Traditional Knowledge for Sustainable Management of Soils - Principles of Sustainable Soil Management in Agroecosystems - page 305

conditions (Pawluck et al. 1992; Singh et al. 2002; Singh 2003). Although, India has
rich traditional knowledge on soil management, very little attention has been paid to
study, understand, and assess its relevance in modern agriculture. These traditional
practices are ideal risk management tools and even today are relevant if one can
blend indigenous knowledge with modern practices to achieve high production and
yet sustain the production environment.
Indigenous knowledge may also be defined as the sum total of knowledge and
practices that are based on people's accumulated experience in dealing with situ-
ations and problems in various aspects of life. Such knowledge and practices are
unique to a particular culture. The interest in traditional knowledge is growing in
recent times as we are unable to maintain the momentum generated by the green
revolution and many unforeseen problems are arising that defy cost-effective solu-
tions. There is undoubtedly a need to initiate systematic efforts for collecting the
traditional practices from different areas and cataloguing them for validation and
wider use. The indigenous knowledge would be helpful in developing ecologically
compatible and socially accepted technologies in the difficult areas of crop and ani-
mal culture.
The complementary role indigenous knowledge can play in modern agriculture
has been acknowledged by many (Sandor and Furbee 1996). Indigenous knowledge
systems in soil characterization, fertility assessment, and land use decision making
are widely recognized (Zurayk et al. 2001; Greiner 1998; Payton et al. 2003). More
recently, much research has focused on the usefulness of traditional soil taxonomies
as they relate to agriculture production (Dvorak 1988; Osunda 1988). The concept of
sustainable agriculture was expounded on thousands of years ago in the Vedas , the
ancient Hindu texts (Nene 2004). The objective of this chapter is therefore to under-
stand the traditional knowledge and indigenous practices for sustaining soil manage-
ment and discuss their importance in meeting current challenges facing agriculture.
13.2 TRADITIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS
Soil classification and fertility management are some of the earliest concepts that
have been used by indigenous farmers since time immemorial. Farmers' wisdom
on soil taxonomy and fertility management dynamics is based on trial and error,
problem solving, and a group approach with an objective to meet the challenges they
face in their local environment. Traditionally, soils are classified according to recog-
nizable and easily observable attributes. Farmers' criteria for soil classification are
yield; the topographical position of the field; soil depth, color, and texture; retention
capacity; and the presence of stoniness. Keeping the land fallow is one of the widely
followed practices by farmers to restore fertility. However, most Indian farmers are
now unable to follow the traditional wisdom of keeping land fallow due to high
fragmentation of land (0.2 ha per household) and the need to produce food for their
families year after year. Traditional subsistence farmers throughout the tropics, how-
ever, have a deep understanding of their local ecosystem, including soil, climate, and
water (Talawar and Rhodes 1998). A number of studies in India have documented the
indigenous classification of soil by farmers in different regions.