A dimension within Dry Farming Techniques
This theme covers traditional farming practices for cultivating crops, especially pulses, and the critical role of seed preservation.
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We do farming. We save some seeds beforehand and then cultivate. This way, we get many crops, including green gram, black gram, and pigeon pea.
— Ulapi Sahu · Balangir, Odisha
We cultivate seeds such as chickpea, lentil, mustard, and horse gram using traditional, possibly rain-fed, farming methods. We preserve these seeds and cultivate them using this traditional agricultural practice.
— Laxmi Sahu
We cultivated rainfed crops like pigeon pea, mung bean, and black gram, and will continue to cultivate and preserve them for the future.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
In our region, even without rain, we cultivate crops like moong, urad, and horse gram. We also preserve their seeds by mixing them with neem leaves.
— Kunakanta Behera · Dashapalla, Nayagarh, Odisha
We do traditional farming. We save rain-fed seeds and cultivate crops like sorghum and chickpea.
— Vijay kanesh · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
In rain-fed land, we cultivate horse gram and green gram, and we store their seeds safely by using neem and karanja leaves.
— Sita Behera · Dashapalla, Nayagarh, Odisha
In rain-fed land, we cultivate horse gram and green gram, and we store the seeds safely in the village using neem leaves and karada leaves.
— Sita Behera · Dashapalla, Nayagarh, Odisha
We have cultivated moong and urad this rainy season. We will keep the seeds and cultivate again next rainy season.
— Gitanjali Bhoi
We farm at our home and manage our household with it. We cultivate pigeon pea and other pulses with low water, and also sow barley. These require less water, and we also save them for the next year. This way, we preserve the seeds.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We keep green gram, black gram, and horse gram seeds, and cultivate them in the second crop.
— Puspanjali Nag
Yes, we grow other crops and also preserve seeds like black gram, pigeon pea, and green gram.
— Jagannath Baraik · Ranchi, Jharkhand
After harvesting the paddy, we cultivate crops like moong, urad, chana, and masoor in that field without irrigation. We save these for our home. We then prepare the soil there for further cultivation.
— swornalata nayak · Patnāgarh, Balangir, Odisha
This year, we have cultivated green gram, black gram, and chickpeas. We will save the seeds to cultivate them again next year.
— Gitanjali Bhoi · Karamdihi, Sundargarh, Odisha
I cultivate pulse crops without irrigation. We save pulse seeds, among which horse gram, black gram, and pigeon pea are the oldest varieties. We save these seeds for cultivation every year. Our ancestors used to cultivate using manure and traditional ploughs.
— DASHARATH SINGH
We save and sow our traditional seeds. Such as chickpea, sorghum, Bhadi, pearl millet, etc.
— Vijay kanesh · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
We will cultivate mustard, green gram, and other crops, store their seeds, and cultivate them again next year.
— Gitanjali Bhoi · Sundargarh, Odisha
We have traditional seeds here like Saadia, paddy, pigeon pea, semi-native gourds, Karaiguta, Chipra, etc. We preserve these every year and cultivate them using old traditional methods without irrigation.
— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
In rain-fed crops, we continuously sow black gram, green gram, and pigeon pea.
— MANNOO LAL BHOI
Our ancestors used to cultivate pulse crops as a second crop without irrigation, adopting organic methods. I also store black gram and horse gram seeds and cultivate every year using this method.
— Kumudini Chhanchan
We cultivate zero-input crops like chickpeas, flaxseed, and pigeon pea. Even with less water, the crops ripen, and their seeds are also collected. Narayan Lal Baranda.
— narayanlalbaranda5@gmail.com · Jhapa, Dungarpur, Rajasthan
We are cultivating moong and urad beans. We have kept seeds and will cultivate again next year.
— Gitanjali Bhoi · Sundargarh, Odisha
We will cultivate mustard, moong, and other crops, save the seeds, and cultivate them again next year.
— Gitanjali Bhoi · Sundargarh, Odisha
Name: Purnachandra Pradhan. Village: Gatamaha, G.P. Bondaguda, block Nuagaon, District Kandhamal. We are cultivating green gram, mustard, and black gram as a second crop without irrigation, and we are also saving seeds.
— Sidheswar Nayak · Kandhamal, Odisha
We cultivate a second crop without water or irrigation, using green gram, black gram, and horse gram. We don't use pesticides or chemical fertilizers. We grow them very well from seeds, resulting in good produce for eating.
— Parikshit Majhi
Our ancestors used to cultivate pulses as a second crop using organic methods without irrigation. I also cultivate every year using this method by storing black gram and horse gram seeds.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha
We cultivate zero-irrigation crops, including pulses and oilseeds, and also conserve them, as they are part of our heritage.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
For the second crop, we cultivate seeds such as moong, urad, and arhar. We save those seeds to cultivate them again the following year.
— RINA BEHERA · Hemagiri, Sundargarh, Odisha
Our ancestors used to cultivate pulses as a second crop without irrigation, adopting organic methods. And I also cultivate every year using this method, by saving black gram and horse gram seeds.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha
Previously, we used to cultivate all crops like moong, urad, and kulthi, and we want to continue doing so in the future.
— Jyoti Senapati
Our ancestors used to cultivate pulses as a second crop without irrigation, adopting organic methods. I also cultivate every year using this method by saving black gram and horse gram seeds.
— DASHARATH SINGH · Jamunkira, Sambalpur, Odisha
We keep seeds of mustard, green gram, horse gram, tuber crops, black gram, and taro for cultivation without water.
— Puspanjali Nag
Our ancestors used to cultivate pulse crops as a second crop without irrigation, adopting organic methods. I also follow this method every year by storing black gram and horse gram seeds.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha
We cultivated moong and urad dal this year and saved the seeds to cultivate again next year.
— Gitanjali Bhoi · Sundargarh, Odisha
Yes, we used to cultivate and are still cultivating moong, urad, chana, masoor, and other seeds with zero irrigation. And more profit.
— Naukeshi Sahu
Yes, we cultivate dryland crops such as madiya, kodo, and kutki in our region, and we also conserve seeds for every year.
— Sukhdas Mandavi · Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, Chhattisgarh
We store moong pulse seeds using traditional methods and sow the seeds as a Rabi crop with zero irrigation after the Kharif season crop harvest.
— Ahalya Sahu · Kalahandi, Odisha
We cultivate green gram without water. The government had provided green gram seeds for one year, and we will keep those seeds to cultivate green gram every year.
— Kusha Mahakud
Yes, we practice zero-irrigation farming and also conserve seeds. For example, horse gram, Kodo millet, little millet, finger millet, and black gram are zero-irrigation crops.
— Sukhdas Mandavi · Mohla, Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, Chhattisgarh
Here, we cultivate paddy, sawa, medon, and mijhri. We store sawa, medon, and mijhri at home for sowing in the next year. Additionally, among pulses, we have kurthi and baturi, which we also store and sow the following year.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Yes, we used to cultivate and are still cultivating moong, urad, chana, masoor seeds etc. with zero irrigation and are getting more profit.
— Naukeshi Sahu · Kalahandi, Odisha
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.

By carefully collecting and preserving seeds from our first harvest, we ensure a second, nutritious crop and maintain our traditional farming methods for generations.

We carefully save seeds from our diverse crops like chickpeas, lentils, and mustard, ensuring we can grow them again next year and maintain our livelihood.

By cultivating a variety of crops, preserving ancestral seeds, and exploring animal husbandry, we build a resilient livelihood for our community.

After the main harvest, we harness the land's natural moisture to cultivate a vital second crop, ensuring food and oil for our families.
The voices in this theme were gathered by these organisations through their community reports.