April-September 1993

An Informal quarterly newsletter to document innovations produced by farmers, artisans and farm workers;generate debate around sustainable alternatives based on people's knowledge system among farmers,scientists, political leaders and social activists and lobby for protecting intellectual property rights ofgrassroots innovators.

Vol. No. 4 (2&3) April - September 1993

Will you standy by the intellectual property rights of peasant?

Honey Bee Vol 4 (2&3) Apr-Sept 1993

Editor : Anil K Gupta

Associate Editor: Kirit K Patel

Editorial Assistance:Sumati K SampemaneA S ReadyJyoti CapoorVijaya SHerry Chand

Graphics & Design:A S ReadyAditi DesaiSouth Asia NewsThe SmallholderSAIIC NewsletterAvance BulletinSpace Graphic

Composing:V B Computer

Secretarial Assistance:R BaskaranP MahadevanP V Sethumadhavan

Active Members of Gujarat Network:Dr N K KalyanasundaramDr G S JudalDr P R PatelDr F S KavaniDr M B PandeDr G M PatelDr P M ManeDr M B PandeDr D V RangnekarYogesh TrivediKamudchandra ThakkarSudhir JaniKapil Shah

Editorial Address:Honey BeeProf Anil KGuptaC/o Indian Institute of ManagementVastrapur, Ahmedabad - 380 015 India

Tel: 91-272-407241, (R) 469079Gram: INDINMANTelex: 121-6351 IIMA INFax: 91-272-427896email: [email protected]

International Correspondent:Dr Frands DolbergNovembervej 17, 8210 Aarthus VDenmark.Tel: + 45 86 152704Fax: + 4586 139839email: [email protected]

Collaborator for Regional Versions

Hindi "Madhukosh" Dr S UpadhayayProfessorMaharajsinh CollegeSaharanpur - 247001

Gujarati "Khedut Anubhav Vani" Dr B T PatelAssociate Director ofExtension EducationGujarat Agricultural UniversityS K Nagar - 385 506

Oriya "Madhuchakra" Dr Subachi RathM 5/8, Acharya ViharBhubneshwar, Orissa

Tamil "Nam Vazhi Velanmai" P VivekanandanSustainable AgricultureEnvironmental VoluntaryAction (SEVA), 43, TPM NagarVirattipathi, Madurai - 625 016

Malayalam "Thennecha" Jacob Mani MannothraAdvisory Officer-RubberR & D Centre for RubberUnited Planters Associationof Southern India (UPASI)Union Club Road, Kottayam-686 001

Bhutan "Dzongkha" Karma Ura & Norbu WangchuckHoney Bee Planning Commission

Royal Government of BhutanThimpu, Bhutan

Collaborating Institutions

• Gujarat Agricultural University, Dr K Janakiraman, Director of Research, Sardar Krushinagar - 385 508. • Nootan GramVidyapith, At: Thava, Tal: Valia, Dist: Bharuch - 393 130. • Lok Bharati, At: Sanosara, Tal: Shihor,Dist: Bhavnagar,Pin: 364 230. • Shree J C Kumarappa Gram Vidyapith, At: Gadhada (Swaminarayan), Dist: Bhavnagar,Pin: 364 750. • Gram Vidyapith Shardagram, At: Shri Shardagram, Dist: Junagadh, Pin: 362 235. • Gram Bharti Gram Vidyapith,At: Amarapur, Tal: Kalol Dist: Mahesana, Pin: 382 721. • Mahila Gram Vidyapith, At: Nardipur, Tal: Kalol, Dist: Mahesana,Pin: 382 735. • Shree Sarswati Gram Vidyapith, At: Samoda-Ganwada, Tal: Siddhpur, Dist: Mahesana, Pin: 384 130. •Nootan Bharti, At: Madana-Gadh, Tal: Palanpur, Dist: Banaskantha, Pin: 385 519. • Sabar Gram Vidyapith, At: Sonasan,Tal: Prantij, Dist: Sabarkantha, Pin: 383 210. • Lok Niketan Vidyapith, At: Ratanpur, Tal: Palanpur, Dist: Banaskantha,Pin: 385 002. • Gram Seva Mahavidhyala, At: Dumiyni (Ashram), Dist: Rajkot, Pin: 360 440.

Newsletter based on creativity and experimentation of people at grassroots

Honey Bee Vol 4 (2&3) Apr-Sept 1993 1

Cover Story

A Chola king inTamil Nadu was known for his sense of fair play and social justice. He had hung abell in a temple near his palace. Anybody who felt aggrieved by the actions of anyone could ring thebell and demand justice. The kind was obliged to respond to such a call. It was understood that onewould ring such a bell as a last resort. One day, the bell rang. A lot of people came to see and wereshocked to find a cow pulling the rope of the bell. Soon word reached the king that a very unusualcomplainant had come to express her complaint. The king came quickly and was surprised himself.He asked people to give way and just stood still for a while. The cow had noticed him. She camedown and started walking. The king followed her. Soon they reached a lace where a bullock was lyingdead. The king understood the entire story. He recognized the chariot with which the bullock hadmet with an accident and died. The chariot belonged to his won. The king asked his son to lie downon the ground and ordered the chariot to run over him and kill him just the way bullock had beenkilled.

Such is the tale of justice, not just for human beings but even for non-human sentient beings. Contrast this withthe norms that we have today for poor disadvantaged people. How do we revive the respect for the rights ofother beings ?



Spirit of Sustainability

Given the worldwide concern over the issue of sustainability. It is naturalthat people at the grassroots level would like to relate this concern tosome indicators of change in their lives. For instance, when energy isscarce, people in disadvantaged regions such as drought-prone and flood-prone regions, hill or forest regions expect that their conservation ofresources will be supported by external induction of energy or substitutionof local wood-base biomass withkerosene or other sources. Nosuch sign

is viable. The lifestyles of those who have access to abundant resourcesis also not changing within and across the nations.

The world-view of sustainability among the communities whichconserve biodiversity is also changing. They notice that urbanand rural consumers with the purchasing power want standardizedgoods i.e. fruits, vegetables, grains and other products ofuniform colour taste, shape, size, smell etc. The demand forbiodiverse products is declining drastically thanks to the mediaand to state policies. Even the NGOs and the activists whoare supposed to be concerned have not reacted.

Without consumer support, will conservation of biodiversityby the communities and individuals deprived of even their basic

needs be possible? Given the low literacy rates of six to 10per cent in many of the trial and forest regions, or 15 to 25

per cent in drought-prone regions, we must assume either that thesepeople are not interested in education, or that the kind of education whichisbeing provided is not relevant to their day-to-day survival. It’s also likelythat besides irrelevance, poor infrastructure and survival compulsions contributeto low literacy.

The net result : migrants from these regions constitute the bulk of thepoorest and lmost exploited urban slum dwellers performing the most menialand unsafe tasks. If migrants from the high-biodiversity regions have to

occupy the most demeaning niches in urban and semi-urban labourmarkets, the feedback is bound to be adverse. The bonding of local

communities with nature and its biodiversity cannot remain strongin such a situation.

We met Karimbhai, a potter by profession, in Virampur villageof Banaskantha District in Gujarat. He also happens to be an

extraordinary source of local botanical and medicinal knowledge. Heprovides the benefit of his knowledge, without any change, to anyone whoasks for it. His ethical values imply that such knowledge must not be usedfor profit. Obviously, he does not even care whether the seeker uses suchknowledge for profit or not. The challenge is to use the concept of IPRsin such a manner that local communities can continue to benefit from hisknowledge of plants of the nearby forests while, at the same time, the restof the world can also benefit, but at a reasonable price. The fact that the forestshave been conserved with the help of the local community and that of the ForestDepartment implies that all the gains from the potential commercialization of this



knowledge may not have to accure to Karimbhai alone. At the same time, none except hein the entire neighbourhood, can identify and use so many plants. The algorithm by whichthe benefits need to be shared between Karimbhai and the rest of the community, wetrust, can be evolved by the local community and networks of innovators with SRISTIacting as a watchdog of Karimbhai’s treasure.

The debate of intellectual property rights has unfolded yet another tale of decliningbiodiversity, increasing deprivation and a lack of comprehension by many conservationorganizations. On the one hand, many environmental activists the world over opposemodification in the patent regime in developing countries so that locally selectedand improvised selections from germplasm can be patented. On the other hand,the same activists also wish that companies and western institutions whichinvest billions of dollars in research and product development should providetheir technology without any cost to the developing countries.

Articles 15, 19 and 21 of the biodiversity convention provide a preciseagenda for re-thinking. While national sovereignty over the biodiverse genepools had been conceded in the Biodiversity Convention (notwithstanding theinterpretative statements of the US and other governments), the extension of these rights to local communities and individualsamong them performing specific experiments has not been pursued.

Many groups opposing the Dunkel draft treaty have missed the whole issue. They have succeeded in convincingseveral farmers’ organizations that patenting would prevent farmers from using their own seeds. They have not clarifiedthat for such a situation to emerge, we will have to assume that all existing varieties, including those of self-pollinatedcrops, would be superseded by the varieties developed by the multinational cororations. Further, we also have to assumethat farmers have no consumer power and that they cannot create pressures on the companies by boycotting, as consumers,any product that they do not like.

What is striking is the fact that most farmers’ organizations agitating against the patent regime are the oneswhose constituents are predominantly from irrigated, well-endowed and low-biodiversity regions. At a recent meeting offarm leaders and activists called to articulate the position of biodiversity conserving communities, with the exception ofjust one person from Rajasthan, I found no representative of farmers or tribals from high-biodiversity regions.

SRISTI and the Honey Bee network are clear on this issue. If there were no patent rights anywhere at all inthe world, we would certainly be against patenting life forms or plant breeders’ rights as provided in the plant varietyprotection agreements. But since such protection exists in developed countries, how can we argue that the contemporaryas well as traditional contributions of developing countries and their most-disadvantaged communities not

be protected or compensated?

The concept of farmers’ rights, which merely articulates transfer of resourcesfor conservation and research from developed to developing countries is not sufficient.In any case there is no guarantee that resources meant for disadvantaged communitieswill reach them. What might happen is that existing developmental resources maybe budgeted under the newe budgetary head without providing any rationality. Inthe process, because money is fungible, even these resources would flow back todeveloped low-diversity regions.

We have thus argued for three courses of action which are open to those lobbyingfor or against patent rights of third world biodiversity conserving communities andindividuals:

First, is there a relation between the extent of biodiversity and occurrence ofpoverty? If so, how do we generate a sense of responsibility among the affluentor better-endowed rural producers whose affluence essentially emerges as a result



of the decline of biodiversity and spread of highyielding varieties.

Second, can biodiversity be conservedby the local communities withoutrespecting the local ecologicalknowledge systems and withoutgenerating consumer demandfor biodiverse products in ruralas well as urban areas? Ifnot, what should be theconcrete steps that variesenvironmental groups andactivists should take tochange consumerpreference? Such achange will obviouslyclash with the interest oflarge multinational ornational corporations whoseoperations serve to standardizeconsumer tastes andpreferences and therebycontribute to the erosion ofbiodiversity and natural wealth.

Third, if we oppose the patentregime, are we saying that asymmetryin the nature of intellectualproperty rights and theconsequent commercialopportunities in thedeveloping countries is alsoacceptable? Since the concernfor the poor is not expressedany differently by the national orthe multinational natural product-using companies or institutions, should we abandon the struggle for protection of propertyrights of economically poor but gene and knowledge-rich communities and individuals in developing countries?

I hope that these questions, unlike many in the past, will not be ignored. I also hope that UNEP, which recentlyorganized an informal consultation on the subject (report in next issue), the Committee on Plant Genetic Resources (CPGR)of FAO, GATT negotiators and Third World activists and the government would seriously address these issues. The continuedneglect by the state, international organizations and even the NGOs and activists of the rights of disadvantaged communitiesmight push the latter towards militancy. Already there are signals of such trends already emerging in different parts ofthe world. Once these signals intensify, the role of reason, persuasion and the non-violent creed of Gandhiji may bebeyond our reach.

We hope that the cause of genetic diversity and rights of farmers who suffer because of declining value ofconserving diversity in disadvantaged regions would be pursued in true Gandhian spirit. We have to invent new instrumentsof struggle for patent rights or for restriction of unrestricted access of western companies to the gene banks controlledby international centres of agricultural research. We invite readers to join with us and use columns of Honey Bee Newslettersto pursue this debate in the best democratic and intellectual tradition.

Anil K Gupta



Dr. W B Rahudkar hassent his reactions/explanations onvarious practices entioned inprevious issues. His comments arecited with corresponding originalcode number of the practice. Thefirst digit of the code indicates thevolume number while the seconddigit indicates the issue number.The last two digits denote the serialnumber of the practice. Wewelcome readers, to react to thereactions of scientists. To make thiscolumn more accessible, we requestyou to quote the specific codenumber of the practice in yourletter.

3301 Green, Manuring withCassia Tora

Locally called ‘tarota’,Cassia tora grows wild byroadsides in the Vidarbha region ofMaharashtra. People believe that ithas some medicinal value and useits seedling as a vegetable. Farmersuproot these plants before fruitingand use them for composting.

3102.1 Control of striga insorghum by mixing seeds ofAnethum graveolens

Farmers of the Wardhadistrict in Maharashtra mix seed ofcoriander (locally knonw as‘dhane’) instead of Anethumgraveolens I the sorghum seedbefore sowing. Due to the mixingof cropsstriga (a parasitic weed) iscompletely controlled.

3203.1 Broadcasting seedling ofEleusine Coracana

In the Mahabaleshwar area,Maharashtra, hills become slipperyduringthe monsoon. Hence, whilebroadcasting ‘nagli’ (Eleusinecoracana) seeds, farmers tie oneend of a rope to a nearby tree and

the other end around the waist.The farmers simply throw sproutedseeds of ‘nagli’ on the slopingfields. The roots immediately stickto the ground and grow vigorously.3205.1 Control of Pod-Borer inPigeon Pea

Shri Kalyan Bhausaheb Laghane ofAurangabad in Maharashtra hadprepared a botanical insecticide inhis home last year to control thepod-borers of the pigeon pea. Hecrushed half a kilo of cloves ofgarlic in kerosene and left itovernight. Next morning, he filteredthe extract through a cotton cloth.Then he prepared a filtered solutionof 50g of crushed green chillies inone litre of water. A third liquidwas 100 g of the detergent Nirma(please see comments by PankajJoshi in HB Vol. 4(4):5) dissolvedin a sufficient quantity of water. Hemixed the three solutions - 25 mlof the mixture in 16 litres water -and sprayed it on the crop. Thespraying was done in the morning.

Two days later, he says, hecould not find a single living larvaon his crop. After having seen thisfascinating effect on pigeon peapests, he used the same mixture oncotto for boll-worm control andfound the same insecticidal effect.He had previously sprayedEndosulphan and Monocrotophos onhis pigeon pea crop, but they hadno effect on the pest. He evendropped a larva in undilutedMonocrotophos and found that itwas not killed. But when hedropped the larvae in his herbalportion it was killed. This practicewas published in local newspaperby Dr. Radhudkar.

The farmers who haveadopted this practice haveconfirmed the efficacy of thisinsecticide in controlling insect pests

of pigeon pea and cotton and alsothe aphids on safflower. Flyinginsects are not killed by thisinsecticide, though they are repelledfrom the treated crop.

The scientific explanationfor the efficacy of this botanicalinsecticide is simple. The garlic hasa volatile oil (which containssulphur) which dissolves inkerosene and not in water. Whenthe insecticide is sprayed on thecrop in the morning, this volatile oilproduces vapour with the risingday-time temperature. Unhindered,the vapour reaches the hiddeninsects and kills them. With thechemical insecticides they are killedonly if they come in contact withthe poison. Green chilli containscapsaisin, a chemical which is verypungent and irritates the skin. Whenthe extract of chilli falls on thebody of the larvae, it immediatelykills them. This insecticide, with itstwo-pronged effect on the pests,can be effective on a wide rangeof pests of various crops. Theaddition of detergent helps in thespread of the insecticide as well as

Scientist’s Comments on Farmers Practices

Dr Rahudkaris former Dean and

Faculty of M PKrishi Vidhyapith,Rahuri. He can be

contacted at 25/356,Lokmanyanagar,Pune - 411 030,

Maharashtra, India



in its adherence to the crop.While using this insecticide, onehas to take care that it does notfall on the skin or into the eyes.If it does, one should immediatelywash it off with clean water.

3203.2(b) Control of beetlesby crushing leaves of Combretumovalifolium and theinsect

A similar method has beenused by a farmer, ShriMadhavarao Shankar Rao Patil inVillage Pimpalagam Hareshwar,Chopde Taluk, Jalgaon District,Maharashtra. Here the weed usedin place of Combretum avalifoliumis called ‘gindhyan’ or ‘gandhari’or ‘kidmar’ (the last name_literallymeans that which kills insect-pest), grows in black cotton soiland also in the Konkan region and

the western Ghats during the‘kharif’ season.

Its scientific name isAristolochia bracteata. Its leavesare 3 to 7 cm long, uniformand cordate, and have wideveins. Bluish flowers withresolute margin appear inOctober-November. The fruit is acapsule, 1 to 2 cm long. Theseed is deltoid with cordatebase.

The pant contains volatilesubstances and an alkaloid calledaristolochine. It has several othermedicinal uses. Patil says thatwhen the leaves of this plant arecrushed on the palms of thehands and the person moves inthe field of Bajra, the‘sosehinge’ (beetles) are drivenaway from the crop; that is, thecrushed plants have a repellent

action against these beetles.

1. Castration

After castration of animals,people rub turmeric powder mixedwith mustard oil on the wound.This helps to reduce thetemperature caused because of thehammer impact. It also serves asan antiseptic application and helpsto heal the wound faster.

2. Enhancing Pubeerty

(a) Common Salt

Salt is given to domesticanimals during ovulation to increaseheat. Once the animal has beeninseminated, salt is restricted forabout three weeks to preventabortion.

(b) Pigeon Droppings

Innovations from the Hills of BhutanL. Sharma

Pigeon dropping ispowdered and fed to sterile cowsto induce heat. The animals havebeen found to respond after threeor four doses in as many months.

3. Control of IntestinalParasites

A small quantity of curdsand butter-milk are kept overnightin copper container. The mixturewhich turns blue-green is dilutedand given to young calves fordeworming. The worms start tocome out in the feces the nextday. The presence of intestinalworms in the calves is deducedfrom the foul smell emanating fromthe mouth.

4. Quality of Cucumber Fruit

The cucumber plant is not

allowed to come in contact withanything made of iron. Should thishappen, it has been found, thecucumbers subsequently turn bitter.

5. Storing of Green Vegetables

A pit, the size of whichwill depend on the quantity of thesurplus green vegetables and radishto be stored, is dug in the groundand warmed by burning twigs in it.The radish is then smashed.Alternate layers of radish and greenvegetables are filled in the pit, allvoids are filled by pouring warmwater and the vegetablescompressed by the pressure ofstamping feet. Once full, the pit ismade air-tight by covering it withsoil and hay.The vegetables areallowed to ferment for about threeweeks and then taken out anddried. Vegetables treated in this waycan be stored for over a yearunder ordinary conditions tosupplement the requirements in leanseasons.

6



The importance of tree-plantingfrom the environmental point ofview is now recognised all over theworld. Here we list treesrecommended for planting byreligious texts and highlight the factthat the importance of tree-plantingwas emphasised in ancient India.

‘Dharma’ permeated the entire lifeof ancient Indians. They weredeeply religious and believed in lifeafter death. So, those acts whichwere conducive to the happiness ofdeparted ancestors or to their ownwell-being in life after death werefaithfully performed. Taking advantaeof this, ancient sages motivatedthem to perform some acts ofpublic utility and declared that allpeople (including ‘shudras’!) wereeligible to perform these religiousacts called the “Poorta Dharma”.To give these acts a more dignifiedstatus, they included them under`dana’. The word has no beggarlyimplication as in the Englis word“charity”, I quote a few DharmaShastra texts to show how thesages emphasized this PoortaDharma.

1. The Skandha Purana

“One who plants by the roadside atree which produces shade, flowersand fruits frees his ancestors fromsin” (Quoted by Hemadri,Chaturvaraga Chintamani, p.1033).

2. The Mahabharata

“Tree-planting isproductive for

religious merits inthe next world.

The tree-planter gets`moksha’for his

deceased ancestors as well as for hisdescendants. A man should, therefore,plant trees”. (Quoted by Hemadri p1030).

3. The Vishnu Purana

“Trees gladden gods by their blossom;guests by their fruits; and the travellersby their shade”. These short quotationsshow how ancient sages motivated treeplanting through the use of religion.The list of trees recommended forplanting depended upon thegeographical location of the texts andthe traditions followed by the people.

The Mahabharata recommends a groupof trees: ‘ashwattha’, ‘neem’, ‘vata’(Banyan tree), ‘tamarind’, ‘kapittha’(wood-apple tree), ‘bilva’ and‘amalaki’ (Emblic myrobalan). TheVaraha Purana also recommends‘ashwattha’, ‘neem’, ‘banyan’, ‘jati’(Jasmine plant), pomegranates, sweet-lime, etc. Varahamihira who belongedto Ujjain, Malwa, and lived in the earlypart of the 6th Century AD,recommended a number of trees to beplanted on the banks of tanks and

rivers. But, according to him, the‘neem’, ‘ashoka’, ‘shirisha’ and‘priyanga’ trees are auspicious andshould be planted both in the gardensand near houses. He quotes sageKashyapa of 5th Century AD, anauthority in his time, who highlightedthe importance of planting ‘champka’,‘udumbara’ (fig tree) and ‘parijata’.This indicates that the sages did notstop with vague assertions about themerits of planting trees but alsorecommended specific lists of treesworth planting. They have givenguidelines about the preparation of soil,fertilization, distance to be maintainedbetween the trees, grafting of trees, theseasons in which particular graftingsare desirable and astrologically thefavourable ‘nakshatras’1.

(Counstellations) for planting.

Dharma Shastra and EnvironmentDr. G V Tagare

————————————————————————————————————————————1The period of constellation is decided by the astrologer of the society who keeps their eyes on the planetary movements.The period of various constellation in relation to English calendar is given here, for the rainy season, 1990.

‘Rohini’ : 25th May-7th June‘Mrugshirsh : 8th June-21st June‘Adra’ : 22nd June - 5th July‘Punarvasu’ : 6th July-18th July‘Pashya’: 19th July - 1st August‘Ashlesha’ : 2nd August - 15th August

‘Magha’ : 16th August - 29th August‘Purva’ : 30th August - 12th August‘Uttara’ : 13th September-26th September‘Hasta’ : 27th September-9th October‘Chitra’ : 10th October-23rd October‘Swati’ : 24th October-5th November



Bhutan has a rich cultural history.Its long isolation has resulted inextremely high percentage ofartisans as compared to itsneighbouring countries. Even today,weaving is the most widespreadcraft of Bhutan. Weaving is thesole economic activity of manyhouseholds and hence is ofgreat socio-economicsignificance. This craftrepresents a rich culturalheritage of the people.It has been passedfrom mother todaughter over thegenerations byword of mouth.Bhutanese haveproudly kept alivethe indigenoustechnique ofweaving with littleor no change.

However, overthe centuries,designs, coloursand quality havebeen altered tosuit the newdemands. Severalindigenous techniques of dyemaking and processing arepresented here.

In April 1993, a Programme forArtisan Development in South Asia(PADSA) was launched in fourcountries. Bhutan, India, Nepal andSri Lanka to study the evolutionand socio-economic importance ofweaving and the constraints facedby artisans.

Main Ingredients

1. Indigo

Many Bhutanese dyers plant

Indigo spp around their house.Locally it is known as ‘yangshaba’. There are two ways ofpreparing the indigo dye. In Radhi,Tashingag, the leaves are picked inJune/July. About fifteen minutesafter the picking, they are beaten

into a pulp. An equalamount of fine particlesof ash of wood is adedto the mashed leavesand thoroughly mixed.

The mixture is then

packed ina n airtight containerand left to decompose.

Most people in Radhi useplastic bags. It takes three to fourdays in summer and about a weekin winter for the decomposition tobe complete. When the mix givesoff a foul smell it has to be takenout from the container and rolledinto small balls and dried in thesun. These balls can be stored foras long as one wants.

In Pema Gatshel freshleaves of the indigo are picked,

beaten into pulp and soaked inash solution. Here they due directlyfrom the fresh leaves. But it givesa dull finish. For best effects, driedindigo leaves are recommended. Tobring out the colour, thedecomposed dried leaves have tobe soaked first in ash solution. Theproportion should be five litres ofash solution for one kg of yarn.Indigo is used for dying all shadesof green, blue, purple and black.

2. Turmeric

The roots of turmeric planthave to be dried in the shadeb e c a u s e direct sun rays dim the

dye’s lustre.The root issliced, and when it is fully dried itis pounded into powder.

The outer part of the rootgives a dirty yellow colour whichis used for making light greenwhile inner portion of root gives abright yellow.

3. Lac

This is prepared from thedried bodies of an insect which isa parasite on many plant species. Itis found wild in Bhutan, Burma,

Indigenous Technologies for DyeingMs Choeki Ongmo

Ms Choeki Ongamais National UnitedNations Volunteer(NUNV) in Bhutansince April 1993.Earlier she was anofficial of theNational WomenAssociation ofBhutan at KhalingWeaving Centre,Khaling, EasternBhutan

Could we get eitherthe sample of plantsof their scientificnames for betterappreciation of thee x c e l l e n tinformation providedin the text? :Ed.)



for this purpose.

2. Red

Well-degummed yarn isboiled in ‘zim’ for half-an-hour.(The pot must be large enough toaccommodate both the ‘zim’leaves and the yarn). The yarn isthen taken out and kept in theopen air for 24 hours. The driedyarn is then dipped in a solution ofturmeric powder which gives yellowcolour. It is dried again in the openair and is finally soaked in amixed solution of lac and turmericand a red powder for 2-3 days.The resulting colour is bright red.

3. Maroon red

The degummed yarn isimmersed in a dye bath of lacsolution and ‘zim’ leaves. It isheated for two hours, and allowedto cool gradually. The yarn is leftin the solution fir 48 hours.

4. People

To get this colour, first theyarn will have to be dyed maroonand then boiled in indigo solutionfor an hour. After cooling, it iswashed thoroughly with clean waterand dried in open air. Finally it issoaked in a purple solution preparedfrom a chemical dye.

5. Yellow

The yarn is boiled in ‘zim’solution for half an hour andturmeric powder is added to thedye bath in a ratio of three tea-spoons of turmeric powder to fivehanks of yarn. The temperature israised for two hours and the yarnis left in the dye bath for 48hours during summer; in winter thefinal soaking is for a longer period.

6. Blue

Indigo is soaked in warm

water and the solution is left tostand for two to three days till thesurface becomes greasy. A bluechemical colour is added to thesolution and stirred. The well-degummed yarn is then soaked inthe due bath till it gets the desiredcolour.

7. Dark Green

The yarn is soaked in theIndigo solution for two days. Thenit is taken out of the dye bath andcooked in turmeric solution. Twochemical colours, light green andpink are added. The yarn is kept inthe dye bath for 2 to 3 days. Ifthe desired colour is not obtained,the process is repeated.

8. Bright Green

The degummed yarn isdipped in indigo and turmericsolution and boiled for two hoursand allowed to stand in the dyebath for 2 to 3 days.

9. Black

The degummed yarn has tobe cooked in indigo for two hoursand allowed to cool gradually. Agreen chemical dye and a fixingagent (any sour fruit) are thenadded to it. The yarn is left in thedye for three days both to soak inthe colour. Then it is rinsed well inclean water. To get a deep black,the dyed yarn is again soaked inindigo in warm water for a day ortwo.

India and Tibet. To make the dye,the insects are collected off thetwigs of the host plant, broken upand added to hot water to extractthe dye matter. Lac is used to getmaroon and deep red colour. Sixkg of lac are used to weave a‘mentsematha kira’ (local unit formeasuring yarn). The price of 1 kglac is about 25 Nu. (Rs. 25/-).4. ‘Zim Shaba’

A wild tree of Bhutan, it isfound in high altitudes. This plantis used to add lustre to the dyeand as a mordant for every colour.It cannot, however, be stored ineither liquid or solid form. For besteffect, it has to be used soon afterthe leaves have been plucked. Thelonger you dye stuff in thismordant, the better is its effect.

5. Sour Fruit

There are three differentkinds of sour fruit (‘khomang’,‘chursey’, and ‘robtang sey’) whichare commonly used as fixingagents. These fruit trees growwild and are easily available. Theproportion used is two teaspoonsextract for one kg of yarn Forpreparing the extract, the fruit isfully cooked in water. The strainedliquor is used as the dye bath.However in Radhi some dyers usediluted hydrochloric acid (Hcl) forthe same purpose.

Recipes for Different Colours:

1. Pink is also made out ofthe lac solution and sour fruitwhich is used as a fixing agent.The dye bath is prepared half anhour before use. The well-degummed yarn is then immersedin the dye hbath and boiled forfour and an half hours maintainingthe temperature constant all thewhile. It is then allowed to coolgradually. The dyed yarn is thensoaked in a starch solution. Thedyers of Radhi uses maize powder



Indigenous practices play a vitalrole in sustainable agriculture.Certain practices, shatter the beliefthat recommendations made byagricultural scientists are alwayssuperior.

1. Indigenous Practices inGrain Storage

a) Control of Pests in StoredPaddy

i) To prevent the attack ofpests in stored paddy grains, aplant ‘kanjanamkorai’, is kept alongwith the grains. It emanates apungent smell which drives awaythe pests.

ii) ‘Neem’ leaves are placedover stored grains to keep thegrains pest-free.

b) Indigenous Mudpot(‘Kudhir’)

Large mud-pots a high as180 cm are used for storing paddygrains for long periods. These aremade of clay and paddy straw andthe air-tight. Paddy stored inside

such a bin does not absorbmoisture from air (Similar binshave been in vogue in Gujaratand other parts of the country :Ed.)

2. Saving Coconuts from TreeDogs

To prevent tree dogs fromdamaging coconuts, a picture of asnake is drawn on the lowerportion of the trunks of coconuttrees. Tree dogs (‘palm civet’)climb up the tree and drink thecoconut water damaging the fruit.Obviously, these nocturnal animalsmistake the figure fora real snake!

3. Rat Control

Four to five dead rats areburied in paddy fields in as manyplaces in every acre of land. It isbelieved that the smell emanatingfrom the dead rats scare awaytheir living comrades.

In fields where sheeppenning is done for increaing thenutrients in the soil, rats are notseen at all. Rats find the odour ofsoaked rice delightful and so suchrice is used as bait in place ofraw rice.

4. Green Manures:

The following are thecommonly used green leaf manures:

‘Calotropis’ - Calotropisgigantia‘nuna’ - Morindatinctoria‘portia’ - Thespesia populnea‘kattamani’ - Jatrophagossypifolia Ipomoea spp and‘adathoda’

If the green leafmanure ‘adathoda’ is used, a quickgreening of leaves of the crops canbe sen just as with the applicationof artificial fertilizers.

5. Termite Control

To eradicate the termites onlower portion of the trunk ofcoconut trees, tar is applied on itup to 30 cm height from groundlevel. In some places, the coconutgarden is flooded with water sothat the termites are washed off.

6. ‘Kottam’ : Indigenous SeedSoaking Treatment for Paddy

The germination anduniform sprouting of seeds ofpaddy seeds can be enhanced by

Thriving Indigenous Knowledge in Tamil NaduK Kanagasabapathi



this treatment. Approximately 15 kgof seeds are used for one‘kottam’. A mat of paddy strawis placed over a bamboo or steeltrough of 30 to 45 cm diameterand two feet in heigt and wellcompacted. Below this container,straw ropes are placed in a crisis-cross manner (Fig.1). The seedsare put into the container (Fig. 2)covered by straw and the strawropes are tied tightly (Fig.3).

The whole unit is thenpulled out from the trough. Theunit is called ‘kottam’.

Approximately 20 litres of water aresprinkled over the ‘kottam’ and itis left in the corner of the housein shade for nearly 24 hours. Thenext day, the ‘kottam’ is carried tothe field for sowing. What happensin the process is that the seedsremain wet; the water, however, iscompletely drained and so there isless chance of decay. Because theseeds are covered by straw there isa better circulation of air whichenhances sprouting and becausethey are kept tight in ‘kottam’, theheat generated hastens thegermination.

7. Weed Control

To control the weedMarshilia quadrifolia the followingpractices are followed:

Use of Calotropis (Calotropisgigantea) as green manure checksthe growth of the weed. Tenbaskets of the fibrous pericarp ofcoconut are applied for one acre ofpaddy field to control this weed; itreleases some tannin-like substancethat inhibits the weed.



1. Biological Control of Termite

There is a practice ofattracting the common ants totermite mounds using flour andsugar. It is believed that the antsact as a biological control againsttermites. Farmers feel that byproviding food they can inducethe ant-hill (nest) to stay on at aplace in the field. I havepersonally observed that eggs oftermites were deposited near theant-hill of the common ant. If aparticular white ant is too heavy tomanage, two to three common antsjoin to pull it into their home. Onclose observation, it also appearsthat the eggs, larvae, or even thecaterpillars of the flying insectsfound on the trees, vines andshurbs etc., are removed by antsin the same way.

Farmers never kill the antsand avoid walking on ant-hills.They also prevent their cattle fromdisturbing the ant hills. Only onespecies of red ants is harmful as itbores hole in the trees. I havenever seen farmers keeping foodfor red ants at their nests.

2. SoilPreparation

There aremany small and bigtanks in Udaipur,Rajasthan constructed200 to 300 years ago.These were meant forirrigation and forproviding drinkingwater to cattle.During summer (May-June) most of themare dry. A largequantity of silt andorganic matter drawnfrom their catchmentare aduring rainyseason lies depositedat the bottom ofthese tanks. Farmers collect thisenriched silt from the driedreservoir beds and broadcast it intheir fields.This practice is beneficial in themany ways:

a) it improves structure of soiland humus content;b) it has a fair proportion ofmajor plant nutrients;c) when large quantities areused in alkaline soils, the salinity isreduced

This is a very old practice;locally the soil is called ‘pana’. Thedesilting of the tanks increases theirwater holding capacity and alsoprovides clean water to the cattle.This practice must, therefore, beencouraged by providing cheap silttransport facilities.

3. Risk Reducing CroppingPattern

Rainfall is very uncertainand erratic in the Udaipur region of

Rajasthan and so farmers haveevolved a cropping pattern toreduce the risks associated withlow rainfall.

Paddy needs more fainfallthan maize. Farmers dibble theseeds of maize in one line while inanother two or three they sowpaddy seeds or seedlings. Towardsthe end of July, they make anassessment of the pattern and thequantum of rain and accordinglyretain one of the two crops. Insome areas farmers follow a similarpractice with kidney bean and greengram. This practice has been inexistence for many decades.

4. Checking Disease and Pestsin Mango

Farmers apply oil to thestem and root of the mango tree inthe bearing stage. It is a commonbelief that this practice preventsattacks by fungus and the commonmango hopper pest. However, thispractice is now becoming rarebecause of the rising price of oil.

Innovations from the Deserts of RajasthanU M Lodha



Milk fever or hypocalcemia is acondition of cattle and buffalo thatgenerally occurs after calving. Theanimal becomes cold, weak andanorexic (does not eat food or drinkwater) and is unable to get up. Thecolostrum (first milk after parturition)contains high level of calcium. Thecomplete withdrawal of colostrumfrom the udder drains the calciumfrom the body of the animal, lkeadingto a state of decreased calcium levelof blood, called “hypocalcemia”,locallly called milk fever andtechnically called “parturient paresis”.

Farmers’ Practices to Control orPrevent the Milk Fever

1. The usual practice is toprovide warmth to the animal bymaking a fire near the animal andcovering the animal with gunny bags.Further, the animal shed is coveredfrom the sides to protect it fromadverse weather such as excessivechill and forceful winds. Physicalprotection and provision of warmthreduces stress on the animal andhelps in increasing the temperature ofthe body. This helps in maintainingthe psychological and biochemicalprocesses at a normal rate. Warmthalso assists in the recovery and, wishspecific treatment, in prevention ofdisease as well.

2. When the animal becomesweak or sick during calving period, itis forced to walk slowly. Thepurpose is to give the animal a lightform of exercise. It increases theflow of blood to the leg muscles andactivates them, thus decreasing the

severity of disease. It reduces tosome externt the complication ofinability of animal to get up.

3. During or before calvingperiod, the animals are fed withnutritious and laxative diet such asboiled bajra, jaggery, edible oil, ghee(clarified butter), and sometimes eveneggs. This nutritious food is a richsource of energy and strengthens theanimals. In some places there ispractice of feeding ‘suva’ (Anethumgraveolens) seeds, ‘methi’(fenugreek) seeds and ‘kalijiri’ tomaintain sppetite of the animals.This also helps in the prevention ofweakness. Anorexic animals areusually fed a mixture of salt,turmeric, ‘sunth’ (ginger), ‘jira’(cumin), asafoetida, ‘ajvan’,‘kalimirch’ (black pepper) etc.These ingredients are carminative andalso help in building up an appetiteand in expelling gases from rumen(stomach). This practice isrecommended in milk anorexia.

4. To prevent milk fever at thetime of parturition, half milking ispracticed for one or two days aftercalving. Partial milking meansremoval of about half milk from theudder so that the rest is retained inthe udder unmilked. This waycalcium is retained in the body. Theabove practices help in quickrecovery and prevention of furthercomplications, but they work wellonly in very mild forms of thedisease. A veterinarian must beconsulted in severe cases foreffective recovery. Scientificallyspecific and more effective drugs forthis disease are available. Intravenousinjection of calcium, the specifictreatment, overcomes hypocalcemiacompletely within 10-15 minutes ofthe injection.

Control of Milk Fever in CattleP R Patel, F S Kavani, K M Jadhav and R M Patel

Authors can be contacted at VeterinaryCollege, Gujarat AgriculturalUniversity, Sardar Krushinagar - 385506 Inid



Farmers have developed differentpractices for dryland agriculture,based on observation andexperience. Farming communitieshave coined various proverbs,sayings and couplets tocommunicate their findings onprocesses such as onset ofmonsoon, soil preparation, time andmethod of sowing, seed rate,cropping sequence, time ofweeding, manuring, disease and pestmanagement, stage of harvesting,choice of varieties of crop etc. Toconvey the message orally andeffectively, agricultural operations arecorrelated with location-specificevents of nature like sunshine,direction and velocity of wind,lightning and rains, rainbows, lunarcycle, birds and their behaviour,location of specific planets, colourand type of soil etc. Unfortunately,few scholars have tried todocument and understand theseproverbs in the context of on-goingagriculture.

(Readers may appreciate that manyof these proverbs may not berelevant today because of changesin climate or soil. At the sametime, some may still retain theirrelevance. The challenge is tosubject the proverbs and coupletsto careful scientific scrutiny identifythe workable ones and to modifyor reject the rest.

Dr. Kanani and his colleague aredoing research on rain prospectingbased on ancient berliefs collectedthrough scanning of literature at theGujarat Agricultural University,Junagadh (Please see HB Vol.4(1):4-5 : Ed).

During our various visits to villagesin Haryana, we have collectedvarious folk sayings and proverbs

along with their meaning andimportance in the communityand have published them inlocal language in dailynewspaper for farmers.Some of them are presentedalong with other proverbsscanned from old books andliterature.

1. Predicting Effect ofMonsoon

“Baisakhi Sudi ParthamDin Badal Biju Karai,Dam Bina BisaihjaPuri Sakh Bharai”

If in the month of ‘baisakh’ (April-May) there are clouds followed bythunder on the very first day, therewill bea bumper ‘kharif’ (monsoon)crop. Food will be plentiful.

“Jeth Biti Pahli Parwah,Jo Amber DharhareAsadh Savan Jai KoroBhardo Birkha”

If there are thundering clouds inthe sky on the first day after themonth of ‘jeth’(May), there will beno rains in the month of ‘asadh’and ‘shravan’ (July and August)and there will be rains only in themonth of ‘bhado’ (September).

2. Moisture Conservation andField Preparation

“Chhoti Nasi Dharti HansiHal Dagga Patalto tut gaya akal”

Deep ploughing is a must formoisture conservation andovercoming water stress in thecropping season.

“Maina Bandh Hal Joten Dai,

Das Man Bigha Mose Le”

Bunds around the field andploghing after every shower in thepre-sowing season will conserveenough moisture for the crop,remove the weeds and ensurebumper crops (at least 20 q/ha.)

“Jab Barse Tab Badhon Kyari,Bada Kisan to Hath Kudari”

“Kachha Khet Ne Jote Koi,Nahi Beej Na Ankur Hoi”

“Maidei Gahu Dhela Chana”

“Jab Sasil Khata-khat Baje,Tab Channa Bahut Hi Gaje”

These proverbs refer to the properfield conditions for ploughing toensure adequate germination.Moreover, there should be cloddyfield preparation for gram(chickpea) and better fieldpreparation for wheat with manyploughings so that the soil particlesare as fine as wheat flour. The lastproverb indicates the condition ofthe field at the time of sowing ofchickpea; it says that if the oxenyoke is very noisy while ploughing,production will be high.

Proverbs related to Dryland AgricultureR S Dhukia and N S Verma

Authors are working as AssociateProfessor at CCS, HaryanaAgricultural University, Hisar -125004, Haryana, India.



3. Sowing Time“Jo Koi Aghan Bove Jawa,Hoi hoi nahin, khave Kowa”

If barley is sown in November,there is no hope at all of a crop.

“Savan Savain Aghan Java,Jitna Bove Utna Lave”

Produce from small milletssown in July and barley sown inNovember will not even equal theseed.

“Jab Bor Barothe Aye,Tab Rabi ki Ho Buwai”

When an insect called ‘bor’starts swarming, it is the right timefor the sowing of ‘rabi’ (winter)crops.

4. Sowing Method, Seed Rate,Spacing and Sowing Depth

“Pora Badshah, KeraWazir aur Chinta Faqir”

“Pag-pag per bajraMedak Kudni JowarAise Bove Jo KoiGhar Ka Bhare Bhandar”

This proverb indicates theimportance of spacing and densityof crops. If a farmer sows pearlmillet at a distance of about 45 cmand sorghum at 30 cm apart inrows, the yield will be high.

“Jitna Gahara Joto Khet,Beej pare, Phal Achha Det”

This couplet indicates theimportance of deep sowing inrainfed agriculture.

5. Inter-cultural Operation andWeed Control

The importance of inter-culture operations and timelyweeding in rainfed agriculture isstressed in these proverbs

6. Manuring

“Khad Pare to KhetNahin to Kura Ret”

“Kheti Kare Khad Se BhareSo man Kuthala mein le dhare”

“Khad kura na tareKaram likha tar jai”.

There are chances that luckwill deceive the farmer, but theaddition of manure after rainfall willnever deceive him (luck).

“Gobar Malia Pani SadeTab Kheti Me Dada Pade”

gobar Malia Neem Ki KhaYase Kheti Dooni”

Composite manure raises theyield, but neem doubles it.

7. Crop Rotation“Badi Me Badi Kane,Kare ikh Me ikhVe Ghar hi JayengeSune Parai Sukh”

If farmers grow cotton andsugar cane in the same plots yearafter year, the productivity goesdown.

“Bowo Gehu, Kat KapasNa ho Dhela, Na ho ghass.”

When wheat and cotton arerotated, wheat should be sown aftercotton in well pulverized soil inwhich there are no clods andweeds.

8. Diseases“Magh Puse Bah PurwaiTab Sarso Ko Mahu Khai”

If there is humidity duringNovember-January, aphid infestationin oil seed crops will be high.

Phagun Maws Bah PurwaiTah Gehu Mein Gerwa Dhai

If there is cloudy weatherand more humidity in February,

there will be an attack of rustdisease in the crop. If sorghum issown in July, it will be prone toattach by shootfly.

9. Time of HarvestingHarvest chickpea before full

maturity, barley after full maturity,and harvest wheat when matureearheads are droopy.

There are thousands of proverbs/coulets representing all aspects ofrainfed agriculture technology. Onlya few of them have beenmentioned above. All these holdgood under scientific scrutiny asthey find support from experimentalevidence and recommendedpackages of practices for variousrainfed crops.

References

Dutt, Gayatary; 1989. “Rojmara Keiiwan Mein Mosam Vigyan”Jansatta Daily, June 22, 1989.

Khatana V S; 1989. “HaryanaviKahawato Se Barish KaPurvanuman Hota Hai”. JansattaDaily, April 4, 1989; May 23,1989; October 2, 1990; andNovember 6, 1990.

Jyotirmay; 1989. “Parkarti Sei Jur JerJani thi Rituain”. Jansatta Daily,June 22, 1989.

Parbakar, Devi Shankar; 1984.“Haryana: Lok Kathaon TathaKahawate”. Published by LaxmiPushtak Sadan, Gandhi Nagar,Delhi (Ist ed.): 111-118.

Tripathi R N; 1952. “Gram Sahity (PartIII). Published by Atma Ramand Sons, Delhi, pp. 15-76 and106-137.

Vishard and R L Pandey; 1983. “GhaghBhadri Ki Kahawatein”.Published by Thakur PrashadPustak Bhandar, Varanasi, pp.20-130.



Farmer-readers ofTamil version : “Nam

Vazhi Velanmai” have sent in someinnovations. Farmers and scientistfrom other regions may send theircomments in order to establish adialogue across cultures and regions.

1. M A Chinnathambi, KamburVillage, Alangampatti Post, KottmpattiTal. Madurai Dist.

a) Stress Feeds and Fodder

i) Coconut Leaves

After removing the lowerfronds from coconut palms the leafstalks are separated and used formaking brooms. The leftover green leafresidue is fed to cattle; dairy animalsoften produce more milk on this diet.ii) Boiled Tapioca:

The tubers and stem-bark oftapioca are boiled (cooked) and fed tocattle.

iii) Mango Peel and KernelsDairy animals fed mango peels

and kernels produce more milk andwith higher fat content.

b) Control of Paddy, Groundnut,Sugarcane and Coconut Pests

Sugarcaner and Coconut Pests

From July to September, ‘neem’ fruitis soaked in water to separate the pulpfrom the kernels. The oil that getsextracted from the pulp is mixed withwater and sprayed in sugar cane andcoconut fields. Farmers also pour thethin leftoever solution on the primordialregion of coconut trees.

‘Neem’ oil (300 ml), kerosene (250ml), soap powder (150 g) are mixedtogether in 13 litres of water, which isthe capacity of hand-operated sprayertank, and the solution is sprayedagainst leaf-rollers of paddy and

groundnut. This gives satisfactorycontrol of insect populations. Thefarmers here have been using thispractice for 15 years.

2. A Rajamani, Nattarpatti village,Vilampatti Post, Nilakkottai Tal; AnnaDistrict.

‘Palampasi’ (Sida acuta) is fedto cattle separately or mixed withCuminum cuminum three times fortreating diarrhoea.

3. M P Vellai Mayathevar,Kinnimangalam, Chekkanurani-626514,Madurai District.

Dried and powdered Prosopis julifloraseeds are mixed with rice bran in theratio of 1:10 and fed to cattle. Careshould be taken that Prosopis powderdoes not exceed half measure (i.e.about 600 g) at a time. It is given onlytwo days a week.

With eight years of experience with thistechnique, Mr. Mayathevar has noticedincreases in the weights and milk yieldsof the livestock.

4. V K Jayaveeran,Kuppanampatti village, UsilampattiTaluka; Madurai District.

a) Chilli Leaf Spot and PowderyMildew Disease

Juice is extracted from the leavesof Prosopis juliflora and dilutedwith water and sprayed in Chilli(Capsicum spp) fields two monthsafter planting. For spraying oneacre, three litres of leafs extractare required.

When ‘bhendi’ (Abelmorchuosesculentus) pods are discoloured(light yellowor white) the sameextract is sprayed on the fields.

b) Pests and Diseases ofPaddy

Sacks filled with 8 kg of‘neem’ cakes are immersed inirrigation channels to control stemborer, gall fly and bacterial wilt.The ‘neem’ cake is used 18 to 20days after planting and has to bereplaced every 25 days.

c) Green Algae

For controlling algae in irrigationwells, that choke the foot-value ofpumps, one bundle of dried paddystraw (about 20 kg weight) ischopped into small particles andimmersed in the water (perhaps thephenolic substances in the strawhelp to check algae :Vivekanandan).

5. S Vel Murugan, T.Gengamuthur Village, Thethoor P.O.,Palamedu Via, Vadipatti Taluka,Madurai District, Pin-625 503.

a) Relay Cropping

During ‘Karthigai’ ‘margazhi’(November and December) groundnutis sown as irrigated crop. Gingelly,bengal gram, cowpea are grown on thebunds. After 45 days when groundnutis weeded (a) second time, seeds ofcottn (MCU : 5 variety) arer plantedand gypsum is applied in the field.Within three months, the groundnutcan be harvested along with the oilseeds and pulses. Later on, the cottonis picked. When farmers stagger theplanting dates for these crops, thecosts of ploughing, making ridges andfurrows, as well as weeding andspraying can be reduced considerably.They can take advantage of threeharvests in a single season!.

Honey Bee Hums

InnovativePractices

Contributed byReaders of Local

Versions

Authors are working as AssociateProfessor at CCS, HaryanaAgricultural University, Hisar -125004, Haryana, India.



There is an important change in the presentation of the results of our continuingsurvey of innovations at grassroot level: we are not providing the full addresses ofthe innovators. This step became necessary when we were told that some groupswere trying to use the information given, for not very productive ends. Our concernfor the intellectual property rights of indigenous innovators raised the following issue:if a third party tries to enter into a contract with an innovator whose full address wemention in Honey Bee at terms that are not fair to the innovator, shouldn’t we bedoing something? As an initial step we decided to provide just the name of theinnovator and his or her district. Those who need information for genuine purposescan still write to us and get in touch with the original innovators. We are aware thisstep will make life only slightly more difficult for the seeker. It will, however, notsolve the problem of unauthorizeduse. Even at present we describe each innovation inconsiderable detail so that the reader is in a position to try it out. We do thisbecause we do not want to deviate from our goal of linking innovators acrossdifferent language cultures.

We request readers to write and help us resolve the dilemma of sharing fullinformation and yet not rob ther innovators of their IPRs. Should we present onlyrudimentary information? Should we continue to provide only the abstract of therecipe, as we do now, and furnish full information when farmers or researchers writeto us? After all farmer-to-farmer linkage is no less an important goal a protection ofIPR.

We have been contacting Patent Attorneys in the West so that we could filepatent applications on behalf of the innovators. We realize that the IndianGovernment’s present policies on the subject may not be of much help to grassrootsinnovators. Therefore, we are pursuing the subject at the policy level in order toencourage acceptance of the Intellectual Patent Regime for indigenous innovations. Theopposition of many groups to the GATTnegotiations (with modification of course)on the subject, in our view, is guided byeither lack of confidence in the localinnovative potential and capacity, or justmisinformation. There are several issues,as mentioned below, which need to besorted out. The dialogue on the subjectmust be kept open. A society which doesnot want to reward innovators andinventors cannot aspire to have ameritocratic cultur and a bright future.

Global Data Base on indigenous innovations

As mentioned in the previous issueof Honey Bee, we are engaged indeveloping three different kinds of globaldata bases on

i) technological innovations;ii) institutional innovationsiii) ecological knowledge systems and literature base.

We invite readers to contribue information, articles, books, unpublished reportsor theses by students, scholars, in English, Hindi or other Indian languages. We will

Survey ofInnovations inGujarat :Part VI

Anil K GuptaKirit K Patel



acknowledge every contribution.Efforts are underway to developdatabases in local languages sothat local communities can haveaccess to them through ourcollaborating educational institutionslike the Gram Vidyapeeths. We aimto set up a computer server atSRISTI so that in due coursevarious institutions, first in Indiaand later in different parts of the

world, can access these databasesthrough E-mail. Access to thesedatabases is restricted, at this stage,to farmers, artisans, pastoralists andscholars collaborating with us. Onthe other hand, Honey Bee is opento network members. However,access to the database will be opento those who not only take butalso add knowledge to it. It will benecessary for every user to enterinto a contract with SRISTI sothat if any commercial product isdeveloped through use of thedatabase, a share of the profitsgoes to the original innovators anda very small proportion to SRISTI.We are keen to know more aboutsimilar databases and will be happyto network with other groups whoshare our philosophy.

A Chance for Scientists to Reorient Science!

We must confess that not many scientists have acted to stop or tomodify their ongoing research experiments or to start new experimentstaking-off from the creativity of local communities. Small experimentsindeed have been started by some of the Vidyapeeths in Gujarat. GujaratAgricultural University is compiling a list of experiments started partly orcompletely on the basis of farmers’ innovations. We plan to grant smallscholarships to postgraduate students for taking up experiments on farmers’innovations.

We have been using theNAPRALERT database atUniversity of Illinois, Chicago,courtesy Drs. Farnsworth,Beecher and Mary Lou Quinn toscreen the local botanicalknowledge in order to see howstrategic the specific innovationsare. To illustrate, we mentionthe case of Ipomoea fistulosawhich was published in HB Vol.3(2):17 (Please refer box onpage no. 19).

In this part we describe 26innovations dealing with farmimplements, green manuring andsowing methods, pest control,livestock, and fish trapping. Weinvite readers to write in theirreactions, provide examples

contrary to these ideas or confirming them. and to phypothesize as to whythese innovations work, if they do.

Some colleagues have written on us that we should talk about cultural andinstitutional contexts of thes einnovations. We have been collecting suchinformation and will be publishing it in due course. We try, however, notto mystify the knowledge too much lest readers are dissuaded from tryingout experiments on the same. The HB team awaits your response to thequestions raised here as well as to the innovations shared in this issue. Weare interested even in your failure to identify they "why". After all, onlythen can the dialogue between the two knowledge systems take place withrespect and curiosity that are so necessary for building bridges.

More on Insecticidal use of



Ipomoea fistulosa

Dr. W B Rahudkar has noticed that economically poor farmers ofVidarbha region of Maharashtra have been using extracts of Ipomoeafistulosa for controlling insect pests of cotton crop (HB Vol. 3(2):17) formany years. The local name of this plant is ‘besharm’ or ‘nilajari’,meaning shameless, as this plant grows vigorously anywhere, even duringthe hot summer. (One of the Gujarati names of Ipomoea fistulosa,‘nafattia’, also means the same). We found 15 published research paperson different aspects and uses of Ipomoea fistulosa in NAPRALERT.Saxena and Smith (1985) tried to explore its insecticidal effect on thehousehold insect. Anojpheles stephensi at the University of Rajasthan,Jaipur. The dried leaf extract (acetone extract) caused 70 per centmortality in larvae, 15 per cent in pupae and 10 per cent in adultemergence. Dr. Rijvi (1980) and his colleagues at Gorakhpur University,Uttar Pradesh conducted experiments to extract a natural herbicide andfound weak germination inhibition (20 per cent) in Amaranthus spinosus.

Dr. Pandey et al (1982) of the same University, published their work onantifungal activities of some leaf essential oil of Ipomoea fistulosa to beactive against the fungus Fusarium oxysporium. The other papersreported in NAPRALERT were on either chemical composition orbiological information. We have not yet come across any scientificreference to insecticidal use in agriculture. Recently, scientists inEntomology Department, Gujarat Agricultural University, Navsari andMahila Gram Vidyapeeth, Nardipur, Gujarat, have started experimentationon this aspect.

Some readers have reported that they did not find leaf extract ofIpomoea fistulosa effective when they tried it in their region. There maybe several reasons for this, such as variation within the species; thenature of habitat or soil on which the plant grows and the method andmode of extraction etc. The ethno-medical information in NAPRALERTcautions that the correct identification of this plant is highly questionable.Moreover, this plant has several varieties spread throughout India. Areport of the Board of Science and Education on “Alternative Therapy”published by British Medical Associatin, UK had notedf (though in anappendix) that the leaves of the same plant collected from differentsoils at different times have different properties. Since so many knownand unknown factors may affect the plant’s performance, invalidation ofthe innovation is not so easy.

————————————————————————————————Pandey, D K Chandra, H; Tripathi, N N (1982). “Volatile Fungitoxic Activityof Some Higher Plants with Special Reference to that of Callistemonlanceolatus” Phytopathology No. 105, pp. 175-82.

Rizvi, S J H; Mukherji, D; Mathur, S N (1980). “A New Report of PossibleSource of Natural Herbicide” Indian Journal of Exp. Biology, Vol. 18, pp.777-81.

Saxena, S.C; Sumithra, L (1985). “Laboratory Evaluation of Leaf Extract of aNew Plant to Suppress the Population of Malaria Vector Anopheles stephensiliston Current Science, Vol. 54(4), 201-02.

A. Agricultural Practices

4301 Land Preparation

In Saurashtra, farmersplough their groundnut fieldsimmediately after the monsoon cropand keep the furrows exposed tillthe onset of the next monsoon.They believe that the fine soil anddust deposited on the furrows bythe wind during summer benefitsthe groundnut being planted in thefollowing season in the samefurrows. Sometimes farmersincorporate small pieces of brickesin the soil as an alternative to trapwind-borne soil. (The same practicewas observed in MahendragarhDistrict, Haryana (Gupta, Patel andShah, 1985). There, the farmersexpected chickpea residue to movewith the wind and get deposited inthe open furrows: Ed)

Desai Jitubhai, Dist: Amreli, Comm:Ms. Pandya Neha K.

4302 Disease Control

4302.1 ‘Kukad’ Disease in Chilli

‘Kukod’ is a viral diseaseof the chilli plant characterised bycurling of leaves and dropping offlowers and is very common inwinter. Farmers prepare an extractof tobacco leaves and mix it withequal quantities of bajra flour andbutter milk.

This admixture is sprinkledon the crop.Approximately30 to 40 kgof the mixtureis required forone acre. Aweek afterthis treatment,the plantsbear newgrowth. Thetreatment isrepeated twiceor thrice at

weekly intervals. Some growershave been using this practice forthe last six to eight years.

In South Gujarat, farmers



dissolve alum in water which hasbeen used for washing intact fish(fish from which the scales havenot been removed). This mixtureis sprinkled over the diseased chillicrop. This practice has been in usefor the last 10 to 12 years in thisregion.

Dr. Pandey comments :‘Kukad’ of ‘kokadava’ disease is aviral disease transmitted by thewhite fly. Sometimes, the diseasebecomes serious when thepopulation of other sucking pestslike thrips increases. Tobacco leavescontain nicotine which is a contactpoison. (Nicotine sulphate 40% isused @ 50 ml. per 10 litres ofwater for control of pests).Washings of fish may contain someprotein which is coagulated by thealum. This suspension may form aprotective layer on the plants andprevent the sucking insects fromeffective probing. Alum by itselfalso has some insecticidalproperties.

Vasava Maganbhai, Dist:Dang, Comm: Baria Balubhai R andNariya Jivrajbhai Limbabhai Dist:Jamnagar, Comm: Ms. VandraKashmira N.

4302.2 Wilt in Eluesine coracanaand Pigeon Pea

‘Nagli’ (Eleusine coracana),a minor millet grown in the tribalregions of South Gujarat, issometimes affected by a diseasecalled wilt (locally ‘sukara’),especially when the climate is hotand humid. Farmers spray goat’smilk on the crop to control thedisease.

Ms. Desmukh suggstsbroadcasting of powdered dried fishin the pigeon pea for the samedisease.

Dr. Pandey comments : Goat milkhas protein which possesses

antimicrobialproperties.Fish powderhas apoisonouschemical calledtrimethylamine. Boththe ingredientsact only as

contact poisonsagainst follardisease, ‘sukara’which is avascular (internal)wilt disease, maynot be controlled

by these, it isdifficult to diagnosis ‘sukara’ as awilt because farmers often use theword ‘sukara’ for identifying anycommon disease characterised bywithering of plant. Hence, it ispossible that positive effects maybe seen if the crop has beenaffected by some other disease orpest.

Bariya Shantaben Tulshiram, Dist :Valsad and Ms. Deshmukh RatnabenR Dist: Valsad, Comm: JogariBharat L.

4302.3 Control of ‘Galo’ Diseasein Sugarcane

‘Galo’ is a diseasecharacterised by deposition ofdroplets of sticky, semi liquidhoney-like dew on the leaves andstems of sugarcane in the winter.Long before winter sets in, farmerscollect twigs of calotropis and soakthem in a tank filled with waterand allow them to decay formonths. The extract is then sprayedon the crop. This treatment curesthe disease within two to threedays. No adverse effect has beennoticed; however, the cane shouldbe washed before consumption.Even though this practice islaborious, about 30 to 40 per centof the farmers in this area havebeen using this method for the lasteight to ten years.

Dr. Pandey comments : Thedisease has been observedparticularly when mealy bug, pyrillaand other sucking pests feed onstems and leaves. Calatropls hasalkaloids with insecticidal proerties.These are perhaps released in thewater when the twigs rot.

Katrodia Chinubhai, Dist:Amreli, Comm: Ms. Pandya NehaK.

4302.4 Rotting of Bottle GourdVine:

The lower portion of thevine of the bottle gourd has atendency to rot. A spoonful of‘hing’ (asafoetida) powder is put onthe rotten portion and a fine-clothbandage is tied around it. Thistreatment has been in existence fora long time and is mostly used inhomestead gardens and showsfavourable effects within a week.

Dr. Pandey comments: Therot is due to fungus, ‘Hing’(asafoetida) has tannins which actas enzyme inhibitors. These checkthe growth of the gungus, allowingthe gourd to rejuvenate itself.

Patel Mohanbhai Shamjibhai,Dist: Jamnagar, Comm: Ms. VandraKashmira N.

4303 Weed for WaterConservation and as Green Manure

Farmers allow a weedcalled ‘kharbi’ to grow in the fieldsince it is believed to help the maincrop. In earlier times this weedused to be buried in the soil toprovide manure to the main crop.Later on, some farmers noticed thatit absorbs moisture from the deeperlayer of the soil and helps inretaining it in the upper layers.

Vasava Ishwarbhai Jivanbhai,Dist: Dang, Comm: Baria BalubhaiR.



4304 Pruning Apical Buds in Bottle Gourdds : Farmerto Farmer Diffusion of Indigenous Innovation Across theRegion.

Some farmers grow bottle gourd and othervegetables in summer when the prices of these arehigh.They allow the apical shoot to grow till it bears fiveor six flowers. After that onl the lateral branches areallowed to grow till they bear five or six flowers. Theapical bud of the lateral branch is then snipped and onlythe sub-lateral branches are allowed to grow. Farmers saythat this practice improves the quality of the vegetable.Ravjibhai Parmer has been following this practice sincelast year after learning about it from Mr. HirjibhaiBhingradiya of Bhavnagar district.

Parmar Ravjibhai Jivanbhai, Dist: Kheda, Comm: DabhiKantibhai J.

4305 Seed Treatment

4305.1 To Enhance Germination of Bottle Gourd

Seeds are soaked in water and wrapped in moistcotton cloth. This moist bag is put in a vessel andburied in farmyard manure for a day. The logic behindthis practice is that the moisture of wet cotton and theheat produced inside the manure heap softens the seedcoat thereby enhancing germination. Sometimes farmersmerely keep the seeds in water for 24 hours, but theyreport that the first mentioned method, though morelaborious, gives better result.

(Dr. Abedin, BARI, Bangladesh had once reported asimilar practice in which farmers tied the moist seeds ofbottle gourd around their waist in the turn of the ‘lungi’- a piece of cloth tied below waist. The bodytemperature helped the seed to germinate : Ed.)

Jadeja Sajubha Jamabha, Dist : Kutch, Comm:Patel Suresh H.

4305.2 To Protect Against Insect Pest

Seeds of groundnut are smeared with latexc ofEuphorbia spp to avoid infestation by ‘talkidi’ insect and‘ratada’ disease. Ayar Virabhai has been using thispractice for 10 years. Approximately 100 g of latex arerequired to smear 10 kg of seed. Farmers collect thefresh latex in vessels and treat the seeds on the eve ofsowing. However, because of its stickiness, this treatmentmay not be popular with the farmers now.

Ayar Virabhai Sidabhai, Dist: Jamnagar, Comm:Dangar Dahyabhai V.



4306 Constipation

Constipation is quite a commoncondition in bullocks. Locally thiscondition is called ‘kabatjiyat’.People collect the yellow colouredfruits of the ‘harde’ (Terminaliachebula) plant and keep them in thesun for two to three days.Approximately 250 g of the powderof the dried fruits and one litre ofwater is administered to the animal.The effects are felt within a day.Too high dose can cause diarrhoea.‘Harde’ is a medium size tree andbears fruit in winter. Sometimespeople store these fruits for thelean period. About 30 to 40 percent of the people use the ‘harde’fruit to cure constipation.

Kanabhai Vejabhai Bharvad, Dist:Ahmedabad, Comm: Ms. PandyaNeha K.

4307 Diarrhoea

Roots of ‘dedhumari’ (Ficushispida) are crushed after washing,soaked in water for an hour andfiltered through cloth. Between 100and 200 g of the filtrate isadministered to the animal. Thistreatment begins to take effect in aday and a complete cure iseffected in about 2-3 days. Manyfarmers use this method though attimes they do consult traditionalveterinary experts. This method hasbeen in use for a long time.‘Dedhumari’ is a small tree, thatgrows near river banks. It bearsfruits similar to those of ‘banyan’.

Baria Haribhai Rumalbhai, Dist:Panch Mahal, Comm: PatelChandubhai T.

4308 Dropping of Placenta

Empty cotton shells and rots of thecotton plant are boiled in water.

The decoction is filtered through acotton cloth and given to theanimal if it has not dropped theplacenta within 7-8 hours aftercalving. To prepare one litre ofdecoction, approximately 400 geach of empty pods shell and rootsare boiled in 2-3 litres of water.Approximately half a litre ofdecoction is given to the animal 2or 3 times at intervals of half anhour or so. This treatment startshaving its effect within an hour.Few peopl use this treatment; itwas quite popular 30-35 years ago.One limitation is that cottn shellsand roots are available only duringa limited period in the year.

Darbar Jorubha Chandansinh, Dist:Banaskantha, Comm: DarbarJalamsinh K.

4309 Septic Wounds

4309.1 Ghee and Latex of‘darudio’

Latex of a noxious weed called‘darudio’ (Argemone mexicana),collected by detaching branchesfrom the shoot is mixed withclarified butter (ghee) andapplied on wounds to kill thepathogens. Some farmers useonly the latex. It is appliedtwice a day for 2-3 days.‘Darudio’ (Mexican poppy)grows in winter and bearsseeds in capsule during earlysummer. It grows with wheatcrop on cultivated land.However, it grows profusely inuncultivated common land. Itgrows upto 1 to 2 feet heightand bears tiny thorns on theleaves and the stem.

Thakor Arjanji Limbaji, Dist:Banaskantha, Comm: DarbarJalamsinh K.

4309.2 Leaf to ‘Sundarsol’

The leaf of ‘sundarsol’ placed onan injury with its upper side incontact with its upper side incontact with a wound, promoteshealing. If the lower (dorsal) sideis placed in contact wth a boil, itforms pus. In the treatment thelower side is first applied to ripenthe boils and then the upper sidefor quick healing. Peole treat cleanwounds directly with the upper sideof the leaf. The same treatment isalso used in human beings and iswidely adopted in Gujarat. However,the plant is not easily available.

Ms. Chovriya Godavriben Valjibhai,Vill: Padarshinga, Tal : Lathi, Dist:Amreli, Comm: Patel Jayesh G.

4309.3 ‘Sindur’ and Sesame oil

If a semi-liquid paste of ‘sindur’(mercuric oxide) in sesame oil isapplied on a septic wound, healing isevident in three or four days. Careshould be taken to see that the animaldoes not lck the paste; hence a bandage

B. Animal Husbandry and Livestock



is tied over the wound. This practiceoriginated about ten years ago and isfollowed by about 25 to 30 per cent ofthe villagers. Sometimes people usecrushed leaves of ‘kidamari’(Aristolochia bracteata) for the samepurpose.

Kalabhai Gagjibhai, Dist: Ahmedabad,Comm: Ms. Pandya Neha K.

4310 Rabies

Approximately 10 leaves of Calotropisspp and jaggery are fed to the animal 2-3 times at an hour’s interval. Theanimal calms down within an hour orso after this treatment. This tratment isbelieved to give good results if it isfollowed immediately after appearanceof symptoms of the disease at an earlystage. In advanced stages, chances ofsuccess are very rare. This is a fairlywell-known method of treatment.Jadeja Navabha Rajbha, Dist : Kutch,Comm: Patel Suresh H.

4311 To prevent Prolapse of Uterus

To prevent premature delivery in cattlefarmers give approximately one kg ofcastor oil to the animal in the morning,in three to four split doses, along withother feed. They prefer to give castoroil with jaggery after 3-4 months ofpregnancy. Sometime ‘ramachi’,locally available coloured clay used forpainting is also mixed in water andgiven to the animal. Some farmers useit to paint the upper surface of theanimal’s body to maintain optimumbody heat. Most farmers follow allthese practices at various timesaccording to the availability ofresources and severity of the problem.

Chamar Daiben Ramabhai, Dist:Gandhinagar, Comm: Rathod Vimla B.

4312 Appetite Stimulant

Approximately 100 g of white alumis dissolved in water and given toanimals which are off feed.Excessive doses produce ulcers in

the mouth. This practice iscontinued for eight o ten days,especially after calving or whilerecuperating from illness. It is awidely known practice.

Bihola Pithuji Badalji, Dist:Gandhinagar Comm: Ms. RathodVimla B.

Sesame oil and sugar are mixedtogether in equal proportions andrubbed on the skin over theaffected part of the camel’s body,twice a day for three or four days.Most camel keepers in thisregion are aware of thispractice.

Raval ChhaganbhaiJoytabhai, Dist: Mahesana,Comm: Darbar Jalamsinh K.

4314 Intestinal Worms

4314.1 Roots ofAsparagus spp

Roots of ‘satavari’ (Asparagus spp),also known locally as ‘sasanighoghdi’ are pounded thoroughlyand mixed with water.Approximately two glasses of thesuspension are administyered to thecalf early in the morning. There isa belief that excessive feeding ofmilk increases the worm load inyoung calves. This practice isquite old and has not changed overthe years.

Bhoya Somabhai Chalkiya, Dist:Valsad, Comm: Ganvit Nayna B.

4314.2 Paste f Enicostemahyssoplifolium

A plant, locally called ‘mamejvo’(Enicosstema hyssoplifolium), ispounded and given to the calftwice or thrice a day. The plantgrows to a height of hardly onefoot and bears very small leaves.The practice is very old.

Vadi Polabhai Mavjibhai, dist: Jamnagar,Comm: Vandra Kashmira N.

4315 To Increase the Milk Yield

4315.1 Leaves and Twigs of‘Jethimadh’

The leaves and twigs of a treelocally called ‘jethimadh’ (Tavernieracuneifolia) are regularly fed to theanimals. According to some farmersthe practice also reduces theintercalving interval. People alsofeed ther vines of ‘guruvel’

(Tinospora spp), collected from theforests, for the same purpose. Thevine grows in hedges and climbson to large trees. This practicew isreported to increase not only themilk yield but also the fat contentof the milk.

Gamit Hirabhai Gordhanbhai. Dist:Dang, and Vasava RameshbhaiUkabhai, Dist: Dang, Comm: BariaBalubhai R.

4315.2 Vines of Kharkhodi andSeeds of Fennel

Most shepherds and herders collectvines of ‘kharkhodi’ from thehedges and feed it to the cattle forincreasing milk yield. Also poundedseeds of fennel are soaked in waterand given to animal for the samepurpose.

Patel Kuraji Premaji, Dist : Jamnagar,Comm: Dangar Alabhai G.

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4316 Poultry Disease Management

The tribals of the Dediapada forests inBharuch district generally keep a fewbirds to meet their daily need of eggs.Sometimes these birds fall prey to anunidentified disease, which kills themwithin a few days. The tribals use oneof the following alternative plantrecipes to treat the ailing birds : (In allthe cases, plant material is pounded andsuspended in the water given to thebirds; all the houses have special watersites for chicken)1. Bark of ‘beda’

2. Small pieces of onion3. Grains of paddy smeared withkerosene4. Tuber of ‘dev-alad’ (Curcuma spp)5. Dodder (Cuscuta reflexa)

Most people use thebark of ‘beda’, orthe tuber ofCurcuma spp andCuscuta reflexa.However, the choicedepends on theseason andavailability of plant.Cuscuta reflexa is aparasitic plant locallycalled as‘adharvel’meaning that whichdoes not touch theground.

Vasava Gujariyabhai, Dist: Bharuch,Comm: Vasava Ramji G.

numerous small pores while fishcannot come out. ‘Molo’ is placed inopposite direction. Women 0lace thisnet near their fields beforecommencing work. After 1 to 2 hours,there is enough fish for the day’s meal.This method does not require any extralabour or time because it is a self-operating system. The people alsomake small bunds of stone, treebranches and clay to divert more watertowards the bamboo net (Similar netsare used in deep waters or rivers ofBangladesh: Ed.)

Vasava Gujariyabhai, Dist: Bharuch,Comm: Patel Kirit K.

4317.2 Plant Products for Killing ofFish

Sometimes to catch fish on a largescale, tribals use various parts ofdifferent creepers and trees as fish-killers. This method is userd in streamscarrying a larger number of fish andwhen it is possible to stop the water-flow for a short time. Any of thefollowing may be used:

i) Bark of ‘chinara’

ii) Leaves of ‘punja’

iii) Plant of ‘agari’

iv) Fruit of ‘gala’

v) Plant of ‘chido’ along with root

One of the above is pounded on stonesnear the stream and suspended in thewater after stopping water flow withbunds made of branches, clay andstones. The fish die soon and they arepicked up manually or with a net-likescopping implement of bamboo knownas ‘aswo’.

Among all these plants ‘chido’ isextremely poisonous for fish. Thequantity of material used generallydepends on size of stream.

Vasava Gujariyabhai, Dist: Bharuch,Comm: Patel Kirit K

4317 Fishing

Tribals of Dediapada forestuse different methods to catch fishfrom small streams.

4317.1 Bamboo Net

Nets made of different types ofbamboo strips into which fish can only

enter are used. These are two types ofnets — one type known as‘bhosakiya’, for catching downward -moving fish and the other, called‘molo’, for upward moving fish.

‘Bhosakiya’ is placed in the stream insuch a way that water and fish enter itfrom the open, broad mouth (See fig.)The water passes through the

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Rural Programmes on MassMedia

Dr. R. GanesanDean Gandhigram Rural InstituteGandhigram 624302D O M District, Tamil Nadu

Recently, I participated in the“Rural Programmes AdvisoryCommittee” meeting of AIR (AllIndia Radio) Madurai, in which Italked about the documentation ofHoney Bee and I stressed the needfor allocation of timings forIndigenous Knowledge Systems(IKS) under rural programmes ofAIR. The theme was accepted forbroadcast by the Station Directorand Farm Radio Officer. I haveadvised one of the Ph.D. scholars,Mrs. S. Parvati of Tamil NaduAgricultural University, Coimbatore,to concentrate on IKS on post-harvest handling. It would be betterto give the common English namefor pests, crops, animal diseasesbesides the vernacular expressionsand scientific names in HoneyBee. To cite a few examples, inVol. 4(1), the following could notbe understood:

a) On pg. 6, ‘shutara’ weed,‘panpey’ plant, ‘kaitha’ fruits,sada bahar plants. (We haverequested concerned authors inBhutan and Uttar Pradesh forsending plant samples. Perhaps yourdirect communication to them mayexpedite the matter: Ed.)

b) On pg. 12, ‘falmakhi’ pest;‘ratda’ disease, ‘kukad’ viral disease(‘falmakhi’ is a fruiffly which layseggs inside the fruits like guava,ber etc. ‘Ratda’ and ‘kukad’ arediseases; one has to analyse thesymptoms of ‘ratda’ duringinfection. ‘Kukad’, common viraldisease of vegetables, is transmittedthrough whitefly : Ed.)

Letters to the Editor

Can a Medical Doctor Help?

Dr. Z M Datta, Woodstock SchoolMussoorie Hills-248179Dehra Dun, Uttar Pradesh

Kindly let me know whetherI, being a medical practitioner, canbe of any aid or assistance to youin your noble work. Yourproduction is very helpful and aguide to me in my Christianmedical missionary work in theservice of urban and rural areas.

A Camal Cannot Have a BigHeadMr. Nagaraj, Coimbatore, TamilNadu

I agree with youwhen you say thatthe worst kind of threat is fromthe so called “liberals”. It is thesepseudo-progressives who have beenthe most vociferous supporters of

the kind of development which isreally devastating our land. I toldone of the Planning Commissionmembers at Chandigarh, a coupleof months back that a camelcannot have a big head nor anelephant a long neck. Developmentis an organic concept. Well theydid not question me but would notchange their views either.

The one great force thatwe should mobilise on a statewide

basis with an all India coordinationtoday is the vast section of poorpeasants with a clear view toconserve our life, water, soil,forest, cattle and seeds. Thereshould be an end for this kind ofindustrialisation. India can live onlywhen its millions of villagesflourish. The urban-based “liberals”are the greatest threat to the livesof the millions.

(We understand and appreciate yourfrustration with what you call ‘urbanliberals’. However, we must take carenot to jump from the fire into thefrying pan. The new conservativesinventing a “glorious tradition” areno less a threat to a self reliant andecosustainable economy thanpseudoliberals. May be the labelshave last their meanings. : Ed.)

How can we Proceed FurtherKapil ShahSustainable FarmingVinoba Ashram, Gotri, Vadodara390 021

As a side effect of the greenrevolution, indigenouscultivators are varnishing fromthe farmers’ fields. Suchcultivators should be managedproperly and if required theysould be brought back to thefields. Interestingly, afterextensive and intensivecultivation of hybrid cotton inAmod taluka of Bharuchdistrict, farmers nowcultivate‘gheti’ cotton, an indigenous

cultivbar and a short staple variety(though it is illegal to cultivate).However, it was grown soextensively last year that localcooperatives had to start purchasingsuch cotton.

Farmers are now realizing the valueand importance of indigenouscultivators. During my “SustainableFarming Camps” for farmers, I foundthat in many cases the basicinformation on local cultivars was

25



missing. It is a pity that the new generation of the agrariansector knows little about local cultivars. On the other hand,the Gujarat Agricultural University must have collected andmaintained the local germ lasm of each crop at its researchstations. As a student of plant breeding I would prefer tomaintain local germ plasm at its native or original place ratherthan at research stations. How can we proceed further onthis issue? Shall we ask the Director of Research, GujaratAgricultural University (GAU) to provide us details of localgerm plasm for an inventory for our ready reference?

(First step first. Why not first inventorise the available germplasm variability, collect and maintain it locally before askingGAU’s help, though that would not be difficult at all: Ed.)

Linseed Saves Chickpeal

Claus EulerDeputy Country CoordinatorEDM, Box 986, DhakaBangladesh

I am working with below-povertyline rural people in anintegrated development project, inwhich we are trying to planactivities with maximumparticipation. I keep my earsconstantly open to learn about anylocal knowledge. I did my Ph.D.research in a mountain village inNepal, where I could document awhole lot of local wisdom andseasonal food items (like wildfruits) which normally do not playany role in the present cash-orientedeconomy.

Recently, I went to visit Shimoliavillage of Khoksha sub-district in west Bangladesh on 11thMarch 1993, I talked to farmer Basur Mandal. He casuallytold me about the effect of the ‘hana poka’ (hole insect), aninsect which attacks the fresh chickpea (locally called ‘sola’crop), makes a big hole in the capsule and eats up the seeds.Knowing this insect’s preference for the chickpea crop, thefarmers practice double cropping with linseed (locally called‘tisi’) which, growing taller, effectively keeps away the ‘hanapoka’, which cannot bear the smell of the linseed blossoms.

(Keep it up! please send us more such examples: Ed)

For better generation of DillManiben Maneklal PraajapatiVill: Bamnoj, Tal: Danta, Dist: BanaskanthaI remember one student met me sometime back asking for

some information about household activities like seedstorage, treatment, animal husbandry etc. I am now sendingsome information about treatment of dill seed which it\spracticed by many people in our region. For bettergermination, the seed coats are reptured on a hard floor witha shoe or ‘chappal’. Either the seed coat breaks slightly or, ifthe pressure appied is too much, the two halves getseparated. These seeds are then broadcasted in the field. Ifseed quality is good, even the half seeds germinate.

When NGOs Cannot AffordPankaj JoshiScience and Engineering Materials Department of ChemistryArizona State UniversityTempe, AZ 85287-1604

Not being a farmer I cannot make much use of knowledgeabout grasshoopers and animal husbandry.

However, the newsletter is a beautifulattempt to help communicationbetween distant farmers, ruralinnovtors and inquisitive scientists. Asa student residing in the US, I amsupposed to pay subscription ofUS$5. I think I can pay some more.

I am sure monetary cap must belimiting many innovative ideas ofHB staff. At the same time

some NGOs will not beable to afford Rs. 50 forthe yearly subscription. Ifyou know about suchNGOs, I would like to pay

for some of them.

Everybody is InterestedPatel Ramanbhai CVill: Vaktapur Ujedia PO Kherol, Tal:Prantij Dist: Sabarkantha

I received your magazine very late as someone borrowed itdirectly from the post office. It came to me via somefarmers because everybody was interested in reading it. Iwish to pay the subscription. Since they are very relevant toour farming I read all the practices with great interest.

We have some practices like broadcasting roasted maize incastor for the control of larvaecalled ‘ghodiya iyal’. We also putseeds of groundnut in lime solutionbefore sowing for bettergermination.

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News and Views

Swedish Student studies indigenous water conservation

Mr. Lyes Ferroukhi, a post-graduate student at Universityof Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden spent about threemonths with SRISTI and Honey Bee network to studyindigenous water conservation practices of pastoralists in thearid region of Kutch, Gujarat. SRISTI will be circulatingthe Gujarati translation of the final report to all the membersof the community who provided valuable knowledge andextended warm hospitality. An Indian post-graduate inagriculture, Jitendra H Suthar, collaborated in this study.SRISTI welcomes students from other parts of the worldinterested in learning from the creativity and innovation oflocal farmers and communities in India. Dr. Kristin Cashman,Visiting Scholar concluded her study as did her friend, Dr.Will Gibson.

Getting message across : Video film by DECU/ISRO

Development education and Communication Unit (DECU) ofIndian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Ahmedabadmade a film on “Peoples’ Science” (20 minutes) describingfour innovations of artisans. The film was broadcast onregional television and also shown at National Congress onTraditional Sciences in Bomay. Other films in collaborationwith SRISTI are in progress.

Conservation Through Competition among children andothers

Biodivers i tyc o n t e s t sw e r eorganisedat twod i f fe ren tv i l l a g e s ,Virampur andS e m b a l p a n i ,B a n a s k a n t h adistrict, Gujarat amongchildren and adults. It was alsoorganised in village Gangagarh,UP North India with the help ofvoluntary organization - AlokCharitable Trust. Extremelyuseful and diverse knowledgeof local environment and itsrole in survival were broughtout. A copy of the report canbe obtained from us.

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1. Madhav Ram Verma1, “DairyHusbandry of Nomadic Gujjars inSix South West Himachal ForestRanges”, M.Sc Thesis submitted toPunjab Agriculural University, 1967,135 pp.

Around the late-sixties a smallgroup of scientists led by Dr. Y PSingh at the Extension Department,Punjab Agricultural University hadraised the issue of scientistslearning from local knowledge andpractices of farmers (Verma andSingh, “A plea for Studies inTraditional Animal Husbandry”, TheAllahabad Farmer 1969). The issuewas by and large ignored by Indianscientists until the early-eighties,when western scientists likeChambers, Biggs and Brakenshawetc. began to recognize itssignificance. As a tribute to thepioneering efforts of Dr. Singh andhis colleagues we are reviewing thepost graduate thesis of one of theirstudents, Dr. M R Verma. Theauthor adopted an anthropologicalapproahc in studying the indigenousanimal husbandry practices of theGujjars - a nomadic tribe in S EHimachal Pradesh. The data wascollected through participantobservation, interview guide, diarywriting and from secondarysources.

A systematic account of the cultureof the Gujjars is provided in PartI. The impacts of the nomadichabit and the nature of occupationviz. animal husbandry in shapingthe culture and word-view of theGujjars is captured well in thisaccount. Part II forms the bulk ofthe thesis. It presents thedocumentation of dairy husbandrypractices related to (a) calf rearing(b) puberty, pregnancy andparturition (c) bull management (d)feeds and fodder (e) milking, milkand milk producers (f) diseases and

their treatment. In Part III theauthor draws implications forproviding policy and institutionalsupport to bring the otherwiseisolated community into main streamsocial life. The thesis ends with alist of twenty questions posed as aresearch agenda for scientists.Interestingly, most of thesequestions are derived from Gujjars’existing solutions rather thanproblems.

To illustrate, I quote from the text:

1. What makes Maljan(Bauhinia vahlii) effective in killingleeches in water?

2. Has the milk test employedby the subjects for pregnancydiagnosis any scientific base? Thetest comprises stripping milk frompregnant animals (3 months andabove) and forming a thread withthe help of indexc finger andthumb with a drop of milk. Shouldthread formation occur, the animalis supposed to be pregnant.” It isunfortunate that such systematicand empirical work on indigenousknowledge has remained unpublishedtill date.

2. Traditional VeterinaryMedicine in Nepal, published by theFAO/APHCA, Bankok, Thailand,1991, is based on the work of Dr.D D Joshi and is an updatedversion of a 1984 monograph.

It describes the medicinaluses of 156 plants and also listsout homeopathic and ‘unani’practices in use in Nepal, andchemicals of plant origin which areused in veterinary medicine. Ofspecial interest is the classificationof traditional veterinary practitionersinto 14 groups. These includeestablished systems like ayurveda,‘unani’, homeopathy and ‘sidha’.

The traditional group of Dhamis,whose knowledge is passed downfrom generation to generation, andthe Pinchasi or Pichas are the twomost popular groups in Nepal. Thereport also contains illustrations anddescription of 25 commonly usedplants.

A companion volume,Traditional Veterinary Medicine inIndonesia, is based on the work ofDr. Sokobagyo Poedjomartono anddescribes more than 75 practicesfor various conditions like anorexia,diarrhea, bloat, fever, worms,wounds, and intoxication etc. Italso lists 106 plants and herbs usedin veterinary medicine and carriesillustrations of 78 of them. Furtherinformation on the publications maybe obtained from APHCAInformation Exchange Unit, FAORegional Office for Asia and thePacific, Bangkok, Thailand.

Book Worm

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3. K. Vijayalakshmi and K MShyam Sundar, “Plant PropogationTechniques in Vrakshayurveda”,LSPSS Monograph No. 10, Madras,1993.

The Lok Swasthya ParamparaSamvardhan Samithi (LSPSS) is anall India network of peopleinterested in revitalization of theindigenous systems of health care.The book under review has beenbrought out by thenetwork as apart of its ontinuing search forancient, but still valid, practices.It highlights various ways of seedpreservation particularly with leafextracts such as of Ipomoeafistulosa, milk, ashes of differentkinds, etc. A specific kind oftreatment has been suggested forthe seeds of the wood apple bypreparing a decoction froots ofeight plants (1) ‘neel koyala’, (2)Indian gooseberry, (3) Anogeissuslatifolia, (4) ‘bakkan’, (5) ‘vetula’(6) Heliotropium, (7) Ethitesfruteseens and (8) Aganosomacaryophyllum. The roots are firstboiled in milk. Then the seeds aresoaked in themixture for twominutes and dried in the sun forthirty days. A large number ofother practices are also suggested.In some cases, the plant extractsor oils used for improving seedgermination are similar to the onesused for improving human fertility(p.8). Many of these practices areused by the farmers even todya asis evident from the publications inHoney Bee. It is, therefore,extremely important that on-farmresearch is undertaken on theancient practices, as proposed bythe authors.

‘Susrutha’s classification of ricevarieties on the basis of taste,potency, digestability, strength,human health effect, etc. is given.It goes without saying tyhat thecataloguing of germplasm canimprove a great deal if thistaxonomy can be drawn upon.

This monograph is a useful additionto the literature on traditional/ancientbotanical knowledge.

The monograph could havebenefited with more discussionabout the modern scientific literatureand contemporary practices.

4. Horn Joshua S., “Awaywith all Pests : An English Surgeonin People’s China : 1954-1969”New York and London, Monthlyreview Press, 1969.

When China and the rest of theworld would like to erase chunksof China’s history, taking a secondlook at a book dealing withprecisely those moments in historymay be useful: we cannot allowgood things in history to be castaway.

How theory was combined withpractice and how different schoolsof medicine were encouraged toblend was rought out graphically inthis book published in 1969.Mao’s thoughts were used toinspire the masses, though Hornand Snow (who wrote theforeword for this book) do notbelieve in the ‘power’ of thesethoughts.

Just because the Tienanmen squareis tainted, the foresight of a societyand that of its architects in forginglinkages btween the so-calledmodern and the traditionalknowledge systems should not beignored.

Horn describes how herbalistsanalyzed diseases differently frommodern physicians and how their

line of treatment was veryparsimonious. They devised thetreatment of a problem only uptoa point and then let the body takeover through its own healingprocess. This seemed to be a vitalpart of their strategy.

China, like many other developingcountries, faced health problems.The book provided among otherthings, an impresive account ofChina’s success in eliminatingschistosomiasis. About 250 millionpeople were affected by this diseasein the 1960s all over the world.The control strategy used in Chinaoffers lessons for problems thatrequire mass mobilization. The lifecycle of the blood fluke wasstudied. Alternatives were generatedfor controlling the disease by eitherpreventing the host from cominginto contact with water sources, orby preventing faeces containing liveeggs from contaminating riverwater, or by attacking the snails.Since the flukes were not equallyvulnerable at all the three points inlife cycle, equal force was notapplied at this stage.

The concept of “mass line” was used.The concept rests on the convictionthat the ordinary people possess greatstrength and wisdom and that whentheir initiative is given full play, theycan accomplish miracles; that the artof leadership is to learn from themasses, to refine and systematize theirexperience and, on this basis, to decideon policy” (p.96).

Before one could then try to mobilizethe peasantry, they had to be explainedthe native of the theories which hadplagued them for so long. Lectures,film shows, posters, radio talks, etc.,were used. Once they understood theproblem, the peasants could work outthe methos of defeating the fluke.During March and August, the entirepopulation in country after county,supplemented by the labour of armymen, students, teachers and office

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2. Information about repositories of traditional wisdom, ecological knolwedge and natural resourcemanagement institutions developed by people on their own.

3. Comments on innovative practices published in Honey Bee by scientists trained in indegenoussystems of medicine (Ayurveda, Unani, Sidhha, etc.) and western systerm of science. Also,furhter research to add value to local innovations.

4. Collaboration in bringing out vernacular editions of Honey Bee to promote people to people dialogue.5. Organization of biodiversity contests among children, and adults.6. Collection of old mansuscripts, books and other papers on indigenous innovation and knowledge systems.7. Mobilization of paid membership for Honey Bee network, and any other voluntary initiative to support

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workers, “turned out to drain the riversand ditches, dig away and bury theirbanks and temp down the buried earth”(p. 97). The reliance on the awarenessof peasants was of key importance.The mobilization of masses did notmean, “to issue them with shovels andinstructions”, it meant “fire them withenthusiasm, to release their initiativeand tap their wisdom”.

The book described how scientificproblems were solved through

cooperative action and the user ofinsights of the people at grassrootslevel. Whenever a particular indigenousinnovation was identified, themechanisms used to scale it up werevery forceful.

Today, when China has triedto erase all memories of pre 1978, itis possible that the lessons may alsoe forgotten. Problems of illiteracy,health, sanitation, et., are not going tovanish through paper plans and

bureaucratic strategies. How massmobilization can be achieved to pursuemiraculous goals is what this book isabout. Reading it afresh one can ignoresome of the political messages in thebook. However, one must rememberthat any major social change doesinvolve policies of one kind or ther.The continued illiteracy, lack of healthfacilities and poor opportunities forcreative farmers and workers to fulfilltheir potential is also an expression ofthe political process.

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Documents

April-September 1993