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A small sample of examples published over last 25 years show the way scouted knowledge has been shared across language, cultural, sectoral and regional boundaries. Thousands of ideas shared openly through local language versions of newsletter, online open access database of innovations, posters during Shodhyatras, stalls in the fair and other means have reinforced people to people learning within and outside the country. It will be difficult for us to really map the degree to which cross cultural, cross regional and cross sectoral learning has been induced by the Honey Bee Network. We give a small sample of examples published over last 25 years just to illustrate the way scouted knowledge has been shared. While our contribution towards patent [700 filed till March 2015 by NIF] is well known, the less known part is the sharing of several databases having more than 12000 traditional knowledge practices, innovations, knowledge about medicinal plants, common property institutions. ross-pollinating ideas and imagination Land Preparation Improving Soil Fertility Using Groundnut Shells oil fertility has been a major concern for rice farmers for many years now. Chemical fertilisers are expensive and are not affordable by farmers. They cost almost the same as a 50 kg bag of imported rice. Farmers tried many options such as composting and use of cow dung, but they have realised the labour involved in composting is quite high and the availability of dung in sufficient quantity is not assured and the cost is also high. Awa Njie grows both rice and groundnut. During groundnut decortication, she gathers the shells and applies them to her paddy fields. During land preparation she incorporates the shells into soil and plants her paddy seedlings. After the harvest she realised there was an increase in her yields. When the neighbours saw this, they also tried the same technique with similar results. The innovation is now adopted by most of the farmers in her village. Awa Njie, (Gambia 10/4/2006) A field trial conducted during kharif season of 2003 at Junagadh, Gujarat, India, on pigeon pea revealed that groundnut shell mulch is highly effective and results in higher plant height, wider spread as well as grain and straw yield as compared to other treatments. -Ed.(Vadi, H D, Kachot, N A, Shekh, M A, Khafi, H R, Kikani, V L, Crop Research (Hisar), 30(1):19-22, 2005) Vol 19(1) Jan-Mar 2008 Bamboo to the rescue The Middle Andamans in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands usually receive good rainfall during the monsoons. However, it becomes dry during the summer and the prevailing drought has made the situation worse. Moreover, farmers usually need to collect water in buckets from the source of water (a well, pond) and carry it to the fields. When the crops are watered, a certain part of them dissipates and does not reach the root zone of the plants. Bimal Gain, a resident of Middle Andaman, has found a method of irrigation that ensures that the scant amount of water that is available reaches the roots of the plants. Gain, who has studied till Class VIII, experimented with hollow bamboo sticks. He removed the nodal blocks and that made the stick completely hollow. The sticks (1.5 feet long and 2.0-2.5 inches wide) were inserted in the soil such that they were adjacent to the seedlings and about half-a-foot from the collar region of the stem. A distance of six feet was kept between two sticks (this distance was decided based on the spacing of the crops planted). Gain poured water into the stick. This water would reach the root zone of the crops directly. He says that he has found this method quite effective and it reduces the amount of water required by the crops. He has been following this method of irrigation since 1999. Bimal Gain, Govindapur, Nimbudara, Middle Andaman, Source of information: Dr Paramanik, Sociologist–CARI, Port Blair, Documented by: SEVA Vol 15(4) Oct-Dec 2004 The heuristic could be described as “to achieve greater precision in targeting inputs to the crops†and can be seen as the basis of modern-day techniques of precision farming and drip irrigation. -Ed. Seed treatment with tamarind leaves Tati Diassana is a rice producer who lives in Djénéna in the Urban San Commune. She uses tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.) leaves for safe storage of seeds. The seeds are completely dried under the sun by covering them with tamarind branches. After this the tamarind leaves are removed from the branches and mixed with the seeds. At the end of the seed drying operation, the mixture of seeds and tamarind leaves is put in a tightly closed container for storage. The container should be opened only when seed is needed. Tati, has always used this technique to control insects. Recently, several farmers in the villages where tamarind is available practice this technique to store the seeds of rice, millet, sorghum, soybeans, peanut (It remains to be seen whether tamarind leaves dried separately and mixed with sun dried grains at the time of storage will have the same effect. -Ed) Vol 19(1) Jan-Mar 2008 A study reports that besides Mali and Ghana, farmers in Benin also claim that seeds stored with crushed pepper and tamarind leaves remain viable for at least four years. (http:// www.bioversityinternational.org / Publications/1066/Low-cost.pdf) Tati Diassana, Mali, AFRICA CALLING - Honey Bee 19 (1): 18, 2008. Removal of moisture is a time tested method of improving shelf life. The heuristic is “to create less congenial conditions for bacteria, fungi and insect pests to thrive on the substrateâ€. The pepper and tamarind leaves possibly serve as repellents but again help to create a less congenial environment for pests to thrive. -Ed.Studies have shown that tamarind has an anti-feedant property and hence helps store seeds for longer duration. The study done by Peta Devanand and Pathipati Usha Rani shows that acetone extracts of Momordica charantia L, Tectona grandis L., Tamarindus indica L., Madhuca indica L., and Jatropha curcas L. plants belonging to families which taxonomically possess toxic principles with significant antifeedant effects and could be a potential crop protectent against Spodoptera litura FAB. and Achea janata L. Devanand, P, & Rani, P U (2008). Biological potency of certain plant extracts in management of two lepidopteran pests of Ricinus communis L. J Biopest,1 (2), 170-176. Pest Management and Crop Protection A modern scarecrow In the monsoon, insects and pests pose a menace to crops. Rather than make use of harmful pesticides and insecticides, Kantibhai Patel, a primary school teacher, along with two of his students has developed a modern scarecrow to control insects. An old bearing is installed on an iron stand. An empty galvanised tin that has become useless is given the shape of a human. Strips are cut out from the tin and bent in the shape of fan blades. These ‘arms’ rotate when the wind blows. Pieces of a broken mirror are stuck on the body of tin and it is painted yellow so that it reflects the rays of the sun. Animals and birds will not come near the standing crops. Small bells attached to both sides of the scarecrow’s head ring continuously as they are touched by the scarecrow’s rotating arms. This noise keeps animals like rats away. A sticky substance is applied on the surface of the tin. The wings of insects flying near the crops get stuck and they die. A lighted oil lamp is kept in the tin at night to attract larvae, insects and white flies. They fly towards the lamp and drown in the oil in the container of the lamp. In this way, a scarecrow prepared with minimum expense can save crops from damage by stray birds, animals and insects. Kantibhai A Patel, (Teacher), Jayesh Ashwinbhai Patel and Sachin Pravinbhai Patel (Students), Thakarasan Primary School, Dist. Mehsana. Comm: Govindbhai A Rawal (Principal) Vol 9 (4) Oct-Dec 1998 The improved scarecrow uses two well known heuristics of pest management a) to repel avian and other small animal pests by scaring them with a combination of methods including noise, light and human form and b) attracting insect pests with colour (in this case yellow) and light to trap and kill them. -Ed. Saving cereals from pests Cereals are often kept in gunny bags. To prevent pests from attacking the cereals, the bags should be first dipped in water in which tobacco leaves have been soaked. The tobacco leaves should be cut smoothly and soaked for 24 hours. The gunny bags, after being dipped in this water, should be shade-dried. Traditional knowledge practice was documented and conveyed to NIF by Kumud Chutia and Sajib Borua, Assam. Tobacco leaves are used as insecticide and insect repellent in several parts of the world including Paraguay, Iran and China. Vol 15(4) Oct-Dec 2004 Tobacco (nicotine) serves as a botanical pesticide here but the method of application is different from others. Dissolving the pesticide in water and soaking the grain in the solution may result in uniform application. There may be other benefits of soaking in the pesticide solution, which if discovered through research could throw more light on the heuristic. -Ed. Saving Coconuts from Tree Dogs To prevent tree dogs from damaging coconuts, a picture of a snake is drawn on the lower portion of the trunks of coconut trees. Tree dogs (palm civet) climb up the tree and drink the coconut water damaging the fruit. Obviously, these nocturnal animals mistake the figure for a real snake! Vol 4 (2&3) Apr-Sept 1993 Another variation of exploiting pest-predator relationship in nature. In this case the heuristic could be described as “using pest-predator relation to trick and scare the pest awayâ€. -Ed. Adhusa protects mangoes For controlling leaf eating insects in Mango, about 100 ml juice extracted from the leaves of adhusa (Adhathoda vasica L.) is mixed with 100 ml castor oil and 15 litres of water and sprayed on the plants. One spray is effective for seven days. It is repeated when the insects reappear (Ramanbhai Bavabhai Patel, Chikhli, Navsari). Vol 21(4) Oct-Dec 2010 In the case of leaf eating insects the “combination of botanicals usually act as stomach poisons to destroy the insectsâ€. It may also make the leaves inedible or unsavoury in other ways. It has been proved that Adhathoda vasica. L extract has anti feedant properties. The growth rate of pest at larval stage is affected and in pupae stage reduction in weight was observed More details on the study can be found in the paper Antifeedant and toxic activity of Adhatoda vasica leaf extract against Spodoptera littoralis (Lep., Noctuidae) -Ed.Sadek, M M (2003), Antifeedant and toxic activity of Adhatoda vasica leaf extract against Spodoptera littoralis (Lep., Noctuidae). Journal of Applied Entomology, 127: 396–404. doi: 10.1046/j.1439-0418.2003.00775.x Cactus as pesticide Cactus of any variety such as kodikaali (Euphorbia nivulia) or madakalli or thirugukalli (Euphorbia tirucalli) is cut into pieces and immersed in water. Ensure that the water is just enough for the cactus pieces to float. Let the pieces ferment for 15 days. The extract is then filtered. A litre of the solution is taken and sprayed. The pesticide helps control the leaf curl disease in chilli, konthalai (little leaf, a viral disease) in brinjal, the mosaic disease in ladyfinger, fulgarid (brown jassids) in paddy and sucking pests in cotton. Vol 11(2) Apr-Jun 2000 The fermenting shell may have something to do with converting the latex into anti-viral agents. Broadly it would still be classified as natural botanical although fermenting forms an important step in the heuristic. -Ed.A study done in 2009 shows that Euphorbia nivulia and Euphorbia tirucalli both exhibit toxic and insect growth regulatory (IGR) effects on Diamondback moth. Uma, M S, Prasanna, P M, & Kumar, A R V (2010). Efficacy of some Euphorbiaceae plant extracts against cabbage diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L. Karnataka Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 22(3). Coconut shell “thailam†oil to control termites Gopalakrishnan was always interested to achieve something special during his school going days. However, he could not study much due to economic constraints and family problems. When working as a turner and welder in a spinning mill at Nagai, Andhra Pradesh, he developed a structure to minimize the labour requirement in spinning. In 2005, he assessed the utility of coconut shell ‘thailam’ oil for control of red ant and as a termite repellent. When 100 ml of this oil is poured into the red ant hill, there is a control of ant activity for about 35 days, even with enough moisture availability near the hills. This oil when sprayed on termites can reportedly control them within 30 seconds. (The smoke of the burning husk is a natural mosquito repellent. There is no evidence of the use of coconut for controlling termites in particular, but it possesses insecticidal property as it is found to use as mosquito repellent. http://ambergriscaye.com/ cocopalms / uses.html) Vol 17(4)-18(1) Oct 2006-Mar 2007 It is not clear what is meant here by “controlâ€. Whether it kills the termites or repels them as in the case of red ants. Perhaps it may have both repellent as well as insecticidal properties, or act differently on different insects. Coconut shell contains termiticidal activity. The mortality rate is higher when the termites are exposed to the wood vinegar obtained from coconut shell. A study was conducted to prove that termiticidal activity shows higher percentage of mortality rate in termite workers (Odontotermes sp) and striped mealy bugs (Ferrisia virgata). -Ed.Wititsiri, S (2011). Production of wood vinegars from coconut shells and additional materials for control of termite workers, Odontotermes sp. and striped mealy bugs, Ferrisia virgata. Sonklanakarin Journal of Science and Technology, 33(3), 349Documented by: Gopalakrishnan, Tamil Nadu Cotton shells for weed control Cyperus rotendus L. is a noxious weed. It grows in patches in black soils and sandy loam soils. It is locally called ‘chhaya’ in Saurashtra and ‘chidho’ in middle Gujarat. It grows in patches in the field. Its roots go deep into the soil. Roots bear a gall like structure called ‘nut sedge’. It is very difficult to remove this weed by inter-culturing. It regenerates when it is cut at the stem above the ground. Some farmers of Rajkot district use empty shells of cotton ball to control it. Cotton is one of the major crops in Saurashtra. After removing lint cotton from balls, nutshells became waste. These nutshells are broadcasted in the field where patches of ‘chidho’ are found. It is layered up to three inch thickness in these patches one month before the rainy season begins. The field is then cultivated by ploughing to incorporate it well into the soil. Farmers believe that when it rains, the water infiltrates through shells. This burns or kills the root/sedge of the weed. By this practice, field remains weed free for about two-three years. Besides weed control, it also acts as organic manure upon decomposition and helps in increasing crop yield. Jayantibhai has learnt about this practice from his father. Jayantibhai Prabhubhai Gani, Rajkot: comm: Dilip D Koradia Vol 7(3) Jul-Sep 1996 The heuristic here is to create adverse conditions for the weed by bringing it close to moisture when it is not needed. As a bonus the material used as a carrier serves to strengthen the soil by acting as organic manure. -Ed. Weed control using cumin ‘Dharo’ (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) is a noxious, perennial, grassy weed that grows on fertile patches and bunds in the fields. Even running a harrow for inter-culturing is very difficult in spots where the weed grows. The weeds are difficult to remove even manually. Deveshijibhai Thakor of Kathi village, Mehasena district, has come up with an interesting practice to control this weed using dry stalks of the cumin plant. According to him, the stalks must be spread over the field in summer. In the monsoons, the rain water gets absorbed in the stalks before filtering down to the soil. It is believed that the water filtering through the cumin stalks prevents the germination and growth of the ‘Dharo’. He claims that even crops could not be grown in the field where cumin stalks were incorporated. It takes almost one year for the stalks to decompose. Devashijibhai Hathijibhai Thakor, Vill: Kathi, Dist: Mehsana: comm: Vanarsiji M Thakor Vol 7(4) Oct-Dec 1996 The heuristic here would be “to apply natural growth inhibitors to weeds at the germination stageâ€. This is a heuristic specifically applicable to weeds which is a special category of pests. The botanical within cumin stalk is dissolvable in water, which makes it easy to apply it in the field in the form of stalks. The practice suggests that certain growth inhibitors may be released by the cumin stalks but this but this can only be confirmed through scientific validation and research. -Ed.Disease Control Fumigation in sorghum Farmers always keep fire-wood on hand to protect their sorghum from ‘Ratda’ disease. The wood is burned in the affected field and ghee (clarified butter) is added to produce smoke that brings the disease under control. Kuvarjibhai Chhgabhai Chaudhari, Vill: Kavchiya, Tal: Valiya, Dist: Bharuch, Comm:Chaudhari Vanjibhai I. Vol 4 (1) Jan-Mar 1993The heuristic here is to use a fumigation technique against the disease. The use of ghee may help to generate more smoke through partial burning of the wood. -Ed. Control of ‘Galo’ disease in sugarcane ‘Galo’ is a disease characterised by deposition of droplets of sticky, semi liquid honey-like dew on the leaves and stems of sugarcane in winter. Long before winter sets in, farmers collect twigs of Calotropis sp. and soak them in a tank filled with water and allow them to decay for months. The extract is then sprayed on the crop. This treatment cures the disease within two to three days. No adverse effect has been noticed; however, the cane should be washed before consumption. This practice has been used by about 30 to 40 per cent of the farmers in this area for the last eight to ten years. Dr. D K Pandey comments: The disease has been observed particularly when mealy bug, pyrilla and other sucking pests feed on stems and leaves. Calotropis has alkaloids with insecticidal properties. These are perhaps released in the water when the twigs rot. Katrodia Chinubhai, Amreli: Scout: Ms. Pandya, Neha K. Vol 4(2&3) Apr-Sep 1993 The heuristic here is “to use a botanical insecticide against the causal / spreading agents of the disease, in this case sucking insect pestsâ€. -Ed. Diseases of other crops Rots are of two types, dry and wet, caused both by bacterial and fungal pathogens. In the case of wet rot, the extent to which it is pathogenic depends upon the availability of moisture. Vine rot of bottle gourd Caused by both bacteria (Erwinia spp., Clavibacter spp.) as well as fungi (Pythium spp., Rhizoctonia spp., Phoma spp.). [http://edis.ifar.ulf. edu/ BODY_PG052]. A spoonful of asafoetida powder is applied on the affected portion of the plant and wrapped with a piece of cloth. This treatment helps in quick rejuvenation of the plant. Mohanbhai Shyamjibhai Patel, Jamnagar. Vol 4(2&3) Apr-Sep 1993. To use a botanical pesticide with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. The method of application has to ensure that the pesticide remains in close physical contact with the pathogens for some time. Asafoetida contains ferulic acid which has anti bacterial and anti-fungal property. -Ed. Amrita, V, Sonal, D, & Shalini, R (2009). Antibacterial effect of herbs and spices extract on Escherichia coli. Electronic Journal of Biology, 5(2), 40-44. Damping off of tobacco This disease is mostly caused by soil borne fungi and sometimes by bacteria too. The disease initiates as wet rotting and finally dieback of the entire seedling takes place [www.colost ate.edu/Dept s/AES/projs/620.htm]. For tobacco seedlings raised in a nursery, a mixture of ash (two to three kg) and castor oil 0.7 to 0.8 kg is spread on the seedbed of 0.01 hectare area to control the disease. The practice is followed two-three times at an interval of seven to eight days. Dulsinh Bhulsinh Parmar, Baroda Vol 3(1) Jan- Mar 1992 Since ash is mixed in the seed bed it indicates preventive action. The botanical pesticide in this case too must remain in close contact with the source of contamination, for example- spores in the soil. -Ed. Red rot of sugarcane Red rot of sugarcane is characterised by reddening of internal tissues of pith with white transverse bands and split canes which emit an alcoholic smell. Till now fungicides have not been found effective in controlling Red rot caused by Colletotrichum falcatum. Mixture of equal quantities of lime and castor cake at the rate of 15-20 kg per acre is sprinkled between two rows of the crop and then covered with soil. This effectively controls the disease from further spreading [Amrutbhai Dayaljibhai Patel, Valsad, HB, 6(1): 14, 1995]. Onset and subsequent disease development in case of both fungal and bacterial diseases are profoundly influenced by environmental factors. Relative humidity, air temperature and precipitation are found to be the most important meteorological factors, which influence the initiation and spread of the disease. It is not surprising therefore to see that the heuristic used by the farmers here is “to create unfavorable conditions for the pathogen in the soilâ€. Lime may be used to increase the acidity and castor may have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. -Ed.Vol 11(4) & 12(1) Oct 2000-Mar 2001 Post-Harvest A mango ripening technique To avoid damage by birds, raw mango fruits are harvested. A layer of leaves of ‘karmela’ (Cassia fistula) is put in a basket. The unripe mangoes are kept on these. The mangoes are then covered with another layer of ‘karmela’ leaves. Normally two to five layers of leaves are kept both at top and bottom. Within four to seven days mangoes become ripe and turn yellow in colour. Besides Cassia fistula, leaves of Butea monosperma, Wrightia tinctoria, W.tomentosa, Holarrhena antidysenterica are also used for ripening the mangoes.Forest Range Officer, Aravalli Afforestation Project, Jhadol (F.)-313 702, Udaipur district, Rajasthan. Vol 7(3) Jul-Sep 1996 Validation of mango ripening practices Validation of five practices for mango ripening was carried out in the Sadbhav SRISTI Sanshodhan Laboratory. The practices were validated using exactly the same method as reported by the farmer. A total of four plants were reported for mango ripening namely Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub., Senna tora (L.) Roxb., Azadirachta indica A. Juss., and Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L. It was found that 500 g of Butea monosperma leaves alone required seven days to ripen 51.6% of mangoes with no infection. When 250 g of Butea monosperma was mixed with 250 g of Senna tora ripening happened in five days. However, nearly 57% of the mangoes got infected. An equal combination of Butea monosperma and Senna auriculata led to an 18% ripening and 42% mangoes with infection over seven days. Perhaps the best results were achieved by an equal combination of Butea monosperma and Azadirachta indica. 56% of the mangoes had ripened over seven days with no infection. Use of 500g Nyctanthus arbor-tristis leaves led to 65% ripening with 4% infection. However, this was achieved over ten days. Horticulture Tea break for chillies!!! Tea leaves used for the preparation of tea are generally thrown away after filtration. Villagers in Orissa are now using this tea waste as a nutrient for chilli plants. Antarayami Pradhan of Tainsi in Kishoreganj village in Angul district applies the used tea dusts at the roots of chilli (Capsicum annuum) plants. He has observed that quality and quantity of the yield improves significantly. (N-triacontanol is a natural plant growth provider isolated from the active fractin of tea-waste/sugar cane press mud. Various trials by agriculture universities have found it effective) http://mofpi.nic.in/technologies/rural/speie&plantation/spi_ntriacon tanol.htm, www.cftri.com/department/ppsft.htm Farmer: Antarayami Pradhan Village: Tainsi, District Angul, Athmallick subdivision Vol 14(4)& 15(1) Oct 2003-Mar 2004 The heuristic here is “to add a natural plant growth stimulant in the region of the roots where it can be absorbed quickly into the plant systemâ€. -Ed. Vermicompost in hanging bags P P Samalkumar, Kerala has developed an uncommon method of making vermi-compost. He makes compost in polythene sacks hanging from a clothesline-like rope. This method obviates the threat of rats, ants and termites. We also need not dig up a tank for making vermi-compost. Tie a twine or rope between two trees at 1.5 metre from ground level, and apply grease at both ends of the rope and spray a little pesticide also to ward off termites. Take plastic sacks having holes and fill these with waste matter and put 100 to 200 worms in each sack. Also apply cow dung for good measure. After five days, spray a little water. Within forty five days, vermi-compost is ready. Since there is air circulation in the sacks, the worms reproduce faster. The other advantage of the sack method is, unlike in the ordinary tank method, there is no possibility of dying of worms due to increased temperature. Besides, the collection of vermin wash is also easy in this innovative method. In the conventional tank method, water is kept in small channels created around the tank for preventing ant attack. But in this method there is no need for creation of puddles which become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Vol 16(1) Jan-Mar 2005 Mala inchi well – A method of water conservation harvesting by planting wild gingerKS Raghunath plants mala inchi (Zingiber wightianum Thw.) around the trench or well for conserving as well as harvesting water in it. Also, it reportedly helps in soil conservation. Earlier, he had experimented with plants such as adathoda, shoe flower, konna etc., but these did not serve the purpose. Sometimes due to vigorous growth of these plants, the soil around the well used to slide into it. He says, planting mala inchi serves multiple purposes. Its strong smell repels animals and also when the well is dry, the harvested mala inchi could be sold in the market. K S Raghunath, Erattupetta, Dist. KottayamFarmers in Tripura plant turmeric around the well or trench to keep otters away. The strong smell of turmeric drives them away. See, Honey Bee, 10(4):5-6,1999 Vol 21(2) Apr-Jun 2010 Planting certain plants with a fibrous root system that grips the soil is a well known heuristic for soil conservation around trenches. -Ed. Drip irrigation for watermelonThe water melon crop requires sufficient soil moisture. During a shortage of water, holes are made at the bottom of a fully mature fruit to allow the inside water to ooze out. The fruit is then placed over the root portion of the plant. This method of drip irrigation not only saves the crop from drying but also helps other fruits to attain full size. Damaged fruits can also be used for irrigating the plants.Scout: P R Subramanian, Pattakaran Pudhur, Annur Mettupalayam, Coimbatore. Vol 8(1) Jan-Mar 1997 This is a unique heuristic of “recycling the water of the plant to itself for survival during water shortage periodâ€. In nature organic matter is also recycled by the plant to itself. What the innovator has done here is to facilitate/ imitate this natural recycling process and make it more efficient. -Ed. Livestock management Hemorrhage in bullocks This remedy is particularly meant for bullocks. Bleeding occurs in these animals when they are wounded or in pain. This happens particularly to bullocks because they are used as beasts of burden. The shoulder region bears the brunt of the load. The cure is as follows: a) Mix equal quantities of leaves of aval (Cassia auriculata) and goat droppings thoroughly. b) Add a small amount of water to get a paste-like consistency by grinding with a stone. c) Apply this paste as a dressing on the wound and bandage it. One has to be careful that the dressing does not move away from the point of the clot or injury. The only disadvantage of this remedy is that it cannot be used for injuries on the stomach or hooves/feet of the animal. Farmer: Parmar Chetasingh Vir Singh Baroda. Scout: Jayendra Vaghela (NAPDB: Dried flowers and leaves of Cassia auriculata are used to mend broken bones (Ref.: Vedavathy S & KN Rao 1991 Journal of Ethnopharmacol. 33 1/2: 193-196)) Vol 10(1) Jan- Mar 1999 Tick and mite control in cows In order to control mites and tick infestation of cattle, slurry is made out of tank silt also known as ‘karambaiman’ and one kg of pounded ‘usila’ leaves (Albizia amara (Roxb.) Boiv.). This is then smeared all over the body of the animal. The animal is then made to stand in the sun for a few hours, after which it is given a bath. The treatment keeps away the blood sucking parasites and also ensures a lustrous skin. Perumal Koundar, Thathasolaipatti, Manaparai, T.K, Trichy district. Vol 10(3) Jul-Sep 1999 Cleaning the uterus after abortion in sheep and goats To clean the uterus after an abortion, the following treatment is given. Crushed tender twigs of ‘sipda’ are mixed with butter-milk and boiled till the solution becomes white. It is then cooled and given to the animal to drink. It is given three to four times for complete cleansing of the uterus in sheep and goats. ‘Sipda’ is a two to ten (0.5m to 3.0m) feet tall plant with small leaves; it grows on hedges and field-bunds. Subaji A Thakore, Dist: Mahesana, Scout: Jayanti D Thakore Vol 5(3) Jul- Sep 1994 Garlic cures pulorum Salmonella pulorum causes a disease that affects poultry birds. The ‘affected chicks are usually 1-14 days old. The chicks have white coloured droppings and the bursal region is caked with the sticky droppings. The chicks lose appetite. Paragbhai Jumabhai Khant, Dist. Dahod, uses the cloves of garlic (Allium sativa) to cure the chicks of this disease. One or two cloves of garlic (peeled) are soaked in a cup of water for twelve hours. This water is taken by the chicks whenever they feed. This cures the chicks in two days’ time. Scout: Shirish Patel Vol 10(4) Oct-Dec 1999 Garlic contains Fructooligosaccharides (FOS). Salmonella pullorum is unable to employ FOS as energy source hence the growth is inhibited. -Ed. Audisio, M C, Oliver, G, & Apella, M C (2001). Effect of different complex carbon sources on growth and bacteriocin synthesis of Enterococcus faecium. International journal of food microbiology, 63(3), 235-241 Vine for cows Ponraj is an agricultural labourer at Velliammal-puram village, Uthama-palayam taluka, Theni district, who has been maintaining two cows. To his surprise, he has found the leaves of grape vine cultivated in and around his village were useful to increase milk production. He has since been feeding grape leaves to his cows and goats. The yield of milk has now increased by one to two liters per day, he claims. In the Cumbum, Bodinayakanur, Chinnamanur blocks of Theni district, grape vine has been cultivated for more than two decades. The farmers have discovered that the leaves of grape vine are relished by cattle and they started feeding the pruned leaves and also dried grape leaves to cattle. Ponraj has been feeding his cows with grape leaves for the last five years. Leaves can be stored up to a week without loss in quality. See Kamalak A 2005: Chemical composition and in vitro dry matter digestibility of leaves of Vitis vinifera. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Vol. 17: Art. |
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