Jhum practices of Naga king chilli cultivation in Nagaland
- pp339-348
Naga king chilli is viewed as one of the most prominent spice crops grown in the state of Nagaland. Hence, an attempt has been made to document the jhum practices of Naga king chilli from three districts viz., Peren, Dimapur and Mon in Nagaland following descriptive research design. Based on proportionate random sampling 250 Naga king chilli farmers were selected. Primary data/ first-hand information was obtained directly from the farmers through personal interviews with the help of pre-tested interview schedule; further discussion and field survey were included. Following practices were identified: ‘slash and burn’ of forest vegetation on steep hill slope; bamboo poles, fallen trees and boulders constructed across the slope to check soil erosion; colocasia, ginger, maize, millets and jobs-tears planted along the borders and across the slope for soil and water management; indigenous pest disease management practices include, use of ash, seed treatment with ‘bastenga’, growing Naga king chilli between rice were found effective against aphids, thrips, mealy bugs, white fly; bamboo stump, banana growing areas which had been slashed and burned for cultivation purpose, rocky areas were viewed as a site of nutrient deposition among the farmers and hence considered ideal for Naga king chilli cultivation. These traditional practices have adaptive and mitigation properties and could be merged with modern sustainable farming practices to address the challenges of present-day world for efficiency, productivity and sustainability.