North-East India represents a unique ecosystem with treasured medicinal plant wealth closely related with Folk medicines. A large number of plants having medicinal properties and their folk uses have remained confined to the natives of this region. The tribal community of Jonai, Assam was explored to expose the indigenous herbal remedy for malaria. Sixteen antimalarial plants belonging to 13 families were reported. The analysis revealed highest fidelity level (FL) value for Ajuga integrifolia (100%) followed by Ricinus communis (94%), Alstonia scholaris (88%), Oroxylum indicum (86%) and Achyranthes aspera (82%). The percentage of respondent’s knowledge (PRK) about anti-malarial plants showed Alstonia scholaris as the most commonly known antimalarial species (53%) within this region. Preference ranking (PR) unveiled eight species to be very effective against malarial parasite, which includes Allium sativum, Artemisia indica, Azadirachta indica, Carica papaya, Clerodendrum glandulosum, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Oroxylum indicum, Piper longum and Piper nigrum. All medicine preparations are made using water as the medium and are orally administered in the form of crude extract, powder, juice and decoction. Overall analysis suggested Ajuga integrifolia, Achyranthes aspera, Alstonia scholaris, Artemisia indica, Oroxylum indicum and Ricinus communis to be used for the development of novel, economical, effective and ecofriendly herbal formulations for healthcare management.
The traditional landraces of rice plant had a major role in building socio-economic status of rural poor. The present study deals with the diversity and ethnobotanic significance of indigenous landraces of rice in Lakhimpur district of Assam, India. Altogether, twenty-one indigenous landraces of rice were collected during the present study. Each class having important role to play, the major classes of rice include glutinous, common rice and aromatic rice. Other than being a staple food, rice and its products are still frequently used by rural folk in various festivals, religious and social ceremonies in the form of sweets, cakes, snacks and beverages. Bora-dhan was reported with the highest use value. Based on grain’s qualitative and quantitative traits, the obtained dendrogram contains four different clusters; while, the OTUs (Operational taxonomic unit) present in a cluster display morphological similarity. The dendrogram also illustrated diversified distribution of grains in this region. The study also reveals the profound relationship of people with the traditional landraces of rice. The ethnic farmers should be made aware to promote on-farm conservation of crop diversity, before it is lost under the debris of modernization.
Jhum agriculture is widely practiced on Arunachal Pradesh’s hill slopes, and it is more than just a means of subsistence; it is a way of life that has symbolic connotations for the socio-cultural life and natural landscapes, and it is an essential component of survival and economic existence. An attempt was made to study the soil characterization associated with pre-and post- burned jhum cultivation practiced by the ethnic Nocte and Tutsa tribes of Tirap district, Arunachal Pradesh. The soil samples were collected from the same location at the pre-and post-burnt fields from the various depth of soil profile A (0-20) cm, B (20-40) cm, and C (40-60) cm. The present study reveals an overall increase in porosity, temp, pH, Moisture, and bulk density because of the burning of the jhum field. In post-burned jhum fields of all the locations, there was an overall increase in the percentage of Sodium and Calcium in soil collected and a decrease in the percentage of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. The pH was mostly found to be acidic and increasing with the depth of the soil profile. There was a significant difference in total nitrogen content of the soils, whereas phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and sodium showed little differences for pre-and post-burned jhum fields. The effects of the slashing and burning process promote changes in soil physical as well as chemical properties, thereby influencing the nutrient status. Deterioration of soil nutrients starts after the burning of vegetation and continues subsequently throughout the various stages of jhum cultivation.
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