Wastelands of northeast India: an untapped potential for growing non-traditional crops

摘要

Wastelands in India cover an area of 53.3 million hectares, accounting for 10.21 per cent of the Country's total geographical area. North Eastern Region of India is having a vast area of Wastelands (99.13 lakhs hectares). Govt. of India have plannedways and means to halt this major ecological and socio-economic crisis with the prime objective of bringing 5 million hectares of land every year under economic plantations. The agroclimatic and edaphic conditions of this regions are very congenial forgrowing aromatic, medicinal and other economic plants. To fulfil this objective of Govt. of India, of bringing wastelands under economic plantations, experimental observations were made through plantation of non-traditional crops. Success was achieved inplantation of aromatic plants like citronella, lemongrass, palmarosa; medicinal plants like Dioscorea floribunda and Dioscorea composita and a few annual fast growing plants like Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus), Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), Dhaincha (Sesbania aculeata) and Medaloa (Taphrosia candida). The outcome from such plantations was very remunerative, and growers / planters can get good return from such wastelands hitherto not utilized.