Ethnobiology of unconcerned floras in organic and inorganic agricultural fields - Bahour, Puducherry- India

Abstract

Agriculture is a very important sector in the world which includes and fulfills major human need and supports major life systems. Agriculture has to meet goals that include profitability and environmental integrity, and production of ecosystem services beyond food, fuel, and fiber requires a comprehensive, systems-level research approach that is a long-term and geographically scalable. Agricultural unconcerned plants like weeds plays a key role in bund stabilization and restoration, a part from this their unique important medicinal values remains unexplored to most of the people, thus results in total destruction and removal of them by weedicides. This communication addresses the composition and distribution of useful medicinal floras diversity in organic and inorganic agricultural fields; they were surveyed during March to December, 2010 by direct interviews with ethnic groups of farmers, native traditional healers, Ayurvedic practitioners and botanists dealing with medicinal wild plants. Results enumerated with a total of 52 species belonging to 25 families. Poaceae found to be most dominant family and majority of the medicinal plants were herbs. These floras were under constant anthropogenic pressure due to rapid elimination by using inorganic chemicals like weedicides and hebicides; as a result its associated indigenous knowledge with them is also gradually disappearing. Such biodiversity rich and useful ecosystems need immediate restoration and conservation actions. Key words: Agriculture, organic farming, weeds, medicinal plants.