Int. J. Med. Arom. Plants, ISSN 2249 – 4340
GENERAL ARTICLE
Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 544-548, September 2012
Livelihood diversification in cold arid desert of Indian Himalaya: urgent need of transforming traditional agroforestry system with emphasis on adoption of herbal farming
Jitendra S. BUTOLA*1, A.R. MALIK2, J.A. BABA2
1
Herbal Research and Development Institute, Mandal-Gopeshwar, Chamoli (Uttarakhand), India
2
Regional Agricultural Research Station/KVK (SKUAST-K), Stakna-Leh 194 101 Ladakh, (Jammu &
Kashmir), India
Article History: Received 12th March 2012, Revised 25th June 2012, Accepted 26th June 2012.
Abstract: Agroforestry is a science which has the potential to contribute to the improvement of rural livelihood. Due to
capacity of its various forms, it offers multiple alternative and opportunities to the farmers to enhance farm production
and income, while protecting the agricultural environment. The local inhabitants of Ladakh region, a Cold Arid Desert,
have their traditional Agroforestry system which plays an important role in meeting diverse subsistence needs particularly in xeric condition occurs during prolonged winter season. In our study, we assessed potential of traditional Agroforestry system in present livelihood perspectives. The present article stressed upon development of an integrated Agroforestry
system to provide sustainable livelihood and environmental security maintaining present standard of living in Ladakh
region.
Keywords: Livelihood; Agroforestry; Cold desert; Herbal farming; Himalaya.
Indian Cold Deserts fall under Himachal
Pradesh (Lahaul & Spiti and Kinnaur districts),
Jammu & Kashmir (Leh and Kargil districts),
Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
The Ladakh region (Figure 1), one of the most
elevated (2,900 m to 5,900 m asl) and coldest
region (-300C to -700C) of the earth. It covers
more than 70,000 square km geographical area
of Jammu and Kashmir, India and lies between
310 44’ 57” - 320 59’ 57” N latitude and 760 46’
29” - 800 41’ 34” E longitude. The region is
sparsely populated along the river banks of different
valleys
namely
Indus,
Nubra,
Changthang, Zanskar and Suru valley. The
mean annual precipitation is less than 50 mm,
received mostly in the form of snowfall. The
region faces fast blowing winds 40-60 km/hr
mainly in the afternoon hours. The soil moisture
remains frozen during winters and low relative
humidity during the summer months. The region
has barren topography. The soils of the region
are gravelly and sandy loams on the alluvial
fans to sandy and slit clay loams on the Indus
plains. Loose sandy loam texture, high percentage of stones and granules, low water holding
capacity, high bulk density and low soil fertility
may be due to result of uneven distribution of
plantation or sparse vegetation.
Figure 1: Over view of cold desert Ladakh
(Photo: Dr. A.R. Malik).
The region has very short growing season as
the land remains landlocked for more than 6-7
months every year during extreme winter. Due
*Corresponding author: (E-mail) butolajs <@> rediffmail.com
http://www.openaccessscience.com
© 2012 Copyright by the Authors, licensee Open Access Science Research Publisher.
[email protected]
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NCND 3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0)
Int. J. Med. Arom. Plants
545
Livelihood diversification in cold arid desert of Indian Himalaya
to small land holdings, local population subsist
on limited crops and largely depends on natural
resources for meeting diverse subsistence needs
which has led to over-exploitation. However,
main source of income are rearing of Pashmina
goats or Changthangi Goat (Capra aegagrus
hircus), which provide cashmere wool for making well-known Pashmina shawl, and ecotourism activities. Natural wealth of the region
is under various biotic (over-harvesting, grazing, trampling, invasion of alien flora, etc.) and
abiotic (natural calamities, habitat fragmentation
and degradation through increasing human settlements, climate change, tourism activities
(high influx of tourist and army vehicles generate pollutants, increasing unmanaged solid
waste, damaging flora while camping, adventurous activities), etc., pressures causing high
ecological imbalance in the region. According
to NAEDB (1992), due to long and severe winter human population pressure is more than carrying capacity of the vegetation.
Agroforestry, as a science and practice, has
the potential to contribute to the improvement of
rural livelihood, due to capacity of its various
forms to offer multiple alternative and opportunities to the farmers to enhance farm production
and income, while protecting the agricultural
environment. It is well known fact that through
development of agroforestry system the pressure
on natural resources can be substantially reduced. Recently, the agroforestry has received
adequate attention for its enormous potential of
carbon sequestration. In Ladakh region, traditional agroforestry system in the form of agrisilviculture system exists since time immemorial. We have conducted intensive and extensive
surveys in Leh, Nyoma and Nubra regions of
Ladakh to assess existing traditional agroforestry system in view of sustainable livelihood and
environmental security while maintaining present standard of living.
Traditional agroforestry system
Traditional agroforestry system (Figure 2) of
the region exists in the form of agri-silviculture
system that is the combination of agricultural
crops with boundary plantations of Willow (Salix spp.) and Popular (Populus spp.) species.
The Nubra valley is covered with more than
Butola et al.
5,75,000 plants of Willow and Popular. These
are main source of fuel wood and fodder. Otherwise the requirement of fuel wood during winters when temperature goes down up to -30oC is
met through cutting of dry as well as green
plants or collection of fallen twigs in nearby
forests. This unsustainable practice of harvesting has posed huge pressure on the wild stock.
Almost all the woody species are used as a
source of fuel wood in the valley. According to
an estimation, every year these species are contributing 400 tonnes of leaf litter to ground and
thus, being great source of organic carbon and
responsible for sequestration of more than
75,000 tonnes of carbon (Kumar et al., 2009).
Figure 2: Traditional agroforestry system in
cold arid desert, Ladakh (Photo: Dr. A.R. Malik).
In wild plants, Seabuckthorn (Hippophae
rhamnoides L.), a multipurpose thorny shrub
which the villagers use for food, fuel, fodder,
medicine and for fencing their fields (Figure 3),
is a important species. Being a nitrogen fixing
species, it is planted in Igoo-PHE canal as rehabilitation measures to the soil condition of the
area and to support the agricultural crops. The
valley portion of Nubra is well vegetated with
thickets of seabuckthorn compared to mountain
slopes and remaining part of Ladakh region. In
lower slopes, the integration of agricultural
crops are rarely seen with fruit trees as apple
(Malus pumila Mill.or M. sylvestris (L.) Mill.),
apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.), peach (Prunus
persica (L.) Batsch), mulberry (Morus alba L.)
and walnut (Juglans regia L.). Strawberry
(Fragaria vesca L.) has been introduced in
combination with agricultural crops. The raising
of some fruit tree species in kitchen garden is
also well established tradition of the region.
http://www.openaccessscience.com
[email protected]
Int. J. Med. Arom. Plants
546
Livelihood diversification in cold arid desert of Indian Himalaya
vegetable which include Amaranthus spinosus
L., Capsella thomsonii Hooker, Allium
thomsonii Baker, Lactuca dolichophylla Kitam,
Chenopodium foliolosum Hooker, Lepidium
latifolium L., Orobanche hansii Kerner and
Polygonum aviculare L. Additionally, many
legumes associated with agricultural crops act as
valuable sources of fodder and soil enrichment.
Major setback in traditional agroforestry system
Figure 3: Live fence of Hippophae rhamnoides
plantation (Photo: Dr. A.R. Malik).
The land utilization pattern of Leh, Nubra
and Nyoma showed that only 2.64% area is arable and 9.66% area is under vegetation cover.
The lower percentage of arable land is restricted
only to flat valleys and in lower slopes where
water availability is ensured. In high ridges, the
wild plant species depend upon the good
amount of snowfall because of an acute scarcity
of water on the barren mountains. The traditional crops of the region include barley (Hordeum
vulgare L.), grim (Hordeum aegiceras Nees ex
Royle), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn. and
F. esculentum Moench), millets (Panicum
miliaceum L.) and oat (Avena sativa L.). Besides, a chunk of the cropped area is occupied
by pea (Pisum sativum L.), potato (Solanum
tuberosum L.) and mustard (Brassica spp.). Allium cepa L., Allium stracheyi Baker,
Coriandrum sativum L. and Carum carvii L.are
cultivated mostly in kitchen gardens and used as
a spice. Carum carvii has great demand in market both for spice and medicinal purposes.
In recent years local farmers have diversified their agricultural crops by including vegetable crops including Brassica rappa L., B.
oleracea L. (both cauliflower and cabbage), B.
nigra L., B. caulorapa L., Chenopodium album
L., Cucurbita maxima Duchesne, Cucumis melo
L., Solanum lycopersicon L., Solanum
melongena L. and S. tuberosum L. under cultivation. They use these crops both for self consumption and for sale to the government employees including the defence personnel. This
adds to their cash income. Besides cultivated
crops, some wild plants in the region are used as
Butola et al.
• Choice of farmers are limited for trees component, i.e., only Willow and Poplar
• Research-extension linkages are poor and
therefore, local people are not aware of propagation and plantation techniques of newly
introduced tree species as well as agricultural
crops.
• Incentives and subsidies from line departments are lacking for agroforestry development.
• Lack of integrated sustainable multidisciplinary approach.
• Research strategies are either in-effective or
insufficient for the region.
• Shifting of local people from agriculture to
seek opportunities in other enterprises and
eco-tourism activities.
• Moisture and temperature limitations: water
availability is restricted due to very low precipitation in the region.
• Climatic uncertainties.
Prospects and Potential of Agroforestry for
enterprises development
Herbal farming
Diversification in present cropping system
seems to be the need of the day to cope up with
the ever increasing demand for variety of products and assured income. The region has great
medicinal plants diversity. Cultivation of medicinal plants with existing agroforestry systems is
a viable option. Wherever markets are established, medicinal plants are remunerative alternative intercrops to the traditionally grown annual crops. Economically viable and highly demanded medicinal herbs like Aconitum
heterophyllum Wall. ex. Royle, Arnebia
euchroma (Royle) Johnst, Artemisia maritima
L., Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D. Don) Soo (Fighttp://www.openaccessscience.com
[email protected]
Int. J. Med. Arom. Plants
547
Livelihood diversification in cold arid desert of Indian Himalaya
ure 4), Hyoscyamus niger L., Inula racemosa
Hook. f., Mentha spp., Picrorhiza kurrooa
Royle ex. Benth (Figure 5), Rheum spp.,
Saussurea
costus
(Falc.)
Lipsch,
S.
gossypiphora D. Don, S. obvallata (DC.)
Edgew. and S. simpsoniana (Fielding & Gardner) Lipschitz and shrub, Ephedra gerardiana
Wall. are suitable for cultivation in the area.
Majority of these species being native to Himalaya are well adapted to local climatic conditions and therefore, can be intercropped with
local tree species. However, the selection of
species will depend on the size and intensity of
its canopy shade, tree spacing and management,
especially pruning of branches and nature of the
medicinal plants, i.e., their light/shade, moisture
and nutrient requirements. The planted trees
may benefit from the inputs and management
given to the intercrops. Demand of unprocessed
material and finished herbal products is very
high even in local areas due to presence of tourists and defence personnel. Besides, there is a
well developed ‘Amchis System of Medicine’ in
the region which includes a number of herbs for
curing various diseases of over 60% tribal population. Due to low availability of certain wild
medicinal herbs in the study area ‘Amchis’ have
to travel far and wide in search of such species.
Besides, the Field Research Laboratory, Leh,
the world’s highest research laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organization
(DRDO), has also formulated certain high value
medicated herbal products in the past few years.
Cultivation of medicinal herbs will meet the raw
material demand and reduce the overexploitation pressure from natural populations.
Salix spp. are already well planted in the
fields. Plantation of H. rhamnoides and
Juniperus spp. in the boundaries of cultivated
fields will be fruitful. Hardy medicinal and fruit
trees can be grown in community lands in villages and degraded lands. The soil fertility is
improved by planting sustainable native agroforestry tree species. H. rhamnoides is sparsely
present in traditional agroforestry system which
further can be augmented through plantation at
appropriate distance and place. Juniperus
macropoda Boiss is high value medicinal and
aromatic plant and a prominent source of Juniper oil. Local people use its fruit and leaves for
making aromatic sticks (Dhoop). Natural regenButola et al.
eration of the species is negligible due to different biotic disturbances, such as increasing population pressure, grazing, fire and also due to lack
of scientific knowledge of propagation. Beside
these, collection of any part of the plant for research purpose is prohibited by local Buddist
Monks (Lamas) that adds fuel to fire for its
large scale propagation. There is a dire need to
develop propagation, multiplication and plantation techniques of this species to harness its potential for socio-economic and ecological development of the region.
Figure 4: Dactylorhiza hatagirea (Don) Soo: a
medicinally valued critically endangered beautiful orchid in the valley (Photo: Dr. J.S. Butola)
Figure 5: Picrorhiza kurrooa Royle: a medicinally valued globally endangered species in the
valley (Photo: Dr. J.S. Butola)
Dairy farming
Due to various reasons including lack of
grazing areas as well as availability of grazing
areas for short period of time and lack of green
fodder, dairy farming is very restricted in the
region. Moreover, adverse climatic conditions
http://www.openaccessscience.com
[email protected]
Int. J. Med. Arom. Plants
548
Livelihood diversification in cold arid desert of Indian Himalaya
confine diversification in rearing of milch animals. From Changthang and Zanaskar valleys,
owing to scarcity of fodder during winter, animal death have been reported. Due to unique
topography, scenic beauty and environmental
conditions, inflow of outsiders is very high in
the region. This generates high demand of milk
and milk products. Therefore, the need of hour
is dairy farming which could be emerged as
backbone of economy of local people. Several
research workers have shown that dairy farming
as profitability system over arable farming
(Tomar et al., 1982; Singh et al., 1986). The integration of livestock with the above mentioned
agroforestry system will be helpful in developing dairy farming at optimum pace.
Goat farming
Goats are considered as poor man’s cow.
Goat farming plays an important role in economy of the region. Pashmina goat, being native to
the Himalayas, is well acclimatized to the high
altitudes and cold climate of the Lakakhi
Chanthangi or Baltistan (Kashmir region) and
neighbouring areas of Tibet. It is also used as
pack animal and as a source of some of the finest cashmere wool. Because of the high demand
for the cashmere wool that Pashmina goats produce, they are now commercially raised in the
Gobi Desert in Inner and Outer Mongolia,
where the weather conditions are the same as
the Himalayas but the pastures are more fertile.
As compared to others, the Pashmina goat is
most profitable; it is reared mostly for cashmere
wool and meat during winter months. The
Pashmina shawl fetches high prices ($ 108- $
2173 per shawl) and its industry is fast emerging
well developed and very popular in the world.
There is a need to implement modern tools and
techniques to make this industry economically
more profitable and sustainable. Currently, unavailability of green grazing areas as well as fodder coupled with long period of stall feeding due
to prolonged snow fall period is major setback
of mass scale rearing of Pashmina goat. By introducing suitable agroforestry system this industry can flourish very well that will provide
great economic stability to the local inhabitants.
Butola et al.
Present and future needs
To provide sustainable livelihood and environment security while maintaining present
standard of living, there is a dire need of crop
diversification in traditional agroforestry system. Keeping suitable tree species as well as
agricultural crops in mind, the system should be
modified into an integrated agroforestry system.
Combinations of agriculture, horticulture, silviculture and pasture will help to increase productivity of available land resources without undermining ecology and environment sanctity.
Increasing productivity will open new avenues
of employment generation particularly through
integration of Herbal farming, Dairy farming
and Goat farming in the system. We envisage
that the effective implementation of these models throughout the region will help in social,
economical and environmental development.
Acknowledgement: The authors are thankful to
local inhabitants of Ladakh for providing relevant information on traditional agroforestry system in the region.
References
Kumar phani, G., Murkute, A.A., Gupta, S. and
Singh Shashi Bala. 2009. Carbon sequestration with special reference to agroforestry
in Cold Desert of Ladakh. Current Science
97 (7): 1063-1068.
NAEEDB. 1992. Action plan on cold desert. An
integrated approach for sustainable development. National Afforestration and Ecological Development Board. Dr. Y.S.
Parmar-UHF, Nauni Solan, H.P. p. 500.
Singh,N., Malik, B.S., Kadian, V. and
Mehra,O.P. 1986. Comparative studies of
various farming systems. Haryana Vet. J.
1(25): 30-33.
Tomar, S.P. Sairam,R.K., Hasika, A.S. and
Ganguly, T.K. 1982. Comparative efficiency of dairy and mixed farming system.
Forage Research 1: 93-98.
http://www.openaccessscience.com
[email protected]