Documenting the agriculture based indigenous traditional knowledge in Manipur State of North Eastern India

Abstract

The North East Indian Himalayan Region (NEIHR) is bestowed with unique ethnicity and highly diversified biodiversity (flora and fauna) that are inherent to this region and inquisitive traditional practices. The region is a conservatory of indigenous knowledge and practices.  NE agriculture has its own merit, demerit, diversity and complex system which distinguishes it from the mainland agriculture of the country. Indigenous knowledge used in agriculture in various parts of Manipur is still less explored. Keeping this as the foremost point, survey was undertaken for collecting information on traditional knowledge in 8 districts of 15 villages of Manipur for identifying the different indigenous traditional knowledge (ITK) used in agriculture. Each district was surveyed and from each selected locality and interviewed through questionnaires for collecting relevant information on ITKs used in agriculture. Initially the detail information was collected from respondent farmers and further validated by triangulation method. 15 number of ITK has been documented and validated by triangulation method. There is a strong requisite to document and validate ITK before it gets lost with time. So, indigenous and modern approach may be combined as the so called “technology blending” for the evolution of new technology.