BY
LONGKHOU PHOM
M.Sc FORESTRY
UTTARANCHAL COLLEGE OF
BIO-MEDICAL SCIENCE AND HOSPITAL DEHRADUN
ABSTRACT
Indigenous
Wild Edible Fruits (IWEF) plays a vital role in the daily life of the rural
people as they provide sustainable resources. The present study aimed at the
documentation of IWEF’s of three districts of Nagaland, India viz., Kohima,
Phek and Tuensang and assessment of market acceptability. A total of 47 IWEF’s
belonging to 29 family and 39 genera were collected and identified. Market
survey was carried out to check the market acceptability of the collected
IWEF’s in these three districts of Nagaland. Rhus. semialata, T. chebula, S.
pinnata, D. indica, E. officinalis, F. semicordata,E.floribundus, J. regia, M.
esculenta, P. pershia are some fruits that are commonly used by the local
inhabitants and some of these fruits are also used to treat different diseases
through traditional methods
Introduction
Plants nts for human consumption
account for ~5% of the total plant species of the world (Asfaw & Tadesse,
2001). Forest has a large and indispensable role in improving the food security
and livelihood of the tribal society (Yesodharan & Sujana, 2007). During
early days, man lived by hunting and fruit gathering collected from the wild
(Tomar et al., 2015). Since, wild edible plants are freely accessible within
natural habitats; indigenous people have more knowledge in gathering and
preparing food items from these wild plant resources (Somnasang &
Moreno-Black, 2000). Fruits being a major forest product, supplement human diet
as they provide essential vitamins, minerals and fiber required for maintaining
health (Kumari, 2008). They play a significant role in the wide range of
agricultural system as a source of wild food and have an important
socio-economic role through their uses in medicine, dyes, shelter, fibers, and
religious and traditional ceremonies (FAO, 1999). Fruits being one of largest
forest resource have the potentiality to uplift the economic condition as well
as providing the food security to the local people of the region (Deb et al.,
2013). World over, tribal population stores a vast knowledge on utilization of
local plants as food and other specific uses (Sudriyal et al., 1998). A large
number of wild spices used by the tribal in meeting their daily requirement are
through the diverse vegetation of that area. Use of large number of wild
species by the tribal to meet their diverse requirement is largely due to the
prevalence of diversity of vegetation in the area (Katewa, 2003). The
North-Eastern region of India is inhabited by mixed tribes and mostly dominated
by the tribal people unlike the mainland of India. Nagaland state is situated
in the North-Eastern part of India and is a hilly area surrounded by dense
natural forest with warm and cool climatic condition and variation in rainfall
thereby making it one of the richest and diverse flora and fauna in the
North-East region of India. Nagaland state is inhabited mostly by the tribal’s
with distinct dialects and cultural features. Utilization of wild edible plants
as a food source is an integral part of the culture of indigenous people of
Naga tribe as the forest harbors rich and unique biodiversity with the state
being a part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hot spot (Deb et al., 2016).
Since early times, edible wild fruits have
played a very vital part in supplementing the diet of the people and to meet
their basic need of food, mostly the tribal people, and some of which are
preserved for use in dry period or sold in rural market (Deshmukh &
Waghmode, 2011). They also form an additional income (for small landholders and
landless) living near forest and fringes through sale in local market (Pradheep
et al., 2016). The market price fluctuates according to the season of
collection, climate and availability. A vendor earns their livelihood from the
selling of these forest resources, thereby sustaining their livelihood - INR 1
lakh to 2.5 lakhs for a season (Sashimatsung et al., 2013). Some of the
commonly abundant fruits and fruit products found in the household as
well as the
local market are
Rhus semialata, Terminalia
chebula, Spondias pinnata, Docynia
indica, Emblica officinalis, Ficus semicordata, Elaeocarpus floribundus, Juglans regia, Myrica
esculenta, Pyrus pershia, Castanopsis indica,Choerospondias axillaris,
Diospyros kaki, Hodgsonia macrocarpa etc. Wild fruits collection
is not a gender oriented in the
region, both young
and old, men
and women are
equally involved or participate.
Indigenous Wild Edible Fruits (IWEF) contributes immensely to
the nutrition of the local inhabitants
of Nagaland. Present study was undertaken to document the IWEF of three districts
of Nagaland, India
viz., Kohima, Phek
and Tuensang, assess the
market acceptability as a source
of ‘sustainable resources for food, medicine and income generation’
ABSTRACT AND INTRODUCTION FROM
INDIGENOUS WILD
EDIBLE FRUITS: SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FOR FOOD, MEDICINE AND INCOME GENERATION –
A STUDY FROM NAGALAND, INDIA
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