Sustainable Crop Cycles

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

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

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

— Batakrushna Sahoo

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

— Kachala Choudhary

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

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

— Padmini Bhoi

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

— Kamleah Kumar · Ormaura, Sonbhadra, Uttar 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

Our ancestors were cultivating. They grew urad and moong. The soil gave them a different kind of produce, and they nurtured the seeds for it.

— Mukunda Majhi · Udulibeda, Malkangiri, Odisha

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

Before, all of us tribals used to plow the fields with a plow and bullocks. We would sow medo mujri and also kurthi, which was very nutritious food. It was sown without fertilizer and would grow readily.

— Babulal Ayam · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

The oldest seeds like Kodo, Mejdri, Sawa, Maize, Bajra, all these crops were cultivated with agricultural fertilizer.

— Kamleah Kumar · 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

We used to farm using cow dung and goat manure; this was the fertilizer for the crops, and all crops like Kodo, Menjhari, Barley, and Saawa were grown with this agricultural fertilizer.

— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

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

I am a farmer. Our father, grandfather, and uncles used to cultivate using traditional methods. They used to farm without fertilizer and without chemicals. And that farming was good for crops like horse gram and ragi.

— Parikshit Majhi

We used to cultivate various crops extensively. Additionally, I cultivated mustard, moong bean, guava, horse gram, etc. All these seeds are important for my family.

— RINA BEHERA · Sundargarh, Odisha

In earlier times, people cultivated crops like Sawa, Medon, and Mijhari using ploughs and oxen. They also relied on oxen for applying various treatments to their fields. They cultivate Batri, a type of pulse, and for pigeon pea, if it receives water just once, a good harvest is achieved. Batri is sown after the rice harvest, requires no irrigation, and the crop ripens on its own.

— 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

Earlier, you all used to farm, and you cultivated using fertilizer.

— Niranjan Lauria · Boudh, Odisha

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 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

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

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

— deena rawat · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

We do farming with ploughs and bullocks, cultivating crops like saawa, medo mijhri, and pulses such as arhar (pigeon pea), urad (black gram), and baturi. Nowadays, government seeds for pulses are also available. We also cultivate crops like chana (chickpea), matar (pea), and masoor (lentil).

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

We cleared and tilled land in the forest to create our farms, and today we continue to cultivate that same land. Previously, we used to plough with bullocks and a plough, but now we also use tractors for tilling. Furthermore, pigeon pea (arhar) cultivation can be done without water.

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Our ancestors used to cultivate millet without mixing any chemical pesticides; they used cow dung as fertilizer. And those foods were very good.

— Sastensh khura

We do farming. We save some seeds beforehand and then cultivate. This way, we get many crops, including green gram, black gram, and pigeon pea.

— Ulapi Sahu · Balangir, Odisha

Traditional farming, meaning Yudung, Pandala, Janana, maize, finger millet, and so on.

— James

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

In ancient times, our Aamli, Kuri, Vati, and Mal, the wood visible in this forest used to be cut, and then crops were sown, and that was...

— Mohan AHARI · Dabaycha, Udaipur, Rajasthan

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

Our ancestors used to cultivate pulses as a second crop without irrigation, adopting organic methods. I also cultivate every year using this method by saving black gram and horse gram seeds.

— DASHARATH SINGH · Jamunkira, Sambalpur, Odisha

They were cultivating paddy using organic methods or traditional soil methods.

— Gourang Adhikari · Udulibeda, Malkangiri, Odisha

We still have traditional seeds like Kodo, Kutki, Maize, Sorghum, Kulthi, Arhar, etc., which we sow using old methods even without irrigation facilities. Even then, our crops ripen.

— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya 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

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

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

Old seeds, including those of Kalahasu, Lalat, and Kendu flowers, were carefully considered. Fruit seeds, sem beans, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, and okra were cultivated by adding fertilizer and loamy soil to the land.

— Anirudha Marai

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