temperature – Meghalaya PCS Free Notes

Vegetation of Meghalaya

October 22, 2017October 26, 2024 by rawan239

Vegetation of Meghalaya

The floral diversity of Meghalaya is well reputed for its richness and has been a centre of attraction for many botanists.
The presence of a large number of primitive flowering plants has prompted Takhtajan (1969) to call it the Cradle of Flowering Plants’.
Meghalaya harbours about 3,128 species of flowering plants and contributes about 18% of the total flora of the country, including 1,237 endemic species.
A wide variety of wild cultivable plants, edible fruits, leafy vegetables and orchids are found in the natural forests of Meghalaya.
However due to overexploitation, deforestation and habitat destruction many endemic and threatened species are now mainly confined to the protected areas and sacred groves.
The region is a habitat for many botanical curiosities and botanical rarities.
Among insectivorous plants Nepenthes khasiana Hk. f. and two species of Drosera i.e, Drosera peltata Sm. and D. burmanii Vahl. are important.
Nepenthes khasiana is endemic to Meghalaya and listed in Appendix I of CITES and placed in Schedule VI of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The Khasi and Jaintia hills are considered to be the centre of diversity for several primitive families such as Elaeocarpaceae, Elaeagnaceae, Anonaceae, Ranunculaceae, Piperraceae, Menispermaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Lauraceae, Myricaceae, Lazarbiaceae and primitive genera like Sarcandra, Corylopis, Myrica, Magnolia and Michelia.

Types of Vegetation of Meghalaya

According to Champion & Seth (1968), major forest types of Vegetation of Meghalaya are:-

Assam Sub-tropical Hill Savanna
Khasi Sub-tropical Hill Forests
Assam Sub-tropical Pine Forests
Assam Sub-tropical Pine Savannah

Haridasan & Rao (1985-87) recognized the following major categories of Vegetation of Meghalaya based on altitude, rainfall and dominant species composition:

Tropical Evergreen Forests
Tropical Semi-Evergreen Forests
Tropical Moist and Dry Deciduous Forests
Grasslands and Savannas
Temperate Forests
Sub-tropical Pine Forests

Tropical Evergreen Forests:

This forest type spreads over the lower reaches of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo hills up to 1200m and usually occurs in high rainfall areas as well as near catchment areas.
The dominant tree species include Castanopsis indica, Tribuloides,Dysoxylum sp, Elaeocarpus sp, Engelhardtia spicata, Syzygium spp., Tetrameles nudifloraetc. which are densely interwoven by lianas. The ground flora of under shrubs and herbs include Dracaena elliptica, Leea edgeworthia, Phlogacanthus sp., and other species belonging to the family Acanthaceae, Rubiaceae, Balsaminaceae and Asteraceae.
The tree trunk and branches are covered with epiphytes belonging to Ferns, Orchids, Gesneriads, Piper, mosses and many others.
Lianas and climbers like Rhaphidophora spp. are also abundant.

Tropical Semi Evergreen Forests:

This forest type occupy the north and north-eastern slopes of the state up to an elevation of 1200m and with an annual rainfall of 1500-2000mm.
However there are deciduous elements along with evergreen types. Careya arborea, Dillenia pentagyna, Callicarpa arborea, Tetrameles spp, etc are some of the deciduous species.
Other dominant species are Elaeocarpus floribundus, Dillenia indica, Symplocos paniculata, Sapindus rarak
The ground flora is also much seasonal with greater representation from the Zingiberaceae family.

Tropical Moist and Dry Deciduous Forest:

This is a very prominent Vegetation of Meghalaya covering a large part of East and West Garo Hills, Ri-bhoi districts etc, in areas of annual rainfall less than 1500mm and high temperature.
These forests are characterised by seasonal leaf shedding and profuse flowering. The dominant tree species which are valued economically are Shorea robusta, Tectona grandis, Terminalia myriocarpa, Gmelina arborea, Artocarpus chapsala, Lagerstroemia parviflora, Maorus laevigata
Other associated species are Schima wallichii, Toona ciliata, Albizzia lebbeck, Dillenia pentagyna, etc.
The epiphytic floras in less but orchids, ferns, Asclepidaiceae members are often seen.
Bamboo forests are not natural but occur in patches sporadically in jhum fallows. The common bamboo species are Dendrocalamus hamiltoniiand Melocanna
Some other species less frequently found are Bambusa pallida, Bambusa tulda, Chimonobambusa khasiana, etc.

Grasslands and Savannahs:

Grasslands in Vegetation of Meghalaya are secondary in nature and are prevalent in higher altitudes and are a result of removal of pristine forests, the relics of which could be seen amidst these grasslands as sacred groves.
The dominant grass genera in the grasslands are Panicum, Paspalum, Imperata, Axonopus, Neyraudia, Sporobolus, Saccharum, Chrysopogon, Oplisminusand others along with sedges.

Temperate Forests:

The temperate forests occupy the higher elevations (>1000m) with very high rainfalls (2000-5000 mm) along the Southern slopes of Khasi and Jaintia Hills.
The sacred groves largely fall under this category and are the relic type evolved through millions of years.
The common trees are Lithocarpus fenestratus, Castanopsis kurzii, Quercus griffithii, Q. semiserrata, Schima khasiana, Myrica esculenta, Symplocos glomerata, Photinia arguta, Ficus nemoralis, Manglietia caveana, Acer spp., Exbucklandia populnea, Engelhardtia spicata, Betula alnoides, Rhododendron arboretum, etc. Shrubs include Mahonia pycnophylla, Daphne papyraceae, Polygala arillata, Camellia caduca, Rubus spp.,
These forest are exceptionally rich in epiphytic flora comprising Ferns, Lichens, Mosses, Orchids, Zingibers, etc.

Subtropical Pine forests:

The pine forests are confined to the higher reaches (900m – 1500 m) of the Shillong plateau in Khasi and Jaintia Hills.
Pinus kesiyais the principal species which form pure stands. In certain places the pines are associated with a few broad leaved species like Schima wallichii, Myrica esculenta, Erythrina arborescence, Rhus javanica, Rhododendron arboretum, Quercus spp., etc.
Shrubs include Rubus, Osbeckia, Spireaand Artemesia.
During rainy season there is a profuse herbaceous undergrowth of Chrysanthemum, Aster, Hypochaeris, Prunella, Plectranthus, Desmodium, Ranunculus, Anemone, Potentilla, Clinopodium, Polygonum, Elsholtzia, etc

Important Tree Species of Meghalaya

Rare, Endangered and Threatened Plant Species

A recent review of literature carried out Meghalaya Biodiversity Board reveals that a total of 436 Rare, Endangered and Threatened plant species have been recorded from Meghalaya representing 13.09% of the state’s flora.
Gastrochilus calceolaris, Gymnocladus assamicus, Illichium griffithii, Pterocybium tinctorium, Saurauia punduana, Taxus baccata and Vatica lanceafolia are few of the Critically Endangered plant species of Vegetation of Meghalaya .

Extinct Plant Species

Carex repanda, Cyclea debiliflora, Dendrobenthamia capitata, Hedychium hookeri, Homiorchis rhodorrhachis, Michelia lanuginose, Morinda villosa, Nymphaea pygmaea, Pleione lagenaria, Premna punduana, Schleichera trijuga, Sterculia khasiana and Talauma rabaniana are considered to have gone extinct in Vegetation of Meghalaya .

Endemic Plant Species:

They are species with restricted range of distribution.
A recent review of literature carried out by Meghalaya Biodiversity Board reveals a total of 281 Endemic plant species have been recorded from Meghalaya representing 8.44% of the state’s flora.
Of these, around 102 are listed under various Threat Categories and two in the Extinct Category. Ilex khasiana and Nepenthes khasiana are the Endemic and Critically Endangered species.
Some of the Endemic and Endangered species found in Meghalaya are Adinandra griffithii, Ceropegia arnottiana, Clematis apiculata, Elaeagnus conferta ssp. dendroidea, Eriocaulon barba-caprae, Goniothalamus simonsii, Ilex venulosa, Livistona jenkinsiana, Ophiorrhiza subcapitata and Trivalvaria kanjilalii.

Orchids:

Meghalaya is endowed with a rich and luxuriant orchid flora of nearly 352 species belonging to 98 genera representing 27.08% of the country’s orchid flora.
For several centuries, orchids have been known for their attractive flowers and their medicinal properties.
The majority of the orchids are epiphytes, however, lithophytes, terrestrials and saprophytes are also encountered.
They are found to inhabit ranges from Sub-tropical evergreen to moist mixed deciduous types of forests.
Aerides multiflorum, Coelogyne corymbosa, Cymbidium elegans, Dendrobium devonianum, Dendrobium longicornu, Paphiopedilum insigne, Rhynchostylis retusa, Phaius tankervilliae, Thunia marshalliana and Vanda coerulea are few of the exotic orchids of Meghalaya.

Bamboo and Canes:

The state harbours more than 37 species of Bamboos belonging to 14 genera.
Some of the important genera are Arundinaria, Bambusa, Cephalostachyum, Chimonobambusa, Dendrocalamus, Dinochloa, Gigantochloa, Melocanna, Neohouzeoua, Oxytenanthera, Phyllostachys, Pseudostachyum, Schizostachyum, Teinostachyum and Thamnocalamus. Arundinaria hirsuta, A. manii, Bambusa jaintiana, B. mastersii, B. pseudopallida, Cephalostachyum pallidum, Chimonobambusa callosa, Chimonobambusa griffithiana, Chimonobambusa khasiana, Chimonobambusa polystachya, Dendrocalamus sikkimensis, Phyllostachys manii, Schizostachyum dulloa, Schizostachyum griffithi, Schizostachyum helferi, S. manii, S. pallidum, Schizostachyum polymorphum and Thamnocalamus prainii are endemic.
Cane (Calamus sp) is a woody climber and several species are known to occur in Meghalaya.
It is usually found to inhabit warm and moist climate at lower elevations.
Calamus erectus and C. floribundus are the endemic canes occurring in the state.
Cane and Bamboo craft is a very important handicraft sector in Meghalaya.

Medicinal Plants:

Of the total 3,331 plant species recorded in the state around 834 (25.04%) are estimated to be employed in healthcare.
These species are distributed in 548 genera and 166 families.
The family with the highest number of medicinal plant species is Rubiaceae followed by Asteraceae and Fabaceae.
These species are restricted mainly to sacred groves, community forests and reserved forests and some to grasslands, roadsides, cults and fields, etc.
Due to high level of exploitation and faulty harvesting techniques, many of the endemic species such as Acanthus leucostachys, Calamus erectus, C. aurantium, C. latipes, Curcuma montana, Daphniphyllum himalense, Eleaegnus conferta ssp. dendroidea, Goniothalamus simonsii, Hedera nepalensis, Hymenodictyon excelsum, Ilex embeloides, Mahonia pycnophylla, Munronia pinnata, Nepenthes khasiana, Ochna squarrosa, Ophiorrhiza sub-capitata, Paramignya micrantha, Piper peepuloides, Schima khasiana and Sophora accuminata have been rendered rare.

Soils of Meghalaya

October 22, 2017September 17, 2024 by rawan239

Soils of Meghalaya

The soils of the hills are derived from gneissic complex parent materials; they are dark brown to dark reddish-brown in colour, varying in depth from 50-200 cm.
The texture of soils varies from loamy to fine loamy.
The soils of the alluvial plains adjacent to the northwest and southern plateau are very deep, dark brown to reddish-brown in colour and sandy-loam to silty-clay in texture.
Soils of Meghalaya are rich in organic carbon, which is a measure of nitrogen supplying potential of the soil, deficient in available phosphorous and medium to low in available potassium.
The reaction of the soils varies from acidic (pH 5.0 to 6.0) to strongly acidic (pH 4.5 to 5.0).
Most of the Soils of Meghalaya occurring on higher altitudes under high rainfall belt are strongly acidic due to intense leaching.
Base saturation of these soils is less than 35 %.
These Soils of Meghalaya are not suitable for intensive crop production.
There is not much difference in fertility classes of the Soils of Meghalaya .
Four Soils of Meghalaya fertility classes, namely, High Low Medium (HLM), High Medium Medium (HMM), Medium Medium Low (MML), Medium Low Medium (MLM) have been established from the soil test data so far compiled in the Soil Testing Laboratory of the State.
Regarding micronutrient status, it has been observed that almost all the acid soils of the North-Eastern region of the country are deficient in available Boron (B) and Molybdenum (Mo).
Acid soils of Meghalaya are rated low in available B and Mo.
Total Zinc, Copper and Manganese contents of these soils vary from 10.00 to 17.25, 17.00 to 71.00 and 110 to 770 ppm (parts per million), respectively and DIPA (Diethylene Triamine Penta Acetic Acid) extractable zinc, copper and manganese contents of these soils ranges from 0.72 to 3.20,n 0.6 to 2.8 and 3.0 to 162.0 ppm respectively.
A study conducted by the Indian council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Complex, Shillong revealed that about 40% of the soils of the state contain micronutrients below the critical level.

Major Soils of Meghalaya

The climate, rock structure, slope and relief within the State differs from place to place and thereby brings heterogeneity in the composition and character of soil in the region.
Broadly, the soils of Meghalaya are of three types,

Red loain or Hills soils,
The Lateritic soils,
New and old alluviums.

Red loain or Hill Soils

The red loamy soils are found all along the foot hills and sub-mountain fringes of the region.
But, these soils are predominant in central upland of Khasi-Jaintia Hills, where the soil is mostly sandy because of the sandstone outcrops, whereas in parts of Ri-Jaintia area the soil tends to be silty.
They are also rich in organic matter which again tends to be more in higher altitudes because of low temperature.
The soils on the central, upland region have high moisture content.
Though the humus content is high, it is devoid of base minerais like calcium, potassium, sodium, etc., except being rich in iron oxides.

Lateritic Soils

Towards the western part of the central uplands, hill soils are gradually replaced by lateritic soils.
These hill soils being acidic in nature, have their significance in being suitable for the cultivation of fruits and potatoes and in areas of hill slopes and terraces for the cultivation of rice.
The southern War Country is practically devoid of any soil cover because of excessive rain.
The sandstones being disintegrated constantly by rain make the soil, if there is any, extremely sandy.
Towards the lower part, where the slope becomes t gentler, soil tends to be slightly silty to clay.
Further down, near the border of Bangladesh, lateritic soils occur in small 60 fringes.
These soils are highly leached, poor in plant nutrition and acidic in reaction, and thus they do not hold a favourable base for agricultural purposes.
Along the northern face of the central upland (Bhot Country) lateritic soil is found.
These soils varying from sandy to silty loam (especially on flat ri’ler valleys) are very much acidic in character and are highly leached.
Because of extensive Jhum cultivation practised here, the area does not contain any thick and tall forest.
In the western section of the Garo Hills regions for major part of surface area, the soil cover is lateritic, varying in nature from loam to silty loam (on the river banks and floodplains).
Further west, nearer to the boarder, lateritic soil occurs on the high ground, but the plains have silty loam to older alluvium.
Along the border areas, the soil is predominantly alluvial being both older and younger.
The lateritic soils become workable only after rains and by heavy application of organic matter which may increase the fertility of the soil.

Alluvial Soils

The alluvial soils, on the other hand, have a wider use by human being, since this type of soil is suitable for cultivation of rice, fruits and vegetables.
These soils lack in nitrogen, phosphorus and humus. However, they are generally rich in potash and lime.
The soil profile has no stratification.
Alluvial soils are intensively cultivated.
In certain areas, these soils are covered with unproductive wind-borne soil called Loess.
The alluvial soils vary in nature from sandy loam to clay.
The colour of the alluvial soils varies from the light grey to ash grey depending on the depth of the deposition, the texture of the materials, and the time taken for attaining maturity.

Soil Conservation Policy of Soils of Meghalaya

Meghalaya soil conservation policy is based on the National Land Use Policy in which land has been described as a mix of soil, water, flora and fauna.
As per the policy, the main aim of soil conservation in Meghalaya is to develop and maintain the productivity of the land for agricultural purpose as well as for the management of forest.
The other aims behind soil conservation at Meghalaya is to :
Prevent droughts and floods by sustaining a balanced relationship between land and water cycle.
Checking destruction of watersheds from sedimentation, deforestation, land degradation, hydrologic deterioration and soil erosion.
Secure the employment in rural areas by creating employment opportunities.
Developing and maintaining spoiled land areas, wastelands and fallows so as to meet the growing demands of land for various sectors.
Hence to raise awareness for soil conservation around Meghalaya, the state government has set up a Soil and Water Conservation Department that looks after soil conservation in Meghalaya. The department have initiated the following programs in this regard :

Jhum Control Programs: It looks after soil deterioration due to jhum or bun cultivation. The program lays stress on arranging a permanent settlement of jhummia family.
Watershed Management Programs: The program aims at using the land and vegetation resources for the optimum production at some selective micro watersheds.
Soil Conservation Programs: The program aims at removing the risks of soil erosion, land degradation, etc. The farmers have to take up the faulty farming practices.

For soil conservation of Meghalaya, measures such as erosion control, afforestation, terracing and reclamation, water conservation and distribution, water harvesting and conservation of farm ponds are taken up.
Meghalaya soil conservation would thereby increase the productivity of the land thereby generating more revenue for the state economy.

Climate of Meghalaya

October 22, 2017September 17, 2024 by rawan239

Climate of Meghalaya

Meghalaya is at the unique confluence of the Indo-Malayan, an Indo-Chinese and Indian bio-geographical region coupled with its physiographic has generated a profusion of habitats, which harbours diverse biota with high level of endemism.
Meghalaya’s economy is closely tied to its natural-resource-base and climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, water, and forestry.
That is the reason; the state faces a major threat from the projected changes in climate.
Crucial sectors in state like agriculture, water resources, health, sanitation, and rural development are likely to be affected by climate change.
State’s population primarily depends on climate sensitive sectors like agriculture and forestry for livelihood.
The highly dispersed and the vulnerable population segment of the state is poorly equipped to cope effectively with the adversities of climate change due to low capabilities, weak institutional mechanisms, and lack of access to adequate resources
Meghalaya emerged as a full-fledged state within the union of India on 21st Jan 1972.
It is tucked in the North East of India, covering an area of 22489 sq. km.
The State lies within 25 degree 1’ and 26 degree 5’ North latitudes and 85 degree 49’ and 92 degree 52’ East Longitudes.
The temperature range is approximately 2 degree centigrade to 36 degree centigrade depending upon the altitude ranging between 300 mts above mean sea level (MSL) to 2000 mts above MSL.
Meghalaya is amongst the highest rainfall areas in the world, predominantly mountainous, lying between the Brahmaputra valley in the North and the Surma valley (Bangladesh) in the South.

Climate of Meghalaya plateau

Climate of Meghalaya plateau is influenced by elevation and distribution of physical relief. On the basis of weather condition, the Meghalaya plateau has 4 distinct seasons:
They are

The rainy season from May to early October.
The cool season from early October to November.
The cold season from December to February.
The warm season or hot season from March to April.

In this period the entire plateau witness strong winds. This is due to northward migration of jet streams from the Gangetic plain to Tibetan plateau and development of low pressure in the Tibetan plateau at this time of the year.
The western part of the Garo hills is relatively lower in elevation as compared to Khasi and Jaintia hills. Garo hills experienced higher temperature conditions and humidity from February to October. April and May are the warmest months and January is the coldest month. The nature of elevation and slope has also influenced the distribution of rainfall. The rainfall is heaviest in the south-eastern Garo hills and decreases in the central regions and in the north.
The Khasian Jaintia hills experience a moderate climate because of higher elevation. Warm and humid conditions are prevalent in the foothills region in the south and sub-montane region in the north and central uplands. The plateau experiences a temperature of 24 degree centigrade throughout the year.
The southern parts of the plateau have the Cherrapunji -Mawsynram region. It receives the heaviest rainfall, an annual average of 12670 mm. This is due to its location at the head of Bangladesh plains. The south west monsoon strikes these margins as it rises abruptly from the plains. The vertical movement of this moist monsoon streams precipitate heavily in the escarpment region. This type of rainfall is known as orographic rainfall.
The Khasi and Jaintia hills receive an average of 7700 mm of rainfall and lies in the rain shadow area. Cherrapunji and Mawsynram lying about 55 Km south of Shillong receives an annual rainfall of about 14,000 mm which is the highest amount of rainfall in the world.

Climate of Meghalaya and Rainfall

The Climate of Meghalaya varies with the altitude.
The Climate of Meghalaya of Khasi and Jaintia Hills is uniquely pleasant and bracing.
It is neither too warm in summer nor too cold in winter, but over the plains of Garo Hills, the Climate of Meghalaya is warm and humid, except in winter.
True to its name, the Meghalaya sky seldom remains free of clouds.
The average annual rainfall is about 1,150 cm.
Flood affected areas are mostly on the low altitude areas, bordering Assam and the international border (India-Bangladesh).
Flash floods have become a regular feature in these areas, due to massive deforestation, unchecked jhum cultivation.
The flood water carries huge amount of hill sand, stone, logs and trees, which are deposited in agricultural fields due to inundation of banks in the foot hills, thus causing immense damage to crops.
The key to the health of the farm sector in the state lies in the health of the forest cover in the state.
Every peak, every square inch of the upper range of the hills need to be under mixed forest cover to protect the soil from leaching and erosion to help regulate and decrease the fury of streams and rivulets during the monsoon season.
Vegetation also help to retain soil moisture and ooze it out during the lean winter months to balance vegetative stress caused by mono cropping in the valley; to bestow various other advantage to help maintain the fragile eco-balance.
This will ensure continuous cultivation of crops in the farm sector.

Climate Change and Climate of Meghalaya

Climate sensitivity of the state comes from the fragile-ecosystem of the region where it is located extending to about 22,429 sq. kms.
The varied physiological features of the state and the altitudinal differences gives rise to varied types of climate ranging from near tropical to temperate and alpine which is likely to be disturbed considerably under the impact of weather variability.
The vulnerability of the state to water-induced disasters because of its location in the eastern Himalayan periphery, fragile geo-environmental setting and economic underdevelopment is likely to poses considerable threat to the resilience of poorer and vulnerable community.
The powerful hydrological and monsoon regime of the region, especially the Brahmaputra and the Barak (Meghna) river system which are figures out as resources to the state can also turn out to a source of vulnerability.
Meghalaya’s economy is closely tied to its natural-resource-base and climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, water, and forestry.
Climate change as projected might result in increasing mean annual temperature, variability of rainfall pattern and seasonal shift in weather pattern which is likely to result into destructive effect on the agriculture, the mainstay vocation in the state.
Moreover the highly dispersed and the vulnerable population segment of the state is poorly equipped to cope effectively with the adversities of climate change due to low capabilities, weak institutional mechanisms, inability to diversify to other livelihood activities and lack of access to adequate resources to enable the community to recover from climate shocks.
The climate change action plan is thus formulated to strategize adaptation and mitigation initiative towards emission stabilization and enhancing the livelihood resilience and adaptive capacity of the poor and vulnerable section of the society.
Climate Change is a multi-objective problem therefore the vulnerability and adaptive capacities are diverse and varies from state to state and based on several sectoral and cross sectoral parameters.
Sectoral parameters include key sectors of the state’s economy and cross sectoral factors include
1. Poverty
2. Inequality and social discrimination over property rights and
3. Access to resources
4. Social attrition/migration,
5. Unequal and unsustainable competition for scarce natural resources.

Rainfall variability

Majority of the districts of Meghalaya have experienced an increase in precipitation in the past 100 years .
However the two western districts, West Garo Hills and East Garo Hills showed a decrease in precipitation of 3.72 mm/day and 6.85 mm/day respectively.
This is a very high decrease and is of concern.
The West Khasi Hills, located in the central region of the state has the highest increase in precipitation, about 6.01 mm/day.
This is also a very high increase and may lead to flooding if the trend continues.
The precipitation trend shows high variability with West Khasi Hills showing an increase in precipitation of 6.01 mm/day and West Garo Hills showing a decrease of 6.85 mm/day

Temperature variability

The analysis of the meteorological measurements of temperature for Meghalaya shows a steady warming trend in both the minimum and maximum temperatures.
The spatial pattern of minimum and maximum temperature trend over the past 100 years shows an overall increase in the region.
The western part of the state exhibited an increase in minimum temperature (West Garo Hills, East Garo Hills) when compared to the eastern part of the state.
The central parts of the state, West Khasi Hills, South Garo Hills, East Khasi Hills exhibited a high increase in the maximum temperature (about 1.2 degree Centigrade), when compared to Western and Eastern districts.
Overall, the trend of last 100 years shows that an increase in minimum temperature is slightly higher in absolute terms than the increase in maximum temperature.

Horticulture in Meghalaya

January 15, 2018September 2, 2024 by rawan239

Horticulture in Meghalaya

Meghalaya has three factors conducive for the development of horticulture – vast land suitable for horticulture development, diversity in agro-climatic factors making cultivation of an array of crops feasible and established tradition of horticulture activity making further expansion easy.

A large extent of land is available in the form of fallows, cultivable waste and miscellaneous tree crops. Most of this land is in hill slopes and is more suitable for plantation and fruit crops than traditional agricultural crops. With diversity in elevation, temperature, topography and rainfall a variety of horticultural crops can be grown.

Meghalaya has a long history of growing horticultural crops. Potato, Pineapple, orange, turmeric, ginger and areca nut are grown traditionally and besides these crops, a variety of new crops like tea, cashew and strawberry have been introduced. Most of the land used for these crops is not suitable for traditional agricultural crops like cereals, pulses, oil seeds and fibres. With the introduction of Horticulture in Meghalaya Horticulture Mission for North Eastern & Himalayan States, a lot of area expansion has taken place, but the programme has had little impact on marketing and processing. This can be taken as a potential for future development of the sector.

Strategy

Cluster approach to strengthen the existing concentration of crops. For each crop post harvest management and value chain management will be given emphasis so that additional income and employment will be generated in the State itself.
New technologies in Post-Harvest infrastructure like grading, packaging, ripening chambers will be introduced for the major crops in areas of their concentrations. As it is difficult to attract huge investment to start large scale processing units, small scale and cottage units will be encouraged and support will be provided for them.
Farmers associations (FPOs & FIGs, etc) will be promoted for development of horticulture as a holistic approach.
Convergence with other programmes will be established for optimising the resource use.
Demonstration of new technologies and crop management practices are being taken up with farmers and other stakeholders.

Quality planting material production

As good quality planting material is the backbone of any horticultural economy, this is one of the most important issues to be addressed, especially since there has been tremendous expansion of cultivation (under convergent schemes like the RKVY, BRGF, NREGS in addition to the normal schemes of the Department) and since around 60% of planting material is imported into the State either from nurseries in other States or from outside the country, resulting in increased production costs and draining of valuable foreign exchange. Moreover, the bulk of supply is from small, unregistered nurseries where quality is difficult to enforce.

The State will seek the involvement of the private sector through the establishment of nurseries, which could be registered and affiliated with the NHB and other recognised agencies, so that quality standards are adhered to and a system of surveillance and certification of the operating standards and planting material are put in place.

It is envisged that this will usher in income-earning opportunities for retired Departmental officers and entrepreneurial avenues for fresh unemployed graduates. The Planting Material Production Centres (PMPCs) set up with grants from the 13th Finance Commission, will produce quality planting material for new crops like strawberry, kiwi, raspberry and blackberry as well as for traditonal crops like potato, cashew, citrus (orange and sweet oranges), pineapple, spices (turmeric, ginger, black pepper) and temperate fruits. These PMPCs will be geared to cater not only to the planting material needs of their own clusters, but also to the needs of the other districts of the State as well as other States of the North East. The objective, in the long run, is to turn Meghalaya into a planting material destination for the entire North East.

Area expansion

Model orchards : There are a number of unique fruit crops which are indigenous to the State with tremendous commercial potential, but which have never been properly utilized due to the lack of organized cultivation. The area under many of these crops is declining and some are on the verge of extinction. Keeping in view the need to preserve the horticultural heritage of the State and to provide for the commercial cultivation and exploitation of these crops, there is an imperative need to demonstrate the economic viability of these crops through the establishment of model orchards. In order to make these model orchards successful, for emulation by the farming community, and to ensure their continuity, it is proposed that the orchards be set up within and in conjunction with the integrated farming proposed to be implemented in the micro-watersheds.

Theme villages : The remarkable success achieved in the ‘’Strawberry Village’’ of Sohliya in the Ri Bhoi district will be transferred to different crops and villages of the State. At least 1000 farmers in each such area will be motivated to take up cultivation of selected crops – Orchid Valley in Zikzak horti-hub area, Kiwi Village in the uplands in the vicinity of Shillong, Strawberry Villages in other districts, Citrus Hills in the Nokrek range, Pineapple Hills in the Chibinang area, etc.

Rejuvenation of citrus & cashew: The senile plantations of citrus and cashew will be brought under systematic and scientific rejuvenation to restore the profitability of these traditional crops for the benefit of this group of farmers, especially considering the potential for export of these crops to neighboring Bangladesh.

Post harvest management and processing

Meghalaya is predominantly a horticultural state where a wide range of fruit crops both indigenous and exotic are grown abundantly in different altitudes of the State. During the peak season of harvest the State experiences glut in the market and the farmers are not getting remunerative prices for their produces. To overcome the said problem the State had established two processing centres located in Shillong, East Khasi Hills district and Dainadubi in North Garo Hills district.

The objectives of these Centres were to demonstrate, develop value addition technology for the farmers and entrepreneurs of the State. These two Processing Centres are being upgraded and the products marketed as MEG brand. The Department had initiated programme on modernization of arecanut soakage tanks traditionally practiced by the farmers. These improved technologies have generated additional livelihood to the arecanut growers of the state. The Lakadong variety of Turmeric has high Curcumin content between 7 to 8 percent. Capitalizing on the potential of the turmeric grown in the State the Government had taken step to improve the processing technology adopted by the farmers. Effort is being made to attract private investment in the PHM sector by scaling up volume of production, especially targeting niche markets outside the country and setting up of scientific modern storage facilities across the state Traditional crops like ginger, turmeric, pineapple, citrus, potato and vegetables are the mainstay of a majority of the farmers of the State.

Marketing infrastructure

Farmers markets, implemented during the 11th Plan, will be expanded to cover more areas within the State during the 12th Plan, where farmers market will be tried on the hub and spoke model – large central markets and satellite markets in their hinterland. The effective functioning of farmers markets depends to a large extent on the flow and easy availability of market related information to enable farmers to take proper and profitable market decisions based on reliable real time data. Market information system is thus a crucial and urgent intervention that would be made in order to make Farmers Markets viable and vibrant entities leading to the evolution of a much more transparent marketing system.