Traditional Seed Preservation Practices in North-East

November 17, 2023

GS Paper I Indian Society

Context:

Seed preservation is traditional knowledge for the Ao and Sümi Naga communities of Nagaland, orally passed from one generation to another. The principle of seed preservation is present in every aspect of cultivation, right from the selection of crops.

Seed Preservation: Nagaland’s Sustainable Farming

Traditionally Agrarian Practice: Ao and Sümi Naga Community practice jhum cultivation or shifting cultivation. Traditional knowledge of seed preservation helps Nagaland’s native communities ensure continued sustenance.

What is Jhum Cultivation?

Shifting cultivation, locally called ‘Jhum’, is a widely practiced system of crop cultivation among the indigenous communities of Northeast India.
The practice, also known as slash-and-burn agriculture, is when farmers clear land by slashing vegetation and burning forests and woodlands to create clear land for agricultural purposes.
This system of farming is regarded as the first stage in the evolution of agriculture transitional stage from hunting and gathering to settled cultivation.
The implements used in this cultivation are primitive and is a labor-intensive form with an extensive use of land

Seed Preservation Practice:

Seed selection: The communities select seeds from initial harvests in new jhum fields to preserve for successive cycles, as these are recognised to exhibit optimal yield and resilience.
- Seeds selected for cultivation in new jhum fields depend on the type of land.
- Traditional jhum fields are of two kinds:
  - Highlands: The soil is loosely condensed and glutinous, better suited for maize, taro, mustard crops, glutinous rice and long grain rice
  - Lowlands: It is compact and more porous, suitable for beans, chili and leguminous crops.
Seed storage: Storage is done from the best harvest to enjoy the same taste every year.
Storage methods: They differ across crop varieties.
- Seeds of some varieties such as beans, sesame, mustard and pumpkin are preserved through sun-drying while others are stored in baskets.
- Maize is bundled in rows above fireplaces or tied to kitchen roofs.
- Poaceae seeds, particularly rice, are stored in household granaries (called jen in Ao and aleh in Sümi).
- Residents also build community granaries that are strategically positioned on the outskirts of villages to serve as a dependable resource in case of emergencies, such as a fire.
Materials for storage: used for the baskets are bamboo, rattan or cane, whose culm or stems have low starch content, as these are more resistant to pests.
Aeration tool: It is made of bamboo. Normally, three or four aeration tools are placed between threshed rice in the granaries, to ensure out-circulation of warm air that can be detrimental to the preservation of grains.
- The presence of sprouting rice stalks around this aeration tool is considered a symbol of abundance.
Disease prevention: Every traditional Naga kitchen also has multiple rectangular tiers above the hearth, to store seeds and small agricultural implements.
- Seeds are stored on these tiers to prevent attacks from pathogens and reduce accumulated moisture. Cotton seeds are stored in terracotta sandwiched between layers of ash.
- In a few cases, seeds are mixed with ash and charcoal — 500 grams of ash and charcoal for 1 kilogram of seeds — to keep dry.
Transition of Cultivation practice: In Wamaken village (near Assam), cash crop farming has replaced jhum cultivation.
- This transition has resulted in the adverse decline of seed diversity and a potential threat of cash crops invading the native ecosystem.

Ao Naga Community: The Aos primarily reside in the Mokokchung district of Nagaland. Its most fundamental asset is land. Hence, jhum cultivation or shifting cultivation is one of the primary occupations of Ao Nagas.

Culture and Traditions:
- Attire: Sutam is an essential part of the traditional dress, and it symbolizes the community’s identity and unity.
- Moatsu Festival: It marks the beginning of the planting season.
- Religion: Traditional faith is animism, which believes in the existence of both evil and good spirits that require appeasement through rituals and offerings.
Language: Chungli and Mongsen.
Governance System: The khel system is a form of self-governance, where the community is responsible for managing its own affairs and resolving disputes

Sumi Naga Community:

Distribution: The Sümis are a major Naga ethnic group inhabiting the territories of Zünheboto District, parts of Niuland District and Kiphire District in the Northeast Indian state of Nagaland.
Festival: Tuluni and Ahuna are the major festivals.
Governance: The Sumis also have their own rulers called Kukami’ who rule over the village. Each village has their own ruler but have no control over the other villages.

News Source: DTE