7 Buckwheat in Bhutan

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1 Current Advances in Buckwheat Research (1995) : Buckwheat in Bhutan Sonam Norbu RNR Research Centre, Research Extension & Irrigation Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Bumthang, Bhutan 1. Introduction Bhutan is located in the Eastern Himalayas between 26 45' Nand 28 10' N and between 88 45' E and 92 10' E. Agriculture is the dominant sector of the economy providing an source of livelihood for over 85% of the country's population and accounting for over 45% of the GOP. Subsistence farming on small land holdings predominates agricultural land use. Of the total arable land which equals to 7.9% of the total land area of the country (40,500 km 2 ), only 3% (126,670 ha) is currently used for cultivation of annual crops. Over 70% of the total area is under natural forests and alpine pastures. The Cropping areas of Bhutan have been divided into five agro-ecological zones based on temperature, rainfall and altitude (Table I). Farming remains labour-intensive and strongly rooted in tradition, being traditionally devoted to the cultivation ofcereals to meet subsistence needs. Cropping systems above 2500 masl are dominated by buckwheat, barley, wheat, mustard and potatoes while upto an elevation of 2500 masl the dominating crops are rice on wetlands and maize on drylands. Buckwheat, although a minor crop at present, is an indispensable food for the Bhutanese people, particularly in non-rice growing areas and other highland where people have limited access to growing other cereals due to diversed agro-geo-climates of the country. Over 70% of the marginal farmers depend on this crop. Considering that the crop is a sub-subsistence crop, no research relating to crop improvement work has been done nor have its characteristics been properly described so far, and hence complete infonnation on this particularly crop is not available. Nonetheless, it is a multipurpose crop in the Bhutanese context with a wide variety of uses. The cultivation practices and its use vary with the agro-climatic conditions. 2. Status ofarea, Productivity and Production The statistics of area, production and productivity is presented in Table 2. It reveals that the crop is grown throughout the country with the highest area cultivated in Eastern region followed by East Central region. Buckwheat is cultivated in an area of 13,024 hectares which accounts for about 9% oftotal area under cereals.

2 56 Buckwheat is grown for home consumption only. It is grown mainly in rotation with either potato, wheat and barley in the high altitude regions, or with maize and rice in the mid and low altitudes (Table 3). The crop is cultivated in monocropping under rainfed conditions. Both summer cropping and autumn cropping is practised in Bhutan. While the crop is cultivated during August-December in most of the buckwheat growing areas in the eastern regions, it is generally grown during March-November in central highland areas (Table 4). Inorganic fertilizers are generally not applied. Farmers simply apply few baskets of FYM or tether cows for 2-3 nights in the seeding site and hence productivity is far below potential. It generally ranges from 475 kg / ha in the Eastern region to 1020 kg / ha in the East Central region. Averaged across the regions, the national yield stands at kg / ha. The domestic production ofbuckwheat is about 10,702 MT which is home consumed. 3. Genetic Resources So far, germplasm screening work has not yet been initiated and therefore all the varieties grown by Bhutanese farmers are local indigenous varieties (F. esculentum and F. tataricum). Earlier expledition record reveals that there is a good diversity of buckwheat germplasm in Bhutan. Gerplasm comprizing 48 accessions belonging to two species (Fagopyrum esculentum and Fagopyrum tataricum) have been collected and preserved in IPGRI, Rome. These landraces could be evaluated and utilized/exploited. 4. Utilization Buckwheat, in Bhutan, is primarily grown for grains. However, the Bhutanese people use it in a variety ofways including leaves and in the form of processed food products. The tender shoots and leaves are also used as leafy vegetables. Its flour is used in several culinary preparations during religious festivals in the preparation of Teyzey, KhUTU, Putang, Kontong, etc. Traditional buckwheat recipes include noodles, cooked dough, pancakes and bread. People in the Southern belt consume buckwheat during fasting days. Husked kernels are sometimes cooked as rice. While the farmers in the non-rice growing regions of Central and Western Bhutan use it as a main staple diet, others use it mainly for malting/brewing Chang and Bhangchang produced mainly for annual festivals as well as for cropping calendar activities. It is also as livestock and poultry feed, and the byproducts ofchang used as feed for livestock and piggery. Further, the straw is also fed to cattle immediately after threshing when it is still green/fresh. Bitter buckwheat was once traditionally used to treat livestock suffering from foot and mouth disease and for the treatment ofother ailments, although it is not practised at present due to easy availability of livestock health facility.

3 57 5. Future Development Increased emphasis on underutilized non-conventional crops is necessary to continue in the context of current farming system research and this crop (buckwheat) is necessary to supplement the agriculture production in Bhutan where a diversed agro-c1imates, soil fertility, etc. predominate cropping systems. It is speculative that a good diversity occurs in Bhutan and hence crop specific missions need to be undertaken to collect the diverse and unexploited germplasm and systematic characterisation and documentation of buckwheat germplasm collections made for future exploitation. There is a potential that the existing landraces could be exploited and exotic materials introduced into the country to improve the yield potential. The numerous uses also can provide new avenues and generate interest for its exploitation and crop improvement work. The crop has vast potential to be exploited for various purposes such as food, feed, fodder and medicines. Buckwheat possesses an exceptionally high nutritive value with higher content of protein, lipids and minerals as well as balanced composition of essential amino acids as compared to cereals. It is evident that owing to high nutritional value, buckwheat could become an important ingredient offood and have ample people for utilization in the form of processed food products. It is, thus, desirable that a place of buckwheat in the farming system in Bhutan is necessary in order to maintain nutritional standards of the Bhutanese population. In view of the need for diversification of future agriculture to meet various human needs, buckwheat deserve special research attention for its improvement and exploitation. Poor lands can be improved by cultivating buckwheat along with rye. Besides food preparation, buckwheat is an excellent source of lysine and is the only food grain, not deficit in this respect. Excellent grain protein quality with high and well balanced amino acid composition, abundance ofdietary fibre, lipids, minerals and vitamin B with high flavoroid rutin which reduces cholesterol content in the blood makes buckwheat an almost perfect food. It is useful as cover crop in maintaining agro-ecosystem by storage of water and preventing soil erosion. Therefore, this crop could become an important component ofthe farming system, both from ecological as well as human nutrition point ot view. Of late, the importance of minor highland crops improvement, specially buckwheat, is recognised and emphasized, and at present the Ministry of Agriculture is giving high priority for future research and development of buckwheat. Achieving self-sufficiency in food grains is a long term national goal. The Royal Government of Bhutan wishes to promote buckwheat production in Bhutan to achieve two objectives: to achieve self-sufficiency in domestic food grains to increase the income ofsmall-scale farmers who form 90% ofthe population. In pursuance to these objectives, the Ministry of Agriculture has projected buckwheat

4 58 programme outlining possible avenues and necessary steps for buckwheat research and intensification that are integrated into existing Extension and Research system. Specially, this plan should look at the main features of present buckwheat production, the current status of buckwheat research, ways to strengthen buckwheat research and extension, the micro- and macro-economic framework under which buckwheat is produced and production can be increased. References Ladefoged, A. V. N., Cultivation ofbuckwheat in Up Country Patne. Lyman, C. M., K. A. Kuliken and F. HaIl, Essential amino acid content offann feeds. Eggum, B. 0., The protein quality ofbuckwheat in comparison with other protein sources ofplant and animal origin. Roder, and P. R. Gurung, Under-exploited highland crops in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan (Unpublished). PPD, Agronomic Survey, Planning and Policy Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Thimphu. Bhag Mal, UnderutiJized Grain Legumes and Pseudocereals-Their potentials in Asia. Sonam Norbu, Management and Utilization ofplant Genetic Resources in Bhutan, A paper presented during the training on Conservation and Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources held in Zschortau, Germany.

5 59 Table I. Agro-ecological zone ofbhutan. Altitude Temperature COC) Rainfall Mean Monthly Zone m asl max. min. Mean mm Cool temperate Warm temperate Dry Subtropical Humid Subtropical Wet subtropical Table 2. Area (ha), productivity (kg / ha) and production (MT) of buckwheat in Bhutan. Region / Zone West West central East central East Total Area (ha) 1,580 2,096 3,024 6,324 13,024 Productivity (kg / ha) (824.50) Production (MT) 1,080 1,755 2,871 4,996 10,702 Source: Agronomic Survey, PPD, Ministry ofagriculture, Table 3. Major buckwheat cropping patterns in Bhutan. Agro-ecological zones Altitude Cool temperate Warm temperate Dry sub-tropical Humid sub-tropical Wet sub-tropical Cropping patterns Wheat - Sweet buckwheat Bitter buckwheat - Fallow Wheat - Sweet buckwheat Maize - Bitter buckwheat Maize - Sweet buckwheat Wheat - Bitter buckwheat Wheat - Sweet buckwheat Rice - Sweet buckwheat Maize - Bitter buckwheat Maize - Sweet buckwheat Rice - Sweet buckwheat Maize - Bitter buckwheat Maize - Sweet buckwheat Source: Accelerated Food Production Programme in Bhutan, 1992.

6 60 Table 4. Cropping seasons ofbuckwheat in Bhutan. Agroecological zone Buckwheat type Cropping season Fanning system Cool temperate F. esculentum July-Nov. Dryland F. tataricum March-July. Dryland Wann temperate F. esculentum July-Nov. Dryland F. tataricum July-Nov. Dryland Dry subtropical F. esculentum July-Nov. Maize-based Nov.-Feb. Rice-based F. tataricum August-Dec. Maize-based Humid subtropical F. esculentum August-Dec. Maize-based Nov.-Feb. Rice-based F. tataricum August-Dec. Maize-based Wet subtropical F. esculentum August-Dec. Maize-based F. tataricum August-Dec. Maize-based

10 Bhutan. The Bumthang community seed bank. Asta Tamang and Gaylong Dukpa. History and purpose of the community seed bank

10 Bhutan. The Bumthang community seed bank. Asta Tamang and Gaylong Dukpa. History and purpose of the community seed bank 10 Bhutan The Bumthang community seed bank Asta Tamang and Gaylong Dukpa History and purpose of the community seed bank Bhutanese farmers save their seeds in traditional ways and share them in and between