Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor,
March 1999 Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor,
March 1999
Contents IK Monitor (7-1) | IKDM Homepage | Suggestions to: ikdm@nuffic.nl | (c) copyright Nuffic-CIRAN and contributors 1999.
Local knowledge about the seed
The Centre for
Folklore Studies (CFS) and Vandana Organic Society together organized a
one-day programme called Sharing the local knowledge of the Kole Farmers,
which took place at Alappad, in Trissur district, Kerala (India). On
10 September 1998, six farmers told the younger generation and curious
researchers some of what they know about agriculture. The farmer
informants were Koranchiri, Neelakandhan Namboodiri, Velayudhan, Sumathy
Vasudevan, Ouseph, and C.N. Ramapanicker. Dr C.R. Rajagopalan, CFS, prepared the research report, and Vijayakumarmenon, CFS, was the
translator.
The seed is the core and heart of a civilization based
on agriculture. From the seed sprouts life, and from the plant sprouts
the fruit from which oozes the nectar of happiness and bliss, according to
the sage Bharata. Inspiration, creation and appreciation of art--the
three stages of aesthetic experience--are coded in the signs derived from
the nature of the seed and its manifestations. The tiny seed of the
peepul tree (Ficus religiosa) is the symbol of organic energy
from which the whole universe has sprung.
The seed is always considered
with reverence. As in most places until recently, farmers in Kerala have
used only organic substances as manure, and have been satisfied with the
yield it gives. They have not used the modern, contemptible concept of
'low yield', for they did not want to exploit the Earth beyond the
permissible limit. From this reverence, their rituals and related
practices have originated.
After the yield has been harvested and stored
as food stock, healthy, fertile seed is set aside for sowing the next time.
The genetic health and immunity of the seed are meticulously observed
and studied by the farmers, who apply their local knowledge to dealing
with the seed in a way that makes it sustainable for the generations to
come.
The drying of the seed is a methodical process and it takes a
little time for the seed to become seasoned and mature. Paddy (rice,
Oryza sativa) seed needs '1 1 /2 sunshine', for example. After
one-and-a-half days of sunshine the ripeness of the seed is tested. A
single grain is selected at random and broken in two, and if a white dot
the thickness of a neddle is seen, the farmers are sure that the whole lot
is healthy and suitable for sowing. Then the farmers stir and spread the
grains at ten-minute intervals, and finally expose it to the cool air of
one night. Thus prepared, the seed is either bundled in gunny sacks or
placed in a small chest specifically built for the purpose of storing seed.
The farmers know a great deal about farming, but because their
agricultural work is ritually interwoven with the rest of their lives,
they have been looked down upon as blind believers by the so-called
'modern scientists'. But in fact, the farmers have developed
considerable expertise. When the seed is stored, farmers place among the
grains some dried mango leaves, which act as a bio-pesticide. To
germinate the seed, the farmers place it in moist gunny sacks for twelve
hours. Leaves of arrowroot (Curcuma angustifolia) or the skin of
moringa (drum-stick tree, Moringa oleifera) are mixed with the
seed to speed up germination. Seed treated this way will germinate on
the fourth day, and can be sown on the fifth or sixth day. Not even a
single grain is wasted, for the farmers believe that any seed that is
wasted would feel the disrespect shown to it and its curse
would affect the yield. Seeds may be exchanged, but only on certain
specified occasions.
The seeds of various pulses are also treated,
seasoned, preserved and sown in accordance with the local knowledge of
the farmers. Each variety of seed requires a different treatment. The
seeds of chilli (Capsicum annuum), eggplant (Solanum
melongena), Lady's fingers (Hibiscus esculentus), pumpkin
(Cucurbita maxima), cucumber (Cucumis sativus), ash gourd
(Benincasa hispida), and other food crops are systematically
preserved by the farmers for sowing at the appropriate time. Similarly,
the planting of each different variety of yam (Dioscorea spp.)
also follows its own orderly procedure. During the summer season itself,
the farmers prepare the soil, among other things by applying powdered
cow-dung as manure.
The seed, the animal, the humans, nature, and the
whole world are interlinked. For farmers, each is a part of the great
organic system, and agricultural practice is a way of life.
For more
information, please contact: Centre for Folklore Studies,
Kanimangalam PO, Trichur, Kerala 680 0027, India.
E-mail:
nattariv@md3.vsnl.net.in
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