Indigenous Technical Knowledge Content Inventory of Indigenous Technical Knowledge in Agriculture Document 2 (Supplement 2) Compiled by PDas G Subba Reddy SKDas L R Verma A. Mishra M Geetha Rani H P S Arya D P Ray R P Singh INDIAN COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH NEW DELHI Content PRINTED DECEMBER 2004 Dr P Das, Deputy Director-General (Asric. Extn.), ICAR, New Delhi Dr S K Das, Zonal Co-ordinator, Zone II, ICAR, Kolkata, West Bengal Dr H P S Arya, Head, Department of Extension, IVRI, Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh Dr R P Singh 'Ratan', Head, Department of Extension Education, BAU, Ranchi, Jharkhand Dr A Mishra, Zonal Co-ordinator, Zone-VII, ICAR, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh Dr G Subba Reddy, Head, Division of Crop Sciences, CRIDA, Santoshnagar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Dr L R Verma, Himachal Pradesh University, Summer Hill, Simla Ms M Geetha Rani, Manager, Gene Bank, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, Tamil Nadu Database designed and compiled SANJAY KUSHWAHA Assistance Acknowledged VIKAS JAIN SEEMA NABERIA GIGI ANNEE ABRAHAM Incharge (DIPA) KULDEEP SHARMA Chief Editor (English) C S VlSWANATH Associate D PATI Chief Production Officer VIRENDRA KUMAR BHARTI Technical Officer ASHOK SHASTRI Published by Dr P Das, Deputy Director-General (Extn.), Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi; Laser typeset by Xpedite Computer Systems, B-587, 2nd Floor, Pandav Nagar (Opp. Naraina Bus Depot), New Delhi 110 008; and printed at Param Offsetters, A-9, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-I, New Delhi 110 020. Content Contents Preface Chapter 1 Rain Water Management 2 Soil and Water Conservation 3 Tillage and Intercultural Management 4 Crops and Cropping Systems 5 Pest and Disease Management 6 Soil Fertility Management 7 Farm Implements 8 Post-harvest Technology 9 Grain/seed Storage 10 Horticultural Crops 11 Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry 12 Fisheries 13 Ethno-botany and Agro-biodiversity 14 Weather Forecasting 15 Waste Water Management 16 Garbage Disposal and Management 17 Food Product Development 18 Yarns 19 Low-cost Housing Materials 20 Ethnic Food 21 Unclassified Preface The Mission Mode Project on 'Collection, Documentation and Validation of Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK)' has been making continuous efforts in collecting and documenting information on Indigenous Technical Knowledge in Agriculture right from its inception in 2002. At the first instance, it provided an easy accessibility of such information already available in literature, books, journals, theses, etc. in the form of Inventory of Indigenous Technical Knowledge in Agriculture— Document 1. The indigenous-based practices collected from primary sources through voluntary disclosure were compiled and published in March 2003 entitled as Inventory of Indigenous Technical Knowledge in Agriculture—Document 2. In a continuous process of collection and documentation, the indigenous knowledge-based practices were further collected from primary sources and those communicated by the disclosure, embodied and published in June 2003 in the form ofInventory of Indigenous Technical Knowledge in Agriculture—Document 2 (Supplement 1). The process of collection and documentation of information in indigenous knowledge-based practices has been the continuous process is the project. The present volume entitled Indigenous Technical Knowledge in Agriculture—Document 2 (Supplement 2) in the result of such continuous efforts by the project team. This supplement contains 846 practices which have been described in 21 chapters, viz. Rain Water Management, Soil and Water Management, Tillage and Practices, Crops and Cropping Systems, Pest and Disease Management, Farm Implements, Post-harvest Technology, Grain/seed Storage, Horticultural Crops, Veterinary and Animal Husbandry, Fishery, Ethno-botany and Agro-biodiversity, Weather forecasting, Waste Water Management, Garbage Disposal and Management, Food Product Development, Natural Yarns, Dyes and Weaves, Low Cost Housing Materials, Ethnic Food and Unclassified. We are grateful to Dr Mangala Rai, Secretary (DARE) and Director-General (ICAR) for his constant encouragement in documenting the ITKs. The support received from NATP, particularly of the Dr J C Katyal, National Director and Dr K P Agrawal, National Coordinator (MM) is highly acknowledged. The tireless efforts made by the project personnel that have made it possible to publish this document in shortest possible time are highly appreciated. 15 December 2004 ^ (P DAS) New Delhi Deputy Director-General (AE) and Mission Leader Content 1 Rain Water Management Code Title of the ITK Description of the ITK Name and address of No. the discloser/facilitator 2765 Splashing of water to arecanut Rain water is collected in the pit, dug Shri Mangala Kalidas trees in the ground between four trees in the Sawaikar, Tamsuli, arecanut plantation. This collected Ponda, North Goa (Goa) water is splashed on the tree using a 403 107 device, made of cashewnut-tree trunk. This is commonly seen in the entire plantation fields in Goa. Keywords: arecanut, splashed, rain water, trunk Water from higher altitudes is col- 2766 Collection of water by making lected through channels. This water is Shri Sanjay Anant Patil, channel brought to the collection centre at a Savaiverem, Shilwada, lower altitude by gravity, which is Ponda, North Goa (Goa) used for irrigating agricultural fields. 403 401 Keywords: altitude, gravity, rain water, irrigation The check dam called nalla is made of 2767 Bandh made of mud and stone mud and stone. This structure is called Ms Nilima Nachinolkar, bandh, which is used to conserve rain C/o Sandeep Gawas, water. The collected rain water is Porye, Sattan, North chanellized and diverted for irrigating Goa (Goa) 403 505 the fields. Keywords: bandh, nalla, irrigation Rain water is collected in ponds, pits 2768 Water lifting using lat and small pools. This water is utilized Ms Nilima Nachinolkar, for irrigating vegetable garden. At the C/o Sandeep Gawas, time of irrigation, a device called lat is Ranewad, Parye Sattari, used. North Goa (Goa) 403 This device is a combination of 505 bamboo poles, which is tied to a strong rock-like stone or cut portion of the tree bark. It is kept horizontally, and to fill up water, a small pot of either plastic or a steel bucket or bended steel is tied at the tip of one pole with Content INDIGENOUS TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE IN AGRICULTURE Code Title of the ITK Description of the ITK Name and address of No. the discloser/facilitator the pulley attached to it. The process is similar to that of drawing water from the well using pulley and bucket. After the process, the water pours through the channel. If the garden or land is a little bigger, the water is again collected in pits dug in the field, and it is splashed manually by two persons standing opposite to each other. Keywords: lat, splash, bamboo pole, bucket 2769 Rain-water harvesting and Mehandi (Lawsonia alba) is very Shri Purshotan Sharma moisture conservation by popular among the ladies of Rajasthan, and Shri Khem Raj, mehandi (Lawsonia alba) Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, and C/o Shri Gajendra through tillage practises among the Muslim ladies of most of Mehado Udyog, Sojat, the states of India. Mehandi is also Pali (Rajasthan) used for organic or natural dyes. Farmers of entire Sojat belt of Pali district in Rajasthan are cultivating it for using in rain water harvesting and moisture conservation practises in soil since the last 20-25 years. Broadly this technique is grouped under two systems: 1. Pre-transplanting: In this, the soil is ploughed to a depth of 30-35 cm so that the maximum rain water percolates in the soil profile. Broad bunds of good height are erected around the field to ensure storage of rain water in the field itself. After preparing the bund, thorns are put on it or it is covered with thorny materials to prevent damage by animals. The entire field is divided into small fragments of 1,000-1,250 sq feet, 1 with provision of a bund of 1-1 /2 feet height, locally called math. 2. Past-transplanting: In this method, deep earthing is adopted for preserving the rain water and moisture in the standing mehandi. It preserves rain water in the soil Content RAIN WATER MANAGEMENT Code Title of the ITK Description of the ITK Name and address of No. the discloser/facilitator and provides good aeration to roots. With such practices the farmers are able to harvest good crop of mehandi. The practices are: (a) Deep ploughing is done between the rows in the first year, and some farmers continue this practice for many years. Deep ploughing helps in retaining rain water in the soil and in better root development. (b) After every rainfall, soil is given good tilth with khurpi, which is repeated in August- September till the crop remains dwarf. In well-grown crop it is stopped so that the new twigs are not damaged. Keywords: mehandi, rain water harvesting, moisture conservation, bunds, math, pre-transplanting, post- transplanting, khurpi Content 2 Soil and Water Conservation Code No. Title of the ITK Description of the ITK Name and address of the discloser/facilitator 2770 Planting of cashew on hill In the hilly slopes, cashew trees are Shri Satish Padwalkar, slopes to conserve soil and planted in contour lines to conserve Goteli no.2, Keri water soil and water. Paddy is grown in low Sattari, North Goa lands and in the medium land coconut (Goa) 403 505 and arecanut are planted. This practice was introduced by the Portuguese. Keywords: coconut, arecanut, low land, medium land 2771 Planting of pineapple to check Planting of pineapple in the hilly slope Shri Pandurang soil and water erosion generally practised to control soil and Majgeankar, Old Goa, water erosion. It also gives good yield Keri Tiswadi, North with the available water. This is grown Goa (Goa) 403 402 as mixed crop under irrigated conditions. Locally grown pineapple gives fruits of smaller size which are very sweet.