A dimension within Soil Health & Farming
This theme explores the methods and practices of growing crops using organic farming techniques and fertilizers.
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Overall Community Sentiment
AI-synthesised pieces woven from many community voices on this theme. They may contain errors or interpretation — they're a reflection of the stories, not a record of fact.
Our fathers and grandfathers used to cultivate traditional crops earlier, fertilizing them with cow dung, and grew pulses like moong, urad, kulthi, along with millets such as ragi and bajra.
— Parikshit Majhi
We used to farm using cow dung and goat manure; this was the fertilizer for the crops, and all crops like Kodo, Menjhari, Barley, and Saawa were grown with this agricultural fertilizer.
— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Earlier, farming was done using cow dung and goat droppings; that was the fertilizer for the crops, and Kodo millet grew better with it.
— Kamleah Kumar · Kota, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
In ancient times, we used to cultivate with ploughs. We used to cultivate black gram, horse gram, green gram, paddy, etc.
— RINA BEHERA · Sundargarh, Odisha
Previously, our ancestors used to farm with cow dung, and now urea and DAP have become common. The crops are growing well, but it's having a big impact on the body.
— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Previously, crops would grow without fertilizer. Cow dung was spread in the fields, and then grains were sown, resulting in excellent crops. But now, it seems to grow better with urea.
— Kamleah Kumar · Ammatola, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
In our village, earlier, people used to cultivate fields with ploughs and oxen and worked very hard. At that time, they would sow Kodo, Sawa, Medo, and Mizri, and grow them without fertilizer. They used to sustain themselves with that, from which individuals...
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Earlier, you all used to farm, and you cultivated using fertilizer.
— Niranjan Lauria · Boudh, Odisha
The things we used to cultivate before were black gram, green gram, cowpea, horse gram, etc.
— Batakrushna Sahoo
The oldest seeds like Kodo, Mejdri, Sawa, Maize, Bajra, all these crops were cultivated with agricultural fertilizer.
— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Before, all of us tribals used to plow the fields with a plow and bullocks. We would sow medo mujri and also kurthi, which was very nutritious food. It was sown without fertilizer and would grow readily.
— Babulal Ayam · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Grain used to grow without fertilizer. Use cow dung for farming in the fields; that's where paddy, maize, and all crops grow. Eating all that grain keeps the body strong and vital. Nowadays, even though there is more crop yield, the body becomes weak.
— Kamleah Kumar · Ammatola, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Our ancestors used to cultivate millet without mixing any chemical pesticides; they used cow dung as fertilizer. And those foods were very good.
— Sastensh khura
People of the past used to cultivate saawa, kodo, menjhari, bajra, and maize, and their bodies were strong. But today, by eating grains grown with fertilizer...
— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
I am a farmer. Our father, grandfather, and uncles used to cultivate using traditional methods. They used to farm without fertilizer and without chemicals. And that farming was good for crops like horse gram and ragi.
— Parikshit Majhi
Our ancestors used to cultivate Bhadi kodra, jowar, pulses, and oilseed crops.
— Kachala Choudhary
The best fertilizer we used for crops was goat droppings, cow dung, and sheep droppings. These were all the agricultural fertilizers of the past.
— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Before, we used to cultivate crops without water: bajra, maize, kodo, mezhri, and arhar (pigeon pea).
— Kamleah Kumar · Ormaura, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Our ancestors used soil cultivation methods, farming with cow dung manure. They also used goat droppings as manure for cultivation.
— gobardhan pangi
People of earlier times used to do this kind of farming for subsistence, and without water, without chemical fertilizers, and by eating that grain, there was also strength in the body. But nowadays, this urea and DAP fertilizer is causing a lot of harm.
— Kamleah Kumar · Kota, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We used to cultivate various crops extensively. Additionally, I cultivated mustard, moong bean, guava, horse gram, etc. All these seeds are important for my family.
— RINA BEHERA · Sundargarh, Odisha
Old people used to do mixed farming, they used cow dung manure.
— Kachala Choudhary
Our ancestors generally followed traditional farming methods using cow dung manure.
— Jogeshwar Naik · Kalahandi, Odisha
Our ancestors were cultivating. They grew urad and moong. The soil gave them a different kind of produce, and they nurtured the seeds for it.
— Mukunda Majhi · Udulibeda, Malkangiri, Odisha
Sawa, Medo, Mijhri are our traditional crops, which our ancestors used to cultivate by plowing with bullocks and a plough. They consumed these crops throughout the year and saved seeds in their homes for the next year's sowing. We still practice farming today.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Our ancestors used to follow cow dung manure and clay soil farming methods and found them profitable.
— Premsila Naik · Kalahandi, Odisha
Previously, we ourselves used to cultivate moong, Didhan Lar Golandi, Mahipal paddy, red paddy, Kalachu paddy, and Sarai paddy.
— Padmini Bhoi
Earlier, when we practiced traditional farming, many earthworms used to fertilize our soil, and cultivation was good. Now, various types of fertilizers, pesticides, and poisons are being used by us.
— KARUKAR MURMU · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha
Our ancestors used to farm with cow dung. And now this urea and DAP fertilizer has become common. This improves crop yield, but it's having a significant impact on health.
— Kamleah Kumar
In earlier times, what method did people use for farming? The answer is, they used to farm by applying fertilizer with a plough.
— Niranjan Lauria · Boudh, Odisha
Traditional agriculture
— Common Ground · Phiringia, Kandhamal, Odisha
Traditional agriculture
— KRUSHNA KHILLO · Semiliguda, Koraput, Odisha
From the time of our ancestors, they used to cultivate with a plow. Immediately after paddy cultivation, they would grow mustard, groundnuts, horse gram, black gram, and green gram. Our subsequent generations have forgotten this practice.
— RINA BEHERA · Sundargarh, Odisha
Was traditional farming in the past better or is modern farming better now? Traditional farming in the past was better. What all did they cultivate? Ragi, black gram, horse gram, foxtail millet.
— Sastensh khura
Traditional farming, meaning Yudung, Pandala, Janana, maize, finger millet, and so on.
— James
In earlier times, people cultivated crops like Sawa, Medon, and Mijhari using ploughs and oxen. They also relied on oxen for applying various treatments to their fields. They cultivate Batri, a type of pulse, and for pigeon pea, if it receives water just once, a good harvest is achieved. Batri is sown after the rice harvest, requires no irrigation, and the crop ripens on its own.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Before, we all used to farm with plows and oxen, and we also threshed paddy with them. Even for irrigation, we used oxen via a Persian wheel.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Old seeds, including those of Kalahasu, Lalat, and Kendu flowers, were carefully considered. Fruit seeds, sem beans, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, and okra were cultivated by adding fertilizer and loamy soil to the land.
— Anirudha Marai
Our ancestors used to cultivate mung bean, urad, horse gram, ragi, and mustard. At that time, it used to rain, and there were forests.
— Anirudha Marai
Mona, your priest, and we will bring back the past related to farming. People used to do organic farming earlier, using manure or cow dung. Now, we are using chemical fertilizers.
— KRUSHNA KHILLO
