A dimension within Traditional Seed Practices
Preserving ancestral practices in agriculture, focusing on heritage crops and traditional farming methods.
150 voices speak to this
Positive
Overall Community Sentiment
Here, we cultivate Sawa, Medon, Mujhri, Kodo, and pulses using the 'Batririri' method. We also store the seeds at home for the following year and then re-sow them in the field; this practice is a legacy from our ancestors.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Our plows and bullocks till the fields, we sow millet, maize, make furrows, and plant small seeds, and also save seeds for the next year. This is a legacy from our ancestors, which we still have today and which we utilize.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We preserve the pulse crops that we have received from our ancestors.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
Sawa, Medo, Mijhri are our traditional crops, which our ancestors used to cultivate by plowing with bullocks and a plough. They consumed these crops throughout the year and saved seeds in their homes for the next year's sowing. We still practice farming today.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Our ancestors have been cultivating Kodo, Barnyard, Foxtail, Finger millet, Horse gram, and Barley since ancient times, which are very nutritious. We always preserve their seeds and cultivate them every year.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We cultivate paddy, wheat, and pulses in our village and want to preserve this as a heritage.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We want to preserve rain-fed crops like maize and jute, which are part of our old heritage, for future generations.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We cultivate seeds such as chickpea, lentil, mustard, and horse gram using traditional, possibly rain-fed, farming methods. We preserve these seeds and cultivate them using this traditional agricultural practice.
— Laxmi Sahu
Yes, pulses are cultivated in this. According to our ancestors, we also preserve seeds.
— Jagannath Baraik · Bayang, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Jharkhand
We save and sow our traditional seeds. Such as chickpea, sorghum, Bhadi, pearl millet, etc.
— Vijay kanesh · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
We save our traditional seeds that we have inherited.
— Vijay kanesh · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
We cultivate zero-irrigation crops, including pulses and oilseeds, and also conserve them, as they are part of our heritage.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
In our region, we all cultivate rain-fed crops like pigeon pea and maize, and this is our heritage.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We want to preserve rainfed farming, including maize, millet, and barley, for our own generation.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We are a tribal community, we farm using ploughs and bullocks, and we sustain our lives. We clear forests and bushes to make fields, and we cultivate sawa, medo, mijhri, and maize, which were grown by our ancestors, and we also preserve their seeds.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
I cultivate pulse crops without irrigation. We save pulse seeds, among which horse gram, black gram, and pigeon pea are the oldest varieties. We save these seeds for cultivation every year. Our ancestors used to cultivate using manure and traditional ploughs.
— DASHARATH SINGH
We cultivated rainfed crops like pigeon pea, mung bean, and black gram, and will continue to cultivate and preserve them for the future.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We have traditional moong and urad dal. We cultivate them generation after generation. I will tell you what we have preserved.
— Gitanjali Bhoi · Karamdihi, Sundargarh, Odisha
Even today, we farm with a plough and oxen and earn our livelihood. Since ancient times, our ancestors have ploughed fields with a plough and oxen, and sow only the seeds preserved at home, such as kurthi, sawa, medo, and mijhri.
— Ram Kumari
We do traditional farming. We save rain-fed seeds and cultivate crops like sorghum and chickpea.
— Vijay kanesh · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
We have traditional seeds here like Saadia, paddy, pigeon pea, semi-native gourds, Karaiguta, Chipra, etc. We preserve these every year and cultivate them using old traditional methods without irrigation.
— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
Yes, we cultivate and preserve traditional seeds.
— Selina Pangi
We have received our traditional native seeds from our ancestors, which we conserve and protect for the coming generation.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
Our ancestors used to cultivate pulses as a second crop without irrigation, adopting organic methods. And I also cultivate every year using this method, by preserving Urad and Kulthi seeds.
— Kumudini Chhanchan
We cultivate a second crop. The valuable seed of our family is Horse gram. Our ancestors have given us Green gram, Black gram, Horse gram, and Finger millet. We follow the farming methods of our ancestors.
— Basanti · Nayagarh, Odisha
We preserve old seeds for sowing work, which explicitly includes Moong, Kili, and Mustard.
— Vijay Kumar bhardwaj · Baloda Bazar, Chhattisgarh
Barley can be cultivated with less water, and 'Batūri' (Bathua) is also cultivated. It is used in lentils, and we store it to eat for a long time. This practice has been passed down from our ancestors. Its seeds are also preserved to be sown next year.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We sow with great effort without irrigation, and cultivate crops by plowing with oxen and a plow. We save seeds for many years, which come in handy.
— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
We save stable seeds and kuluth seeds are valuable for our family. We have old seeds like millet, kuluth, moong. We sell them and use them as food.
— Basanti · Dashapalla, Nayagarh, Odisha
We save seeds at our location and keep them for our family. And saving old seeds in a traditional way is our
— Anil Pargi
In our region, we save and conserve our local seeds such as indigenous oilseed seeds, indigenous pulse seeds, and paddy seeds.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
We will practice traditional farming and save seeds for next year.
— Sathimambalaka · Tado, Rayagada, Odisha
Yes, we practice traditional farming and also conserve indigenous seeds.
— Sukhdas Mandavi · Mohla, Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, Chhattisgarh
Non-irrigated crops like maize, jute, and various other types that we want to preserve for our coming generation.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Here, we cultivate paddy, sawa, medon, and mijhri. We store sawa, medon, and mijhri at home for sowing in the next year. Additionally, among pulses, we have kurthi and baturi, which we also store and sow the following year.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Our ancestors used to cultivate pulses as a second crop without irrigation, adopting organic methods. And I also cultivate every year using this method, by saving black gram and horse gram seeds.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha
I practice zero-irrigation farming of pulses and also preserve its seeds, and we get a lot of benefit from this, which has been passed down from my ancestors.
— Krishna pada mahato · East Singhbhum, Jharkhand
Previously, we used to cultivate all crops like moong, urad, and kulthi, and we want to continue doing so in the future.
— Jyoti Senapati
Our ancestors used to cultivate pulses as a second crop using organic methods without irrigation. I also cultivate every year using this method by storing black gram and horse gram seeds.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha
Our ancestors used to cultivate pulse crops as a second crop without irrigation, adopting organic methods. I also store black gram and horse gram seeds and cultivate every year using this method.
— Kumudini Chhanchan
AI-synthesised pieces woven from many community voices on this theme. They may contain errors or interpretation — they're a reflection of the stories, not a record of fact.

By preserving our traditional, rain-fed seeds and planting them with care, we ensure food for our families and fodder for our animals.

Our ancestors taught us to protect our traditional crop seeds using natural methods, ensuring food for the next year.

By carefully collecting and preserving seeds from our first harvest, we ensure a second, nutritious crop and maintain our traditional farming methods for generations.

By cultivating a variety of crops, preserving ancestral seeds, and exploring animal husbandry, we build a resilient livelihood for our community.