Indigenous Agricultural Knowledge in Kumaon hills of Uttaranchal

Abstract

Application of high inputs in agriculture, in terms of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has endangered the sustainability of production system. Indigenous knowledge of agriculture, is the result of farmers’ thousands years of experience with nature. Indigenous practices are known to the farmers and are helpful in maintaining and enhancing the quality of the environment. With the dissemination of modern practices the indigenous practices have started to loose their ground and have been eroded to a large extent. In the hills of the Uttaranchal, farmers still practice farming by following indigenous practices. The study identifies indigenous agricultural knowledge (IAK) of the farmers regarding various aspects of crop production.