Cultivation and use of lesser-known plants of food value by tribals in North-East India

Abstract

The role of lesser-known crops, Digitaria cruciata (Nees) A. Camus var. esculenta Bor., Flemingia vestita Benth ex Bax. and Perilla ocimoides L. cultivated by the Khasis at higher elevations of Meghayala, and Amaranthus viridis L., Chenopodium ambrosioides L., Coix lacrymajobi L., Dioscorea spp., Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn., Panicum miliaceum L., Perilla ocimoides and Setaria italica (L.) Beauv. cultivated by the Nishis, the Hill Miris and the Sulungs of Arunachal Pradesh in north-east India were evaluated from an ecological and socio-economical point of view. Digitaria cruciata var. esculenta is largely cultivated for manure by composting the biomass, although the grains are also consumed. The role of a lesser-known legume, F. vestita, was evaluated for its ability to improve soil nitrogen status. Mixed cropping with F. vestita was found to give better economic returns, apart from improved soil fertility with a net gain in nitrogen of up to 250 kg ha^-1 year^-1. The importance of the lesser-known crops varies considerably depending upon the tribe, but they meet the needs of the people during the summer and rainy months, when availability of traditional crops is limited.