The indigenous knowledge (ITK) is regarded as the information gained over a long period from generation to generation from our ancestors to upcoming future generations. Wang(1988) defined ITK as “the sum total knowledge and practices which are based on people’s accumulated experiences in dealing with the situations and problems in various aspects of life and such knowledge and practices are special to a particular surrounding and culture.” Indigenous traditional knowledge refers to the unique, traditional, local knowledge existing within any culture or society and developed around the specific conditions of women and men indigenous to a particular geographic area and expressed in the form of stories, songs, folklore, proverbs, dances, myths, cultural values, beliefs, rituals, community laws, agricultural practices like bed preparation, sowing, plantation, management practices, etc. which are then transferred to the coming generation and since the knowledge transfers from one after another generation. There is a proverb saying that “ When an old knowledgeable person dies, a whole library dies” which defines the importance of the indigenous knowledge.
The inherent nature of ITKs prevents the overexploitation of natural resources, proper use of existing natural resources and their conservation, applicable for existing resources, etc. ITKs are usually location-specific, available of the resources, locally available materials, and are products of informal research through a long period of time.
ITKs are found to be::
- Socially desirable
- Economically affordable
- Sustainable
- Minimum risk to the users
- Conservation of resources.
- Eco-friendly
- Less capital intensive
- More labor-intensive
- Cost-effective
- Efficient by-product usage and
- Waste recycling.
WHY ITKs needed for sustainable agriculture?
When the use of ITKs in agriculture was studied, it was found that most of them are in use in complex diverse, and risk-prone areas, practiced mostly by small and marginal farmers in developing countries. These ITKs have scientific parameters, and, the latest approach in the technology generation of scientific agriculture includes ITKs integration into the research process by testing their scientific validity for providing comprehensive and effective location-specific solutions in agriculture. Moreover, whenever group action is planned to support developmental programs and to generate a favorable environment for quick information exchange and technology transfer, interventions of farmers‟ participation at the highest levels are envisaged. The ITKs and the farmers‟ local experience provide for higher farmer participation in strengthening group action. It is also noted that preserving ITKs is vital for the survival of the aboriginal communities and farmers as they are ingrained or deeply rooted in their culture and traditions.
Sustainable agriculture is the sustainable exploitation of renewable natural resources including annual and perennial cropping, agroforestry, and livestock as well as the conservation measures needed for long-term maintenance of resources. Depletion of natural resource base due to deforestation, overgrazing, desertification, excessive agricultural intensification, overfishing, and agriculture on marginal lands leads to decline in agricultural production potential leading to a decrease in the sustaining / carrying capacity of agriculture. Natural resources (soil, water, nutrients) have boundaries and improved management is needed to reverse the degradation of this resource base and develop agricultural production systems that sustain our ecosystem. It is estimated that without conservation measures on the rainfed lands for soil erosion by wind or water, salinization or alkalinization, depletion of plant nutrients and organic matter, deterioration of soil structure and pollution total productivity loss will amount to 29%, and loss of 544 million hectares of cropland all over the world (FAO, 1984a) Thus, sustainable agriculture involving sustenance of our agricultural systems should be the major emphasis for all technological innovations involving land and water use so that there is no adverse effect on the biological productivity of the resource base in the long run. The intensive agriculture resulted in depletion of nutritional status of soils, erosion of biodiversity, natural habitats, forests, and water resources. Indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers affected the agroecosystems, caused pollution of soil and water resulting in human and animal health hazards, and contributed significantly to destabilize the traditional systems of agriculture. When the farmers practiced integrated crop management, integrated nutrient management, and non-pesticidal management which are the major components of sustainable agriculture, there was also better production from the field. Hence indigenous traditional knowledge has a crucial role in the successful implementation of sustainable agriculture.
Some of the major ITKs practices for sustainable agriculture are as follows:
- ⮞Water management
- ⮞Nutrient management
- ⮞Pest management
- ⮞Soil conservation and
- ⮞Crop management.
Water management :
In many farming systems practiced traditionally, methods for forecasting rain and managing water are typical examples of knowledge that is passed down orally from generation to generation. To the farmers, it has always been of vital importance to have methods for conserving water and to possess knowledge about rain and the patterns, times, and quantities in which it falls. When farmers could forecast the amount of rainfall to expect in the coming season, they could decide which crops and crop varieties to plant.
Major water management practices are:
Inter row and inter plot water harvesting: Ridges and furrows are usually made on cultivated areas and plants are planted in ridges in heavy soil. Such activity helps to get rainwater to be collected in furrows rather than surface runoff. Also in inter-plot water harvesting involves the construction of a cropping plot along with a fallow plot on its sides where the plot is given slope to induce runoff to the next cropping plot.
Rainwater harvest: Harvesting the seasonal rain in tanks, ponds, etc. can make the water available for the rest of the season during dry seasons especially. Excavated ponds in terai and embankment ponds in hilly areas help to collect and store excess rainwater.
Trenches for water conservation: the making of many trenches over slopes of hills helps to collect and store excess rainwater which then per locate as groundwater and helps to conserve moisture over those areas.
Land leveling and bund making: Levelling and building of bunds on the field prevent the excess loss of water through runoff.
Board beds and furrows to minimize runoff: Excess water through the beds is collected through the furrows in between the beds to nearby ponds or streams and collected water can be used later for another crop production.
Nutrient management :
Traditional farmers have found ways of improving soil structure, water-holding capacity, nutrients, and water availability without the use of artificial inputs. Their systems are sophisticated forms of ecological agriculture fine-tuned to specific environmental conditions.
Organic manure:
The use of farmyard manure as the source of nitrogen was mostly practiced in many regions of Nepal. Before the availability of chemical fertilizer, farmyard manure was usually the major source of nutrients applied on the field. Cow urine also contains potassium which can fulfill the demand for potassium from the plants.
Green and brown manures:
Dhaincha( Sesbania rostrata), sun hemp ( Crotolaria juncea), mungbean, and cowpea are also used as a source of nutrients to the crops.
Bio-pesticide for pest management:
For many generations using neem leaves as a biopesticide as well as storage is practiced for pest management. Neem leaves along with other locally available herbs and animal wastes are used for the preparation of bio-pesticide which is used to control pest infestation in the field. This bio-pesticide includes neem leaves, titepati, aloe vera, aakh leaves, ginger, garlic, Kapur, turmeric, cow dung, and cow urine are mixed in proper proportion to easily prepare homemade bio-pesticide which is very useful against a wide range of pests in the field. Similarly, neem leaves and Kapur are also used against storage pests.
Soil conservation:
The use of low mechanized tools like indigenous plow i.e halo reduces soil compaction and is eco-friendly. Also, the cultivation of leguminous crops in the bunds of the field helps to decrease soil erosion and also helps in nitrogen fixation which increases the microbial activity of the soil microorganisms. Also, proper crop rotation is practiced traditionally which helps in soil conservation.
Other indigenous traditional practices include:
- ⮞Stubbles are burned in the field for controlling pests.
- ⮞Neem leaves are buried in soil for termite control
- ⮞Ash is applied in seedbeds and the field of Onion before sowing and planting for development and improvement of the quality of bulbs.
- ⮞Residues of Tobacco are incorporated into the soil to control termites.
- ⮞Deep plowing is taken up in summer in drylands for avoiding hardpan in soil, improving water holding capacity, and pest control
- ⮞Seeds of Coriander are mixed with Sorghum seed before sowing to completely control Striga (parasitic weed).
- ⮞Banana stems are put in the ponds after harvest, to make water alkaline, to increase fish growth.
- ⮞Cotton seeds are dipped in cow dung slurry and shade dried before sowing to facilitate better germination.
- ⮞Pulse seeds are treated with red earth slurry and shade dried for prevention of storage pests and better germination.
- ⮞Sheep and Goat are penned in fields before plowing, to enrich the fertility status of the soil.
- ⮞Intercropping Sesbania with Tomato during summer is found to enhance the yield of Tomato crops.
- ⮞Intercropping castor, Bhendi, and Cluster beans with Cotton reduced pest and disease incidence in Cotton.
- ⮞Using Neem and Pungam leaves in storage bins controlled damage by storage pests in cereals.
- ⮞Dung and crop wastes are used as organic manure and cow urine spray for pest control.
- ⮞Neem leaves and turmeric powder is used as a paste on external injuries to cure wounds and other skin disorders in animals.
- ⮞Spices of mango pickles (afara) and neem leaves are fed to animals to cure bloat
- ⮞A bandage with jowar, kerosene, and yellow soil is applied for Foot and Mouth disease in cattle.
Strategies for integration of ITKs into scientific research process :
Traditional or indigenous knowledge of agricultural operations is of help to agricultural scientists, as they develop and disseminate cultivation and management practices for various crops and types of vegetation. This process deepens our understanding of nature and agriculture by combining the generations of experience of local farmers with the latest scientific knowledge.
Today it is widely accepted among agricultural scientists throughout the world that the reassessment of indigenous technical knowledge is an indispensable part of the introduction of new agricultural technology. It is recognized that the knowledge of farmers must be taken into account before any new technology is developed and disseminated. This view is based on the assumption that
- ⮞Farmers have a wealth of knowledge on their own environment;
- ⮞Farmers have developed specific skills designed to make the best use of that environment.
The four important steps in the inclusion of the ITKs in technology generation, reassessment, and adaptation process are,
- ⮞Documentation
- ⮞Validation
- ⮞Refinement and
- ⮞Integration.
Criteria for Validating ITK:
The following criteria are to be considered while validating the ITK:
- ⮞Efficacy
- ⮞Cost-effectiveness
- ⮞Availability
- ⮞Complexity
- ⮞Cultural appropriateness
- ⮞Effect on different groups in communities, and
- ⮞Environmental soundness
- ⮞Constraints
Conclusion:
The Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) is socially desirable, economically affordable, sustainable, involves minimum risk, and focuses on the efficient utilization of eco-friendly resources. The context of local knowledge systems combining traditional skills, culture, and artifacts with modern skills, perspectives, and tools is not something that has happened only in the recent past. From time immemorial, new crops were introduced from one part of the world to another and cultural and ecological knowledge systems evolved while adapting these crops, animals, trees, tools, etc., into their new contexts. This is an ongoing process.
In some cases, the correspondence is close but in many cases, it may not be. However, it is possible that through flexibility, modification, and mutual respect and trust, traditional knowledge experts can and may work with experts from modern scientific institutions to generate more effective solutions for contemporary problems. Policy reforms need to be aimed at building local ecological knowledge in educational curriculum, development of markets for the indigenous and organic products, and supporting collective resource management institutions reinforcing conservation ethics. It is only through a multi-pronged comprehensive approach that sustainable agriculture can be accomplished in the long term.
