Contents:
Introduction Indigenous knowledge and modern technologies - a conflict
The Eleven Models:
The multi-storeyed coffee horti-forestry system on Alfisols and Ultisols
Seashore erosion prevention:Cashewnut- Casuarina model on Entisols
Multi-storeyed Coconut based system on Alfisols and Oxisols of Kerala and Karnataka
Sustainable Conservation horticulture in fruit orchards on Inceptisols and Alfisols
Ecologically Sustainable Rubber plantations on Alfisols, Ultisols and Oxisols
Multi-storey Tropical home gardens on Alfisols and Inceptisols
Building on indigenous knowledge for a sustainable future
Further reading : Atteh, D. 1989. "Indigenous Local Knowledge as Key to Local-level Development: Possibilities, Constraints and Planning Issues in the Context of Africa." Paper presented at the Seminar on Reviving Local Self-reliance: Challenges for Rural/Regional Development in Eastern and Southern Africa. Arusha, Tanzania, February 21-24, 1989.
Das, S &Sandhu, H. 2014. Role of Exotic Vegetation in Coastal Protection An Investigation into the Ecosystem Services of Casuarina in Odisha. Economic & Political Weekly volxlIX42 no 1, JANUARY 4, 2014), Narasimhan 2007; Rodrigues et al 2011, Kulkarni2005,Katwal et al 2003.
Devagiri, GM,Kushalappa, CG, Prakash, NA, Mohan, GS, Raghu, HB, and Satish, BN, 2012. Payment for carbon sequestration service: a Tool for Sustainable management of Kodagu Landscape in Central Western Ghats. Seronica Journal Vol. 3 No. 2, May
Feagin, R A, N Mukherjee, K Shanker, A H Baird,JCinner, A M Kerr, N Koedam et al (2010b):“Shelter from Storm? Use and Misuse of CoastalVegetationBioshields for Managing NaturalDisasters”, Conservation Letters, 3: 1-11.
Ganeshamurthy, AN,Ravindra, V, Panneerselvam, Pand Sathyarahini,S. 2015. Comparative effects of conventional and conservation management practices in mango orchards on certain soil properties of an Alfisol under seasonally dry tropical savanna climate. Agronomy for Sustainable Development (In press)
Kruse JS. 2007. Frame work for sustainable soil management: Literature review and synthesis. Ankeny, IA: Soil and Water Conservation Society, UK.
Mohanty, N C (1992): Odisara Luna JangalabauonBanyapranni (Mangroves of Odisha), ProjectSwarajya Publication (Bhubaneswar: Nayapalli) (in Oriya).
Narasimhan, D (2007): “Use of Coastal Shelterbeltsalong the East Coast of India with Special Referenceto Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh”,available at http://bit.ly/SasSBr
Odisha District Gazetteer, Cuttack (1996): GazetteersUnit, Department of Revenue, Bhubaneswar,Government of Odisha.
Odisha District Gazetteer, Puri (1977): GazetteersUnit, Department of Revenue, Bhubaneswar,Government of Odisha.
Rice, R. 2010. The Ecological Benefits of Shade-Grown Coffee the Case for Going Bird Friendly. Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian National Zoological Park Conservation Biology Institute.2010.
Rodrigues, R S, A Mascarenhas, T G Jagtap (2011): “An Evaluation of Flora from Coastal Sand Dunes of India: Rationale for Conservation and Management”, Ocean and Coastal Management, 54: 181-88.
Tea board of India, 2007.An overview of the tea industry in the north-eastern region and initiatives of the tea board.Presentation before the 3rd sectoral summit and special meeting of the North Eastern Council. Guwahati, 9th March, 2007. Tea board of India
Eleven Models of Sustainable Soil Management in Horticultural Systems
Farming is dependent on natural resources. Productivity in any kind of farming is sustainable only if the continuum of soil, water, animals and plants maintains a harmonious balance. When any of these is destroyed or depleted, reduced production from the farm results in the long term, due to a change in the ecosystem dynamics followed by higher costs of agrochemical application. It costs, in turn, the health of a system, of human beings and animals. It is because of this that an ecologically sustainable approach to horticulture is essential. This approach serves two purposes:
It helps enhance environment quality, and, maintains and often improves the natural-resource base upon which agricultural economy is dependent
It makes the most efficient use of non-renewable resources and on-farm resources and integrates, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls, thus reducing the cost of additional chemicals and other inputs. These, in turn, result in sustained economic viability of farm operations and enhance the quality of the life for farmers, and the society as a whole.
Soil management is sector-specific. A thorough knowledge of this area is important for imparting appropriate and trusted advice for soil and water management. A healthy soil can deliver high productivity (quality, reliability and yield), profitability and environmental protection, with the ultimate result of providing ‘Safe food’, be it cereals, pulses, fruits or vegetables.
A clear, consistent and reliable guidance is needed to achieve sustainable soil management. Our horticulture sector demands that soils should be managed in ways that promote soil health and structure in terms of physical, chemical and biological properties. Only then can we deliver economically and environmentally sustainable, resilient and productive horticulture systems with an assurance that our soils are fit for the purpose, are resilient and future-proofed. The ultimate goal is to produce safe fruits and vegetables. Conversely, to be sustainable, horticulture has to satisfy the competing demands for productivity (quantity and quality), profitability and environmental protection.The overarching aim of this exercise is to present a broad picture of the current situation on natural resources, and to provide a development strategy for sustainable soil management in horticultural systems.
Soil management refers to all the operations, practices, and treatments used for protecting soil and enhancing its performance. Good soil management restores life to the soil and maintains soil fertility, increases yields of the crops, and helps make the entire agricultural process economically viable. Good soil management helps soils provide ecosystem services while improving and maintaining the overall health of the soil.
Soil management issues that matter to perennial horticulture include, among others,
Use of organics
Surface- and subsurface water management
Vulnerability of soil carbon
Increased productivity
Control of environmental impact
Maintains biodiversity
Control of pests, diseases and weeds
Inevitably, there is an overlap of issues. For example, increased productivity is related to control of pests and diseases and, this inturn, influences environmental impact in terms of use of chemicals. However, while examining the models, the evidence base for each of the issues is dealt with separately.
The specifics of a particular production system at any location are a response to needs of the producer and the consumer (not to forget that, at times, the two are one and the same), and will take into account biophysical, economic and social contexts within which that system is situated. In terms of sustainability, production is inherently more sustainable where the necessary inputs for production, nutrients, water, heat and solar radiation are adequately supplied by the environment; deficiencies in any of these will need to be remedied at additional cost and risk to both the producer and the environment.
Indigenous knowledge and modern technologies - A conflict
Subsistence production systems tend to depend upon a diverse range of species, with reliance upon a number of commodities including, fruits (often harvested from non-cultivated plants), vegetables and sources of carbohydrate and (often hunted) meat. Much current attention is directed towards these systems as these harbour plentiful indigenous knowledge relevant to bio-prospecting, and these create interests both commercial and ethical. Such systems lead to further evolution of indigenous knowledge (IK).
Indigenous knowledge (IK) is a systematic body of knowledge acquired by local people through accumulation of experiences, informal experimentation, and an intimate understanding of the environment in any given culture. It is a general observation and is a ground reality, that, while developing and disseminating technologies through the research-extension pipeline, farmers' needs, priorities, and indigenous knowledge systems are seldom considered. A preconceived notion prevails among researchers that these knowledge systems are 'primitive', 'unproductive' and 'irrelevant', and contribute to problems. Some of the feelings of researchers on this subject are listed below:
Indigenous knowledge systems are handed down orally
Indigenous knowledge systems are seldom documented
Indigenous knowledge systems may be implicit within local people's practices, actions, and reactions, rather than being a conscious resource
Each individual possesses only a part of a community's indigenous knowledge system
Farmers can rarely recall information on quantitative data pertaining to their indigenous knowledge systems
The greatest consequence of under-utilization of IKs is a loss of the IK itself. Non-utilization of IK diverted our research efforts to search literature from outside an ecosystem where a scientist works, particularly from the West, more so from a temperate-dominant environment, resulting in inefficient allocation of resources and manpower to inappropriate planning strategies. This has resulted in poor adoption of modern concepts and technologies because there is little congruence between planning objectives and realities faced by the rural lot. Researchers and planners tend to think that they know what is good for the rural folk which, in fact, is far from the truth (as, wisdom is been passed down over generations). As a consequence, this attitude has done little to protect the health of our soils or to alleviate rural poverty. With little or no contact with rural people, planning experts and state functionaries have attempted to implement programs that do not meet the goals of rural people, thereby affecting structures and processes that help perpetuate rural poverty.
The Eleven Models
I have attempted to examine such models of soil management which are in existence or are being practiced/developed and used by horticultural farmers across the country. These are a blend of IKs and modern technologies and appear more sustainable than the exhaustive/ intensive management systems of modern times. Eleven such models are described.
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