Nagaland: Climate change, depletion of nutrients a challenge for organic potato farming

May 10, 2024 35 Views No Comment

Morung Express news
Kohima | May 10

With the onset of summer, potato cultivators in Kohima have begun harvesting the potatoes in their homesteads and terrace fields. For many farmers, this is their second harvest.

Although a thriving cultivation for the farmers in the region, it is evident that the potato farmers are also bearing the brunt of the changing climate.

Khrieno, in Kigwema Village says when the yield is good, just a small patch of land is enough to bring bountiful harvests.

It’s a sunny day as she harvests the potatoes at her farm; she says this time, the yield is low and the size of potatoes is considerably smaller while some are infested.

In the open fields, where farmers use mostly traditional methods to cultivate their vegetables, the growth of the potatoes depends greatly on good climatic condition. For them, cleaning the weeds from time to time is sufficient if the weather is suitable.

For Chano, the windy season has prolonged and there was no rainfall in the last few months keeping them worried. The weather is also becoming very hot these days, Chano adds.

Potato is one of the most vulnerable crops in changing climates and this can prolong the time for the crop to mature, especially tuber sprouting. Organic potatoes are preferred by many for its rich taste and smooth texture, yet without the chemicals and fertilizers, it poses numerous challenges in regards to its yield, pest and disease management etc.

Anga says cultivating potatoes in terrace fields has become more preferable as compared to jhum or forest land. She says it saves more time and the yields are bountiful.

The farmers informed that the potatoes are used for consumption and sale. “We also keep some for seed,” Anga adds.
When enquired about how they sell their products, she informed that they measure the potatoes in a tin which would come around 10 kilograms. Per tin is priced at Rs 600.

“We don’t take out produce to the market, we sell to people who book from us in advance especially those who lives in town and do not cultivate potatoes.” Anga has so far sold around 10 tins out of her terrace field cultivation.

On the reason for the problems associated with lower yield of the potatoes, Professor, Department of Agronomy, School of Agricultural Sciences, Dr Tongpang Longkumer mentioned that he had not visited the potato fields or spoken to the farmers directly, but based on the reported issues of low yield and small potatoes, he suspected the problem may be related to nutrient management among others.

He explained that potatoes are demanding and exhaustive crops, needing plenty of nutrients and since the farmers have been growing potatoes for a long time, the soil might be depleted of nutrients, leaving less for future crops.

To address this, farmers should add both organic and inorganic fertilizers to replenish the soil, and consider other nutrients to balance the highly acidic nature of the soil. Citing that climate change may have some impact, yet nutrient management may be the main factor for the decline in productivity of the crop, Dr Longkumer added.