Enhancing Ecological Integrity and Resilience: The Use of Biocontrol Agents and Botanicals for Sustainable Plant Disease Management in Jhum Systems of Nagaland

Abstract

Shifting cultivation (Jhum) is a common farming method in the Northeastern hill areas of India. Jhum system of farming is traditionally prevalent throughout the hilly regions of Nagaland. Jhum is frequently misrepresented as being environmentally destructive. The multilayered diversity in the Jhum system, however, serves as the ecological basis for disease suppression in Jhum fields. At the genetic level, farmers keep and use landraces and traditional types of rice, maize, beans and millets, many of which have built-in resistance to pathogens that are common in the area. Diversity at the species level, such as co-cultivating functionally complementary crops like legumes (which fix nitrogen (N), aromatic herbs (which repel pests) and root crops (which stabilise soil), adds spatial heterogeneity that limits the capacity of pests and pathogens to disseminate efficiently. The vertical layering of the plant structures and uneven field shapes make conditions less like monoculture, which stops the movement of insects that carry diseases and the spread of fungal spores through the air. These actions together create an environment of systemic stability that protects the agroecosystem from both living and non-living stressors. Combining these native ecological strategies with scientific research findings on eco-friendly disease management approaches investigating the effectiveness of biocontrol agents and botanicals in controlling plant pathogens pertinent to the crops of Nagaland provides a comprehensive view of the resilience of Jhum systems. In this context, laboratory and field trials executed to evaluate the biocontrol agents like Trichoderma spp. and plant-based treatments from the area against important crop pathogens by various researchers are reviewed here. Combining modern science with traditional ecological knowledge, biological control techniques can improve disease resistance and promote sustainable agriculture practices in traditional Jhum farming systems.