Climate Alteration and Sustainability of Agrodiversity in Conventional Farming

8/10/2019 Climate Alteration and Sustainability of Agrodiversity in Conventional Farming

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limate lteration andSustainability of grodiversityin onventional Farming of theDarjeeling Himalaya

Dhiman ukh rj

Assistant Professor (Agronomy)Regional Research Station(Hill Zone), Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya,Kalimpong rDarjelling), West Bengal -734301E-.m1. [email protected]

AbstractThe environment of the Eastern Himalayas is

.:. - ;., : ~:c--:of its climate, as much as the climate is.:; -c:0: - of the mountains themselves. Climate.: 10'1ge impact at the global level has become a-:{;. ,TJY O1U:R.rnoday and Darjeeling Himalaya is' o exception. D,arjeeling district lies between 2631'- 27 13 N latitudes and 87 59 - 88 53 Elongitudes. In the regional context, climate changehas contributed to unpredictable or erratic rainfallpattern, drying up of local springs and streams,species migration to higher elevations, shift ofsowing and harvesting period of crops, emergenceof invasive species and incidence of diseases /pestsin crops as well as in fodder species. The Darjeelinghills has a traditional agriculture systemencompasses variation[i of agro-ecological zones thatcover a range of ecosystem diversity extendingbetween low to high altitude zone. The annualprecipitation fluctuates between 2000 and 4000 mm,

this fluctuation pattern now varies because ofshifting of climate changing pattern.. Every yearbrings one or two days with rain above 100 mm andonce in 10 years above 300 mm. Two - threesuccessive days with rainfall of heavy downpourcharacter above 300 - 400 mm appear once in 5-10years causing the formation of earth flows or debrisflows at a local scale. Extreme continuous rainextending over a regional scale (at least severalthousand km2) is recorded once in 30-50 years andmay pass even 1000 mm in 3 days. All these changesaredue to shifting of climate. This part of EasternHimalayas - a globally significant biodiversity

hotspot and houses a range of agro-biodiversity. Thetropical zone (>500 m) mostly follows ricecultivation system in terraces and along the rivervalleys. Above this are large cardamom-based andfarm-based traditional agroforestry in thesubtropical to warm temperate zones (600-2500 mY,subsistence farming in the cool temperate and loweralpine zones (2500-4000 m) and the upperHimalayan nomadic agropastoral to pastoralsystems. Building resilience in both human andecological systems to an optimum level is the best

possible way to adapt to climatic variatio11.Thisstudy has identified the primary challenges ofmountain farmers for ensuing adaptive capacityand water security in the agriculture systems. Highlevels of impact from climatic change was recordedfor paddy, maize, wheat, oil seeds, cardamom,ginger, drinking water sources and springs andfodder trees. Innovative coping mechanismsdeveloped by local farmers against emergence ofdiseases and pests, invasive alien species, untimelJshift of crop sowing and harvesting season, rapidlydeclining productivity, climatic variability etc.

INTRODUCTIONDarjeeling Himalaya suffers from a vicious

cycle of development process. Alongwith aburgeoning population, there has been a constantincrease on the area under subsistence cropsfollowed by an increased dependency onlivestockfarming. Such sequences intensify the

demand on the fragile mountain land.Excessiveencroachment of forest lands to meet themushrooming demands forfodder, fuel wood, andother requirements has led to unprecedenteddamage to forest lands, livestock grazing more thanoften in this fragile environmenthas led toovergrazing impacting the environment.Agrobiodiversity of this region, or agriculturalbiodiversity, includes all the components ofbiological diversity of relevance to food andagriculture, as well as the components ofbiologicaldiversity that constitute the agro ecosystem(Mukherjee, 2012 b). Little is known in detail aboutthe vulnerability of Darjeeling mountainecosystems to climate change. Intuitively it seeIIlsplausible that these regions, where small changesin temperature can turn ice and snow to water, andwhere extreme slopes lead to rapid changes inclimatic zones over small distances, will showmarked impacts in terms of agrobiodiversity, wateravailability, agriculture, and hazards that will havean impact on general human wellbeing. But thenature of the mountains fragile and poorlyaccessible landscapes with sparsely scatteredsettlements and poor infrastructure means that

research and assessment are least just where theyare needed most. And this is particularly true fortheDarjeeling Himalayas, where few resources formeeting the challenges of developing the detailedscientific knowledge needed to assess the currentsituation or make projections of the likely impactsof climate change (Chakraborty et al., 2008). Thevariety and variability of animals, plants and microorganisms, at the genetic, species and ecosystemlevels, which sustain the functions, structure andprocesses of the agro-ecosystem. Indigenous and

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traditional agricultural communities throughoutthe world depend on, and are custodians ofagrobiodiversity maintained within agriculturallandscapes through various forms of traditionalresource management. Presently under Himalayarange interlocking stresses that result fromdifferent aspects of global change, including theproblems related to population increase, insecureand changing land ownership, environmentaldegradation, market failures and marketglobalization, and protectionist and inappropriatepolicy regimes and climate change. Keeping aboveaspect in mind climate change presents a majorconcern, often interacting with or exacerbatingexisting problems particularly in hill ecosystem. Itmakes new demands for adaptation and copingstrategies, and presents new challenges for themanagement of the environment and agroecosystems Mukherjee, 2012 . Agrobiodiversityhas also been largely overlooked in discussions onclimate change, despite its importance for thelivelihoods of rural communities throughout theworld and for the development of adequateadaptation and mitigation strategies foragriculture. The Intergovernmental Panel onClimate Change IPCC report ignores the role ofdiversity in production systems and the central rolethat agrobiodiversity will have to play in bothadaptation and mitigation at the country,landscape, community and farmer levels.Indigenous and traditional agricultural commu-nities are adapting to change and are developingways ofstrengthening the resilience ofagricultural

landscapes through various local strategies basedon the protection of traditional knowledge andagrobiodiversity. Over the past two years theplatform for agrobiodiversity research has beencollecting information on the ways in whichindigenous peoples and rural communities havebeen using agrobiodiversity to help cope withclimate change Wilson et aI., 2007 . Manyadaptation initiatives mentioned in this paper areinitiated, supported or managed by indigenouscommunities. Their adaptive capacity oftendepends on their ability to access their ancestrallands and protect their cultural heritage.

In a number of observations it is clear that aninnovation based on traditional knowledge can leadto development of local adaptation measures thatprotect ecosystems and agrobiodiversity, andempower indigenous and traditional agriculturalcommunities. This link between empowerment ofcommunities and adaptation needs to be betterunderstood. These indicators will help to identifywhat contribution agrobiodiversity can make andwhere it is likely to be most useful. The need to

ensure continuing access to a range of diverse cropvarieties, agroforestry species and livestock typesand their maintenance, is essential. Agrobio-diversity has a key role to play in adaptation toclimate change and to improving adaptability andresilience in agro ecosystems. Keeping the aboveaspect, climate alteration and its effective role inagrobiodiversity conservation with improvedfarming system approach study become much moreimportant in the present context. It is essential thatinternational and national policy debates onadaptation to climate change begin to take accountof the rich experience and the actions alreadyundertaken by traditional communities andindigenous peoples and to ensure their fullinvolvement in debates on policies and actionsrequired.

a terials and ethods

Present investigation confined to in the

Eastern Himalayas from 2010 to 2013 to assess thevulnerability of agrobiodiversity of this region toclimate change. Darj eeling district is thenorthernmost district of west Bengal. It is locatedon the lap of the Himalayas. The district comprisesof four subdivisions namely, Darjeeling Sadar,Kalimpong, Kurseong and Siliguri. DarjeelingHimalaya forms a part of eastern Himalayan rangesand is bounded by Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan onthe north, west and east respectively. Activitiesincluded surveys at district level, workshops,interaction with stakeholders at national andregional levels, and development of technical

knowledge by individual experts in collaborationwith institutions that synth~sised the availableinformation on the region. Regular field trips todifferent areas of Darjeeling - Sikkim hills wereconducted between September 2010 and October2013 to collect the climate changing patterninformation and its impact to agrobio-diverstiy.Glearly much more, and more precise,information will be needed to corroborate thesepreliminary present findings. Nevertheless, theassessment highlighted the vulnerability of theEastern Himalayan ecosystems to climate changeas a result of their ecological fragility and economic

marginality.

Results and iscussion

As per climate alteration and sustainabilityconcerned, the climate of the Darjeeling Himalayaregion is very complex, because of the extremedifferences in elevation. Topography, aspect and thelocation of the area, also have a substantial effectupon the local climate. Therefore, within shortdistances climates from sub-tropical to cold

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temperate can be experienced, as per our day to daysurvey revealed. These zones can be furthermodified by rain shadows, as in the leeward side ofthe High Himalaya mountain ranges. TheDarjeeling hillis in the monsoon climate zone, andthe weather regime of the region is directlyinfluenced by the global climate change issue,summer monsoon rains which have been recordedin excess of 3000mm in some places during thewinter season. Earlier,Jooduring1999 to 2005, morethan 90 of the annual total rainfall was duringthe summer monsoon (June and September), nowshifted to mid of July to end of August, andoccasionally until October. Besides the heavyrainfall, many parts of the region experience severehail storms during the pre-monsoon period, whichcan cause major damage to both crops and trees,particularly as they invariably occur just prior tothe harvest ofarable crops. Few places ofDarjeeling- Sikkim Himtllaya, these-changes lead to change

in cropping pattern and farming system practices.Temperatures ~ver the Himalaya range are affectedboth by season, altitudinal variation and aspect.South-facing slopes are hotter and drier than thosewhich face North. As per behaviour of naturalvegetation concerned, over 60 -70 ofthe Easternhill confined to forest resources are in the mid-hillregion (Xu et al., 2008). Climate, rainfall,temperature, altitude and human activities exert agreat influence on the ~atural vegetation. The main

zones identified would be :

Upper tropical ecoregion (300 to 1000masl) :Observation revealed that sal Shorea robusta withits common associates with Termina-liaspp, Anogeissus spp, Lagerstroemia andSyzygium spp. Along the Teesta and Rangit river

banks Khair Acacia catechu and Sisso Dalbergiasissoo , replace Sal with main associates of Bombaxceiba, Syzygium spp., and Michelia champaca.

Sub-tropical zone (1000 to 2000m) : Chir pine Pinus roxburghii with some Schima wallichiand Castanopsis indica and scattered Sal in thelower parts. Mostly in the lower region of Lava(Kalimpong Block I) Alnus nepalensis colonisesnew soil (eg. landslips) with scattered Lyoniaovalifolia in places. Evergreen-type confined tonarrow strips along the rivers/streams with Toonaciliata and Albizia spp.

emperate zone (2000 to 3000m) : Mainlycharacterised by different oaks Quercus spp). withLauraceae family with Machilus, Neolitsea andMichelia spp.Pure small patches of Pinuswallichiana also found at frequent distance inDarjeelinghill.

Cold temperate zone: (>3000m) : Predominantlyoak forest mainly wihth Quercus semicarpifolia

Increasingbiodiversity

Reducedpossibility, ofpestbuild-up

--------------------------------------------

Fig. 1. Agroecosytem responsible for diversity and combat to climate alteration problem under Darjeeling Himalaya.

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I Tropical homegardens I

I

Perennial crop I

AgroforestryI

based

IP(antations

I

IOrct ards

I

IMIxed cropping

I

I

Annual cropI

IRotationsased

IMonocultures


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with Rhododendron spp. and Ilex spp. as understorey. Mixed broadleaved forest, mainlyAcer and Rhododendron spp. with occasional smallpatches of Tusga dumosa.

Alteration of roppin sequence underchanging climate condition

The traditional farming practices of the regionhave evolved into a complex system where livestockhusbandry, forestry and arable cropping arepractised together, and any changes in onecomponent will exert a significant effect upon theothers. The difficult topography, and the greatclimatic variation, means that the whole farmingsystem is extremely labour intensive.

The whole cropping pattern in the region isdepend~nt upon and influenced by the applicationof animal-based manure, and rainfall distributionpattern under shifting climate change issue Mukherjee and Sharma, 2012). At the level oftheagricultural system, adaptation strategies includeintegration of trees and livestock into productionsystems; cultivation of a higher diversity of crops diversification); and improved crop, water and soilmanagement Mukherjee, 2013). These are notusually carried out singly but are combined indifferent ways depending on the ecology, needs ofcommunities, availability ofdifferent materials andthe challenges faced. Most adaptation initiativesparticularly in this part of Himalaya, include theuse of approaches based on agroforestry and cropdiversification, which. are often combined withimproved crop, soil including soil biota andnutrients) and water management. Adaptation

activities include both the revival of traditionalproduction practices and the adoption anddevelopment of new techniques e.g. a switch to lowinput agriculture and the use of alternative waysof livestock management). Some of the strategy hasbeen adopted to mitigate and adaptation againstclimate a teration by the year of 2100 Fig.2).

Mitigation

Efficiency

Climatic

DamagesAdaptation

Efficiency ..

2 2 5 t 21

Fig. 2 : Mitigation v,s. adaptation strategiesfor combating climate change

Crop plants such as rice, maize, finger millet Eleusine), foxtail millet Setaria), french bean Phaseolus), soybean Glycine), blackgram Vigna),rice bean Vigna), beans Dolichus), winged bean

Table 1: Common hill cropping patterns in the Darjeeling himalaya.

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- ltitude Land type ropping patterns Shifting cropping pattern under

changing climate scenario

dOOOm Khet Rice-wheat-rice Rice-wheat- maizeRice- fallow-Rice-wheat-fallow late season winter vegetables.

Bari Maize- fingermillet-fallow Maize+soyabean - vegetablesMaizeMaize-blackgram - fallow

1000-2000m Khet Rice-wheat-fallow Rice/ Rice-potatoMustard / Pea

lentil or peasBari Maize/fingermillet-wheat/ Maize/fingermillet- fallow

barley Maize/fingermillet Maize - fallow-mustard

2000-3000m Khet Maize - fallow Buckwheat-BlackgramBari Maize/fingermillet-fallow Maize-fallow Potato fallow

Maize/fingermillet-wheat/barley


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(Psophocarpus), pumpkin (Cucurbita), cucumber(Cucumber), okra (Abelmoschus), egg plant(Solanum), chillies (Solanum), pointedgourd, ashgourd (Lagenaria), taro (Colocasia), yam (Dioscorea,Amorphophalus and Xanthosoma), citrus speciessuchas lime, lemon, banana, tea (Thea), jute(Corchorus), mesta (Hibiscus), large cardamom

(Ammomum), ginger (Zingiber), bitter gourd(Momordica), long pepper (Piper), turmeric(Curcuma), are being ct.ltivated in the traditionalfarming system with greater diversity within eachspeCIes. .

Two species of 'Fab.ar' viz., Fagopyronesculentum (Meeta fabar) and F. tataricum (Teethafabar) are found in Darjeeling -Sikkim hill, theformer is more preferred. The conversion ratio fromwhole grain to fabar powder is very low (300 g perkilo of kernel). This can be improved to 400- 500 g/ kg of kernel b;y selecting ~old kernel.

Ginger cultivar namely, Bhaise or bada aduwa,Gorubathane, Jorethange, Nangrey or sano aduwaand Majhauley: The cultivar Bhaisepossess plumpyrhizomes, long internode, pale brown non-persistent scales, primary and secondary fingersare bulky/plumpy, lemon yellow concentric ringwith creamy yellow core and light brown outerlayer, medium fibre and lesspungent. It is knownfor its high yield (a plant can give 1.8 kg rhizomefrom 50 g seed rhizome) hence not only popularinDarjeeling - Sikkim but in other NER States.

Large cardamom is a perennial cash cropgrown beneath the forest cover on marginal land

throughout Da~jeeling hill, hence it is well-fittedin the a'grofor~stry system. The extent of geneticdiversity within Amomum subulatum is quite high.The present day clonal cultivars such as Ramsey,Sawney, Golsey, Varlangey, Seremna(found inSikkim and Darjeeling), Ramsey (derived fromBhutia language-Ram means mother and seymeans gold) is well suited tohigh altitude (1200-1550m amsl) and in steep slopes but susceptible toviral diseases Chirke and Foorkey. Sawney(meaning harvested in Sawan i.e. August) givesbest quality cardamom with bigger and boldercapsules containing 35-50seeds. Though this cloneis widely adapted its performance would be slightlybetter in mid and high altitudes (700-1200m amsl).Golsey (meaning round capsule) is suitable for lowaltitude. Many sub-types (minor variants) of thisclone such as Seta Golsey, Pink Golsey, GreenGolsey, Dzongu Golsey, Ramnag and Madhusey arefound in Sikkim and Darjeeling.Dzongu Golsey isvery specific in Dzongu area of North Sikkim (1500m amsl).

Finger Millet (ragi) differing in panicle typeand maturity are found in Darjeeling hill. They

were: Karthikey,Mangsirey, Murkey, Nangkatua,Pangdur and Phangrey. Karthikey is the earliestmaturing millet (50 flowering in 85 days) variety.Black gram cultivated throughout the hill as itserve the purpose of soil conservation. Three formsofurdbean differing in seed colour viz., green seed,brown seed and black seed are being cultivated in

Sikkim. The green seeded urd belongs to Vignamungo ssp. viridis and locally known as 'Pahenlodal'. It has price advantage compared to blackseeded urd. In hill, Pahenlo dal is boiled with littlespices and salt and consumed along with rice. Theother two types belong to Vigna-mungo ssp. niger,locally known as 'Kalo dal'. The local Pahenlo daland Kalo dal are semi-spreading urd, takescomparatively longer times to mature. However,they were adapted to midhill climate and highyielders.

Two forms of soybean namely 'Kala bhatmas'(black seeded soybean) and Pahelo bhatmas (brownseeded soybean) are found in cultivation. The 'Kalabhatmas' is a high yielder. Both the forms ofsoybean are consumed in three forms namely,boiled fermented food (kinema), fried nut (butekobhatmas) and processed foods (soya milk, oil, etc).

Amongst various Beans, Rice bean Vignaumbellate , Butterbean {Phaseolus lunatus}, Rajmaand French bean {Phaseolus vulgaris} are cultivatedin small scale and in thehomesteads of eastern hill. The infra-specific variability within each group isfairly high. Among the beans greater variability hasbeen noticed in rice bean. Rice bean, locally known

as Masyum dal . is an important ingredient ofpigfeed and therefore, forms an ideal componentin integrated farming system in the low and midhills.

Tomato and Chilli are another importahtagrobiodiversity observed in Darjeeling Himalaya.Tomato was introduced roughly in 18th century andmost of the introductions are bred varieties, whichhave adapted to this region. Germplasm of wildspecies of tomato Lycopersicon esculentumpimpinellifolium, has been found in this region.Amongst chillies, three species of chillies namely,Capsicum frutescence, C. chinensis and C. annuumare found in Darjeeling hill. In each species, theextent of intra-specific variability with respect tofruit colour, fruit position, fruit shape and pungencyare rich. There are 200 landraces of chillies weredescribed from Northeast Region. In DarjeelingDalle khorsani (roundchillies), Thadey khorsani(erect fruit), Thalo khorsani (vegetable type),Jeerey khorsani (thin fruit), Lamchey khorsani(medium size-less pungent) are seen. DaIlekhorsani belongs to C. frutescence. It has the twincombination of high pungency and characteristic

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aroma for which it is liked in Sikkim and fetchpremium price. Four sub-types of DaIle Khorsai .were noticed.

Leafy vegetables variation are common featurein throughout the hills. The important leafyvegetables include lai Brassicajuncea var. rugosa),lafa Malva vertic illata and palak Spinaceaoleracea . In addition to these a wide variety ofindigenous leafy vegetables are also available.These are amaranth Amaranth us spp.) poi sag Basell rubra and B. alba , sorrel Rumexrasicarius etc. Other indigenous leafy vegetablesused occasionally are Jilmil sag Chenopodiumalbum and Kolmou sag Ipomea reptans .Amaranthus viridis, A. lividus, A. retroflexus andA. spinosus are important leafy vegetable typesgrown in North East India.

Tubers and Rhizomatous Crops: A number ofdioscorea species i.e. Dioscorea alata, D. bulbifera,D. brevipetiolata, D. esculenta, D. hamiltonii, D.hispida, D. kamaonensis were recorded in the NE

. Region. D. hamiltonii occurs in humid forests hills.D. floribunda and D. deltoidea are certain medicinaltypes, which are used for steroid. Tapioca, orcassava has also been cultivated to some extent. InColocasia also there is a wide variability even inone species such as Colocasia, Allocasia andXanthosoma. Sweet potato white and red skinnedare cultivated and around 50 is consumed asanimal feed.

In addition to the above there are a largenumber of indigenous vegetables crops that are

used particularly by the tribal population. Treebean Parkia roxburghii is one of the most commonof multipurpose tree species in the Manipur andMizoram. In the hilly areas, tree tomato Cyphomandra betacea , a perennial shrubproducing egg shaped, reddish yellow in variousshades, smooth skinned and weighing 30-50 g isalso grown and used as such in chutney. It is grownas backyard venture crop in Meghalaya. Anothervegetable tree growing in the lower altitude zonesand popular among the people is drumstick or horseradish locally called Sajina Moringa oleifera .

Rai sag Brassica juncea var. rugosa), is animportant rabi leafy vegetable in Darjeeling locallyknown as Layo patha. There were 4 distinctmorphological forms in rai sag namely-green leaf,purple leaf, purple striped on green leaf and fregoor dissected leaf type.

Agroforestry is being an increasinglyimportant adaptation strategy for enhancingresilience to adverse impacts ofrainfall variability,shifting weather patterns, reduced wateravailability and soil erosion. To overcomedesertification and rehabilitate degraded land,

trees are planted in the fields and around villageswith a traditional water harvesting and soilimprovement technique in most part of theHimalaya. This technique, in combination with cropdiversification and other techniques, throughinnovation and experimentation, has resulted in the.development of an integrated agro-sylvo-pastoralsystem with higher resilience to rainfed conditionof eastern himalaya.Few pockets, in drought proneregions, the resilience of traditional homesteadgardens is strengthened through intercropping offruit trees with vegetables, small-scale irrigationand organic fertilizers.

Under rainfed condtion of hilly terrain, andincreasingly in the sub-tropics and the tropics, soilproductivity and water availability have decreaseddue to a combination of climatic and non-climaticfactors such as ecosystem degradation and over-exploitation. The most common methods for the

improvem.ent of soil productivity and wateravailability are a combination of, minimum soildisturbance, direct seeding or planting, live orresidue mulching, cover crops With deeper rootingcrops including annual and perennial legumes,micro-catchment water harvesfing e.g. infiltrationpits and planting basins) and re-vegetation. Theseare key elements of practices that have becomeknown as Conservation Agriculture in whichecosystem services of hill agroecosytem will beenhanced within the production systems at the farmand landscape level.Our experiences show thatQrganic agricultural practices, both traditional andinnovative, can strengthen the resilience of localfood systems. Vermicomposting - a non-traditionalmethod of improving the nutrient content andwater-holding capacity of the soil is applied incultivation of stress-tolerant crops, cropdiversification, gre-en manuring and mulching. InDarjeeling, farmers use traditional and non-traditional organic agricultural practices to improvewater use efficiency, prevent erosion and improvethe productivity of cropping systems. In traditionalfood systems a number of methods were used tomaintain soil productivity e.g. intercropping, crop

rotation, fallowing). These practices continue toensure food and livelihood security underincreasing climate chJmge and variability. Thefarmers cultivate crops, rear livestock, and managecommon pool resources such as communal grazingland and communal forests for leaflitter and forest-based food products wild tubers, fruits, vegetables,medicines etc). In times of crop failure due todelayed or weak monsoon and pests, livestock andwild foods meet the household nutritionalrequirements. Various conventional farming systemplay significant ~ole to combat alteration and

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sustainability of agrobiodiversity issue (Mukherjeeet aI., 2013). Maintenance of high levels of inter-and intra-species diversity is a strategy to decreasevulnerability and enhance resilience to climatechange and associated stresses. Adaptationactivities include the maintenance andreintroduction oftraditional varieties, the adoptionof new species and varieties to meet newlydeveloped production niches, and the developmentof ways of ensuring that materials remain available(e.g. community seed banks) and adapted (e.g.participatory plant breeding). Linked with thedevelopment of adapted and adaptable materials,adjustments in cropping patterns and crop cyclecould be achieved.

AgroecosystemManagement

lPifinnedBiodiversity

, I :vf ICreates conditionsthat promote

\ :, IAssociated

/1 BiodiversityBiodiversi ty ofSurroundingEnvironment

---..Promotes

Ecosystem Functione.g. pest regulation,nutrient cycling, etc.

~ ,/- - - - . - . - Promotes

, Fig. 3:: The relationship betweenbiodiversity andagroecosystem.

As a result of climate change, indigenous andlocal crops and varieties, particularly drought-, salt-and flood-tolerant, fast-maturing and early- or late-sowing crops and varieties, are increasinglycultivated. Their availability is improved thoughthe establishment of community seed banks. In theareas experiencing an increased level of floodingand salinization of freshwater and agriculturalland; salt- and flood-tolerant crops and varietieshave been introduced. In Kalimpong block ofDarjeeling hill, there is a shift in the planting dateof rice; rice seedlings are planted in end of Aprilinstead of in mid of July. In Lava region ofDarjeeling block and part of North Sikkim hill,farmers are planting early maturing crops andsowing the seeds earlier than in previous years.In West Bengal, in the foothills of the Himalayas,communities are experiencing an increasingfrequency of flash floods, dry spells during floods,changes in flood timing (longer, delayed or early);increased duration and area of waterlogging; and

changes in time, volume, and pattern of rainfall.Adaptation to climate change required thedevelopment of a new crop calendar. Crops that arefast-maturing, flood-tolerant and with soil-rehabilitating characteristics are planted accordingto the calendar. The selection of new varieties byfarmers and participatory plant breeding (PPB) aresupporting adaptation to changing productionenvironments. A key feature of annual croppingsystems is the nature and frequency of soildisturbance regimes. Periodic tillage and plantingcontinually reverts the tilled area to an earlier stageof ecological succession. Physical disturbance of thesoil caused by tillage and residue management is acrucial factor in determining soil biotic activity andspecies diversity in agroecosystems. Tillage usuallydisturbs at least 15-25 cm of the soilsurface andreplaces stratified surface soil horizons with a tilledzone more homogeneous with respect to physicalcharacteristics and residue distribution. The loss

of a stratified soil microhabitat causes a decreasein the density of species that inhabit agroeco-systems. Such soil biodiversity reductions arenegative because the recycling of nutrients andproper balance between organic matter, soilorganisms and plant diversity are necessarycomponents of a productive and ecologicallybalanced soil environment (Hendrix et al 1990);

Some of the main adaptation strategies toconserve agrodiversity at different levelsecosystem

Activities at the ecosystem and landscape levelaim to mitigate and buffer the effects of climatechange through ecosystem protection andrestoration, landscape rehabilitation and ,thesustainable use of natural resources. This ispossible with:>- Reforestation of tropical hillsides, riparian

forests and mangroves.>- Range land rehabilitation and improved

pasture management.>- Restoration of wasteland, terrace land and

watersheds.>- Re-vegetation in drylands.>- Diversification of agricultural landscapes

(agroforestry).>- Diversification of production systems

(cultivation of a higher diversity of crops andvarieties and crop-livestock-treesintegration.

>- Low-input agriculture, soil conservation andimproved water management and useefficiency (mulching, cover crops, rainwaterharvesting, re-vegetation, fallow,intercropping, crop rotation).

>- Adjustments in crop and herd management

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Dhiman Mukherjee

, >-

(changes in crop cycle). Intra and inter-speciesdiversity is protected, used and redistributedto strengthen the resilience of agriculturalsystems and maintain production in stress-prone environments. The main adaptationmeasures are:Use of stress-tolerant and fast-maturing crop

species and varieties; and stress-tolerantspecies and breeds of cattle.Protection, reintroduction and distribution oftraditional crops through community seedbanks and on-farm conservation.Stress tolerance improvement throughfarmers' selection and participatory plantbreeding.

L;

->

>-

Ad1 ptive management of agrobiodiversityinvolves activities at both the individual andcommunity levels (Fig. 4). At the individual farmerlevel, agricultural systems are diversified andvarious management practices adjusted. However,the adaptive management of water, soil andagrobiodiversity takes place at the ecosystem orlandscape level and requires communal efforts,often regulated through social institutions. Localinstitutions that endorse the sustainablemanagement of agrobiodiversity and landscapeshave been re-established in several adaptationstrategies. The need to adapt to climate change hasoften led to the revival of traditional practices andagricultural systems. Traditional agriculturalpractices and land-management techniques,especially in stress-prone environments, can helpensure productivity under adverse conditionsthrough the management of microclimate and soiland water resources.

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:~;~ ''. ,f ~~~ .- ~. '. .

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Fig. 4: Adaptation dynamics against climatealteration

ConclusionClimate alteration is real and underway, so

there is a need ofimpact identification and adoptionto cope with vulnerabilities in agroecosytem.Darjeeling himalaya being a least developedmountain, it is moving towards vulnerable situationdue to climate change. As it is known, its effects

cannot be completely controlled but effectiveplanning and change in human habit towards a lowcarbon economy can slower down possible disasters.Darjeeling has various types of agricultural zoneslike plains, hills, mid hills, high hills andmountai~s. Changes in agri-zones lead to thechange in cropping pattern of the zone due toalteration of climate. Further, these climateparameters have potential impact to change theecological distribution of agricultural crops. Ifshifting of climatic zones occurred rapidly due toclimate change, extinction of agrobiodiversity mightbe severe. Effects are mainly on, herbs, pastureland s, tree lines and livestock. Increase intemperature causes more damage on agriculturalsectors in Terai region and wilt be more favorableto agriculture in the hills and mountains. Astemperature increases, croppiDg pattern as well asvector born disease of human and livestock's canbe expected to shift in higher eco zones too. Somelands, which are prel?ently undesirable due todifferent weather factors, may be desirable in nearfuture. For example, maize, chilly, tomato andcucumber are now being adopted in lava,Sandhapukh region ofDarjeeling and part ofnorthSikkim also.

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T T I(IJI) )t~.

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Climate Alteration and Sustainability of Agrodiversity in Conventional Farming

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