A Critical Discussion on the Methods Currently Recommended Agriculture

266 Traditional agricultural tools and implements Selected Paper Asian Agri-History Vol. 21, No. 3, 2017 (267-285) 267 energy is a prerequisite for mechanized These indigenous tools and A Critical Discussion on the Methods Currently Recommended agriculture. The geographical constraints implements need to be to Support Organic Crop Farming in India of Sikkim prevent from large-scale use of standardized by blending with farm mechanization methods. In Sikkim, YL Nene modern scientic knowledge in most of the farmers have small and reducing drudgery. Thus, Chairman-Emeritus, Asian Agri-History Foundation; 47 ICRISAT Colony -1, Brig. Sayeed Road, fragmented land holdings and continue to Secunderabad 500009, Telangana State, India (email: [email protected]) use indigenous tools and implements as pertinent information on these they are cheaper, economical, and easily indigenous tools needs to be Date of acceptance: 15 July 2017 available in the local villages. These documented for further scientic indigenous tools and implements need to improvement and modication. Abstract be standardized by blending with modern scientic knowledge in reducing drudgery. Excessive use and abuse of agro-chemicals during the Green Revolution period led to Thus, pertinent information on these References serious concerns about environmental pollution and that resulted in a shift to the reduced indigenous tools needs to be documented Census of India. 2011. Sikkim: District chemical' or non-chemical farming methods. Beginning in 1990s, researchers and farm for further scientic improvement and Census Handbook (North, West, South, and policy makers all over the world, including India, re-focused their attention to organic modication. East districts). Directorate of Census farming. I have described and discussed most of the methods currently recommended in Operations, Sikkim Ministry of Home Affairs, different parts of India. These methods are: (i) The natural way of farming or Do Nothing Acknowledgement Near Tourism & Civil Aviation, Secretariat 5th farming by Fukuoka, (ii) Biodynamic agriculture by Steiner introduced in India, (iii) Mile Tadong P.O. Gangtok 737102, Series- Authors are highly thankful to the Director, Vermi-culture developed by Appelhof introduced in India, (iv) Natueco culture by 12:Part XII-B. ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Dabholkar, (v) Zero Budget Natural Farming by Palekar, (vi) Rishi-Krishi by Deshpande, Umiam, Meghalaya for giving us the Das PK and Nag D. 2006. Traditional (vii) Agnihotra by disciples of Gajanan Maharaj of Akkalkot, (viii) Panchagavya by precious opportunity to work in far-ung agricultural tools: A Review. Indian Journal of Natarajan, (ix) Krishi-suktis and Vrikshayurveda by sages and scholars of ancient and Traditional Knowledge 5(1): 41 46. areas of Sikkim for the welfare of farming medieval India, (x) Compost tea by Ingham introduced in India, and (xi) Bokashi tea by community of Sikkim. We are also Elzubeir AS. 2014. Traditional agricultural Higa introduced in India. I have also discussed potential of all these methods in supporting thankful to Joint Director, ICAR-NOFRI, tools and implements used in Sudan. food security of India. International Journal of Agricultural Sciences Tadong for providing an opportunity for 4(2): 40 146. taking up this study. Sincere thanks to Modern-day organic farming in ancient times included use of other senior citizen villagers and progressive Sarkar Bikash, Kumar Sundaram Prem, India methods of manuring such as night Dey Amitava, Kumar Ujjwal, Sarma Kamal, farmers of four districts of Sikkim for Since ages in India, the entire industry of penning of sheep, green manuring, and and Bhatt B P. 2014. Traditional Agricultural providing relevant and valuable agriculture was based on using organic applying non-edible oilcakes. I have not Tools used by Tribal Farmers in Eastern India. discussed these methods in this paper. information on indigenous tools and Research Journal of Agricultural Sciences 6(1): techniques, where the fertilizers and implements for agriculture farming. 215219. pesticides were prepared from plant and From 1905 to 1924, the British botanist Sir animal products. Organic farming was the Albert Howard and his wife Gabrielle, backbone of the Indian economy and herself a plant physiologist, worked as owning a number of cows was equated with agricultural advisers and Howard was in- wealth. The cow not only provided milk charge of a government research farm at but also provided bullocks for farm Indore, where they documented traditional operations and dung as fertilizer. In Indian farming practices and came to addition, traditional farming since the regard them as superior to their 268 Discussion on organic crop farming in India Asian Agri-History Vol. 21, No. 4, 2017 269 conventional agriculture science. Their for its food supply, reduced its imports Agriculture and Development-IFAD, India human cultivation of soil, plowing or research and further development of these every passing year. In the 1990s, India had is now becoming an important tilling are unnecessary, as is the use of methods is recorded in his writings, surplus food grains and had once again international supplier of organic food powered machines; (ii) prepared notably his 1940 book, An Agricultural become an exporter of food grains to the (www.ifad.org). The total organic area in fertilizers, preparing compost, and Testament, which inuenced many rest of the world. Asia is nearly 2.9 million hectares. This weeding are unnecessary, instead only scientists and farmers of the day (Howard, As time went by, extensive dependence on constitutes nine percent of the world's minimal weed suppression with minimal 1943). By and large the British and the chemical farming showed adverse side- organic agricultural land, and 230,000 disturbance; (iii) applications of pesticides other Europeans were unaware of the effects on crops. The land has been losing producers were reported. The leading or herbicides are unnecessary, and pruning excellent practices described in different its productivity, thus increasing the countries are China (1.6 million hectares) of fruit trees is unnecessary. Krishisuktis and Vrikshayurvedas. demand for larger quantities of fertilizers and India (1 million hectares) (Wikipedia, In Japan, where Fukuoka had few During the 1950s and 1960s, the ever- every season. Some serious crop pests have 2017). The history of this modern revival followers or associates, his critics argued increasing population of India, along with developed resistance or immunity to crop- of organic farming was, to a great extent, an that the "inner world and the connection frequent natural calamities, led to a severe pesticides, requiring the farmers to use aftermath of green revolution wherein between humans and nature does not, food scarcity in the country. As a result, the stronger and costlier alternative pesticides there was a growing reliance on new however, exhaust reality". A lot of interest Indian government was forced to import that resulted in polluting the environment. synthetic, non-organic methods. Reverting was generated in Fukuoka's method in food grains from foreign countries. To Due to the increased cost of farming, to organic agriculture began more or less India by a few ecologists, politicians, and increase food security, therefore, the farmers started falling into the trap of high- simultaneously in Central Europe and the mass media. However, the large body government had to take radical steps to interest loans, and their economic India. of Indian farmers are not convinced about increase food production. At this time condition became deplorable beyond any In the following paragraphs, some organic the practicability of Fukuoka's method. Howard's work was placed in cold storage. imagination. The situation therefore farming methods that are currently From the hunter-gatherer stage in The Green Revolution became India's compelled consumers, farmers, voluntary recommended in India are discussed. The human evolution in which the do agship in the mid-1960s. Several hectares organizations, and the policy makers to last paragraph/sin italics contain my nothing farming was in practice, the of additional land were brought under look for alternatives for correcting the assessment of the method in the context of mankind moved to plow agriculture for cultivation. Hybrid seeds and new varieties practices, thereby shifting gradually back India's food security. obvious benet of ensuring food security. of wheat and paddywere introduced. to predominantly organic farming, based To me do nothing farming means to go on innovations in traditional farming The natural way of farming or Natural and organic fertilizers were “Do-Nothing” farming back in time, which just can not happen. signicantly replaced by chemical methods in India. Masanobu Fukuoka (1913 2008), a fertilizers and the traditional pesticides It is believed by many that organic farming Biodynamic agriculture Japanese farmer and philosopher was a were replaced by chemical pesticides. is the much healthier and sustainable Bio-dynamic (BD) agriculture is a form of proponent of no-till, no-herbicide grain Large chemical factories such as the option. Although the health benets of alternative agriculture similar to organic cultivation farming method, traditional to Rashtriya Chemical Fertilizers Ltd. were organic food are yet to be proven fully, farming, but it includes various esoteric many indigenous ultures. This became established. consumers belonging to

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