Traditional Crop Management

Earlier, our ancestors used to store grains in mud granaries at home, and there used to be good yields. But now, when we store them in steel granaries, the crops don't grow.

— Hariparkash kharadi · Katarwas Khurd, Udaipur, Rajasthan

We used to plant paddy according to the season in olden times. Now, due to lack of rain, we are cultivating cotton in the fields.

— Laba Kumar sabar · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, Odisha

Earlier, they used to farm with less water and without fertilizer. That crop was market maize; even after keeping it for about a year, the maize would get infested with weevils. But Kodo Millet remains very good for 2 years and does not spoil.

— Kamleah Kumar · Kota, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Before, we used to cultivate crops without water: bajra, maize, kodo, mezhri, and arhar (pigeon pea).

— Kamleah Kumar · Ormaura, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

People of earlier times used to do this kind of farming for subsistence, and without water, without chemical fertilizers, and by eating that grain, there was also strength in the body. But nowadays, this urea and DAP fertilizer is causing a lot of harm.

— Kamleah Kumar · Kota, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

I used to farm without fertilizer and with less water. After keeping bajra, maize, and kodo for a year, the maize was running out, but the kodo was not.

— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Earlier, we used to store our grains in traditional bins. At that time, the crop used to grow well. But now, if we keep the seeds in steel bins, they are not sprouting. So, we want to return to our old ways.

— Hariparkash kharadi · Katarwas Khurd, Udaipur, Rajasthan

From the time of our ancestors, they used to cultivate with a plow. Immediately after paddy cultivation, they would grow mustard, groundnuts, horse gram, black gram, and green gram. Our subsequent generations have forgotten this practice.

— RINA BEHERA · Sundargarh, Odisha

Our ancestors used to farm with plows and bullocks. But nowadays, all those things are disappearing.

— NAGRIK VIKASH SANGATHAN · Kalahandi, Odisha

Earlier, paddy was not cultivated; instead, crops like millet, maize, and barnyard millet were being grown.

— deena rawat · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

People of the past used to cultivate saawa, kodo, menjhari, bajra, and maize, and their bodies were strong. But today, by eating grains grown with fertilizer...

— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Earlier, we used to keep seeds in earthen pots with neem leaves, but now those pots are not available. Their traditional profession is slowly coming to an end, and we are also forced to move towards modernity.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

Now, old farming is not practiced.

— Kachala Choudhary

Previously, crops would grow without fertilizer. Cow dung was spread in the fields, and then grains were sown, resulting in excellent crops. But now, it seems to grow better with urea.

— Kamleah Kumar · Ammatola, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Grain used to grow without fertilizer. Use cow dung for farming in the fields; that's where paddy, maize, and all crops grow. Eating all that grain keeps the body strong and vital. Nowadays, even though there is more crop yield, the body becomes weak.

— Kamleah Kumar · Ammatola, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

In our village, earlier, people used to cultivate fields with ploughs and oxen and worked very hard. At that time, they would sow Kodo, Sawa, Medo, and Mizri, and grow them without fertilizer. They used to sustain themselves with that, from which individuals...

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

In ancient times, due to rain, people used to grow and eat their own vegetables! Now, due to lack of rain, people are buying and eating vegetables.

— Laba Kumar sabar · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, Odisha

Traditional agriculture

— KRUSHNA KHILLO · Semiliguda, Koraput, Odisha

In ancient times, we used to cultivate with ploughs. We used to cultivate black gram, horse gram, green gram, paddy, etc.

— RINA BEHERA · Sundargarh, Odisha

Previously, our ancestors used to farm with cow dung, and now urea and DAP have become common. The crops are growing well, but it's having a big impact on the body.

— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

My name is Chandrika Pradhan. My village is Panga Bidungia, block is Tikabali. In the olden days, we used to keep seeds in pots. We kept them because, in the olden days, we didn't use fertilizer. Nowadays, we are using fertilizer. That's why we can't keep our seeds for many days. We want to return to the previous state.

— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha

The things we used to cultivate before were black gram, green gram, cowpea, horse gram, etc.

— Batakrushna Sahoo

In the past, farming was done with plows made of wood, but nowadays machines are being used.

— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

Earlier, we used to farm with plows and oxen. Today, it's the age of machines, and we farm using them. However, we often face economic problems, due to which we have to go to the city separately to earn a living.

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Our fathers and grandfathers used to cultivate traditional crops earlier, fertilizing them with cow dung, and grew pulses like moong, urad, kulthi, along with millets such as ragi and bajra.

— Parikshit Majhi

My name is Mutiy Pradhan. My Gram Panchayat is Pikorodi. My Block is Tikabali. My District is Kandhamal. Our mothers used to store seeds in the olden days. They would keep seeds in pots near the fire in 'Putra Jakore'. Nothing would happen to them. Today, in today's date, farming is done with fertilizer and pesticides, which is why this year, the seeds cannot last even for a year. That's why we want to live like before.

— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha

The environment was good before, now it doesn't rain on time, due to which farming is not good.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

My name is Jayanti Pradhan. My village is Brenguda. The Panchayat is Badamunda. The block is Tikabali. In the old days, we used to cultivate millet, sorghum, and maize without fertilizer, and our health was not particularly bad. Now, we don't even get those seeds. And what is being cultivated, that requires fertilizer. That's why we are living with poor health.

— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha

Earlier, we planted rice because it rained according to the season. Now, we are cultivating cotton because it has not rained according to the season.

— Laba Kumar sabar · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, Odisha

Previously, we ourselves used to cultivate moong, Didhan Lar Golandi, Mahipal paddy, red paddy, Kalachu paddy, and Sarai paddy.

— Padmini Bhoi

We used to add organic fertilizer to our fields to maintain soil fertility, but today's youth are using chemical fertilizers, and diseases are increasing day by day.

— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

Our ancestors used to cultivate mung bean, urad, horse gram, ragi, and mustard. At that time, it used to rain, and there were forests.

— Anirudha Marai

My name is Kanchana Pradhan, my village is Renguda, block is Tikabali. The Panchayat is Kuikorodi. In the olden days, we used to eat maize, millet, jona (a type of grain), and chickpeas. But nowadays, that seed is not available, nor do we get it. That's why our son gave us the seeds, and we cultivated them.

— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha

Our ancestors used to cultivate without fertilizer, and that was delicious and healthy. But now, that taste is not available.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

We have a lack of irrigation resources, due to which we cultivate crops every year using traditional methods and traditional seeds, and even today we have old traditional seeds available.

— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

Zero-water farming used to be very common, but now it has reduced a bit.

— Kachala Choudhary

Earlier, farming was done using cow dung and goat droppings; that was the fertilizer for the crops, and Kodo millet grew better with it.

— Kamleah Kumar · Kota, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

In our area, in very old times, there were Sama, Kodo, Meijri (types of millets) for eating. Diseases were not caused by this. Today, whatever is being eaten as hybrid, all this is on the verge of causing diseases.

— ANIL KUMAR · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Our ancestors used to cultivate Bhadi kodra, jowar, pulses, and oilseed crops.

— Kachala Choudhary

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