Livelihood opportunities through leafy vegetables in Ladakh cold desert

Abstract

The wild leafy vegetables (WLVs) are the plant leaves are an important constituent of traditional diets of the tribal community of Ladakh especially when dried and consumed during harsh winter. This region is closed for almost seven months from all the directions except air fields and the cost of vegetables imported is too high that the local community in the region when there is no farming and tourism; they entirely depend and rely on dried leafy vegetables. The present study was carried out to explore the indigenous dietary habits of leafy vegetables and consumption pattern of resource poor community of remotely located capsule region since inception and document the indigenous knowledge related to the diversity and uses of wild leafy vegetables inclusive of weedy species in Ladakh region. A total of 32 different shrubs, and small herbs have been recorded belonging to 25 families are edible either as a vegetable or as medicine or in both forms directly/ indirectly. The common wild edible leafy herbs found in Leh region are Amaranthus viridis, Urtiga hyperborean, Carum carvi, Beta vulgaris, Brassica oleracea, Brassica sp, Lycopersicon estulentum, Lactuca sativa, Brassica oleracea, (Kale), Chenopodium album, Chenopodium botrys, Lepidium sp., Fagopyrum tataricum , Lactuca dolichophylla, Potentilla bifurca, Raphanus sativus, Raphanus sp, Brassica rapa, Coriandrum sativum, Allium prezewalskianum, Elsholtzia sp., Staphenomeria diegensis, Crepis sp, Chenopodium sp., Brassica juncea, Mentha piperita, Physalis alkekengi, Cappris sp., Peganum harmala, etc. Few of these species are threatened and may be depleted due to their over exploitation and unsustainable harvesting for foods, medicines. Therefore, there is an urgent need to conserve these valuable wild but weedy edible plants and utilize them in a sustainable manner to ensure future demand. Besides, few of the plants were analysed for their nutritive values so that it can give a scientific basis for the further utilization as herbs as traditional foods.