Introduction

• Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) is the actual knowledge of a given population that reflects the experiences based on tradition and includes more recent experiences with modern technologies.
• Indigenous agricultural practices (IAPs) are an unwritten body of knowledge. There is no systematic record to describe what they are, what they do and how they do what they do, how they can be changed, their operations, their boundaries and their applications. It is held in different brains, languages and skills in as many groups, cultures and environments as are available today.
• Indigenous Technical Knowledge is the local knowledge, a knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society. It contrasts with the international knowledge system generated by universities, research institutions and private firms. It is the basis for local–level decision making in agriculture, health care, food preparation, education natural resource management and a host of other activities in rural communities.
• Indian farmers, over centuries have learnt to grow food and to survive in difficult environments; where rich tradition of ITK has been interwoven with the agricultural practices followed by them.

Some of the famous ITKs developed by progressive organic farmers of India are provided hereunder

Bijamrut

Ingredients

• Cow Dung- 5kg
• Cow urine- 5L
• Cow milk- 1L
• Lime- 250g
• Water- 100L

Method of Use: Sprinkled over the seeds before they are sown as seed treatment.

Scientifically Validated by: TNAU, Coimbatore and CSKHPKV, Palampur.

Sanjivak

Ingredients

• Cow urine-100L
• Cow dung-100-200kg
• Jaggery-500g
• Water-300L

Kept for 10 days to ferment

Method of Application

(Diluted 20 times before use)

• Along drip irrigation
• Foliar spray
• To enrich soil with microorganisms for quick residue decomposition.

Scientifically Validated by: University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

Jivamrut

Ingredients

• Cow dung- 10kg
• Cow urine- 10L
• Jaggery- 2kg
• Flour of gram (Tur, Moong, Cowpea, Urad) – 2kg
• Live soil (Healthy soil)- 1 kg
• Water- 200L

Uses

• Promoting growth and flowering along with acting as a yield enhancer (@5-10% spray with water)
• Soil fertility enhancer (applied along with irrigation water)

Scientifically Validated by: TNAU, Coimbatore, CSKHPKV, Palampur and UAS, Bangalore

Amritpani

Ingredients

• Cow dung- 10kg
• Honey- 500g (can be replaced by 500gm jaggery)
• Cow desi ghee- 250g or 250 ml mustard oil
• Water- 200L

Uses: Soil fertility enhancer (@ 200 ltrs per acre along with irrigation water)

Scientifically Validated by: NEERI (CSIR Institute), Nagpur

Panchagavya

Panchagavya is an organic product having the potential for promoting growth and providing immunity in plant system.

Ingredients

• Cow dung slurry- 4kg
• Fresh cow dung- 1kg
• Cow urine- 3L
• Cow milk- 2L
• Curd- 2L
• Cow butter oil- 1kg

Method of Application: 3L Pachagavya diluted in 100L water

Uses

• Seed and seedling treatment
• As a soil fertility enhancer by applying through irrigation water

Scientifically Validated by: TNAU, Coimbatore, CSKHPKV, Palampur, UAS, Bangalore and MPUAT, Udaipur.

Panchagavya Enriched

To enrich Panchagavya, crushed banana fruit, cow desi ghee, sugarcane juice, coconut water can be added. Rest protocol remains the same as Panchgavya.

Enriched Amrut Ghol

Ingredients

• Cow urine- 5L
• Cow dung- 1kg
• Decaying fruits (juice) – 1L

Mixed and kept for 5 days

Method of application: For 1 acre- 20-30L spray

Uses

• Soil fertility enhancer (60-100 ltr per litre)
• Growth and flowering enhancer (Spray)

Source: Akhil Bharatiya Sajiv Kheti Samaj, Mapusa, Goa

Scientific validation yet to be done.

Anda-Arkh

Ingredients

• Juice of 25 lemons (Approx.) (can be collected as waste lemon from lemon field)
• 5 eggs
• Jaggery- 250g
• Close for 10 days and use 11th day onwards

10 ml – 50ml of this solution in 10L of water diluted before use.

Uses

• Growth and flowering enhancer (Spray)
• Spray for disease control (10-50 ml/10 litre water)

Source: Akhil Bharatiya Sajiv Kheti Samaj, Mapusa, Goa

Scientific validation yet to be done.

Fish-Arkh

Ingredients

• Desi Fish- 1kg (depends on availability)
• Jaggery- 1kg
• Clean cloth (to cover)
• Clean stick (to mix)
• Earthern pot/ Plastic drum

Uses: Spray for disease control (3 ltr/100 litre water)

Source: Akhil Bharatiya Sajiv Kheti Samaj, Mapusa, Goa

Scientific validation yet to be done.

Coconut- Buttermilk Ghol

Ingredients

• Cow buttermilk (chaanch) – 5L
• Coconut water- 1L
• Fruit juice- 1L
• Turmeric- 100g
• Hing- 20g

It has pesticidal actions.

Method of application

• 1L of this solution diluted with 10L of water before spray.
• Used as a tool for plant protection against fungal disease and insects

Source: Akhil Bharatiya Sajiv Kheti Samaj, Mapusa, Goa

Scientific validation yet to be done.

Brahmastra (broad spectrum botanical pesticide)

• Crush 3 kg neem leaves in 10 L cow urine.
• Crush 2 kg custard apple leaves, 2 kg papaya leaves, 2 kg pomegranate leaves and 2 kg guava leaves in water.
• Mix the two and boil 5 times at same interval till it becomes half.
• Keep for 24 hours, then filter squeeze the extract. This can be stored in bottles for 6 months.
• Dilute 2-2.5 litre of this extract to litre to 100 litre for acre.
• Benefits: Useful against sucking pests, pod/fruit borers.

Source: NCOF, Ghaziabad (2011-12)

Neemastra (broad spectrum botanical pesticide)

• Crush 5 kg neem leaves in water
• Add 5lit cow urine and 2 kg cow dung
• Ferment for 24 hrs with intermittent stirring
• Filter squeeze the extract and dilute to 100 lit
• Use as foliar spray over one acre
• Useful against sucking pests and mealy bugs

Source: NCOF, Ghaziabad (2011-12)

 Agneyastra

• Crush 1 kg Ipomea (besaram) leaves, 500 gm hot chilli, 500 gm garlic and 5 kg neem leaves in 10 lit cow urine.
• Boil the suspension 5 times till it becomes half
• Filter squeeze the extract.
• Store in glass or plastic bottles
• 2-3 lit extract diluted to 100 lit is used for one acre.
• Useful against leaf roller, stem/fruit/pod borer

Source: NCOF, Ghaziabad (2011-12)

Organic Earthen Pot Arkh

Ingredients

• Earthen pot – 1 unit
• Indigenous Cow Urine – 5 litres
• Neem leaves – 1 kg
• Pongamia Leaves – 1 kg
• Calotropis Leaves – 1 kg
• Jaggery – 50 g

Method of Preparation

1. Collect the fresh leaves of Neem, Pongamia and calotropis and crush them
2. Mix the Cow urine, cow dung and jaggery properly in the earthen pot.
3. Add the crushed leaves to the earthen pot and stir well.
4. Cover the mouth of the earthen pot with a clean cloth
5. Store it in a shade place for 7-10 days.
6. Collect the extract and further add 5 litre of cow urine and again collect the extract every 10 days.

Method of application: For use dilute 20 ml of extract per litre of water and spray the crop or drench the soil in a rose cane for control of disease pests

Sanjeevani

Ingredients

• Neem leaves Extract – 250 ml
• Desi Cow Urine – 2.5 Litre
• Earthen Pot – 1 Unit

Method of Preparation

1. Collect the fresh leaves of Neem, extract juice out of it.
2. Take an earthen pot and pour the cow urine.
3. Pour the neem juice extract and stir well.

The medicine is ready in 1 day.

Method of application: Dilute 50 ml for every litre of water and spray in crop.

Khajara Khata

Made up from residual dung and urine in which we have to add termite soil or ash after getting decomposed it act as biofertiliser.

Amrit Jal

Method of Preparation: S K Parija Method, Bhubaneswar

• Cow dung – 1 kg
• Cow urine – 1lt
• Jaggery – 50 g
• These are mixed in earthen pot, then cover with a cloth and tied.
• Allow 3days to decompose, then, it will act as a biofertilizer.

Use: Dose 200ml in 20 ltr water.

Bilb Rasayan

Method of Preparation: Tara Chand Balji Method, Madhya Pradesh

Half kg dry Bilb powder or 5kg fresh Bilb dissolve in 20 liter water and then add 1kg jaggery. After one month, add this prepared solution to roots.

Benefits: This will increase potassium in the soil

Gaajar Ghaas Svaras

Method of Preparation: Tara Chand Balji Method, Madhya Pradesh

Add 2kg Gaajar Ghaas Svaras in 20 lt water then add 20 gm powdered fitkari (Alum). After 15 days, filter and spray in 1acre land.

Benefits: This will increase Nitrogen in the soil

Pushp Rasayan

Method of Preparation: Tara Chand Balji Method, Madhya Pradesh

Add 2kg flowers in 2 litre cow urine and add 2lt water. After 7days, spray in 1acre land.

Benefits: This will increase Boron in the soil

Amrit Dhara

Method of Preparation: Tara Chand Balji Method, Madhya Pradesh

Add 15 gm peppermint, 15 gm ajawaine, 15 gm kapur and mix well. Spray in 1 acre land.

Benefits: This will protect crops from sucking pests.

Calcium Arkh

Method of Preparation: Tara Chand Balji Method, Madhya Pradesh

Add 150 dm dry turmeric clots in 100 gm calcium water, add 50 ml milk. After 4 days take turmeric clots and dry. Then add 1gm turmeric powder/lt water and spray in plants for Calcium

Benefits: This will provide Calcium to the plants

Harad Rasayan

Method of Preparation: Add 2 kg Harad in 10 lt water then add 20 gm fitkari. After 6 days, filter and spray this solution after every 15 days interval.

Benefits: This will increase Iron in the soil

Control of Aphids (Mahu)

Ingredients

• Cow urine: 1L
• Fresh cow dung: 2kg
• Groundnut cake: 1 kg
• Fermented Jaggery: 250 g

Method of application: Mix all the ingredients in 5 litre of water and spray in crops.

Fungal Disease Control

• A mixture of ash (2-3 kg) and 1 liter of castor oil is spread on a seed bed of a size of about 100 m2. The application is repeated 2-3 times at intervals of 7-10 days. This provides protection against soil borne diseases in tobacco nurseries.
• A mixture of 2 kg of turmeric powder and 8 kg wood ash is used as dust over leaves for treatment against powdery mildew.
• Ginger powder at 20 gm/lit of water and sprayed thrice at interval of 15 days can also effectively check the incidence of powdery mildew and other fungal diseases.
• Handful of slaked lime applied at the base of tomato plant can combat damping off disease.
• Cattle and goat urine have fungicidal properties. Two cups of cattle urine with 5ml peppermint oil and 10 lit of water can be used to control fungal diseases on grapes.

Waste Decomposer by NCOF, Ghaziabad

National Centre of Organic Farming (NCOF) has developed a waste decomposer culture which is used for quick composting from organic waste, soil health improvement and as plant protection agent. It is a consortium of microorganisms extracted from desi cow’s dung.

It is sold in bottle of 30g and you can purchase it for Rs. 20/- per bottle directly through NCOF and Regional Organic Farming Centres (RCOF). The waste decomposer is also validated by ICAR. A single bottle decomposes bio-waste of more than 10000 metric tons just in 30 days.

How to prepare waste decomposer solution from the starter culture?

1. Take 2 kg jaggery and mixed it in a plastic drum containing 200 liters water.
2. Now take 1 bottle of waste decomposer and pour all its contents in a plastic drum containing jaggery solution. Avoid direct contact of contents with hands.
3. Mix it properly with a wooden stick for uniform distribution of waste decomposer in a drum.
4. Cover the drum with a paper or cardboard and stir it every day once or twice.
5. After 5 days the solution of drum turns creamy.

6. Farmers could prepare the waste decomposer solution again and again from the above formed solution.
7. For this, 20 liter of waste decomposer solution is added to a drum with 2 kg of jaggery and 20 liter water is added.
8. Farmers can prepare continuously this solution from this waste decomposer for lifetime.

 

Reference

Booklet on Indigenous Technical knowledge (ITKs) ‘Crop wise with reference to promotion of organic farming’. Eds: Ajay Singh Rajput, Monu Jariyal, Ankit Singla.  Published during Thirty Days Certificate Course on Organic Farming (24 Oct to 23 Nov 2018), RCOF Bhubaneswar.

 

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