Esteemed HLPE Panelists & Dear FSN Members,
Greetings!
I think it is important to harnessing the indigenous technical knowledge in nutrient management, which is given below:
As defined by the Convention on Biological Diversity, Article 8 (j), traditional knowledge refers to the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities around the world; traditional knowledge is mainly of a practical nature, particularly in such fields as agriculture, fisheries, health, horticulture, and forestry. Farmers in different parts of the world especially in poor and marginal indigenous groups of south Asia and Africa are experimenting with the agricultural adaptation measures in response to climatic variability for centuries. There is a wealth of knowledge for a range of measures that can help in developing agri-technologies to overcome climate vulnerabilities. Research works from plateau region clearly demonstrate that indigenous people and their knowledge are central to the adaptive changes for sustainable agriculture using available natural resources essential to face the world’s changing climate (Dey and Sarkar, 2011). In one such practice for direct seeded rice, cowdung is powdered and mixed thoroughly with the soil after broadcasting of rice seeds and then planking (leveling the land surface after cultivation with wood log) is done. This helps in, since nitrogen mineralization is essentially a microbial mediated process and with powdering and mixing, the process occurs faster. Research has shown that such practice helps better nutrient uptake by the young plants due to better mineralization of nitrogen from the manure under improved water holding capacity of the soil. There is a need to harness and manage such knowledge and fine-tune them to suit the modern needs.
Reference:
Dey, P. and Sarkar, A.K. (2011). Revisiting indigenous farming knowledge of Jharkhand (India) for conservation of natural resources and combating climate change. Indian J. Traditional Knowledge 10(1): 71-79.
博士 Pradip Dey