Biodiversity

India has rich biodiversity (mammals 7.6%; Birds 12.6%; amphibians 4.4%; reptiles 6.2%; fishes 11.7% and flowering plants 6%) and out of 34 biodiversity hot spots it has 2 hot spots are completely embedded in its boundaries (Western Ghats and The Eastern Himalayas) while 3rd hot spot (Indo Burma) lies partially in India and partially in Burma.

Monoculture is very risky for the farming community. In this system if a crop grown on the field fails because of one or other reason a farmer looses all his investment.

To make farming practices more resilient to environmental perturbations its necessary to promotes multi tiered farming. This goal is being achieved by introducing more than 100 lesser known plant species as agriculture crops in phased manner. Some of the representative species are listed below.

• Herbs: Ambadi or Hibiscus subdariffa; Tarota or Cassia tora

• Shrubs: Adulsa (Adathoda vasika)

• Small trees: Sinduri or Bixa orellana; Charoli or Buchnania lanzan; Bhokar or Cordia rothii; Salai or Boswella serrata etc.

• Big trees: Mahua – Madhuca indica; Palms - Phoenix sylvestris

• Twines: Phand or Midnapur Creeper - Revia hypocretariformis; Shatawari or Asparagus racemosus; Phot or Snap Mellon or Cucumis momordica etc.

• Lianas: Ragatpuda – Ventilago denticulate

• Tubers: Lesser yams – Yams or Dioscorea alata, D. Bulbifera; Bhui Kohada or Patal Kumhada or Indian Kudzu – Pureria tuberose

Left to Right 1) Hibiscus subdariffa; 2) Cordia rothii; 3) Revia hypocretariformis; 4)

Madhuca indica; 5) Cucumis momordica; 6) Asparagus racemosus; 7) Phoenix

sylvestris; 8) Dioscorea alata; 9) Boswella serrata.