Traditional Knowledge of the Nilgiri Tribals in Environmental

Conservation

Sujeetha T. N.

1,*

, M. Asokhan

, S. Usha Rani

and L. Murali Krishnan

Agricultural Extension, ICAR-CICR, Tamil Nadu, India

Agricultural Extension, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

Agricultural Extension, ICAR-CICR, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

Agricultural Extension, IARI, New Delhi, India

Keywords: Traditional Knowledge, ITK, Environmental Conservation, Nilgiris.

Abstract: Indigenous wisdom is the treasured knowledge of a community and transferred from generation to generation.

The present study is an effort to document traditional practices of tribal respondents in the Western Ghats of

the Nilgiris district. The data collection was done using well-structured interview schedule and participatory

methods. Totally, 42 indigenous practices followed by the tribal respondents in environmental conservation

were documented. Results revealed that six indigenous practices were used for conserving soil moisture, six

indigenous practices were used for natural vegetation, seven practices were used for organic soil fertility

management, eight practices were used for plant protection and 15 practices were used for common cultural

practices. The tribal respondents following various indigenous practices ranged from 65.56 % to 95.00 % in

conserving soil moisture, 70.56 % to 86.11 % in management of natural vegetation, 66.11 % to 93.89 % in

organic soil fertility management, 62.22 % to 92.78 % in plant protection and 59.44 % to 92.78 % in common

cultural practices. The research study was undertaken during 2017-2021.

1 INTRODUCTION

"Nature is an essential partnership". It puts greater

focus on reducing risks when compared to profit

maximization. India has the largest concentration of

tribal people in the entire world. They live with

unique culture, customs and lead a different way of

life. They are scattered all over India. Their habitat

usually lies in the hilly areas. (Gavit et.al. 2013). The

indigenous wisdom focuses on prevention for long

term. (Sindhu et.al. 2020). Indigenous ecofriendly

practices help in sustaining agricultural development.

Therefore, this wisdom should be taken utmost care,

conserved and utilized to the fullest extent in order for

the next generation. In the current scenario, it is vital

to document the indigenous knowledge in agriculture,

before they are extinct. Further, validation of the

indigenous practices has to be made by rationalizing

each practice which would be of high value. (Hussain

et.al. 2018). Scientists had recognized that indigenous

Corresponding author

people have maintained and protected their

environment for generations, without causing damage

to their localities. (Lenka et.al. 2020).

There has been a large-scale extinction of very

useful species like medicinal plants, food crops,

animal species, birds, farm-friendly insects’

microorganism, forest trees etc. among the tribes.

Application of chemical inputs such as insecticides,

pesticides and manure etc. in cultivation led to loss of

several species in the soil such as beneficial worms,

nematodes, predators, parasites, birds, micro-

organisms etc. (Fageria, 2007). With these facts, this

study attempts to document and validate the

indigenous practices followed by tribal respondents

for environmental conservation and assess the

adoption of indigenous practices in environmental

conservation by tribal respondents. The results of the

empirical approaches could be used to make

necessary changes in the Agro-biodiversity

conservation and livelihood sustainability among the

tribal women.

N., S. T., Asokhan, M., Rani, S. U. and Krishnan, L. M.

Traditional Knowledge of the Nilgiri Tribals in Environmental Conservation.

DOI: 10.5220/0012877700004519

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st Inter national Conference on Emerging Innovations for Sustainable Agriculture (ICEISA 2024), pages 14-19

ISBN: 978-989-758-714-6

2 METHODOLOGY

One of the districts in Tamil Nadu, the Western Ghats

of the Nilgiris was purposively chosen for the study.

Nilgiris comprised of four blocks - Kotagiri,

Udhagamandalam, Gudalur and Coonoor. Kotagiri

and Udhagamandalam blocks were purposively

selected due to highest percent of tribal respondents.

Three villages from each block – Pudu Kotagiri,

Tiruchigedi and Kozhikkarai from Kotagiri and

Muthunadmund, Munjakalmund and Kodanaad from

Udhagamandalam were randomly selected for this

study thus comprising six villages. From the selected

villages of Kotagiri block, 60 respondents belonging

to irulas and 60 respondents belonging to kotas tribal

communities were randomly selected and from the

selected villages of Udhagamandalam block, 60

respondents belonging to toda tribal community were

selected randomly comprising 180 respondents as

sample size for the study. Simple Random Sampling

Method was administered. Data collection was

completed using well-structured interview schedule

and participatory tools. Documentation and

validation of the indigenous practices was completed.

To assess adoption behavior of each of the indigenous

practices, each tribal respondent was requested to

mention those practices in the documented check list,

which the respondents practiced during the last five

years. The indigenous practices adopted by less than

20 percent and more than 80 percent of the tribal

respondents were removed from the analysis. The

adoption of the indigenous practices by the tribal

respondents was analyzed using percentage analysis

for each indigenous practice.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results are categorized in Table 1. The tribal

respondents followed 42 indigenous practices in the

field of environmental conservation. Six indigenous

practices were used in soil moisture conservation, six

practices in natural vegetation, seven indigenous

practices in organic soil fertility management, eight

practices in plant protection and 15 practices in

common cultural practices.

Table 1. Rationalized Technologies in Environmental Conservation (n=180).

S. No

Rationalized Technologies Reason

Frequency (%)

No %

I Soil moisture conservation

Constructing raised bund

Creates stability of existing subsoils 158 87.78

Ratooning of crops

Allow the plants to recover and produce a

fresh crop in the next season.

126 70.00

Contour bunding

Helps to capture and hold rainfall before it can

become runoff.

171 95.00

Holding the runoff in the low-lying

areas

To prevent soil erosion 148 82.22

Ploughing across upland slopes Enhances soil fertility and crop productivity 123 68.33

Deep ploughing

Modify the soil water retention parameters over

long term

118 65.56

II Natural vegetation management

Planting grasses for controlling soil

erosion in the land sliding areas

Reduces and conserve rainfall runoff 127 70.56

Planting of agave in the hill slides

Root systems stabilize soil and help the tribal

respondents with better land for agriculture

141 78.33

Growing of shade loving trees in the

tea and coffee plantations

Improved birds’ habitat, soil erosion is

controlled, naturally controlling the pests and

enhanced pollination.

133 73.89

Growing of trees in the degraded

farm lands

Prevents soil erosion and landslides. 155 86.11

Natural vegetative fence

Windbreaks to protect against damage caused

due to wind.

149 82.78

Traditional Knowledge of the Nilgiri Tribals in Environmental Conservation

The burning of dry leaves, weeds

and wastes from tress

Utilized for mulching 136 75.56

III Organic soil fertility management

Incorporation of green leaf manure

from leaves and branches of

leguminous trees

Mulching

119 66.11

Mulching using farm residues for

soil conservation

Reduce the amount of water that evaporates

from soil

141 78.33

Crop rotation Increases soil fertility, soil nutrients and crop

yield

147 81.67

Application of locally available

green manure

Increases organic matter and soil humus 164 91.11

In situ ploughing of crop residues,

stubbles and residuals of the hedges

Increases the soil organic matter which would

enhance soil fertility

148 82.22

Vermicomposting

Plant growth, reducing the occurrence of

diseases in plants, enhance porosity as well as

microbial activities in the soil

137 76.11

Goat and sheep droppings are

powdered and broadcasted in the

field

Enriches compost value and also it decomposes

faster

169 93.89

IV Plant protection practices

Trap crops for controlling the pest

incidence of the main agricultural

crop

Attracts insects and protect the

crops from pest attack

116 64.44

Spraying the leaf extraction of a herbal

plant named ‘Paragram’

Beneficial against leaf eating caterpillars, grubs,

locusts

125 69.44

Use of bio-pesticides in the place of

chemicals

Bio-pesticides decompose quickly resulting in

lower exposures and largely avoiding the

pollution problems caused by conventional

pesticides.

112 62.22

Neem leaf extract for management

of pests

Repellent against several insects such as

weevils, flour beetles, bean-seed beetles and

potato moths

147 81.67

Storing of pulse grains with red earth

Red soil helps to shield the grains so that the

insects cannot feed or lay eggs

155 86.11

Storing of pulse grain with vegetable

oil

Vegetable oils are easy to apply and also possess

insecticidal properties

158 87.78

Storing together potato and onion in

home kitchen

Prevents pest attack 167 92.78

Hanging a basket of onion in the

kitchen’s high shelf

Prevent perishability 164 91.11

V Common cultural practices

Rain forecasting based on the flying

behavior of dragonfly

The wings of Dragonfly are attached with

sensors that help them navigate using the

information on the airflow and strain in the

wings.

133 73.89

Seed treatment with Farm Yard

Manure

Aids water and nutrient availability and a natural

source of available nitrogen.

107 59.44

Storing vegetable seeds in cow dung

cake

Improves the germination and viability of

the seeds

138 76.67

ICEISA 2024 - International Conference on ‘Emerging Innovations for Sustainable Agriculture: Leveraging the potential of Digital

Innovations by the Farmers, Agri-tech Startups and Agribusiness Enterprises in Agricu

Storing vegetable seeds in air tight

containers

Prevents spoilage and pest attack 119 66.11

In-situ burning of crop wastes in the

field

Soil sterilization and enriching soil with natural

potash

113 62.78

Deeper ploughing before planting

Increases in-situ moisture conservation 112 62.22

Summer ploughing

Soil structure will be improved due to alternate

cooling and drying. Soil aeration will also be

improved which aids in the multiplication of

micro-organisms.

125 69.44

The Selection of a suitable crop for

sowing

Favours profitability and marketability 131 72.78

Use of traditional implements alone

for cropping

Self-sustenance 148 82.22

10.

Rain forecasting based on the farm

animal behavior while grazing

Animals can sense the humidity of the

atmosphere

156 86.67

11.

Ploughing using wooden plough and

bullocks

Loosen or turn the soil in preparation for sowing 167 92.78

12.

Storage of grains inside a wooden

box that is attached under the

wooden cot

Keeps the grains safer because of prolonged

temperature control and ventilation system that

guarantees the maintenance of the grain in better

conditions

164 91.11

13.

Bamboo based wooden storage

structure to store harvested produce

of potato, ginger etc.

The versatile quality of bamboo makes it a good

material for storage

153 85.00

14.

Rain forecasting based on the

crowded movement of ant

Ants are equipped with a full array of senses that

could give them clues on the incidence of

rainfall.

128 71.11

15.

Applying neem leaves Effective Pest control 116 64.44

3.1 Soil Moisture Conservation

There were six rationalized ITKs under soil moisture

conservation. With reference to the adoption of

indigenous practices, most of the respondents

(95.00%) have raised contour bunding across the

slopes which promote water holding capacity as well

as prevents soil erosion. The majority of the

respondents (87.78%) had raised bunds to prevent

soil erosion and to maintain more water in the field.

Most of the respondents (82.22%) had adopted the

retention of runoff in low-lying areas for usage of the

water in upland areas and to the farm pond which

attracts the birds and animals for biodiversity

conservation. A vast majority (70.00%) followed the

crop ratooning to make efficient use of the growing

seasons and facilitates crop intensification, for

improving agricultural productivity. A good majority

of the respondents (68.33%) have adopted the

practice of ploughing across the slope in the upland

for water conservation. Around 65.56 percentage of

tribal respondents have followed ploughing the field

deeply for moisture conservation.

3.2 Management of Natural Vegetation

There were six rationalized ITKs under the

management of natural vegetation.

As regard the adoption of technologies, most of the

respondents (86.11%) have adopted the practice of

growing trees in the degraded farm lands to give real

life to the soil and to increase soil biomass. Most of

the respondents (82.78%) were growing natural

vegetative fence to control the runoff issues. Most of

the respondents (78.33%) were found adopting the

practice of planting agave in the hilly slopes to arrest

landslides during the rainy season. A good majority

of the respondents (75.56%) were adopting the

practice of burning dried leaves, weeds and tree

wastes for sterilizing the soil. Nearly three fourth of

respondents (73.89%) have adopted the practice of

growing of shade trees in tea and coffee plantations

to maintain micro-environment in tea as well as

Traditional Knowledge of the Nilgiri Tribals in Environmental Conservation

coffee plantations. Further, most of the respondents

(70.56%) had planted grass in the narrow land slip

areas to protect the soil erosion during the time of

landslides as well as biological drainage holes in the

areas that are prone to landslides.

3.3 Soil Fertility Management

There were seven rationalized indigenous practices

under organic soil fertility management. In regard to

the adoption of rationalized indigenous practices, an

overwhelming majority of the respondents (93.89%)

had adopted the practice of broadcasting powdered

droppings of goat and sheep in the field. Most of the

respondents (91.11%) used green manure that was

available near their residence to improve soil health.

Most of the respondents (82.22%) have gone for in

situ ploughing of crop residues to increase the organic

matter in the soil. More than three-fourth of the

respondents (81.67%) had adopted crop rotation to

improve soil fertility. Most of the respondents

(78.33%) had adopted the practice of mulching with

farm residues to promote the growth of beneficial soil

microbes and to maintain soil health. A good majority

of the respondents (76.11%) had adopted

vermicompost method to improve the soil’s organic

content and also to enrich the soil. Most of the

respondents (66.11%) had incorporated green leaf

manure of unwanted leguminous trees for

incorporating soil amendments.

3.4 Plant Protection

There were eight rationalized ITKs under plant

protection. As regard to the adoption of technologies,

an overwhelming majority of the respondents

(92.78%) were found adopting the practice of storing

potato and onion together in their house to control

potato scab disease. Most of the respondents

(91.11%) hanged a basket with onions in the tall slabs

to improve its keeping quality and to protect it from

storage pest and disease. Most of the respondents

(87.78%) had stored their pulse grains mixed with

vegetable oil for pest management. More than three-

fourth of the respondents (86.11%) were found

adopting the practice of storing pulse grains with red

earth for controlling pests and diseases. Most of the

respondents (81.67%) were seen adopting the practice

of using neem extract to control weeds, pests and

diseases in an eco-friendly manner. (Lokanadhan

et.al. 2012). Most of the respondents (69.44%) had

adopted spraying the leaf extract of herbal plant

‘paragram’ for the control of pests and diseases.

(Varghese et.al. 2012). Most of the respondents

(64.44%) used traps in agricultural crop to control the

pest and disease incidence. Most of the respondents

(62.22%) had adopted the practice of spraying the leaf

extraction of a herbal plant called ‘Paragram’ to

control pests and diseases.

3.5 Common Cultural Practices

There were fifteen rationalized ITKs under common

cultural practices. With regard to their adoption, an

overwhelming majority of the respondents (92.78%)

were found adopting the practice of ploughing using

wooden plough and bullocks which is found to be

effective in hilly areas and also to avoid sub soil

compaction due to tractor ploughing. Most of the

respondents (91.11%) had stored food grains in a box

made of wood that is attached beneath the wooden cot

to protect the grains against the attack of rats and

moisture in the winter and rainy seasons. Most of the

respondents (86.67%) were found adopting the rain

forecast based on the farm animal behavior while

grazing. Most of the respondents had adopted the

practice of using Bamboo based wooden storage

structure to store the harvested produce of potato and

ginger to improve the keeping quality. More than

three-fourth of the respondents (82.22%) had used

traditional implements for cropping which helps in

the maintenance of soil structure. More than three-

fourth of the respondents (76.67%) had stored their

vegetable seeds in cow dung cake to protect the seed

from pests and disease infestation and also to improve

its viability. A vast majority of the respondents

(73.89%) were found adopting the rain forecasting

based on the flying behavior of dragonfly at ground

level. Three-fourth of the respondents (72.78%) had

selected appropriate crops for sowing to further avoid

the attack from regular pests and disease. Around

71.11 percentage of the respondents had adopted the

rain forecast based on the crowded movement of ants

which predicts the rainfall. Around 69.44 percentage

of the tribal respondents had adopted the summer

ploughing to control soil erosion and moisture

conservation. Most of the respondents (66.11%) had

stored the vegetable seeds in air tight containers

which protect the seeds from moisture during the

rainy season. Most of the respondents (64.44%)

applied neem leaves to maintain soil alkalinity.

Around 62.78 percent of the respondents had adopted

the practice of in-situ burning of crop wastes in the

field for soil sterilization and enriching soil with

natural potash to improve soil fertility. A similar

percentage of the respondents (62.22%) had adopted

deep ploughing before planting for enhancing soil

productivity. Around 59.44 percent of the tribal

ICEISA 2024 - International Conference on ‘Emerging Innovations for Sustainable Agriculture: Leveraging the potential of Digital

Innovations by the Farmers, Agri-tech Startups and Agribusiness Enterprises in Agricu

respondents had followed treating the seeds with

farmyard manure to improve the viability of seeds

and germination.

4 CONCLUSION

Various indigenous practices followed by the tribal

respondents in environmental conservation have been

highlighted. It could be concluded that proper

documentation and validation using scientific

analysis of the traditional indigenous practices of

tribal communities would be a strong base for eco-

friendly practices in environmental conservation.

Indigenous practices are a brilliant alternative when

compared with the other chemicals. The results would

be helpful to all scientists to develop low-cost, need

based, location specific and eco-friendly technologies

and to make them readily adopted by the large

number of small and marginal farmers.

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Traditional Knowledge of the Nilgiri Tribals in Environmental Conservation