april-june 1997

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2 A Dialogue on People's Creativity & Experimentation

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India International (Rs) (US $)

Individuals 1500 200 Institutions 5000 600

*Postage extra

� Enterprise: Cotton Stripper ........ 3

� Zuni Farming .............................. 5

� Honey Bee Hums Innovations fromKarnataka, Tamil Nadu & AndhraPradesh ......................................... 7

� Biodiversity:Where Has All the Aroma Gone?Conservation of Scented Rice

germplasm & Mango varieties 10� Metaphors As Tools For

Communication ......................... 12

� Survey of Innovations ............... 13

� Debate:Gene Fund vis a vis Biopiracy .. 16

� News & Views ........................... 18

� Book Worm ............................... 19

� Dialogue ................................... 20

Printed, Published and Owned by Kirit K Patel on behalf of SRISTI Innovations, B/2, Srikrishna Apartments, Near Lad Society, Vastrapur,Ahmedabad-380 015. Printed at M/s Colourman Offset, Ahmedabad. Editor: Anil K Gupta

Honey Bee stands for

(a) People to people networkingin local language, like crosspollination by bees, and

(b) Assurance to providers ofknowledge that they would not beimpoverished because of sharingthe knowledge, just as flowers donot complain when pollen istaken away.

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Respecting boundarRespecting boundarRespecting boundarRespecting boundarRespecting boundaries in an interies in an interies in an interies in an interies in an inter-connected w-connected w-connected w-connected w-connected worororororldldldldld

A king had seven sons and a daughter. One day they wentfishing and each prince caught a fish. The princess kept thefish out in the sun to dry. Next day, all the fish except onewere dry. The princess was curious and asked the wet fish,“Why are you still wet while the others are dry?” The fish

said that a haystack blocked the sunshine and prevented it from drying. Theprincess went to the haystack and asked why it had blocked the sun. Thehaystack said that since the cow had not eaten the hay it was still lyingunder the sun. The princess, went to the cow and asked her why she hadnot eaten the hay. The cow answered that since her calf had not fed onher milk, she did not eat the hay. When the princess asked the calf thereason for not drinking her mother’s milk, it blamed her keeper who hadnot allowed her to feed. The princess was not satisfied with this, so sheasked the keeper what had prevented him from setting the calf free to feed.He pointed towards the lady of the house and said, “Since she did not giveme my daily meal, I forgot to feed the calf.” Now the princess summonedthe lady of the house and continued her enquiry. The scared lady stutteredthat the child had been crying continuously and as she was busy tryingto calm him down, she could not cook any food. The princess asked thechild why he had been crying. The child answered, “The ant bit my fingerand so I was crying.” When the ant was asked why it had bit the child,she answered, “Why shouldn’t I, if the child puts his finger into my burrowshouldn’t I bite?”.

Why did the child put his finger in the ant burrow?

This story was contributed by Dr V Gangadhar from Sri Venkateswara University,Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh in the third summer school on Management of CommonProperty Resources organized by Centre for Management in Agriculture (CMA),IIM, Ahmedabad June 4-13, 1997. Grand parents narrate this story to children inAndhra Pradesh to amuse them but also perhaps to sensitize them about the attentionto details of inter-relationships in nature.

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In the last issue, Vol. 8(1), we hadannounced an on-going contest forrecipes of pickles, squash or anyother edible items which are made byusing natural ingredients. We wouldlike to remind our readers to send intheir entries soon, as the contributorof every published entry will beentitled to a one year subscription ofHoney Bee free.

Will you stand by the IPRs of peasants ? 3

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Editor

Anil K Gupta

Associate Editors

Srinivas ChokkakulaKirit K PatelNiraj Joshi

Editorial Team

Kavita GhoshAstad R Pastakia

Sumati K SampemaneVijaya Sherry Chand

Jitendra H Suthar Shailesh Shukla

Jayvir AnjariaJyoti CapoorRiya Sinha

Assistance

A S Reddy

Graphics & Design

D T PadekarPalash Graphics

UnnikrishnanScan Point

Devang Anglay

Other Sources of IllustrationsZuni

The EyeDynamic Folk Toys

Zuni Farming For Today & Tomorrow

Secretarial AssistanceR Baskaran

Balaganapathy MudaliarJivabhai KotiyaC P Manoharan

Editorial Address

Honey BeeC/o Prof Anil K Gupta

Indian Institute of ManagementVastrapur

Ahmedabad 380 015India

Tel : 91-79-407241 91-79-6564979 (R)

Fax : 91-79-6427896 Telex : 121-6351 IIMA IN

Gram : INDINMAN

Email : [email protected] [email protected]

[email protected] Page : http://csf.colorado.edu/sristi

There is a widespread fear that the forces of globalization would subsume the limitedspace that is available for civil society to articulate its visions and aspirations fora pluralistic, democratic and liberating future. I drew the attention of readers tothe tension between the forces of globalization and grassroots creativity in the lastissue, in the context of the International Conference on Creativity and Innovationat Grassroots (ICCIG) held at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA)from January 11 to 14, 1997. Now I would like to share with you the philosophyunderlying Gujarat Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network (GIAN) that wasset up on March 1, 1997 as a follow up of ICCIG.

The minds of the elite, in most developing countries, are still colonized and theelites’ world view reflects the trends which may have become passe even in thewest. The result is that the demand for lots of products and services of the informalsector has been going down or has not grown despite the growth of middle class.Given the lack of state support and limited space in the market place, the optionsfor grassroots innovators to generate higher incomes and provide safer and greeneralternatives have become even more constrained. After all, in the ultimate sense,it is the consumers who pay for any benefit or incentive that may ever accrue tothese innovators. The challenge is how to mobilize the latent demand in variousparts of the world for products and services developed by the grassroots innovators.There are three ironies that the GIAN initiative might help resolve:

(a) Many of those herbalists and healers who conserve biodiversity and generatenew solutions are poor because their ethical values are superior. They often donot charge for their services or for sharing their knowledge. Does it mean thatwe should accumulate wealth because our ethical values are inferior and they shouldremain poor while their knowledge gets lost with their passing away ? It is notsurprising that we have not found many young people acquiring the skills whichthese informal experts have specialised in.

(b) If we are not willing to change our lifestyles and generate demand for whatthe knowledge rich - economically poor produce domestically, then what is thefuture for such people except to subsist on the doles provided by the state or thecharities. Expanding the market, and not contracting it, is necessary if these skills,knowledge systems, values and creativity have to expand. It is true, of course,that the morals and markets will need to blend very differently in the world weenvisage.

(c) Despite all the talk about south-south and south-north cooperation, the mediaas well as institutions in the formal and informal sectors do not connect innovatorswithin a region. This is partly because of lack of attention, weak vernacular platformsand more importantly because of feeble knowledge networks linking innovators,institutions, investors and enterprises. The irony is that in most developing countries,there is not a single venture capital fund in the private or public sectors which helpsscale up the grassroots innovations by taking risk and providing greater space forinnovations that are environment friendly.

From Grassroots to Global :Linking Innovations, Institutions, Investors and Entrepreneurs


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GIAN is a response to these ironies. Thanks to the initiative of the GujaratGovernment and support from academics and the voluntary sector, a new partnershipbetween the formal and informal sectors has begun. Documentation and disseminationof thousands of innovations and outstanding examples of traditional knowledge byHoney Bee has certainly helped in cross fertilizing these to some extent. However,it did not generate more income for the innovators except in a few cases whenreaders of local language versions of Honey Bee may have purchased innovativeimplements, new seed varieties or other things from the innovators.

We would like to hear from our readers about various ways of improving the incomeof innovators and generating more green choices for the consumers. To us, theincentives primarily have to accrue either in material or non-material form forindividuals or communities through a knowledge network linking various segmentsthat care for conservation and innovation. GIAN is one such instrument that willhelp those innovators whose knowledge, practices or innovations can be commercializedor disseminated by the state or Non Government Organisations (NGOs) among thepotential users. In the latter case, the state or NGOs must buy the right to diffusethe practice free to others so that innovators have incentives to innovate. In somecases, instead of monetary compensation, extending honour, recognition and respectwill serve the purpose. A portfolio of approaches which includes economic andnon-economic incentives needs to be developed. GIAN will help in scaling upof the commercializable technologies and also in diffusing the non-commercializablepractices, perhaps with some value addition, through public systems. SRISTI wouldcontinue to provide support to Honey Bee network, carry out research on variousaspects of grassroots innovations and conservation of biodiversity, and undertakepolicy advocacy in collaboration with various institutions like the IIMA. GIANwill try to achieve market and technological linkages as shown in the figure on“the golden triangle”. The point is that a small entrepreneur in any country maynot be able to do bio-prospecting or identify other innovators in another countryas multinational corporations can and have done. Similarly an investor may notbe able to link entrepreneurs and innovators. Our experience with grassrootsinnovators has shown that most of them either do not try or often fail in seekingwider markets for diffusion of innovations without external support.Theoreticallyit should be possible for an entrepreneur in South Korea to invest in an innovationfrom India and set up an enterprise in South Africa or an investor from one partof the country to invest in an innovation from another region. Our ability todetermine whether this happens or not will mobilize our respective networks forthis cause.

Kn ow le d ge Ne tw ork

In nova tion

In ve stm e n t En te rp rise

The Golden Triangle

Dear Reader

On the eve of the 50th year of India’sindependence, is it not proper that allof us reflect on the state of civilsociety and its ability to articulate andassert visions and aspirations ofmillions of disadvantaged people inmaking this nation? In a way theIndian experiment in democraticdevelopment is of global concern.

If we have achieved a great deal incertain fields, it makes our failure inother fields even less acceptable. Whatthe Gondal king ensured 100 yearsago, independent India cannot eventhink about it today, i.e. compulsoryeducation for every girl child.Colonized minds can borrow modelsand metaphors from outside fordevising various policies, but cannotlearn from grassroots. We talk aboutaccountability but most academics andNGO leaders themselves do not sharewhat they have learned from peopleback with them in their language.Vernacular media are bypassed. Howshall we develop pride, kindle selfesteem and raise curiosity about whatpoor people are often rich in i.e. theirknowledge, culture and ethics.

Can the culture of compliance steepeddeeply in our psyche give way to aculture of curiosity, concern andcreativity? Why should it be alwaysnecessary for a small innovator to getrecognition from outside before her

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Anil K Gupta

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One of the factors discouraging thecultivation of indigenous varieties ofcotton such as V 797 is the tedious post-harvesting process of removing cottonfrom unopened and semi-opened shells.Picking of cotton in hybrid varieties iseasier because the bolls in the hybridvarieties open up at harvesting stage andsometimes the cotton even falls on theground. Mechanical appliances weredeveloped for the rest of the stages likeginning, pressing etc.

The V 797 variety is extensively grownin many rainfed semi-arid parts of NorthGujarat. The shells are removed manuallybefore the cotton is sold to factories forginning and pressing. While most familiesdo it on their own, a few earn their livingout of this job. A large number of old-people, women and children contribute tothis labour.

The inefficiency with which we havebeen using child and women labour inseparating cotton from bolls has notbothered us for years. However,Mansukhbhai Patel, who works in atextile mill in Ahmedabad was concernedabout this problem and developed astripper which can remove cotton frombolls very efficiently. Whether the stripperwill be used by cooperatives of poorwomen or men labourers or farmers orself employed youth, only time will tell.Mansukhbhai was in a dilemma aboutthe unemployment the machine might

cause among the labour employed so far.But then should children be employed atall and why should women do low valuejobs? How will their status ever improve?Institutions must evolve which will putMansukhbhai’s technological innovationin the hands of the poor and disadvantagedsmall farmers and labourers.

Spirit of experimental ethic

Mansukhbhai was born in 1952 in afarmer family belonging to Trent villagein Viramgam taluka of Gujarat. He usedto support his father in farming operationsjust as many other children do in ruralIndia. This also included repairing orservicing of the farm implements. Hepursued his studies simultaneously butcould study only up to High School.

Since his childhood, Mansukhbhai hadgreat interest in mechanical and electricalappliances and whenever there was achance he used to tinker with them tillhe understood the mechanism. His interestbrought him close to one of his friends,an electrician. Mansukhbhai used to spendmost of his time assisting him. In 1973,his uncle got him a job as helper in asteel tube manufacturing company inAhmedabad. Later he was promoted asan electrician. After changing a coupleof jobs he is currently working as DeputyElectrical Engineer in the Asarva textilemill. Mansukhbhai’s colleagues includinghis superiors respect him a great deal for

his practical knowledge. They extendtheir full cooperation and encouragementfor his innovative ideas.

During one of his frequent visits to hisvillage, Mansukhbhai was caught upwith the idea of mechanizing the processof stripping cotton from shells. He keptthinking about it for sometime and in1991, he was convinced that he coulddevelop a technology to strip the cottonfrom shells mechanically. He discussedthis idea with some of his colleagues andrelatives. Everybody encouraged him andpromised to support his endeavour.Encouraged, he searched for prospectiveinvestors to join him as partners. ShriKantibhai Patel, who manages a factoryowned by The Trent Group ofCooperative Cotton Shell Ginning andPressing Society Limited, was extremelysupportive and promised to invest in theresearch and development of suchtechnology.

Search for collaborators

Kantibhai provided one and a half lakhrupees initially. It was not just the moneythat Kantibhai provided which made thedifference to this innovation, it is hisunstinted faith in Mansukhbhai’scapabilities and vision which contributeda great deal to the success that finallycame Mansukhbhai’s way. With thismoney, Mansukhbhai took a shed on hireclose to his textile mill and began workingon his idea. He bought some basic

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Mansukhbhai B Patel is a self-trained electrical engineer and is known forinnovative solutions among his colleagues and friends. Though he did not completehis high school education, his technical skills and knowledge were recognized bythe formal system and he now works as Deputy Electrical Engineer in a textileindustry. His search for innovations continues outside his job responsibilities too.He has designed a cotton stripper which strips cotton from shells mechanically.This note is abstracted from a preliminary report by Srinivas Chokkakula of theSRISTI team. Mansukhbhai can be contacted at 49, Kanti Park, Nr Riddhi Society,Ranna Park, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. This innovation was scouted by Hiren C Raval,a student of Lok Bharati Sanosara, a Gandhian Vidyapith.


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machinery and installed it in the shed.Many of his colleagues and workersfrom his factory also used to help himvoluntarily. Every evening after officehours, they used to spend hours discussingand trying out alternatives. Sometimesthis went on till late in the night. Aftertwo years, in 1994, Mansukhbhai cameout with a model and demonstrated it inhis village.

He was highly appreciated and at the endof the meeting, received confirmedorders for as many as 50 machines.Though the results were not entirelysatisfactory, the model convincedeverybody that it is possible to developsuch a machine. This assured the investorsas well as Mansukhbhai’s relatives thatit is worth investing time and resources.

Encouraged by the response, Mansukhbhaiintensified his efforts. To save money onrent, he shifted the shed from Ahmedabadto Nana Ubhada, his brother-in-law’svillage. His brother-in-law, Jayantibhai GPatel offered his land to build the shedand he also contributed in terms of timeand money. Mansukhbhai began to visitNana Ubhada once or twice a week whileJayantibhai and his family membersdevoted their time whenever they werefree from farming operations. Otherrelatives too joined them over time.Mansukhbhai estimates the total expensesto be around Rs 50 lakh till date.

Technology evolution

Mansukhbhai dealt with the strippingprocess in two stages. In the first stage,the three sepals of boll containing cottonare broken and in the second stage, thecotton is stripped from the bolls. By1996, he had developed three prototypemodels, each an improvement over theearlier one, with the one developed in1996 being the most satisfying one.

In the first prototype developed in 1994,the first stage is taken care of by analuminum conveyer belt followed bytwo crushing rollers. The aluminumconveyer belt sieves the cotton bolls forany raw material and feeds them intothe crushing rollers. The model hadsome deficiencies. At the conveyer beltstage, there was a considerable loss ofcotton. The life of the wire meshcylinder was also less, it hardly used tolast for 100 tons of cotton.

Improvements over time

The 1995 model had some improvementsand achieved better results. Though theoutput was satisfactory, Mansukhbhaiwanted to increase its efficiency further.The crushing of the bolls was breakingthe shells into small pieces and leavinga considerable amount of debris in thecotton. The stress on the wire-mesh beltwas still high.

In the latest model, he replaced thecrushers with a set of large spikedrotators in a closed chamber, whichavoided breaking of shells into smallpieces as was the case in the previousversion. Also, the cotton bolls werestruck fewer times as the spikes usedto hit the cotton shells only in theforward direction. Now, the impacteither broke the shells into three partsor separated the shell from cotton. Theoutput was tested in the laboratoriesand it was certified that there was nodamage to the lint length. The qualityof cotton stripped using the machine,was better than the one pickedmanually and fetched about 30 percentbetter price.

The machine right now costs about twolakh rupees and runs on a two hp, singlephase electric motor. The capacity iseight tons per day which is equivalentto 400 man-day labour. Mansukhbhaihas manufactured ten machines so far.He has installed four of them in differentvillages which are run by his relativesto recover the investment.

Future plans

Mansukhbhai feels that improvementscan still be made in the design andmaterial to reduce cost and increaseefficiency. He seeks collaboration withformal scientists and designers in thisendeavour. He has many more ideas towork on in the future, one of them is toadd a machine to a conventionalmechanical harvester, that will makestacks and also tie the crop afterharvesting it.

The Eye


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Dabatchishna: Zuni Method ofPropagating Peach Trees

According to Lygatie Laate, anexperienced Zuni farmer, some Zunifarmers traditionally ‘started’ newpeach trees by splitting up old stumpsthat contained healthy, young shoots.This is called dabatchishna, and is away to get new trees from the old onesknown for good fruits.

How does dabatchishna work? Duringspring and summer, Lygatie checks hisorchard for stumps or trees that are old,but are still firmly rooted. He cuts thetree to a short stump and covers it withsoil. After some time new shoots sproutfrom the stump and grow through thesoil. He keeps piling more soil up andaround them. This encourages the shootsto grow long. The next year, in earlyspring, Lygatie uses a saw or axe to splitthe stump. If there are two good shootshe would split the stump into two parts.Good shoots are those that are at least25-30 cm long, and grow vigorously.He then plants the shoot attached to apiece of the stump in a deep, moist, hole.Over four inches of the shoot is buriedunder the soil. As the weather and soilget warmer, new roots grow. By the timethe shoot starts to leaf out, the stumpremnant should have grown enoughroots to gather water to support this newtree.

Source: Cleveland D (1993) (ed) “ZuniFarming for Today and Tomorrow: Planningfor Sustainable Agriculture: An Appendix”in James Enote (ed), The Zuni ResourceDevelopment Plan: A Program of Action forSustainable Resource Development Plan,Zuni Conservation Project: Pueblo of Zuni.

While the Zunis have suffered all thedisadvantages, they have only oneadvantage, i.e., to learn from the mistakesof the mainstream agriculture in US. Itis estimated that the increase in salinityin US has lowered the yields of irrigatedlands by about 25 to 30 percent. About20 percent of such land is irrigated bydrawing the ground water at a ratehigher than recharge. Moreover, seventons of top soil per acre is lost to windand water erosion every year.Approximately 500,000 tons of differenttypes of pesticides are applied annuallyin the US.

It is in this context that Zunis have hadto choose their options. Zuni approachto agriculture requires intertwining ofculture, resources, and communities. Itwas only in 1970s that Americansacknowledged the oppression andbrutality imposed on American Indiansby the European settlers. It wassuggested that a new beginning had tobe made in which Indians would governthemselves and take decisions forthemselves. In practice, the model ofagriculture introduced locally was sameas used by mainstream farmers. Thiswas obviously not sustainable. Theft ofZuni lands, destruction of Zuniwatersheds, modernization by force, andsocial and cultural weakening of Zunilife were identified as three reasonsresponsible for decline of farming. Inaddition, diversification into otheractivities also contributed to the declineof farming.

The total population of Zunis was lessthan ten thousand and total farm landwas about 1000 acres only. Zuni farmers,

like most farmers in rainfed regions(receiving less than 50 cm rainfall) havefollowed a policy of fragmentedlandholding so that at least one of themany plots receive rainfall. This alsohelps in diversifying the farming systems.In addition to the crops like corn theyalso grow vegetables and fruits such aspeach and apple. Traditionally, the treesnear the mouth of the streams were notcut and perhaps were the only treessurviving in many watersheds.

Cleveland (1993) described theexperience of an innovative farmerLygatie Laate who had revived an oldsystem of growing peach tree (see box).

Zunis were very proud of their local cropvarieties such as blue corn and felt badwhen outside traders tried to market theirproducts resembling Zuni crops under Zuniname. The feelings regarding intellectualproperty rights were mixed. For some,the seeds were for sharing. Others feltthat any outside institution or individualshould consult the Zuni council beforeentering into any contract with anindividual to obtain seed material. Theyhave yellow, blue, red, white, speckled,

This note is based on the personal impressions of Prof Anil Gupta who visited the American Indian communities in1994 along with David Downes of Centre for International Environmental Law, Washington D C, USA. In part I (whichappeared in Honey Bee Vol 7(3): 12-14), we talked about how the Zuni communities struggled with the state’s policywhich not only neglected them but also exploited their resources. We discussed how they were trying to revitalise theirknowledge, institutions and identities through collective effort and determination. Part II deals with some aspects oftheir farming and the struggle to maintain their cultural identity.

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Lygatie Laate on his farm


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and black coloured corn and bean varietiesbesides that of squash.

Self regulation in land and water use

Several institutions have existed in thepast through which individuals restrainedthe use of scarce resources. For instance,Cushing described a system of watersupply at Nutria, in which everyhouseholder kept an account stick hangingnear the sky-hole. Every time a farmerwatered his fields, he had to cut a notchin this account-stick. The sub-chiefscould inspect these sticks any day. Everyfarmer, therefore, ensured that he usedonly that much water as the stick lengthpermitted. The ground water wasregulated through individual monitoring- an innovation which may be worthlearning from.

The inheritance in Zuni tradition ismatrilineal. The role of women isextremely crucial in deciding not only howland was used but also who used it.

Many of the soil and water conservationmeasures used by Zunis were similar tothe ones used by farmers in other aridregions. For instance, the heaps of stalkswere left in the field to prevent winderosion - a practice very similar to‘kanabundi’ (see Honey Bee Vol 6(2)) inRajasthan in India. Similarly, manyother structures can be compared tostructures in other arid regions. Perhapsone could not expect a very wide varietyof responses in similar stressedenvironments. And yet there are someunique innovations developed by Zunisin managing land, water, and biologicaldiversity. Mapping of land using globalpositioning system (GPS) andgeographical information system (GIS)has helped resolve lot of conflicts andgenerate greater efficiency in managingwatersheds.

Located at the point where the Zuniriver flows between two mountains intothe Little Colorado, Kolhu/wala:wa, orZuni Heaven, is a place of great religioussignificance to the Zunis. It is believedto be the place where all Zunis go afterdeath and is the location where thesupernatural Kokko resides under asacred lake fed by the waters from aperennial spring. Zunis have been knownto make quadrennial (every four years)pilgrimage to Zuni Heaven for manycenturies. The strenuous religiouspilgrimage takes four days and coversa distance of more than one hundred andten miles. During the pilgrimage Zunismake offerings, say prayers, gather

sacred paint pigments and eventuallyreach Kolhu/wala:wa. Their religiousactivities at this point are aimed atbringing about peace, order andprosperity not only to the Zunis but tothe entire world. Prayers are offered tosupernatural beings and to the Zuniancestors for bringing rains to the Zuniregion, to enable the crops to grow andto nurture the fields of their neighboursas well. Sometimes during years ofdrought, special pilgrimages have beenmade to pray for rain.

Desecration by Non-Zunis

In 1879, a young anthropologist namedFrank H Cushing moved to Zuni andwas eventually adopted into the tribeand initiated into the Bow Priesthood.A year later when he saw the quadrennialpilgrimage he wanted to visit Kolhu /

wala:wa. Cushing secretly travelled toKolhu/wala:wa and looted the ancientshrines, stealing prayer sticks and otherreligious artifacts. Other anthropologistslike Matilda Stevenson also stolereligious offerings in order to put themin museums. Since then, Zuni tribeleaders resolved to put an end to thedesecration of their religious shrinesand especially to protect the rights toKolhu/wala:wa and the sacred trailthere.

In August 1984 they got control over12,000 acres of land that comprises thearea around Kolhu/wala:wa. However,their problems were far from over. In1985, as the time for the quadrennialpilgrimage approached, Earl Platt, awealthy attorney in his mid-seventiesand owner of a large ranch along theroute of the pilgrimage notified theSheriff and wanted Zuni leaders arrestedfor trespassing when they passed alongthe trail through his property. A lengthylegal battle ensued, in which a numberof non-Zunis testified in favor of theZunis. John Niiha who was chosen asone of the Zunis to testify, gave adetailed account of the pilgrimage andof the fact that the route had neverchanged during the decades that he hadbeen going on the pilgrimages. EdmundLadd, a Zuni who is also ananthropologist, acted as interpreter.

On February 7, 1990, Judge Carrollissued his order in favour of the Zunis.Finding that all elements of an easementlaw had been met, he granted the Zunisan easement over Platt’s lands for theirpilgrimage every four years, for up to 60people, on foot and horseback at the timeof the summer solstice. The order alsospecified that the easement should be fiftyfeet wide and that the Zunis should notinterfere with Platt’s water sources.

Source: Hart, Richard E., (1991), Protectionof Kolhu/Wala:wa: Litigation andLegislation, Zuni History: Section II,p.6-8.

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Nam Vazhi Velanmai(Tamil version of Honey Bee)Mr P Vivekanandan, Editor43, T P M Nagar, Virattipathu, Madurai625010, Tamil nadu

Tonics for cattle

One matured coconut kernel, 100 g ofcommon salt, 50 g of ‘kolunchi’(Tephrosia purpurea) leaves and 50 gof turmeric rhizome are pounded welland mixed in one litre of fermented ricewater. This mixture is fed to the animaldaily for seven days. If the animal stopsgrazing then a handful of leaves ofbottle gourd (Lagenaria sciceraria) arepounded well and mixed with fermentedrice water. The mixture is then fed to theanimal for seven days to improve itsappetite.

A hot and sweet digestive

Often animals suffer from indigestionand fever. Ten grams each of garlic, freshginger, dried ginger, asafoetida and pepperare pounded and mixed with 50 g ofjaggery. The mixture is made into ballsand fed to the animal. This helps incuring the animal.

Infertility

For animals which are unable toconcieve, a handful of ‘aduthinnapalai’(Aristolochia bracteolata) leaves andthree rhizomes of ‘korai’ (Cyperusrotendus) are ground together andmixed with 10 g of common salt. Themixture is given to the animal. Watershould be given only after half an hour.The medicine should be continued forseven days. This helps the animal toconceive.

Water to eject pests

Groundnut fields infested with leaf rollerpest are sprayed with water using a

power sprayer. The force of the watershakes the leaves which in turn bring outsome larvae. Then a solution is preparedwith 300 ml of Neem oil mixed with50 g of caustic soda, tobacco decoctionand a piece of khadi soap. All these arediluted in 60 litres of water and sprayedover a one acre plot.

Ragi husk to improve soil texture

When the Ragi grain is threshed forseperating seeds, the husk is collectedand later used as manure in the fieldswhere sweet potato is cultivated. Thispractice increases the size of tubers andalso improves soil texture.

Ripening with scent

Unripened banana bunches are piled ina vessel and ‘oothupathi’, (incense sticks)are lit inside the vessel. The lid of thevessel is then closed. The banana bunchesripen in about 12 hours. In another

method of early ripening, the unripenedbanana bunches are properly coveredwith ‘palamaram’ (Wrightia tinctoria)leaves for a day.

Seed treatment methods

(a) Paddy: A gunny bag filled withpaddy seeds is kept immersed in a watertrough for 12 hours Then the seed bagis immersed in diluted biogas slurry foranother 12 hours. This increases theresistance of seedlings to pests anddiseases. (b) Maize : Seeds are soakedin cow urine for 12 hours before sowing.(c) Banana: The suckers are kept in hotwater for a few minutes before planting.(d) Chilli: Seeds are immersed in biogasslurry for half an hour. This promotesvigorous growth and increases diseaseresistance in seedlings. (e) Cotton: Seeds

are mixed with a solution containing cowdung slurry and diluted lime beforesowing.

�1�� $�� (� $�%�)/�� +�2��V R Iyyappan

Sri V R Iyyappan is an elderly farmer from Reddiapatti village. Hisgrandfather had collected many palm leaf manuscripts in Tamil languageon traditional veterinary practices. Now Sri Iyyappan treats sick animalsusing references from these manuscripts. He practices organic farming andis actively involved with the network of Nam Vazhi Velanmai. Here we carrysome veterinary treatments suggested by him.


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Hittalagida(Kannada version of Honey Bee)Dr T N Prakash, Editor, Department ofAgricultural Economics, UAS, Hebbal,Banglore 560 024Translated by Dr K B Umesh

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Cow dung controls root grubs

Leaves of ‘kasaraka’ (Strychnosnuxvomica) are mixed with cow dung andthe mixture is applied as manure to thecardamom and lemon plants to destroy rootgrubs.

farmer: T S Hegde, North Kanara district

Pepper to drive away pests

After removing the pepper grain, the stalkportion or the rind is burnt in mango gardenat the flowering stage. The smoke isbelieved to help control stone weevilproblem.

Hair hinders rhinoceros beetle

Hair is placed in the form of small balls atthe node of the plants attacked byrhinoceros beetles. This hair twines aroundthe legs of the beetles and has a disablingeffect on them. (For other practices to controlRhinoceros beetle see HB 5(3) 1994, HB 7(1)1996, and HB 8(1) 1997 : Ed)

farmer: Huliya Siddhi, North Kanara district

Turmeric paste to remove pests

About 400 g of oleander (Neriumodorum) roots are cut into small pieces andsoaked overnight in 1.5 l of water. Twentygrams of turmeric powder is added to it tomake a paste. This paste is applied to theinfected portion of the stem. This brings outthe insects and kills them.

Comm: B Basavaraju, Hassan district

Coconut water based insecticide

Purushottama Rao, a farmer from Hassandistrict has been using the pasteprepared out of ‘kasaraka’ (Strychnosnuxvomica) fruits and tender coconutwater in equal proportions as an effectiveinsecticide on areca nut and other crops.He also grows Amorphophalus bubblierin areca plantation to prevent viraldiseases.

Rats hate pepper

Farmers of North Kanara district collectthe remains of pepper rind and burnthem near the rodent (rats) burrows. Thefumes of burning pepper kill the rats.

farmer: K K Hegde, North Kanara districtComm: Anand and Anilkumar

Sweet rat poison

Ninety percent of Sesamum (Sesamumindicum), Ground nut (Arachis hypogea),or Niger flour (Guitzotia abyssinica), fivepercent of thick sugar crystals and fivepercent of powdered glass from fusedbulbs or tubelights is mixed together. Thismixture is placed near rat holes to attractand kill them.

Comm: B Basavaraju, Hassan dist.

Shock therapy for monkeys

Seeds of Mexican poppy (Argemonemexicana) are crushed and the juiceis squeezed out. This juice is mixedwith cooked rice and a little oil orghee is added for aroma. Themixture is placed in the field to attractmonkeys. The monkeys eat it, feel giddyfor a few seconds and then get stunned.They never return to that placeagain. This was successfully experimentedby Nikhilesh Kumar Jain of Shimogadistrict.

To dispel pigs (wild boars)

Discarded cattle horns are filled withkerosene and burnt. The smell of burnthorns acts as an effective repellent forpigs. It keeps them from entering thefields.

Comm: T L Satyaprakash, UAS, Bangalore

Pasting the tree

Gooseberry or ‘amla’ tree (Emblicaofficinalis) suffers from stem boringinsects. To control these pests,Purushotham makes a paste out of juiceof Railway Aloe (Algane sisalane) mixedwith red soil. This paste is applied to thestem of the plant from top to bottom. Theinsects get locked inside the stem andcannot come out, and new ones cannotenter the stem.

farmer: Mr Purushottam, Shimoga district The Eye


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Deworming the cattle

The seeds or the bark of ‘kolamukhi(Holarrhena antidysenterica), arepowdered and mixed with the bran ofrice or gram and fed to cattle sufferingfrom dysentry or intestinal worms. Thismixture kills these worms whichget excreted with the dung. In somevillages of Andhra Pradesh, the villagershave a practice of feeding their cattlewith the extract of the leaves ofAristolochia bracteoleta to removeintestinal worms.

Cure for diarrhoea

Cattle often suffer from this disease,either due to indigestion or intake of

harmful weeds or sometimes grazing onplants sprayed with high amount ofpesticides. A local veterinary doctor fromErravari Palem, suggests a mixture of

Tenetiga (Telugu version of Honey Bee)Dr P Geervani, EditorVice-chancellor, Padmavati MahilaViswavidyalayam, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.Published in Thenetiga, vol 2(2), page 6-7.Contributed by Dr S Vedavati, Reader,Department of Botany, S V Arts College,Tirupati.

‘gundu nalleru’ (Sinus vitazonia), ‘kandipappu’ (Cajanus indicas), ‘vellulli’(Allium sativum) and ‘miriyalu’ (Pipernigrum) to be ground together and boiled.The extract is filtered and fed to theanimal.

Alternatively a mixture of Soymidafebrifuja and Terminalia bellarica isground, boiled and strained. The extract isthen administered to the animal.

Increasing milk yield

Four to five fruits of ‘nalla jidi ginjalu’(Semecarpus anacardium) are soakedin a mud pot for two days. These arethen ground and mixed with rice or rice-bran, and fed to the cattle. This isbelieved to increase the milk yield.

The other alternative is a mixture madefrom the roots of ‘chettu veela’ (Algerianervosa), roots of ‘paradu teega’(Algeria pylosa), Palm-jaggery,turmeric and ‘vamu’ (Ajma).

Snoring and cough

According to the villagers of GudiMallam, snoring and cough in cattle canbe controlled by feeding them with boiled-extract of bark of ‘uduga’ (Alangiumsouifolium). Another alternative is tomix the leaves of ‘pedda gummadu’(Melyna arjoria), ‘navili’ (Holopteleaintegrifolia) and ‘tummi’ (Lucasspiphora) in equal proportions and grindthem along with garlic or pepper andfeed to the cattle.

Amla for digestion

Cattle sometimes become dull and sufferfrom indigestion during monsoon. Thevillagers of Chittoor district in AndhraPradesh practice the ‘salt wood treatment’to treat the problem. Bark of ‘tellacheeki’ (Acacia pennata), ‘erra cheeki’(Pterololium hexapetalum), ‘kanuga’

(Pongamia pinnata), ‘nalla uppu’(Capparis sepiaria) and ‘adavi nimma’(Attantia monophylla) are taken in equalproportions and mixed with fruits of‘usiri’ (Emblica officinalis), leaves of‘tulasi’ (Ocimum sanctum) andthe stem of ‘nalleru’ (Cissusquadrangularis). All these are groundtogether along with salt, and mixed withcattle feed. It is believed that this keepsthe cattle healthy and disease free.

The Yanadulu tribe believes that themixture of ‘kutikala banda’ (Aloe vera)and garlic ground together also improvesdigestion.

The villagers of Mallamgonta suggest thefollowing to improve digestion in cattle.‘rela chekka’ (Cassia fistula) is mixedwith garlic, boiled and filtered. Pepperis added to the filtrate and fed to cattle.

Pain and inflammation

Brahmanapalle villagers suggest that thelatex of ‘taku jemudu’ (Euphorbianerrifolia) is to be mixed withturmeric and boiled and filtered. Thefiltrate gives relief from pain andinflammation.

Calotropis spp. leaves are smeared withcastor oil and wrapped around inflamedlegs to reduce pain.

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Aloe vera


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Fine, long grained and with a pleasantaroma, indigenous aromatic rice varietiesoccupy a prime position in Indian societyand culture. These aromatic rice varietiesare called collectively as 'basmati’ rice(‘bas’ means aroma in Hindi). India is

one of the major exporters of 'basmati’rice,but now many more competitors are alsoin the fray. Countries like Australia areworking on growing aromatic rice and areusing the Indian 'basmati’ variety as theirbase material. Besides the 'basmati’, thereare several other local varieties also whichhave qualities like aroma, texture,elongation on cooking, etc.

Aromatic varieties

An immense wealth of aromatic ricevarieties existed and still do to some extentin India, thanks to the farmers who havemaintained them despite the threat fromhigh yielding rice varieties. However, somehigh quality local aromatic varieties like

‘anjana’, ‘anjani’, ‘ram jawain’, ‘raat kirani’, ‘durga pasand’ and ‘mukhmalti’which were in cultivation a few years ago,are extinct today. The quality and quantityof aroma in the 'basmati’ rice depends onlocal environmental conditions and eachvariety performs best in its native area ofcultivation.

Some important 'basmati’ rice growingareas of India are found in the hill districtsof Uttar Pradesh viz., Dehradun, Bijnore,Pauri, Nainital and Tehri districts. Farmersof this region cite the following broadfactors as enhancing or aiding the aromaformation: (a) low temperature (22-270

C) during flowering and graindevelopment, (b) Use of farm yard manure,(c) good soil fertility, (d) irrigation, (e)direct sowing and (f) lighter soil andupland conditions.

Aroma Crisis

Following are some of the major factorsresponsible for the erosion of aromaticrice varieties in India: (a) No seedconservation program: In the absenceof a proper seed conservation programme,propagation of seeds of high yieldingcultivars like Pusa Basmati, Govinda,Pant Dhan by state/government agencies,is leading to elimination of the finestgenepool of local varieties of aromaticrice. Also there is no research supportto purify and improve native varieties intheir natural habitat. Thus the pure straingets lost or mixed with other inferiorquality seeds. (b) Use of chemicalfertilisers: Most indigenous aromaticvarieties are tall and susceptible tolodging. While nitrogenous fertilisersimprove plant growth, they also aggravatethis lodging problem at the same time.

Lessons learnt from recent pest and disease outbreaks in tropical countries stress the need for a broad genetic base for anycrop, especially rice, so as to slow down emerging resistance among major pests, counter balance the vulnerability to epidemicsassociated with continuous monoculture and provide the potential for further genetic improvement. We give below some examplesof the vanishing genepool of India’s indigenous aromatic rice and mango varieties. It is also critical now to work out mechanismsand incentives to reward the farmers who have been maintaining these varieties and also to ensure that they and others continueto do so.

'�� &3!�� +!�� /�� ,� $�1�� 4��5R K Singh and U S Singh1

The contribution of farmer varieties andwild relatives to the modern varietiesbeing grown in many countries today isclearly evident.

Currently many countries, and many oftheir farmers, benefit from thedevelopment of new varieties, based onthe use of PGRFA, including thosedeveloped from improved geneticmaterial supplied by the InternationalAgricultural Research Centres. However,some farmers, particularly those whooperate in economically marginal areas,often do not benefit substantially fromthese materials. These tend to bethe farmers and communities mostinvolved in conserving, developing,and making available PGRFAof value to conventional plantbreeding.

Recently a voluntary International Codeof Conduct for collecting and transferof germplasm, based on the principle ofnational sovereignty over plant geneticresources, has been agreed at FAO.The Code sets out standards andprinciples to be observed by countriesthat adhere to it, and proposes a numberof mechanisms for benefit sharing.

This has been recognized by countriesthrough the FAO resolution on Farmers’Rights which calls for farmers and theircommunities to participate fully in thebenefits derived from the use of plantgenetic resources.

Abstracted from the Report on the Stateof the World’s Plant Genetic Resources forFood and Agriculture (FAO), 1996. p 44-46

Valuing of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture(PGRFA) and Sharing of Benefits


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Moreover, farmers believe that whilefarm yard manure (FYM) improvesaroma, urea adversely affects aromaformation in these rice varieties. (c) Soilfactors : Soil quality does affect aromaformation though it is not clear as tohow this process occurs. (d) Cultivationpractices : Those rice varieties whichare directly sown have better aromathan transplanted ones. (e) Temperature: Comparatively lower temperatures atthe time of flowering enhances aromaof the seeds. While this criticaltemperature may vary for differentvarieties, a gradual increase intemperature (due to factors such as globalwarming, deforestation andindustrialization) may also have playeda role in reducing aroma of thesevarieties.

Poor financial condition of the farmersis another factor responsible for the loss.Due to financial constraints they areforced to undertake multiple croppingand cash crops (especially sugarcane),which results in a drastic reduction ofsoil fertility and mineral deficiency.

Need to Conserve Basmati

Based on a survey of cultivation ofindigenous aromatic rices in some oftheir native areas of cultivation, theauthors found that though statistics showthat the area of Basmati rice cultivationin Dehradun district has increased from100 ha in 1990 to 1500 ha in 1996, thefarmers of actual rice growing villagesinform that almost 80 percent of theprime rice growing area has beenswallowed up by urbanisation. Whilesome rice exporters have bought farmsnear the Delhi-DehraDun highway andare cultivating high yielding varieties ofBasmati like Kasturi, Pusa Basmati, PantDhan-4, the quality and aroma of ricefrom these new brands is much inferiorcompared to that of the traditionalbasmati grown in native farmingareas.

1. IRRI Representatives, New Delhi.2. Regional Agricultural Research Station,Pattambi, Kerala

Conservation of IndigenousFruits: The Case of Mango

The greatest diversity of mangocultivars is found in India, with atleast 1000 unique and several widelygrown cultivars. Genetic erosion ofthese cultivars is serious in the wholeof Southeast Asia as was found duringa recent survey. The collection inSoutheast Asia mostly containscultivars which had been distributedto farmers as grafted seedlings, leadingto the disappearance of less desirable,usually seed propagated cultivars.

Kerala (South India) and the Westernghats form the secondary centre oforigin of mango in the world. Eachhomestead had a wealth of mangoesknown by local names such as‘muvandan’, ‘chakiriyan’, ‘puliyan’,‘muttikudiyan’. These indigenousmangoes were used for pickles andother culinary purposes although choicetable varieties were few. A lot ofmango germplasm with variation inleaf shape, size, orientation, colour,fruits of varied sizes, shapes, qualities,aroma has already vanished evenwithout finding a mention in therecords. The future of whateverremains is also alarming.

Comm: M L Jyothi, N K Parameswaranand P K Rajeevan, Kerala AgriculturalUniversity, Thrissur, Kerala

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S Leena Kumari and N K Nayar2

A remarkably rich diversity exists amongthe cultivated rice and their wild relativesfound in Kerala, South India. Today inKerala, farmers are growing land racesonly in isolated pockets and althoughsome land races have been collected nowand then, and stored in gene banks, manyhave disappeared forever in the wake ofmodern agriculture. As the ‘unwanted’land races were discarded, the valuablegene flow between land races and wildrelatives diminished, in a sense freezingthe natural evolutionary process. Thecontinuous use of crops of the same genesource and cytoplasm has resulted inhomogeneity in varieties. Yet the morewidely grown a variety becomes, the morelikely it is that strains of its pests anddiseases will evolve to break down theresistance carefully built into the crop bythe breeders. Thus the breeders run arace against time, trying to keep one stepahead of the rapidly evolving pests anddiseases.

During the three main crop seasons inKerala viz. Virippu (Kharif), Mundakan(Rabi) and Puncha (Summer) about twohundred local varieties are grown. Theyare largely adapted to the particularhuman and environmental influencesconfronting them. They also possessspecial traits like resistance to biotic andabiotic stresses, ability to survive extremeagro edaphic conditions.

These traditional rice varieties offer a poolof resistant genes against insect pests likeBrown plant hopper, Green leaf hopper,gall midge, Leaf folder, Stem borer etc.,and diseases like sheath blight, sheath rot,foot rot, blast etc., that cause considerabledamage to the rice crop. Among them,varieties like ‘karivennel’, ‘kochuvithuorpandy’, ‘veluthacheera’, ‘orumu-ndakan’ have been used in breedingprogrammes at the global level. Varietieslike‘thekkan’,‘vattan’,‘kavunginpoothala’are known for their good cooking quality,

suitability for processed items like beatenrice and puffed rice. Others like Njavara,Raktasali and Dandakani are famous fortheir medicinal value. These varieties canform the building blocks in many cropimprovement programmes since they actas donors of valuable genes. The fewcollections made in the past still fall shortof the full spectrum necessary to meetfuture needs.


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1. 1777 East-West Road, Box 1034, Honolulu,Hawaii 96848 USA

Message in Metaphors:Farmers’ Tools for CommunicationSonja Brodt1

Farmers very often use metaphors andsimiles to understand and describe farm-related phenomena. Their metaphors andsimiles function as useful stepping stonesto conceive and communicate complexbiological processes.

To consider their current and potentialuses, the author examined some metaphorsand similes that emerged from a studyof tree management in villages in MadhyaPradesh, India. The long dry season andpresence of livestock, however, poseserious challenges for resource-limitedhouseholds that wish to grow fruits,especially mangoes, guavas, citrus, andothers. These fruit species requirerelatively large labour investment forwatering and erecting thorny fences toprotect them from livestock during theirearly stage. It therefore seems naturalthat those individuals who are primarilyinvolved in caring for the seedlings andyoung trees often begin to refer to themas their own children. While talkingabout her ten-year-old mango tree, forexample, Lilabai of Meharmangaexplained, “We treat it like a daughter”.A simile, a comparison using words suchas ‘like’ or ‘as’, for this concept of treesas children neatly and eloquently sumsup a number of ideas about (a) care andhard work, (b) a degree of responsibilityand commitment, and (c) a significantemotional attachment.

The villagers’ idea of food is akin to theformal scientific notion of plant nutrients,even though average villagers may notbe aware of the details of nitrogen,phosphorous, potassium, and other ionsthat formally trained horticulturists deemessential for plant growth. “Heat” isgenerally used to imply energy and power,while “cold” implies the opposite, or“anti-energy”. Living organisms,including human beings as well as trees,require their inner heat and cold to be

in balance for good health and properdevelopment. In humans, this balancecan be affected by foods taken into thebody, as many foods can be classified aseither hot or cold (independent of theirtemperature). Similarly, farmers say thattrees and plants can be affected by whatis given to them. Aged cow dung (pakkahua gobar), for example, is cool and, ina sense, soothing to young trees. Whilesuch a hot/cold dichotomy is quite foreignto formal scientific thinking, some aspectsof it can be understood in an agronomicmode. Thus, for instance, western-trainedscientists, when speaking informally,describe how a highly concentrated doseof chemical fertilizer in trees, would“burn” a plant’s roots due to processessuch as dehydration caused by differencesin osmotic pressure.

A knowledge of common similes,metaphors, and similar explanatoryconcepts could be helpful to extensionagents, researchers, and others trying tocommunicate with farmers having littleformal education. A forester, therefore,might consider interacting with villagersabout a sustainable way to harvestbamboo by speaking of a bamboo clumpas a family, with the youngest children,which will eventually give rise to newgenerations, growing around the edgeand their elders inhabiting the centralportions. Such a metaphor might helppeople to remember not to cutindiscriminately around the periphery ofclumps in order to maintain healthy,uncongested clumps. Thus learning therustic method of communicating fromfarmers and adopting their metaphoricalways, it will be easier to reach them andtheir environment instead ofcommunicating through our jargon ofcomplexities.

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own village recognizes her ? How dowe redraft our textbooks so that weare sensitized to the richness ofknowledge traditions of those whoconserve biodiversity and preciousgermplasm of animals as well ascrops? Will these conservators continueto be called as laggards of greenrevolution? Why is it that afterremaining non-participative,bureaucracies suddenly lapped up theso called rural participatory approachesthe world over including India?Certainly what Gandhiji could notachieve despite decades of struggleand sacrifice, the new messiahs ofdevelopment could not have achievedin only a few years. Perhaps newlexicon, metaphors, and techniqueslegitimized the insularity of colonizedminds in various parts of establishmentand well funded NGOs.

If India after fifty years is resilient androbust and the hope for future is notall that bleak, then the answer lieswith the unsung heroes of our societywho are nevertheless solving problems,may be not most optimally. I requestreaders to write back giving examplesof such women and men, children andold people who have single handedlycreated new opportunities withoutdraining nature irreversibly and whohave invented or innovated newmethods, approaches and principles toaddress real problems at grassrootsnot just in India but any where. Wehope to hear from readers from allparts of the world, about how theyscout, sustain, spawn and stimulatesustainable strategies for resourcemanagement building upon individualor collective initiatives unaided bystate or NGOs.

(AKG)


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Team

Kirit K PatelJitendra H Suthar

Dilip KoradiaAlka Raval

Astad PastakiaCh Srinivas

S MuralikrishnaHema PatelRiya Sinha

Anil K Gupta

Collaborating Institutions

Mahila Gram Vidyapith, Nardipur

Gram Bharati, Amrapur

Sabar Gram Vidyapith, Sonasan

Lok Niketan Vidyapith, Ratanpur

Lok Bharati, Sanosara

Nootan Bharti Vidyapith, Madanagadh

J C Kumarappa Gram Vidyapith, Gadhada

B M Shah Gram Vidyapith, Zilia

Nootan Gram Vidyapith, Thava

Banas Gram Vidyapith, Amirgadh

B R S College, Dumiyani

Gandhi Gram Vidyapith, Vedachhi

B R S College, Shardagram

Shree Saraswati Gram Vidyapith, Samoda

Gujarat Agricultural University

Dept of Rural Development, Govt of Gujarat

Dept of Education, Govt of Gujarat

Jai Research Foundation, Vapi

L M Pharmacy College, Ahmedabad

Bharatiya Agro-Industrial Foundation

Department of Microbiology, Gujarat University

M S University of Baroda

National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad

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Dropping of flowers in Mango

Dropping of mango flowers due to windand some diseases is a common problemin mango. Farmers believe that the ratiobetween harvested mango at the end ofthe season and flowers set at the onsetof the bloom is more than 1:1000.

To check this problem, farmers in northGujarat, dig a circular trench at a distanceof one foot from the tree trunk at the timeof flowering. They mix approximately60-80 litres buttermilk and two kg of saltand pour it in the trench surrounding the

tree. After an hour or so when thebuttermilk gets absorbed, fresh water isadded to the trench. The practice isrepeated after a week or so. Farmersbelieve this practice reduces dropping offlowers and improves quality of mango.

(Farmers also use buttermilk in many cropsespecially vegetable crops like chilli, eitherfor increasing the production or to controldiseases: Ed)

Thakor Mangaji Dudhaji, Dist. Banaskantha.Comm: Chimanbhai H Parmar

Cumin grows well after ‘bajra’

North Gujarat is famous for cumincultivation. Chaturbhai BhikhabhaiParmar who owns 5 ha land observedthat cumin (locally called ‘jiru’) growswell in the field where bajra has beengrown as previous crop. He divided oneof his fields of 1.2 ha into two parts lastyear and grew bajra in one part andsorghum in another during monsoon.After harvesting both the plots he grewcumin in them in winter. He gave identicaltreatment to both the crops and recorded

Why IPRs of Small Innovators?

The regretful remark of Lakhabhai, an indigenous veterinary expert (see box, page15) about young people not taking interest in learning from his expertise points to aserious problem which many critics of IPR for innovations have perhaps ignored. Whydon't young people want to acquire this knowledge which still works and is regardedvaluable by many users? Perhaps there is (a) no career growth (or no monetaryincentive) in it, or (b) not much scope for exercising power (since this knowledge isoften shared generously and seldom denied to any one unlike the knowledge of a formalveterinary doctor). In any case, one cannot check the erosion of this knowledge andskills unless young people get interested in learning, experimenting, improving andaugmenting these knowledge systems. One way to do that is to generate opportunitiesfor fair contracts between healers and the commercial companies that develop valueadded products. The focus here is on those companies which innovate and introducenew products and aspire for global leadership, even if they are small to begin with.INSTAR (see HB 7(3)), a registration system for small innovations may help ingenerating a low cost, short period IPRs for small innovators. How else do we generateincentives for small innovators to disclose their innovations as they have done for solong and so liberally to Honey Bee network members?


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while irrigating the plants. He also spraysone kg of tobacco powder on the plant.Within two to three days the plant startsrecovering from the disease. He has beenusing this practice for the past ten years.Many farmers of his village also use thispractice.

Somabhai Lallubhai Patel, Dist. Mehsana.Comm: Jalamsinh K Zala

Relief from heat

Sometimes camels feel uneasy in summerbecause of internal heat. To get relieffrom this problem, approximately five kgeach of curd and flour of barley aremixed together or given seperately to thecamel. This is practiced by some camelkeepers of north Gujarat near Rajasthanborder.

Raval Hirabhai Gangabhai, Dist.Banaskantha, Comm: Chimanbhai H Parmar

Cure for diarrhoea

Animals suffer from diarrhoea duringmonsoon, resulting in weakness, loss ofappetite and loss of weight. To cure this,Baria Ramsinghbhai powders 200 g eachof the bark of Khakhro (Buteamonosperma), ‘mahudo’ (Mahuvalatifolia), and ‘khair’ (Acacia catechu).Then some water is added and thesolution is heated, cooled and allowed tostand overnight. Next morning it is filteredand two bowls are fed to the animal,once in the morning and once in theevening. This is done for two days tocontrol the diarrhoea.

Baria Ramsinghbhai Sitaram, Dist.Panchmahal. Comm: Anjanaben K Patel,Raichand Bochiya

Blocking of Urinary Tract

Cows and buffaloes, especially bullocks,suffer from stones in urinary bladder.Mansukhbhai Shyamjibhai Savaliya of

yield of both the fields systematically.He found only 165 kg yield from the plotwhere sorghum was the previous cropwhile in the plot where bajra was grown,the yield was 301 kg. He suggests thatthe results of his experiment confirm apopular local saying about cultivation ofcumin: “Jiru Jane Bajari, Mai JaniVadali”, i.e. Cumin follows bajra cropand I (farmer) follow the clouds.

Chaturbhai Bhikhabhai Parmar, Dist.Mehsana, Comm: Chimanbhai H Parmar

Euphorbia as fertilizer

Traditionally farmers allow the urineand dung of livestock to ferment in a pitand then use it as manure. However,Shri Shambhubhai of Panchmahal dist.uses Euphorbia nerrifolia to makeorganic manure. He digs a 10 x 10 sq.ft. pit and fills it with organic kitchenwaste, dry grass and leaves. A six cmhigh pile of all these is made. Thenabout 50-100 kg of Euphorbia nerrifoliaplants are cut into small pieces of about

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one foot length each, and layered insidethe pit. Cow dung is spread over thesepieces and during the monsoon, rainwater is allowed to flow into the pit.Once again a layer of dry grass,Euphorbia nerrifolia pieces and cowdung is put in the pit. The manure isready for use by the next year. Thismanure is especially useful for wheatcrop.

Shambhubhai Malabhai Mundvada, Dist.Panchmahal. Comm: Vijay A Chauhan.

Onions tame grasshopper

Painted grasshopper pests attack the maizecrop in its early stage. Parasites such asstriga and diseases like leaf curl virusalso attack the leaves and ear causing

great damage. Generally these pests attackduring monsoon. Juice of two to three kgpeeled onions (after dilution) is sprayedon one ‘bigha’ (0.24 ha) field to controlthese pests.

Chhaganbhai Zinabhai Rathod, Dist.Panchmahal. Comm: Shirish R Patel

‘Gundariyo’ (Gummy disease) in lemon

Lemon trees are often affected by thisdisease. This results in drying of leavesand formation of ulcers on the bark ofthe tree alongwith discharge of a stickyfluid from the tree trunk.

Shri Somabhai Lallubhai Patel of Mehsanadistrict pours castor oil in the water canal

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Termites in Rose Plant

To control termites in rose saplings, thesaplings are dipped in a mixture ofwater and latex of ‘thor’, Euphorbianerrifolia. (50 ml latex of Euphorbianerrifolia in 10 ml of water) beforesowing. This method is carried outbefore the onset of monsoon to preventtermite attack.

Dineshbhai Vasiani (Principal, Lok NiketanGram Vidyapith, dist. Banaskantha)

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Junagadh district crushes the green barkof ‘jamun’ tree (Syzygium cuminii) andgives the extract to the animal once inthe morning and once in the evening forthree days. This gives relief to theanimal.

Mansukhbhai Shyamjibhai Savaliya, Dist:Junagadh. Comm: Harshaben Chauhan &Dilip Koradiya

For swollen and painful joints

Bullocks suffer from inflammation andpain of joints due to excessive pressureof load and exertion. This may causelimping or even prevent the animal fromwalking. Parbatbhai Arsibhai Zala ofJunagadh district prepares a balm from

drumstick (Moringa spp.) tree and‘ghodakhundi’. He pounds 100 g barkof drumstick and mixes it with 100 gof pounded ‘ghodakhundi’ plant. Thismixture is then applied to the affectedjoints twice or thrice a day for three daysto bring relief to the animal.

Parbatbhai Arsibhai Zala, Dist. JunagadhComm: Dodiya Nathabhai & Dilip Koradiya

When animal stops ruminating

Sometimes animal stops ruminating andsuffers from following symptoms : (a) itstops drinking water and eating food

(b) the left side of its body gets swollenand (c) after ten to twelve days the skinon its body dries and starts peeling.According to Shri Bhurabhai RupsinghTaral of Sabarkantha District thefollowing treatment should be given :200 to 300 g leaves of drumstick(Moringa spp.) are crushed by hand andmixed with 500 g jaggery. This mixtureis then dissolved in water and given tothe animal. After this the bark of ‘hingori’(Balanites spp.) is crushed in 200 mlwater and then ground into a paste. Thispaste is given just once to the animal tobring relief. If the animal’s skin becomesdry or cracks then some jaggery watersolution is applied to the skin.

Bhurabhai Rupsingh Taral, Dist.Sabarkantha. Comm: Dhirendra G Taral

Easy dropping of placenta

Approximately 300-400 g leaves of ‘fand’(Rivea hypocrateriformis), 250 g ofjaggery, 50 g of ‘Suva’ and 25 g of ashof Sesamum indica stalks are boiled inone litre of water. The boiled mixture isallowed to cool down and given to theanimal which has not dropped placentaafter 7-8 hrs of calving.

Lakhabhai Becharbhai Khatana,Dist. Bhavnagar, Comm: Dilip D Koradiya& Kirit Patel

Foot and mouth disease (FMD)

Lakhabhai (see box) collects spines ofdead Hedgehog (Hemeichinus auritus),

a small insectivorous animal having aspiny body cover. He exposes animalssuffering from FMD to the smoke ofthese spines.

Lakhabhai B Khatana, Dist. Bhavnagar,Comm: Dilip Koradiya & Kirit Patel

Lakhabhai: Indigenous VeterinaryExpertise Getting Eroded

Lakhabhai Khatana is a localveterinary expert of Paliyad village. Heis almost 60 years old and belongs tothe Rabari community. He has noformal education but he has beenrearing cattle since childhood.Lakhabhai, known for his expertise andservice in the region, treats animaldiseases through various indigenousmethods. He learnt about animalanatomy by studying the carcasses oflivestock which were skinned bytanners. Lakhabhai conductsexperiments on himself as well as onhis animals for curing various diseases.

He treats diseases and problems likeFoot and Mouth Disease, ‘valo’,flatulence, prolapse of vagina, droppingof placenta (see 8(2)11), milking,inducing heat, conception, bonefracture, etc.

He is an expert in dealing withabnormal delivery in cattle and extendsall his services free of cost. So devotedis he to the cause of suffering animalsthat he almost missed his own son’swedding recently. While the weddingceremony was on, he was called toattend an abnormal delivery for whichhe spent two hours helping the cowdeliver the calf safely.

Lakhabhai is keen to train youngpeople, but there are no takers as thereis very little monetary benefit in thiswork.

Lakhabhai Becharbhai Khatana,Dist: Bhavnagar, Comm: Dilip Koradiya& Kirit Patel

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While the debate on benefit sharingamong those who conserve biodiversityand those who benefit from it continues,an interesting experiment has beeninitiated at University of California, Davis(UCD) in USA to stem what some call‘biopiracy’. A cloned gene, “Xa21”(originally discovered in 1977), extractedfrom a land race of paddy (Oryzalongistaminata) taken from the WestAfrican region (Mali) has been patentedby UCD based on the ‘invention’ byPamela Ronald, an assistant professor ofplant pathology.

Ronald has initiated a novel mechanismthat pools university, inventor andindustry resources to compensate nationsfor valuable genetic material. It is the firstknown attempt by a major researchuniversity to formally redress perceivedinequities related to genetic materialproperty rights. An amount of US$150,000 as an advance share of royaltythat may come from potential users of thepatented gene has been kept in a genefund at this university. This fund will beused for providing scholarship to studentsfrom Mali, the country where the ricecame from, as well as other West Africancountries where it grows, and thePhilippines, where much of the breedingwork was done to incorporate this geneinto cultivated lines.

There will obviously be a lot of debateon fairness of the deal, appropriatenessof amount, instrument of benefit sharingi.e. scholarships, or viability of such ameasure which hinges on the voluntarynature of benefit sharing implied in the“encouragement to private sector tocontribute to fund” etc. However, whilewe must find more fair, equitable andsustainable ways of benefit sharing, wemust not deny the credit which is due inthis case. According to Ronald the genethat makes rice resistant to blight - oneof the most serious bacterial diseases

affecting the crop - could have great valuebecause of its potential to transfer suchresistance to different varieties of rice andpotentially other plants.

Aboubacar Toure, head of Mali’sSorghum Breeding Program, commendedthe effort. Setting up of the fellowshipprogram to allow students from Mali tostudy at UCD, will help his country morethan just a simple monetary contribution,said Toure, who is on a fellowship himselfthis year, in Texas. With Ronald’sprodding and advise from Prof Barton,law professor at Stanford University,UCD has decided to funnel 25 percent ofits share of future royalties from the patentto the fellowship fund. The plan will bereviewed when the university’scontribution reaches US$52,500. The fundwill also receive an undetermined portionfrom the share that goes to Ronald andthe gene’s other co-discoverers, UCDresearchers Wen-Yuan Song and Guo-Liang Wang. Moreover, money will alsobe funneled from future profits ofcompanies that buy licenses to developproducts using the gene. Two companieshave signed options to license Xa21.Ronald did not reveal the names, butToenniessen, of Rockefeller foundationwhich funded part of her research, saidMonsanto is one.

Pat Mooney, executive director of RuralAdvancement Foundation International(RAFI), said he admires the goodwill ofthe program, but it shouldn’t be confusedwith charity.

When Honey Bee asked Ronald as to whattriggered her thought about thisexperiment, she responded, “We cloned,sequenced and applied for a patent forthis gene in 1995. There were severalcompanies interested in licensing. Iwanted to share any profits with thecountries where the germplasm originatedbecause this is the logical and fair thing

to do. I feel it is high time to getappropriate compensation programsorganized.”

The price of the gene and thus the amountof royalty was rather arbitrarilydetermined, she added. The gene acquiredimportance also because it was singlyresponsible for the disease resistance ofthe known phenotype. This is the first geneof this type isolated. Assessing value wasnot easy, Ronald said, “At this point wedid not try to assess true value. We justwanted to start the program. I hope in thefuture there will be good ways to assessthe true value although sometimes that isimpossible to do beforehand.” She alsohighlighted another aspect of thisbiotechnological breakthrough and that is,the advantage that varieties with thisparticular gene have over ones in whichdiseases are controlled by fungicidesprays. Thus it may be environmentallysafer than other conventional varieties.

Interestingly this gene expresses itself incultivated indica and japonica lines andfunctions in both. Thus potentially, it hasvery wide applications. It could even betransferred to other crops. When askedwhether this gene will be available to genedonor countries like Mali, she replied,“Yes, it already is. It is freely distributedto anyone who wants to use it for non-commercial purposes. We have alreadysent it to many people. They do not needa license.” This gene could also be

Pamela Ronald


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transferred through conventionaltechniques to new varieties. UCD claimsno rights to any variety that is developedusing conventional means, she added.

Issues for reflection

(1) Who will really benefit from thescholarship fund? The idea of providingscholarship is noble and aims at buildinglong term capacity in the gene donorcountries as well as in the country wherethe germplasm was conserved. Theproblem arises when we try to understandas to who may actually benefit from suchscholarships. Our studies have shownthat school dropout rate is generallyhighest in biodiversity rich regions andalso where agriculture is rain fed andrisk prone. It is these regions in whichland races are likely to be conserved.Yet, young boys and girls (in fact dropoutrate of girls is almost twice as high asthat of boys) from these regions areunlikely to get the advantage ofscholarships unless a specific stipulationis made in the rules requiring this fundto be used for addressing the problem ofschool drop-outs and encouraging studentsfrom these regions.

Further, it must be made mandatory forrecipients of such scholarships to go backto their own countries. It will be ironicalif the recipients stay behind in USA andthe fund works like a suction pump todraw out able young scholars.

(2) The contribution to conservation ofland races may also require setting uptrust funds under the leadership of localgrowers of land races in gene donorcountries. It must be insisted that the fundsmust be managed by those who grow landraces. Otherwise owners of irrigated landholdings, growers of high yieldingvarieties and those having more influenceand power will dominate these funds.

(3) Sharing the royalty with students fromPhilippines is fine so far as the need forthat country to get such help is concerned.But it also amounts to giving a kind ofproperty right to Philippines on everygermplasm on which research is done at

IRRI (International Rice ResearchInstitute). It will be a tragedy if USgovernment demanded a share fromroyalty from every gene transfer researchsimply because they have the largestrepository of genes in Fort Collins. Theimplications of such sharing arrangementsmust be carefully thought out. Similarly,India will become claimant for royaltyfrom every germplasm stored at ICRISAT,Columbia for CIAT’s collection etc. Is itfair that the gene donor country’s sharein royalty be depleted by suchstakeholders? A weighting criteria andpriority list in this regard needs to bedeveloped. Otherwise, better off countriesand communities in Western Africa or anyother region will take away the benefitsof this new instrument (gene fund) ofreciprocity between gene donors and genebeneficiaries.

(4) The contributions to these funds mustcome not only from University royaltyfund but also from corporate gainersfrom this gene for at least 17-20 years(the life of the patent). To ensure thatsuch funds become large and attractivefor local communities to really conserveland races - a purpose of such incentivesin any case under Convention onBiological Diversity (CBD), it will benecessary to generate revenues from seedcompanies and/or the growers of diseaseresistance varieties of rice having thisgene. In any case all the high yieldingvarieties have incorporated genes fromland races without exception and thuspresent growers of such varieties ingreen revolution regions of every country(including developing countries) must be

encouraged to pay a small tax. This canbe pooled and shared with conservatorsof local diversity, land races and habitatsof wild relatives etc.

(5) The point made by Pat Mooney isright that the sharing should be seen asa mark of responsibility rather thancharity. It is however, important tomention that such a responsibility shouldbe shown by public and private agencies(seed companies, grain procurementagencies, exporters, growers andconsumers of high yielding varieties etc.,)in each country. By focussing all theenergy only on a few targets, attractiveas these are, we are missing the issue ofgenerating larger civil societyresponsibility in each country towardsconservation. Everybody wants some oneelse to pay. Ronald’s initiative is importantand significant in this regard. It alsohighlights another issue which is oftenignored by the activists. Ronald andBarton could persuade the university toshare the royalty because there was scopefor generating wealth out of the resourceprovided by the developing countries. Tillnow developing countries have sharedtheir biodiversity wealth unhesitatingly.Some communities still feel hesitant inputting a value on it and accept pecuniaryadvantage. But then should they remainpoor because their ethical values aresuperior? (AKG)

Pamela Ronald can be contacted atDepartment of Plant Pathology, 576,Hutchison Hall, UC Davis, Davis CA 95616,USA. Fax 916 752-5674 email:[email protected]

Will the Genefund prevent skilled conservators from becoming unskilled urban workers?


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Reclaiming salt affected soil

A meeting of farmers from Bhavnagar washosted on the farm of Shri MuljibhaiBhalani, an innovative farmer of SRISTIShodh Sankal on March 16, 1997. Themeeting was organized by Lok Bharati,Sanosara (a rural college of Gandhianinspiration) and Gujarat Ecology Cell,Baroda, to discuss farmers’ participationin natural resource management. Themeeting was attended by about fiftyfarmers.

Shri Muljibhai and his wife ManjulabenBhalani had purchased eight acres of saltaffected uncultivated land near villageSidsar in 1980. The Bhalani familyconducted some experiments and reclaimedthe soil. Now they grow lemon, guava,papaya, mango and other fruit crops withdrip irrigation. They also grow cotton,sorghum and vegetable crops like chilli,brinjal, onion, etc. The meeting startedwith a field visit to witness the Bhalanicouple’s experiments for successfulreclamation of the entire farmland. All theparticipants were highly impressed by theirexperiments of water harvesting, soilreclamation and organic farming.

Shri Arunbhai Dave, who coordinated themeeting stressed on the harmful effects ofpesticide residue on soil, water and humanhealth. Hirajibhai Bhingradiya, a farmerand coordinator of Malapara SarvodayaYojana, shared his innovation about dripirrigation, plantation of teak, ‘sevan’ andother plants in dry lands of Bhavnagar. ProfAnil Gupta informed everyone aboutvarious activities of SRISTI, especiallyknowledge network to supportexperimentation of farmers. He appealedto all the participants to design at least oneexperiment to be undertaken at their farm.Shri Ashok Dabhi, a school teacher atAmbala, talked about cultivation ofmedicinal plants. Shri Kirit Patel brieflydiscussed the future activities and goals ofGIAN to commercialize various innovativeproducts developed by farmers. Themeeting was also attended by somestudents of Lok Bharati.

the empty bucket into the well, one needsto just lift the ratchet and the bucket fallsfree. Amrutbhai received highappreciation as well as feedback from hisfellow artisans. He is planning toincorporate the suggestions and bring outan improved design to present at anothermeeting being planned by SRISTI todiscuss this problem exclusively.

The idea of redesigning the pulley wasfirst discussed in a similar meeting ofartisans organised at the Indian Instituteof Management, Ahmedabad in 1996.Innovative artisans of Honey Bee networkwere present at the meeting and one ofthe ideas discussed was to find asolution to reduce the drudgery involvedin lifting water by a pulley. Many ideaswere discussed with no consensus. Themeeting was concluded with the resolutionthat the artisans will think over theproblem and bring any improved ideasto the next meeting for discussion.

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International Conference on Creativityand Innovation at Grassroots (ICCIG-1997) held at IIM, Ahmedabad duringJanuary 11-14, 1997 had probably thefirst ever conference newspaper inthree languages. ‘Undhyoo’, namedafter a popular and delicious dish fromGujarat, symbolising the spirit ofconserving biodiversity. Thanks to DrSudhirendra Sharma, from the Energyand Environment Group, New Delhiand Ms Sumati Sampemane, memberof Honey Bee editorial team who madeit possible. Undhyoo carried featuresand reports on day to day proceedingsof the conference in English, Hindi andGujarati. While Shri Shubhu Patwaand Shri Anupam Mishra helped withthe Hindi edition, Loksarvani teamhelped with the Gujarati edition. Manyparticipants of ICCIG, activelyparticipated in reporting and editingand enjoyed this ‘Undhyoo’ for theirbreakfasts! The newspaper wasparticularly popular among the largenumber of grassroots innovators fromdifferent regions of India whoparticipated in the conference .

Redesign of pulley

Gramvidyapith at Gopaldham in Gujaratrecently hosted two meetings of ShodhSankal of artisans and farmers duringJune 1-2, 1997 in collaboration withSRISTI and GIAN. The highlight of theartisans’ meeting was a model of a newdesign of pulley presented by ShriAmrutbhai Agrawat.

Amrutbhai’s design has a ratchet insidethe pulley and a stopper above it whichcan stop the rotation of the pulley in onedirection, ie., towards the well. Whilepulling the bucket out of the well, theratchet releases, but any movementtowards the well is resisted. While leaving

The Eye


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Quarterly

Intermediate Technology Publications, 103-105 Southampton Row, London, WC1B 4HH, UK

Waterlines is a quarterly devoted toinformation dissemination on low-costwater supply and sanitation. TheIntermediate Technology group from UKpublishes this newsletter with the aim toreach field workers and localcommunities. It carries information onsimple technologies in the form of shortarticles in simple language withappropriate illustrations and photographs.The articles also include variousexperiments being done in this fieldaround the world and the lessons learntfrom them. A four page technical briefaccompanying every issue containsfocused information on water harvestingtechnologies, hygiene, control of water-borne diseases and other related topicsin a well designed format to be used asa quick reference on the field. Someissues are brought out on a thematicbasis. For instance, Waterlines issue, vol15(3) deals with the experiments andexperiences with developing solutionsbased on traditional and localtechnologies.

The newsletter is a must for all thoseworking at grassroots level in developmentsector, particularly attached with watersupply and sanitation. It would have beenextremely useful for the communities ifthe newsletter could be brought out inlocal languages too.

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Annam Bahu Kurvita(1996)

Jitendra Bajaj and MandyamD SrinivasCentre for Policy Studies,31, 7th cross street,ShastriNagar, Chennai-600020.

The book is a tribute to the Indiantraditions of growing and sharing offood. Numerous examples from sacredtexts and historical treatises are presentedto show that kings, princes, socialinstitutions and families were concernedabout anyone in their domain goinghungry. Specific traditions and practiceswere designed to ensure that foodrequirements of all human beings as wellas animals were incorporated into theactivities of those who produced andconsumed food. The rules relating tohandling and sharing of food for theseeker of the ultimate reality as well asfor the regular householder are cited.Many of the rules are in the form of‘Vratas’ (unavoidable rules of living fora Hindu).

The authors carefully document howseveral of these traditions were frownedupon by the British and are perceived asuseless by modern Indians. The bookwarns against the total destruction ofthese traditions. Some suggestions andexamples of incorporating these into themodern context would have beenuseful (Ms Charu Sheela Naik)

Dynamic Folk Toys

Sudarshan Khanna (1981)National Institute of Design, Paldi,Ahmedabad - 380007.

This monograph by Prof SudarshanKhanna (National Institute of Design,Ahmedabad) documents the variousindigenous action toys from differentparts of India. Based on simple principles

of science and technology these toysprovide amusement and are a source ofjoy to many children. The monograph isdivided into three parts and gives avery vivid account with very goodillustrations and explanations of 12 typesof toys (drum toys, jumping toys andso on).

The themes of these toys are derivedfrom our daily life and while most toydesigns were developed generations ago,there is considerable scope for innovation.The author makes a fervent plea toencourage innovation in making thesetoys as they are facing strong competitionfrom the factory-made plastic toys. Healso urges readers to tap the educationalpotential of these toys while teachingscience in schools. For instance, theprinciple of centrifugal force can be

taught with the help of jigging puppetlike Dhinglo and Sipahi. These dynamicfolk toys can make science classes inschools more interesting and the difficultprinciples can be explained very easily.

In India several thousand people earn theirliving by selling these toys. While somecommunities are traditionally specialisedtoy makers, some others like textile millworkers who have been rendered joblessby closure of mills have taken to theprofession recently. However, the threatfrom factory-made plastic toys isconsiderable and unless serious attemptsare made to keep our dynamic folk toysalive, they may well become a thing of thepast. (Ms Chandrani Saha) Zuni


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Organic horticulture is viable

P D BaphnaDahanu, District ThaneMaharashtra

I am a regular reader of Honey Bee. Ipractice organic farming in my orchardsand grow fruit crops, mainly ‘chikoo’,mangoes, lichies, and ‘amla’ (Embellicaofficinalis). Earlier I was using chemicalfertilizers and insecticides. However, Ifound that though the chemicals do give agood yield in the beginning, their regularand prolonged use damages the trees. Aftersuffering a big loss, I have shifted toorganic farming since 1978. Though thetransition period was 6-7 years, I have beenable to reduce the cost of production to 60percent without affecting the yield.

(We hope you will send us some articles basedon your rich experiences. Your next letter withinteresting enclosures is most welcome: Ed)

Marathi Honey Bee once again!

Kiran KulkarniIRCEDVishrambagSangli, Maharashtra

The contents and objectives of Honey Beeare same as IRCED. After working formore than 10 years with tribals, we cameto the conclusion that thelocal people are highly talented but theyneed an outlet for expressing theirtalents.

We have decided to start Marathi versionof Honey Bee, in which we shall givepriority to local initiatives fromMaharashtra. Will you be kind enough toconsider this proposal and suggest a planof action.

(Nothing gives us more pleasure than hearingnews about local version. Please do takeinitiative and let us know if you want anysupport from our end: Ed)

One more attempt for AfricanHoney Bee

Steve LangillIDRCOttawa, Canada

I am working on a project in Kenyawhich involves collecting and recordingindigenous knowledge related to drylandresource management and copingstrategies for desertification.

I have been asked to help set up adatabase which would systematize andstore this data. I was wondering ifSRISTI could help me in this endeavour.

(We have already sent some information alongwith some publications. Hope you will helpus in building bridges between innovativefarmers of India and Kenya by publishinglocal version of Honey Bee in Kenya: Ed)

Some solace, why not solutions?

A V BalasubramaniamCentre for Indian Knowledge SystemsThiruvanmiyur, Chennai

In the last issue of Honey Bee (Vol.8(1)),I saw a note regarding the stone pillarsput up in Gujarat for resting the loads.This is a very common and widelyprevalent practice in Tamil Nadu andsuch pillars are found widely in the ruralareas. Known in Tamil as ‘sumaithangi”, which literally means - “LoadBearer”, they look exactly like the picturethat you had given consisting of a

horizontal slab of stone supported ontwo vertical slabs.

In the book review section it would behelpful if you provide the completeaddress of the source from which thebooks are available. Also it seemed tobe a very highly condensed reviewconsidering the fact that we haveproduced a large number of titles.

(We regret not listing all the titles andcomplete address in Book Worm. We willforward any queries about the titles to you.: Ed)

Prof R N KaulConsulting Agricultural EngineerSuraj Kund, Haryana

I congratulate you for starting a veryunique system of networking through theHoney Bee. I am happy that it is gettingmore global.

On a lighter note I found (Honey BeeVol. 8(1), ’97 page 2) the boxed itementitled “Gender Sensitivity : SomeSolace, why not solutions?” veryinteresting. I wonder if the platformserected by Bhagwatsinhji do still existon the then routes taken by women. Ifnot, is there any indication as to howthese disappeared over time. If some stillexist, are they still being used for thesame purpose?

The incident reported about Ms ElabenBhatt’s difficulty in reaching the podiumis equally interesting and you made apoint regarding the need for consideringwomen’s anthropometric limits indesigning aids. Thus there is a need forgender sensitivity while introducingtechnologies.

(Such pillars do exist not only in Gondalstate, but in many parts of Gujarat. Peoplestill take pride in constructing such pillarsin rural areas, though they are not used asoften: Ed)

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“Give me a place to stand, I willmove the world”

Evaggelos Vallianatos5336 Thayer avenue,Alexandria, USA

I wish I were at your grassrootsconference! Archimedes was right: Ifonly the peasants had a place to standon, they could easily move the Earth (andbeware those who have tyrannized themfor centuries!!). Is it not ironic that non-peasants even steal the peasants’knowledge in the current fashion ofsustainable development?

I am interested in the theory of sustainabledevelopment and would appreciateinformation on that issue.

(We have sent you some papers recently.We would like to hear more about yoursearch for sustainable alternatives: Ed)

Validating indigenous veterinaryknowledge

Dr Shaheen HamedMedak districtAndhra Pradesh

Congratulations for producing afascinating magazine. I found everyissue of the Honey Bee very interestingand useful. I am a Veterinary doctorworking with Deccan DevelopmentSociety’s Krishi Vigyan Kendra locatedin Zaheerabad, Medak district of AndhraPradesh, l have documented about 50traditional veterinary practices beingpractised in and around villages ofZaheerabad Taluq of Medak district. Ihave started doing validation of theseindigenous practices and I want to senda few selected practices for publishingfor wider circulation. Kindly let meknow the procedure or methodology forsending an article to Honey Bee.

(Very simple, pick up a pen, some papers,write down your experimental goals,methods, results, limitations and lesson. Thearticle is ready. Some pictures will also bewelcome. Write soon: Ed)

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P V GeorgePayikad 686515, Kannam P O, Kerala

I was attracted by Sunda Ram’s successstory in tree planting which appeared inthe January-March, 1997 issue.

On page 3, column 2, it was mentioned:“upward capillary movement of waterin the soil results in evaporation...”.Upward capillary movement of waterhas been a problem in civil engineeringas is evident in floors which remainmoist, even years after the concretingwork is over. This is overcome byintroducing what is known as ‘invertedfilter’ in the room before concreting ofthe floor is done. Similar filters are alsoused in water purification plants.

The idea of inverted filter can beadapted in tree planting also to conservethe available moisture (see figure). Thelength of the inverted filter is about 14cm, made with several layers of filtermaterials as shown. The capillary actionis broken by the fine sand layers. Thestem of the sapling should be longenough to accommodate the filter. Somerank vegetation may be strewn aroundon top to act as a coolant around thesapling.

Flood the soil immediately after plantingthe sapling. A PVC pipe may be fixedas shown for periodical watering. Thewater, however limited will reach theroots entirely.

All these efforts are worth consideringfor ensuring 100 percent survival of thesaplings, and worth of each tree, sayafter 20-30 years.

(We have forwarded your letter to ShriSunda Ram and requested him to respondto your comments. Honey Bee aims tobring innovators, scientists, professionalsand enterpreneurs together to add valueand facilitate diffusion of innovativeproducts and services. Please keep intouch: Ed)

2 cm2 cm fine sand

extra fine sand

3 cm ordinary sand

3 cm pebbles

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Science of Sunda Ram’s Success

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� Compilation of Nam VazhiVelanmai!

R S NarayananGandhigram P ODindigul, Tamilnadu

Recently I read an article by IndiraKhanna about the work you are doingto map soil microbial diversity in Gujarat,in the “Down to Earth” March 31 issue.It was very interesting. I have adaptedand written a varied version in Tamil andit got published in “Dinamani”.

I have been involved with Nam VazhiVelanmai (Tamil version of Honey Bee)for the past few years. During January-March 1997, we re-arranged all the oldissues of Nam Vazhi Velanmai in a book

form. We did this with the support of thefaculty of Gandhigram Rural Universityand Ford Foundation. We printed about1000 copies.

(Nam Vazhi Velanmai’s strong network is theresult of nothing but contributions from peoplelike you. We are arranging to send you somemore information on the soil microbialdiversity initiative. Do think of a map ofTamilnadu along these lines: Ed)

The Eye

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Category National International

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Patron Rs 2000 US$ 500

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Concessional rates may be considered for readers fromdeveloping countries on request. Please send your contributionsthrough bank draft/postal order/money order in favour ofA/c SRISTI Innovations at the editorial address; C/o Prof AnilK Gupta, Editor, Honey Bee, Indian Institute of Management,Vastrapur, Ahmedabad 380 015 India. Phone: 91-79-407241,Fax: 91-79-6427896 Email: [email protected]

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