Analysis of Ecological Niche of Tulaipanji Rice in Raiganj CD Block, Uttar Dinajpur District, West Bengal, India

Tulaipanji is one of the oldest indigenous aromatic rice varieties of the state of West Bengal, India mainly cultivated in some scattered restricted pockets of Uttar Dinajpur and Dakshin Dinajpur district of the state. Cultivation of this rice is being done here for more than 100 years back. Thus, this rice variety adapted and evolved itself in its microhabitat or niche. Though its productivity is less than half of the HYVs of rice, but due to its taste and aromatic quality, its market value, sometimes reaches to thrice than any of the HYVs of rice cultivated in this area. So that farmers are even showing interest in its cultivation. Its restricted cultivation area makes it so limited and so unique that already this rice had got Geographical Indication (GI) no. which is 530. The cultivated area of this rice is found maximum in Raiganj CD Block in Uttar Dinajpur district in comparison with other CD Block of both the above mentioned districts. Using GIS techniques and DEM besides intensive field survey, this paper attempts to highlight the salient geographical features of the ecological niche of Tulaipanji in the study area to reveal the causes behind its cultivation in some scattered restricted pockets and to suggest the potential zone for its cultivation by following the way of sustainable agriculture.