Traditional practices to overcome weeds, pests and diseases in agricultural crops: A study among farmers in Haveri district, Karnataka state, India

Abstract

Indigenous traditional knowledge has the advantage of being cost effective, readily available and help in solving problems of local nature. In spite of these advantages, very few attempts have been made to collect record and analyze them. In this study, we have recorded and documented the important traditional practices associated with pest and disease management among farmers in Haveri district, Karnataka state. Several farmers were found to be adopting practices like biocontrol, using plant derived extracts, multi-cropping etc. Festivals like Shige-Hunnime also were found to be relevant to pest management. Application of pesticides with vegetable gum on a bright coloured board and placing it in the field also helped in overcoming the pests. Awareness about traditional practices among the younger generation of farmers should be increased and such study involving documentation of these practices help in this process.