DOCUMENTATION, VALIDATION AND

CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE OF ITK IN

AGRICULTURE AND HOMESTEAD AREAS

IN KUMAON HILL REGION OF

UTTARAKHNAD STATE

PRESENTERTARA NEGI

RESEARCH SCHOLAR

MAJOR ADVISORPROFESSOR

DHRITI SLOANKI

• It is a well known fact that India has a charitable and glorious heritage of past both in richness and variety in performing agricultural and allied practices.

• Modern practices which are being used in today’s world are acting like a slow poison and have created havoc on both man and his surrounding.

• To lessen the burden on both human and environment, there is a need to find ways for sustainable development which are environmentally sound, low cost, easily acceptable and which make the mother earth a better place to live in.

Introduction

• Indigenous knowledge is a part of the lives of the rural poor and their livelihood depends almost entirely on specific skills and knowledge essential for their survival.

• The indigenous practices are farmer friendly, socially accepted, economically feasible, environmentally sound and suited to the specific local and environmental conditions.

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• Kumaon people have store house of rich indigenous knowledge regarding agricultural and homestead practices.

• In the field of Indigenous knowledge regarding agriculture and homestead areas little work has been done in documentation and validation part as the agriculture is the main occupation and source of livelihood of Himalayan people.

JUSTIFICATION

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• Instead the entrance of green revolution the Himalayan people still practicing their traditional local wisdom, so it is important to explore all the practices.

• In Postharvest practices the losses (20-30%) are more due to human and climatic conditions, in order to minimise these losses it is important to aware the people about improved indigenous postharvest practices among other farming community.

• Families are mainly using the Indigenous practices with regard to storage of cereals and pulses, so it is important to identify and to validate these practices which have a great significance.

• There is no proper and adequate facilities of treatment of common health problems.

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• The old practices known to elder ladies have a strong hold in the area and are still practiced by community. Documentation would help to preserve the age-old practices.

• Kumaon is famous for impressive festivals, traditions, culture and delicious mouthwatering nutritious dishes, so it is important to document and validate the traditional food practices.

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• Indigenous agriculture practices can be used in other part of the country having similar agro-climatic and micro- farming conditions.

• Homestead practices of post harvest and treatment of human ailments can have wider implications in other states of country.

• Indigenous practices which have contemporary relevance need to be modify and need to be blended with modern technologies for wider acceptability.

IMPLICATIONS

• The study was delimited to the only three major crops i.e. Paddy (Dhaan), Finger millet (Mandua) and Horse gram (Gahat)

• The study was delimited to the farm couples above 45years and involved in agriculture.

• Postpartum practices of mother after delivery to six months is taken

• Child care practices from brth to two year is taken

DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

LOCALE

UTTARAKHAND STATE

KUMAON REGION

METHODOLOGY

SELECTION OF DISTRICTS

Fig 1: Study map of Uttarakhand state(1), Bageshwar district(2), Nainital district(3) and Almora district(4)

1 2

3 4

SELECTION OF PANCHAYAT SAMITIES

Almora Bageshwar Nainital

11 PS11 PS 3 PS3 PS 8 PS8 PS

Total 6 PANCHAYAT SAMITIESTotal 6 PANCHAYAT SAMITIES

1 PS 1PS 1 PS 1 PS 1 PS 1 PS

80

UTTARAKHAND

ALMORA BAGESHWAR NAINITAL

Takula Bhimtal OkhalakhandDddd

Garur Kapkot Tarikhet

Basoli(40)

Manan(40) Channi(40)

Pandekhola(40))

Gankhet(40)

Tilsari(40)

Kanda(40)

Danpur(40) Ratighat(40)

Garampani(40)

Jyolikot(40)

Mahragaon(40)

80 80 80 80 80

480 FFFFAR

40= Farm Couples480= Total Respondents

SELECTION OF ITK AREAS

Agriculture : Included major crops i.e. Paddy , Finger millet and Whole horse gram

Homestead :1. Post harvest practices in selected cereals, pulses and millets2. Health care practices3. Postpartum practices related to mother just after delivery

upto six months4. Child care practices just after delivery upto two years of

age5. Indigenous ethnic food of Kumaon region

CONSTRUCTION OF TOOL

GENERAL INFORMATION

SECTION I

SECTION IIDocumentation of indigenous practices related to Paddy (Oryza sativa), Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) and Horsegram (Macrotyloma uniflorum) in components Weather forecasting, water storage system, preparation of land, preparation of seed bed and care of the seedlings, ploughing, tillage, sowing, transplantation, manure application, intercropping, irrigation, controlling crop from birds and animals, insect pest management and harvesting practices.

SECTION III

a. Post harvest practices: It include information pertaining to operations like threshing, winnowing, cleaning, drying or dehydration, storage, extraction and milling related to cereals (Paddy and wheat), millets (Finger millet, Foxtail millet and Barnyard millet) and pulses (Blacksoyabean, Horsegram and Lentil).

• Respiratory diseases

• Gastrointestinal diseases• Gastroenteritis

• Liver disease

• Skin related disease• Nervous system related • Different body pain

• Gynaecology problems

• Urinary tract infections• measles, sunstroke, fracture

• Renal calculi• Cancer

b. Indigenous Health care practices includes:

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• Indigenous Postpartum Practices

(Delivery to six months): It includes

- effective delivery practices,

- removal of placenta,

- first diet given to women,

- indigenous food preferences,

- food avoided after delivery,

- bathing, rest and relaxation,

- breast feeding and massage practices.

• Child care practices

(Birth to 2 years of age)-

It includes:

- Practices related to child birth,

- care of new born,

- breast feeding,

- weaning practices.

- health care practices.

SECTION IV

SCIENTIFIC VALIDATION OF INDIGENOUS PRACTICES

A separate tool was constructed after recording the farm families responses

Activities Indigenous practices followed by farm families

Reason Expert opinion

S* US** UN*** CR****

S*= ScientificUS**= UnscientificUN***=Uncertain CR***=Contemporary relevance

PRETESTING OF TOOL

REALIABILITY OF THE TOOLREALIABILITY OF THE TOOL

VALIDITY OF THE TOOLVALIDITY OF THE TOOL

PRETESTING OF TOOL

REALIABILITY OF THE TOOLREALIABILITY OF THE TOOL

VALIDITY OF THE TOOLVALIDITY OF THE TOOL

DATA COLLECTIONFollowing methods were used for data collection:-•Field Survey•Personal interview techniques•Focused group discussion•Transect walk

II SCIENTIFIC VAIDATION

By panel of experts Experimentation

a. By panel of experts

The collected indigenous practices given to total 30

experts for its validation

Vivekananda Krishi Anusandhan Kendra(ICAR

regional centre) Almora

G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and

Technology,Pantnagar

Maharan Pratap University of Agriculture and

Technology, Udaipur

Scientists from CIMAP, Garur,

Bageshwar(Uttarakhand)

Doctors from Ayurveda college i.e. Patanjali Haridwar

and Ayurveda college Dehradun

b. Experimentation of Indigenous practices

•Weed control practice by sprinkling the salt water

solution in paddy plant at growth stage

•Sprinkling the paste of Fenugreek seed and cow’s

urine at 10 days interval at growth stage of paddy

plant for insect pest control

• Storage practices in wheat grain by keeping wall nut

leaves

• Consumption of Silfer(Brayophylum) and Gahat

soop(Wholehorse gram) in Kidney stone