga Conclusions: The traditional knowledge recorded in khruno mashü lowe. Bambusa pallida (Mataba) hi to this study would be of help to the community in chomoe. Kovokho tikocho (Omphisa fuscidentalis) planning bamboo harvesting, mitigating soil erosion, hiwoli towe. Mostü shuwo kovo hi omei no shu kocho soil conservation and maintain agricultural hi osü omi khupilo koru duno ea okhro chülu mocho productivity. We recommend that value addition in kapi hi-e sopiwe. bamboo crafts, bamboo shoots and bamboo borers should be promoted for enhancing livelihood Mochokowo chii: Kovo vano amodo hi moso duno security. sülo moli kashü süwoli, opha chülu no kovo va kolo, osü omi khu amo pilo koru duno, chüjü ota oni Key words: Bamboo, Traditional Knowledge, Mao- sokokhro ea ovo otali le sokhro kapi hi dunoe. Naga, Folk taxonomy, conservation, agriculture. Nilemei no kovo hipfo oshe mara, tolo kazhü kovoba Published: 3 October 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.32859/era.18.27.1-10 Ethnobotany Research and Applications 2 ea kovokho hikhru hi sülowo kovo hi kolei chüku as medicine (Choudhury et al. 2012, Liese et al. mazhü pulo molishüe. Adeitili hihino nelimei kohrü li 2015). Fresh and fermented bamboo shoots are also amzhü pajü pfovu pilo zhüe. an importance source of revenue for rural communities. Bamboo shoots are tapped, fermented Ochübi: Kovo, kostümei lapro, Ememei, Kostümei do and consumed as wine in Tanzania (Liese et al. ye olu, ojü ota, otakata 2015, Lobovikov et al. 2007). In Philippines, bamboo water from the young culm is consumed to quench Background thirst (Arthur 2015). In Korean folk medicines, bamboo salts (jookyeom) are roasted with normal salt, yellow clay and bamboo culms to treat chronic A meal should have meat, but a house must have a diseases (Hwang et al. 2016, Lee et al. 2016, bamboo. Without meat we become thin, without Robinson & Scully 2014). The clean young bamboo bamboo we lose serenity and culture itself- Pou Sou- leaves are dried, roasted and consumed as tea in Tung (Stiles 1994). most bamboo growing countries. It is a delicious and healthy drink (Liese et al. 2015). Bamboos are an important group of plants with wide cultural, economic and ecological values (Liese & Bamboo leaves provide effective mulch for moisture Kohl 2015, Kumari & Singh 2014). Owing to their retention and are used as organic fertilizer for soil multiple importance, they are also known as ‘green rejuvenation. The mulch also offers consistent gold’, poor man’s timber’, ‘child’s cradle to the dead temperature, high humidity and encourage the man’s bier’, etc. (Kaushik et al. 2015). They are growth of microbes for faster decomposition (Liese & known to be durable and fast-growing with short Kohl 2015). There are reports of using bamboo harvest periods. Besides, they are also sustainable leaves due to during fuelwood scarcity. However, the in yield, cheap and have supported livelihood use of bamboo leaves as fuel should not be through ages. These factors make bamboos a encouraged as it depletes the soil biomass (Liese & reliable resource for meeting the needs of increasing Kohl 2015). population, markets and development (Honfo et al. 2015; Cm & Seethalakshmi 2009). Bamboos are Bamboos are ideal plants for afforestation of also a versatile group, known to survive in a wide grassland and degraded landscapes due to their fast range of climatic and edaphic conditions (Tewari et growth, extensive rhizome, high yielding litter and al. 2015). dense canopy (Song et al. 2011; Acharya et al. 2016). In addition, they also serve as effective Bamboos belong to the sub-family Bambusoideae of windbreaks against soil erosion (INBAR 2018, Song Poaceae (grass family). They are grouped into three et al. 2011). The Government of Ghana successfully tribes: Arundinarieae (546 species), Bambuseae implemented the use of bamboo for closing the gap (812 species) and Olyreae (124 species) (Clark et al. of vegetation cover (FAO & INBAR 2018); After the 2015). There 75 genera and 1250 species of nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the bamboos growing naturally in all continents except bamboo shoots were the sighted plants (Lobovikov Europe and Antartica (Liese & Kohl 2015). In the et al. 2007); a study by Cm and Seethalakshmi European continent, bamboos are introduced (2009) reports that the amount of biomass from species (Liese & Kohl 2015). In Asia, there are 65 Bambusa bamboos is almost twice as that of the genera of bamboos with 900 species, out of which widely planted Eucalyptus. 23 genera with 128 species are found in India (Kumari & Singh 2014). Manipur - a part of North- It is reported that 2.7 billion people worldwide rely on east, India under which the study area falls, harbors solid biomass for cooking, and bamboo can provide 54 species belonging to nine genera. an alternative renewable source for them (INBAR 2018, Lucas 2013). The demand for such biofuel can Bamboo shoots are seasonal, perishable in nature also help elevate the economy of an individual or and short-lived. They are consumed as a delicacy in globally. For example, Southeast Asian nations countries such as Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Japan, contribute almost USD 400 million to the global trade Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, North-east India, United in bamboo and rattan (INBAR 2017). Bamboo have States, Australia, and New Zealand. In Asia, more enormous potential for mitigation of climate change. than two million tonnes of bamboo shoots are They are known to sequester 200-400 tonnes carbon consumed annually. These products are either per hectare and are believed to sequester more consumed fresh, dried, canned, boiled, fermented or carbon than some tree plantations (van der Lugt et Published: 3 October 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.32859/era.18.27.1-10 Ethnobotany Research and Applications 3 al. 2018, INBAR 2018). According to INBAR (2017), nomenclature was updated by referring to www.ars- the world’s largest carbon sequestration by bamboo grin.gov, www.efloras.org, www.theplantlist.org, is found in the bamboo forest of China which is www.tropicos.org, and www.worldfloraonline.org. reported to store 727 million tonnes of carbon in Voucher specimens have been deposited in Central 2010 and projected to 1018 million tonnes by 2050. National Herbarium (CAL), Kolkata. Madras Bamboos provide excellent materials for house Christian College where the research was conducted construction. The Qing Dynasty of China in 221 B.C. does not have an ethics board. Hence, the code of – 206 B.C. built bamboo palaces (Yu 2007). Bamboo ethics of the International Society of Ethnobiology buildings are known to withstand earthquakes. (ISE) (2006) was used as a reference, and utmost During the 1999 earthquake of Colombia, houses care was taken to ensure that the study conforms to built from bamboo survived (Asfura 1999, Liese & the code. Written prior informed consent was taken Kohl 2015). Bamboo architectural models are from the knowledge partners prior to the interview. popular for their aesthetic properties (Lucas 2013). Some of the renowned bamboo architectures are: Results and Discussion Handmade School in Bangladesh, Wind and Water Café, Starry bamboo Mandala, Asian Water Villa and Species of Bamboos and their uses Bar Phong Tra (Henrikson & Greenberg 2011). Bamboos are commonly referred to as ‘Kovo’ and Bamboo groves are used by animals for shelter the young shoots are called as ‘Kovoba’. The against predators and weather (Lucas 2013). artisans undertake bamboo weaving and furniture as hobbies during their free time after paddy cultivation The study was carried out with the following or harvest. Bamboo crafts and weaving are mostly objectives: i) to document the uses, practice and carried out by men. Women help in repairs or weave knowledge of bamboo, and ii) to understand the bamboo baskets called tubo siihru.