Homegarden Agroforestry System: A Medicinal Hub in East Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

Homegarden agroforestry systems support a wide variety of plants and serve as a vital medicinal hub. Locally known as "Balong" by the Nyishi people of East Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh, these homegardens have been traditionally maintained for their easy accessibility and availability. Unfortunately, rapid urbanization and globalization threaten the natural habitats of medicinal plants, prompting indigenous tribes to domesticate them in homegardens for preservation. This indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants, transmitted orally across generations, faces the risk of being lost due to inadequate documentation. Hence, urgent efforts are needed to record and preserve this valuable traditional wisdom before it disappears permanently. Therefore, the present study was carried out to find the role played by the homegarden agroforestry in catering to the therapeutic needs of the indigenous people of the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. The study showed that they host a diverse array of medicinal plants providing a rich of natural remedies for various ailments. It recorded about 172 species belonging to 59 taxonomic families. Solanaceae (11) recorded the highest number of medicinal plants followed by Fabaceae (9) and Lamiaceae (9). After the trees (34%) and herbs (30%), shrubs (20%) were mostly used for their medicinal qualities. Leaves (35%) and fruits (29%) were the most commonly utilized parts. Most of the documented medicinal plants were indigenous (66%) and primarily used to relieve flu and fever (4%). It reported the presence of 2 vulnerable species (Clerodendrum kaempferi and Dioscorea floribunda), 2 threatened species (Nicotiana tabaccum and Piper pedicellatum), 1 critically endangered plant Saurauia punduana, and 1 endangered plant Bacopa monnieri.