Traditional Rice Cultivation: A comprehensive study on wet rice and jhum cultivation in Lohit district, Arunachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

Rice (Oryza sativa L.), a staple cereal crop belonging to the Poaceae (Gramineae) family, is often referred to as the "grain of life," serving as a primary source of nutrition for nearly half of the world’s population. The genus Oryza can be found cultivating in tropical and subtropical areas. India is blessed with an abundance of diverse rice landraces in its traditionally cultivated areas. The rice landraces of Northeast India, with their vast genetic variety, are valuable for future crop breeding efforts. This study explores the traditional rice cultivation practices in Lohit District, Arunachal Pradesh, with a focus on rice cultivation. A total of 100 farming households from ten villages in the district were surveyed to document traditional knowledge about rice cultivation, including rituals and agricultural practices. Results showed that rice cultivation in the district is based on two methods: wet rice cultivation, which involves nursery preparation, seed soaking, transplanting, and manual weeding, and jhum cultivation, where the land is cleared through controlled burning and seeds are broadcast directly onto the soil. The study also emphasises the rich biodiversity of rice landraces in the district, the rituals associated with rice farming, and the challenges posed by modern farming practices and other reasons.