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Growth pattern, production, and marketing of Thysanolaena maxima (Roxb.) Kuntze: An important non-timber forest product of Meghalaya, India

Broomgrass is an important semi-domesticated non-timber forest produce of Meghalaya. The distribution, growth pattern, biomass production, and productivity of broomgrass processing and the cost-benefit analysis of cultivation, along with marketing linkages of the product, have been studied using standard methods employed in ecological and socio-economic research. The study revealed that broomgrass grows in all parts of Meghalaya below 1,600 m.a.s.l., on a wide range of soils. An analysis of growth parameters, namely leaf number, leaf area index, basal area, canopy cover, and tussock height, revealed that broomgrass is a fast growing perennial grass that attains maximum growth in four years. The cost-benefit ratio analysis of broomgrass cultivation was found to be 3.46, 3.32, and 3.19 at 10, 15, and 20% annual interest rates, respectively. The study concludes that broomgrass cultivation could be an effective instrument for generation of cash income in rural Meghalaya, as its cultivation needs minimum input of labour and generates a very attractive economic return.