Newer technologies for increasing agricultural production are now becoming available at a much faster rate. But the mechanism for transferring them to the uneducated and small producers in an effective manner does not exist. There is an urgent need for a communication network at the service of the poor farmers in our country like the global communication net work which makes the latest findings available without delay to research workers in any particular field. It is not only knowledge that is needed, but an approach which will be able to supply the right knowledge and tools to the right people, at the right time and above all at the right place. In developing countries, the other alternative viz., traditional methods have special advantages over modern agricultural techniques because: • The capital and technological skill requirements in the use of traditional technologies are generally low. • Their adoption often requires little restructure of the traditional societies. • These traditional technologies are not other than the indigenous knowledge. • By adopting such indigenous knowledge, our ancestors did not face any problem of large scale pest out break or economic crisis unlike the today's farmeThis book covers wide areas of traditional practices viz., traditional varieties, crop protection, crop management, storage structure, medicinal plants, farm tools, ethno veterinary practices, fisheries, post harvest techniques and other miscellaneous practices. The practices are rationalized and the rational practices will serve the scientists with new technology for test verification and to select the viable technology for field level recommendation. This book will serve as highly useful reference material to the community of scholars and scientific workers both in the laboratories and applied fields. This will set the phase for the future generation in this area.
Preface The term ‘indigenous knowledge’ is used synonymously with traditional and local knowledge to differentiate the knowledge developed by a given community from the international knowledge system. Such a system is viewed to be in dynamic equilibrium with the environment, influenced by innovations emerging from within the system as well as those adopted from other indigenous system. In Tamil Nadu, many of the worthwhile traditional agricultural knowledge are still practiced by the farmers. But the scientist in general concentrated their efforts in high input technologies. Most of the existing knowledge of traditional agriculture has not been properly documented and very limited work has been done in recent times in bringing this knowledge to light. This work can be carried out by pooling of traditional knowledge, short listing and evaluating them in the context of modern scientific and technological environment and harnessing it for sustainable agricultural growth. So for, this exercise of documentation has been done orally and recorded in the form of reports. But digital documentation with the help of digital camera and handy cam, classifying appropriately and storing it in the form of multimedia CDs for wider popularization has been rarely tried. Rightly identifying this gap the authors tried through a DS1R funded project which culminates in the documentation of 505 indigenous agricultural and allied practices from 16 districts of Tamil Nadu through farmer’s participatory approach which adds different dimension to the methodology of documentation hitherto practiced.
India over several millenniums has been the treasure land of biological wealth, intellectual knowledge and spiritual wisdom. During both pre and post Vedic periods, arts, science and technology had flourished well in various fields. Indian agriculture to some extent is much traditional and dates back to about 10,000 years. India with its traditional crop varieties and crop production technologies was able to feed its population and also exporting some selected produces to other continents. All the Indian villages had been the self sufficient, self sustained and self reliant units. The development of modern agricultural production was achieved by creating large scale specialized farm production units, increased mechanization and use of chemical inputs.
Warren (1987) defined indigenous knowledge as local knowledge, knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society. This knowledge is the information base for the society, which facilitates communication and decision making. Indigenous knowledge is passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. Carter (1988) while describing the nature of indigenous knowledge indicated that IK is highly localised and restricted. Local environmental factors and cultural conditions govern the revolution of IK these vary between countries, regions and even farm to farm.
This chapter contains the description of the Indigenous Traditional Knowledge practices as subject wise manner viz, Traditional varieties, Crop management, Crop protection measures, Post harvest methods, Storage structures, Farm tools, Medicinal plants, Ethnoveterinary practices, Fisheries and others related to agriculture.
Traditional Varieties
Crop Management Practices DSIR/TPDU/TIF 056 and E-28-GO-GOI Research Scheme on “Documentation and Preservation of Agricultural Traditional Knowledge through Farmer Participatory Approach”
Crop Protection Measures DSIR/TPDU/TIF 056 and E-28-GO-GOI Research Scheme on “Documentation and Preservation of Agricultural Traditional Knowledge through Farmer Participatory Approach”
Post Harvest Methods DSIR/TPDU/TIF 056 and E-28-GO-GOI Research Scheme on “Documentation and Preservation of Agricultural Traditional Knowledge through Farmer Participatory Approach”
Seed Storage Structures Seed Storage Structure Kuluppai / Kulumai (Mud Pot) Th. Gopalakrishnan, 52 years old is residing in A.Edayapatti village in Manapparai taluk of Trichy district. He is educated up to 10th standard and has agriculture as his primary occupation. He possesses a post harvest storage structure called ‘kuluppai/kulumai’. It is a storage structure used to store grains, which is suited to all ecosystems. This structure is invented by ancestors and maintained for more than 100 years until now.
Agricultural Tools DSIR/TPDU/TIF 056 and E-28-GO-GOI Research Scheme on “Documentation and Preservation of Agricultural Traditional Knowledge through Farmer Participatory Approach”
Medicinal Plants DSIR/TPDU/TIF 056 and E-28-GO-GOI Research Scheme on “Documentation and Preservation of Agricultural Traditional Knowledge through Farmer Participatory Approach”
Fisheries DSIR/TPDU/TIF 056 and E-28-GO-GOI Research Scheme on “Documentation and Preservation of Agricultural Traditional Knowledge through Farmer Participatory Approach”
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