Land uses vary from state to state. Wide variations in elevation from area to area contribute to great variations in climate, vegetation types, and agricultural practices. Generally, the valleys are warm and cold temperatures prevail at higher elevations. Annual rainfall varies from 1,300mm in parts of Assam, Sikkim, and Nagaland to over 10,000 mm at Cherrapunji, Meghalaya. Food Crops Rice, barley, Coix, finger millet, and foxtail millet are native to the region.
Rice is the main crop in the region and there are diverse cultivars with useful genes.
There is wide variability in the rice germplasm collected from different parts of the northeastern region, but glutinous and japonica forms dominate the endemic types. Some of the cultivars are resistant to diseases and pests and are tolerant to drought and cold. Genetic divergence among the land races of the NE region is classified into nine clusters. Some clusters occupy an intermediate position between japonica and indica. There are a number of wild rice species, including Oryza granulata, O. rufipogon, O. jeyporensis, O. malampuzhaensis , and O. sativa var spontanea .