Traditional Practices Prevalent among Farmers in Haveri District, Karnataka State, India Pertaining to Seed Selection, Treatment, Storage and Sowing Methods

Abstract

Agriculture, which forms the backbone of Indian economy, depended heavily on the traditional knowledge. In this study, we have documented some of the traditional practices pertaining to seed selection, treatment, storage and sowing methods prevalent among farmers in Haveri district, Karnataka state, India. Traditional methods were adopted for seed selection and treatment. The seeds were checked for their germination potential during Navratri. Applying kemmannu, neem oil, mixing with dry neem leaves, mixing with ash are common methods of seed storage. Some farmers also used to store onions, paddy in straw heaps. 65.57 % of the total study participants used gunny bags for storage, 26.22% of the respondents used palatha and 8.20% of the respondents used underground silos. One of the most common methods for storage is by using neem leaves. Farmers also use lime or Calcium hydroxide for storage of seeds. Traditional sowing methods used by farmers in Haveri district include drilling, dribbling and transplanting. The sowing method used depends on the crops that the farmers intend to sow. While all three methods were used for paddy crops, drilling and dribbling were used for maize, jowar, groundnut and sunflower. Transplanting and dribbling were used for chilly and cotton crops.