| More
Information |
|
|
| Name |
written by-M C Talukdar and R K Talukdar |
|
|
| Title |
The Rice-Fish Double Bind: ‘Khals’ of Assam |
|
|
| Details |
In Assam, rice-fish farming is a
traditional practice, well adapted in the low land clayey soils of the entire Brahmaputra valley. In the old alluvial tracts representing the rainfed lowland alfisoils, where rice cultivation is a common practice, farmers spare a part of the land for rearing fishes which enter through flood water. On an average, Assam receives about 2000 mm of annual rainfall of which about 70 per cent is received during kharif (June to October) season. Such heavy rainfall inundates the entire paddy fields, thereby offering an ideal opportunity for the fish to infiltrate the field along with the flood waters.
The transplanting of kharif rice is normally completed in the month of July. Farmers raise bunds around the entire field in this season to retain maximum rain water. The fields are generally rectangular or square shaped and bunds are normally made against the natural slope/gradient of the field. It is here that the farmers are found to apply their traditional wisdom and “kill two birds with a stone”.
Farming situations
During a survey of villages of Jorhat district, by a team of Green Plus Society, a voluntary organization, an unusual practice of cultivating rice along with a small ‘khal’ (small pond) on one side of the plot was noticed. The practice was studied further to find out the utility of the pond and its relationship with the socio-ecological system of the area.
Nine major farming situations were identified in the area. It is seen that winter rice is grown in all the plots during July- August irrespective of whether the plot had a previous crop or not. The previous crops may be summer rice, wheat, or mustard or the fields may have remained fallow. Such practices are well adapted to clay loam, silty clay loam and clay soils only. In light textured soils – sandy clay loam, loamy or sandy soils, such practices are not followed. But under these farming situations, it is possible to maintain the water in the field at a desirable level till the harvesting period. The ‘khals’ generally do not dry out before harvest of the rice crop.
The ‘Khal’
‘Khal’ is a local word which implies a man-made depression, usually dug out. It is a smaller version of ponds. Farmers dig ‘khals’ at the lowest point of their rice field for other purposes also. A typical rice field with the ‘khals’ can be seen in the figure below. The size of the ‘khal’ depends on the slope of the land, the amount of rainfall, the depth of inundation, period of inundation and current over-flow. The Khal approximately covers 1/100th part of the rice field. The normal size usually varies between three and six square meters. The whole rice plot is bounded by earthen bunds. The depth of the ‘khal’is maintained around one to 1.5 m depending on the gradient.
Shape
The usual shape of the ‘khal’ is triangular, though there could be variations. It is dug at the lowest corner of the field. A ‘Khal’ is avoided in the middle of the holding except when the field is exceptionally large (more than two hectares).
Utility
(i) Assam experiences both heavy rains and occasional droughts. The ‘khals’ become a source of irrigation during occasional drought periods, for instance during the flowering or grain filling stage of the rice crop.
(ii) The ‘khals’ are also a natural fish trap. Fish enter the fields along with flood waters and breed there till the water level in the field is sufficient. When the water level begins to recede from September onwards and the continuity with rivers and other sources gets disturbed, the fishes are trapped within the bunded plot of rice field. They become vulnerable to prey as the food becomes scarce. The ambient temperature also increases. As the water level falls further during October, the fishes migrate to the ‘khals’ for shelter.
(iii) Farmers use the ‘khals’ as a store for uprooted paddy seedlings before transplanting. Sometimes after transplanting, the excess seedlings are kept in the shallow water of the ‘khals’. The roots of the seedlings do not get damaged but are cleaned in the process.
(iv) The ‘khals’ are harvested two to three times in a season depending upon the amount of rain water or overflow. About three to ten kg of fish are harvested each time. During winter season, these supplement the food supply.
(v) Some local varieties of fishes such as ‘goroi’ (Murrels), ‘koi’ (Climbino perch), ‘singi’ and ‘magur’ (Cat fish) help in controlling the weeds and loosening soil near the roots of the rice plant.
(vi) The ducks reared in the ‘khals’ also help in loosening the soil around the root zone of the rice plant. However, ducks are allowed into the field only after the rice plants are established well in the soil.
1.Department of Extention Education, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam. |
|
|
| Volume No. |
Honey Bee, 8(4):7, 1997 |
