Local knowledge on rice variations (landraces) of the Naga Community, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract. Permana S, Iskandar J, Parikesit. 2018. Local knowledge on rice variations (landraces) of the Naga Community, West Java, Indonesia. Asian J Ethnobiol 1: 1-8. Ethnobotanical studies have indicated that diversity of local varieties of crop plants and associated local knowledge has seriously eroded in many developing countries across cultures, including West Java, Indonesia, due to many factors such as agricultural modernization, development of market economy, government policies and human population increase. This paper gives an account of the local knowledge or the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) about the rice varieties (landraces) of the wet rice fields, management of wet rice farming and also factors influencing local knowledge of rice landraces of the wet rice fields of the Naga community, West Java, using a combination of qualitative and quantitative ethnobotanical methods. The result of study shows that the Naga community has still maintained a rich TEK on local rice landraces. About 15 landraces of wet rice have been recorded which are distinguished by Naga community based on traditional knowledge. They also manage various local rice landraces and wet rice farming activities including seed selection, preparing nursery and land, planting, crop and pest management, harvesting and storage of harvested rice based on the TEK embedded in their culture.