Identification of the indigenous pest control methods adopted in jhum fields of Mokukchung district, Nagaland

Abstract

The present study was conducted to document the various indigenous pest control methods in jhum fields in controlling pests. The data was collected from Mokokchung district taking 6 villages from a sample of 120 farmers practicing jhum cultivation. A total of 10 common adopted ITKs were documented, validated and triangulated. These includes seed preservation (1), crop protection from insect-pest and disease (7), crop protection from birds (1) and sowing time (1). A majority of the farmers (96.67%) perceived the indigenous pest control methods as effective in controlling the pests in the jhum fields. For the farmers in Mokukchung, jhum is a way of life and is to stay considering the socio-cultural institutions embedded with this practice along with the ITKs, their associated beliefs and perceived effectiveness.