CORRESPONDENCE CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 104, NO. 12, 25 JUNE 2013 1598 Parkia roxburghii: an underutilized but multipurpose tree species for reclamation of jhum land North East (NE) India, commonly known as the ‘land of seven sisters’, is a terri- tory of diverse ethnic groups, tribes and culture. Shifting cultivation, locally known as ‘jhum’ or ‘jhumming’, is a way of life for many of these tribes since time immemorial 1 . The percentage utilization of cultivable area in this region (62.04) is less than the national average (73.05). It has been reported that about 80% of the farmers in the region are small (<1.44 ha) and marginal (<0.40 ha) land- holders. In most of the hilly states of NE India, the forest lands are becoming bar- ren due to the practice of jhum cultiva- tion. About 19% of the total area under shifting cultivation in the hills accounts for 0.76 m ha (current jhum – 0.39 m ha and abandoned jhum – 0.36 m ha) 2 that supports 4.43 lakh families for their live- lihood 3 . The jhum system as practised earlier with a fallow period of 10–15 years appeared to be sustainable. How- ever, it has significantly reduced to 1–3 years in the present situation, which has made the land vulnerable to ecological degradation and resulted into limited production 4 . Considering the present practice of cultivation in this region, it is the need of the hour to improve the jhum lands by adopting suitable soil and water conservation measures, viz. bench terrac- ing, contour bunding, contour trenching, Figure 1. Tree bean, Parkia roxburgii in bloom. half-moon terrace, catch pits, hedge rows, agroforestry, etc. Introduction of fast-growing trees with multiple uses is one of the viable options for conserving valuable natural resources as well as to uplift the socio-economic status of the jhumias. Tree bean, Parkia roxburghii (Mimo- saceae), a lesser known nutritious, legu- minous tree grows luxuriantly in NE India and South East Asia. It is distrib- uted in India, Bangladesh, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand and the Malaysian region. It is a large tree (up to 25 m height) with spreading branches 5 , gener- ally found in lowland rainforests and often along streams. Several vernacular names are available for this species, viz. Supota, Kharial (Hindi); Manipur-urohi, Khorial (Assamese); Manipuri seem (Bengali); Zongto (Mizo); Yongchak (Manipuri); Aoelgap (Garo); Bire-phang (Kachari); Themuk-arang (Mikir); Unk- amn-pinching (Naga); Shivalingada mara (Kannada) and Unkampinching (Mara- thi) 6 . The inflorescence head or capitu- lum arises terminally with clusters of yellowish-white tiny flowers, hanging at the top of long stalks from the branches (Figure 1). The fruits in early stages are soft, tender and bright green in colour. They turn blackish when fully mature in March–April. Pods are formed in clusters of 10–15, each measuring 25–40 cm in length and 2–4 cm in breadth. At the age of 6 years the plant starts its production; however, full bearing stage is only after 10 years. The lifespan of this tree may be 80–90 years or more. During favourable season a full-grown plant bears 10,000– 15,000 pods. Thus a single plant can yield approximately Rs 30,000 to 40,000 per annum. In NE India, it is considered as the most costly vegetable fetching a market value of Rs 70–120/kg. Ethnobotani- cally, this tree species is highly impor- tant 5 . Flowers, tender pods and seeds of this plant are edible and are a good source of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals compared to other legumes 7,8 . Tree bean is a multipurpose tree species having a variety of uses, viz. medicine 5,6,9–11 , insecticide 12–17 , pisci- cide 18 , antibacterial 19 , alleopathy 20 , human food 21 , tanning, face wash and shampoo, firewood and paper pulp 5 . De- spite a variety of uses, unfortunately the tree bean plants are under threat and there is vast decline in their population in some parts of NE India, especially in the valley of Manipur. This could be due to changing climate, Verticillium wilt dis- ease, mobile radiation, etc., but the real cause is still unknown 22 . The tree bean being a fast-growing leguminous species with multiple uses will be suitable for reclamation of aban- doned jhum land. It can be easily pro- pagated through seeds. One- or two-year old seedlings can be transplanted in the field. Being a legume it would also help enrich the soil through nitrogen fixation. Hence, the planting of these trees should be promoted in all the NE states of India for conservation of natural resources and improving the livelihood of hill farmers in the region. 1. http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/AC798E/ ac798e0j.htm , accessed on 17 April 2013. 2. Anon., Wasteland Atlas of India, 2011; http://dolr.nic.in/dolr/wasteland_atlas.asp 3. Nandy, S. N., Dhyani, P. P. and Samal, P. K., Resource information database of the Indian Himalaya, GBPIHED, ENVIS Monograph 3, 2006; http://gbpiheden- vis.nic.in/HTML/monograph3/ENVIS% 20Monograph%203.pdf , accessed on 17 April 2013. 4. Venkatesh, A., Mohapatra, K. P., Arun- achalam, A. and Ngachan, S. V., In International Conference on Climate Change, Sustainable Agriculture and Public Leadership, New Delhi, 7–9 Feb- ruary 2012; http://climateagri.org/wp- content/uploads/2011/11/Jhumland-Imp- rovementA-Venkatesh-abstract.pdf , ac- cessed on 17 April 2013. 5. http://www.icfre.org/UserFiles/File/rfri/ rpap4.htm , accessed on 17 April 2013. 6. http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/ slides/Tree%20Bean.html , accessed on 17 April 2013. 7. Seal, T., Res. J. Bot., 2011, 6, 58–67. 8. Singh, S. J., Singh, P. K., Dutta, B. K. and Sahoo, U. K., Indian J. Agric. Bio- chem., 2009, 22, 87–93. 9. Pramila Devi, A., Assam Univ. J. Sci. Technol.: Biol. Environ. Sci., 2011, 7, 63–69. 10. Siswoyo, E. and Zuhud, E. A. M., Media KonseMsi, 1993, 1, 89–94.