Madras Agric. J., 104 (1-3): 98-105, March 2017*Corresponding author email: raianbu@hotmail.com Knowledge on Indigenous Cultivation Practices for Sustainable Agriculture

Modern agriculture focused on maximizing productivity by increasing the usage of inputs which are mostly inorganic in nature. It became imperative to feed the huge population at any cost and it warranted new technologies to handle the situation. It will not be prudent to totally dismiss the wisdom gained over a period of time. According to Pushpangadan (2002), Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) is a community based functional knowledge system, developed, preserved and refined by generations of people through continuous interaction, observation and experimentation with their surrounding environment. It is a dynamic system, ever charming, adopting and adjusting to the local situations and has close links with the culture, civilization and religious practices of the communities. Terms used to designate this concept include traditional, environmental or ecological knowledge, rural knowledge, local knowledge and farmer's or fisher folk's knowledge. Traditional knowledge is the ingredient for sustainability of natural resources including forest, water and agro-eco systems across landscape continuum spanning from households through farms, village commons and wilderness. Parvathi et al., (2000) recorded that indigenous knowledge in post-harvest operations is highly valued, since in many cases the new tools and techniques are not available or are beyond the means of farmers. Mendoza (1999) recorded that when faced with difficulties in implementing their activities, farmers try to innovate or adopt existing innovations, depending on the available resources.

Study on Farmers' Awareness of Traditional Agricultural Practices

As the study was designed to elicit information on the awareness of farmers regarding traditional agricultural practices, popular agricultural references in Tamil literature, and their perception of agricultural development, the sample farmers were drawn from the population of farmers who practice agriculture either on their own land or leased-in land. The farmers were randomly selected.

The data collection was organized to ensure that the information collected from farmers represents the entire state, avoiding any skewness or bias. Regional variations in adoption, literary fervor, and resource availability were also taken into account when deciding the sampling design. The multi-stage random sampling method was adopted to select the farmers.

Selection of Farmers

The study was conducted across different agro-climatic zones in Tamil Nadu. Out of the seven agro-climatic zones, six zones were selected for the study, excluding Nilgiris district, where the cropping pattern is significantly different from other zones.

1. One district was selected randomly from each of the six agro-climatic zones.
2. Giving weightage to the gross cropped area, the number of taluks from each district was selected randomly. Thus, fourteen taluks were included in the study.
3. A proportionate number of villages from each taluk was selected randomly.
4. Ten farmers (owning or leasing agricultural land) were selected randomly from each of these seventeen villages.

Thus, a total of 170 farmers were selected randomly for the study.

Socio-Economic Characteristics of the Respondents

The socio-cultural beliefs play a significant role in the knowledge and adoption of Indigenous Practices in Agriculture among rural households in Tamil Nadu. The belief systems existing among rural people may either support or inhibit the use of indigenous agricultural practices.

The study revealed that the majority of farmers (55.29%) belong to the old age category and are engaged in farming activities (Table 1).

Table 1: Socio-Economic Characteristics of Respondents

Table 2. Knowledge on Cultivation practices in native literature and related proverbs

Table 3. Knowledge on folk Songs

Table 4. Knowledge on plant nutrients

Table 5. Knowledge on cropping practices

Table 6. Knowledge on water management

Table 7. Use of harvested produce

Table 8. Knowledge on soil management practices

Table 9. Knowledge on plant protection practices

Table 10. Knowledge on indigenous practices

Table 11. Knowledge about native breeds

Table 12. Knowledge about current status of agriculture

Farmers' Perception of Agriculture

• About 86.47% of the farmers reported that they take pride in being involved in agriculture.
• More than half (57.65%) of the farmers expressed that they want their heirs to be involved in agriculture.
• Nearly 47% of the farmers predicted that the future of agriculture is not good.
• Less than half (44.12%) of the farmers reported that they have sold some of their land.
• Only 25.29% of the farmers felt that the government is not giving enough attention to agriculture.
• A general sentiment that respect for farms has declined was reported by 52.35% of the farmers.
• At the same time, 64.12% of the respondents felt optimistic about the future of agriculture.
• Eighty per cent of the farmers believed that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) is not helpful to the agriculture sector.
• About 90% of the respondents consider agriculture as an occupation that helps others.

Despite concerns, farmers still regard agriculture as a noble profession, with more than 57.65% wanting their children to continue in farming. However, 46.47% feel that agriculture has no good future, and many have sold part of their land.

There is no unanimous opinion on whether agriculture will be respected in the future, but it is heartening to note that nearly two-thirds of the respondents expect a bright future for agriculture.

Including agricultural operations under MNREGS could ensure the availability of labor for farming and help in reviving traditional farming practices that require more labor.

Farmers consider agriculture a service to humanity, and 84.71% feel proud that they can feed the hungry.

Survey Insights on Farmers' Attitude and Indigenous Practices

The survey provides valuable insights into the attitude of farmers and their practices in adopting indigenous technologies. It also assesses their understanding of native proverbs and literature.

However, financial constraints and survival needs often create a conflict between reality and faith. The key areas of concern have been emphasized in the findings presented under each table.

Popularizing native literature can instill pride in farmers, reinforcing their connection to traditional agricultural practices.

No profession can be performed wholeheartedly unless the person engaged in it values it as significant work. The future of traditional agriculture looks promising, especially when its value is highlighted through native literature.