Farmers’ knowledge and creativity in eco-friendly pest management: Lessons in sustainable agriculture

Abstract

Informal knowledge of farmers is considered to be important for many difference practices required in sustaining both crops and ecosystems, especially when no solutions are known from scientific knowledge. Farmers practice trial and error to formulate crop management technologies specific to location. In this article, we document the indigenous practices used by soybean farmers of Chindwara district, Madhya Pradesh, India. A total of 125 soybean growing farmers were randomly selected from 7 villages of the Chhindwara block of Chhindwara district. Data were collected using PRA tools and personal interviewing. The farmers in the study developed notable innovations to control soybean pests such as use of <i>neem</i> extract, and use of solutions prepared from <i>dinkamali </i>and <i>besharam</i>’s (<i>Ipomoea carnea</i>) leaves, and the larvae of the same insect that affect crop. The farmers were implementing these practices because: they help reduce crop losses, they are compatible with the farming system, they are easy to handle, and the products used are locally available, eco-friendly, cost effective and compatible with the socio-cultural situations of farmers.