Use of traditional plant-based pesticides in the Jhum agroforestry system of Angami tribe in Kohima district of Nagaland, India.

The application of traditional plant pesticides in agriculture is very common among the tribes of Nagaland, India. In most of the districts, the local communities are strictly restricted from using chemical pesticides, and hence, the farmers rely on organic and plant-based pesticides to control varieties of seasonal pests manifested in their crop fields. Jhum cultivation is a traditional agroforestry system practiced by the Naga tribes of India, especially by the Angami tribe. Varieties of vegetables, fruits, and other economically important plant species are cultivated in Jhum agroforestry. To maintain the organic nature of this farming method, diverse plant species with unique formulations were used for the management of crop pests. Two types of Jhum cultivation were recorded. Both were related to slashing and burning forests for agriculture. Twenty-one vegetable species and twelve other economically important plant species were recorded from the Jhum fields. Manifestations of 24 pests/ diseases were found in the studied area and 10 different parts of 56 plant species belonging to 33 families were used to control these pests/ diseases. Eight unique methods of pesticide formulation were recorded. Pesticidal plant-related data were analyzed through quantitative tools like use value (UV), informants' consensus factor (ICF), and family use value (FUV). A traditional and unique plant-based pest control system in agroforestry was obtained from the study which will help in formulating modern biopesticides. It will transmit knowledge of traditional organic agriculture to the modern agriculture system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]