Field training-cum-awareness prog on wild edible plants held

DOBUM VILLAGE, 12 Dec: A one-day field training-cum-awareness programme on cultivation of wild edible plants of Arunachal Pradesh was organized here under Papum Pare district on Saturday last, wherein 30 participants took part.

Organized under a DST-SEED division funded project, the programme was aimed at capacity building for women on management, sustainable utilization and marketing of wild edible plants.

During the programme, Prof Binay Singh of the department of forestry, NERIST elaborated the importance of cultivation and management of the various wild edible plants having nutritional and market potential. He also highlighted the potential of cultivation of various horticultural crops like guava, baer, orange, pineapple, banana, etc. in the state to promote economic gain.

Associate professor of the department of forestry, NERIST Dr PR Gajurel explained the prospects and potential of some high value selected species used as vegetables and fruits in the state. HeĀ  highlighted the present needs of management and conservation of these valuable resources for fulfillment of nutritional and market demand and for socio-economic development.

The nursery and field technique for cultivation and management of wild edible plants were also elaborated.

Research scholars Dr Soyala Kashung, Pinaki Adhikary, Tage Yakang and Rimi Barman provided the field techniques on planting and cultivation of wild edible plants like piper pedicellatum, piper longum, clerodendron glandulosum, eryngium foetidum, etc.

Later, seedlings of a few species were also distributed among the participants.