Agrotechnology of Schumannianthus dichotomus (Roxb.) Gagnepain: A Less Known Rhizomatous Herb of North East India

The matcane of tropical Asia, Schumannianthus dichotomus, is an underutilized fiber plant of India. In the north-eastern region of India, the plant is grown for mat production. A significant section of the rural people in Assam's Barak Valley area makes a living by producing handicrafts from the plant locally known as ‘Patidoi’ or ‘Murta’. However, the profitability and sustainability of such small-scale enterprises is gradually shrinking from the overexploitation of the species causing shortage of raw materials due to lack of agro-technological support to the cultivators. Considering this fibre factory has the potential to be a huge boon to the rural economy, an attempt has been made to collect germplasms of matcane from wild habitats of the region for development of suitable agro-technological interventions for its profitable cultivation in commercial scale. The current study gives details on the species, production and economics of S. dichotomus.

Taj Uddin Khan*1, Baby Chowdhury2 and Rafiul Amin Laskar3 Click here to download file

Research Article | Published online : 08-Oct-2021