Mango biodiversity in eastern Uttar Pradesh, India: Indigenous knowledge and traditional products

Abstract

The patterns of nomenclature, conservation and traditional uses of mango (Mangifera indica L.) trees and fruits were studied in four districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh (Jaunpur, Azamgarh, Sultanpur and Faizabad), which have preponderance of mango groves consisting of landraces. An explanatory (qualitative) research design, supported by participatory research tools, was adopted to collect the data. The study specifically focused on the role of Indigenous knowledge in the sustainable management of mango groves, which have played a crucial role in livelihood adaptations in the past. It emerged from the data that present day mango groves were planted by the forefathers of present generations who believed in the philosophy of “aadhi kheti, aadhi baari” which literally means ‘half the crop lands and half the gardens’. This philosophy, based on premise that half the area of a village ecosystems should be cultivated to produce food grains while another half should be under tree plantations to ensure provisioning of fruits, fuel wood, timber and environmental services, was driven by an integrated and sustainable farming approach based on local resources and traditional knowledge.