A dimension within Dryland Pulse Farming
Highlighting ancestral practices in dryland farming for pulse crops with zero irrigation.
150 voices speak to this
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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.

After the main harvest, we harness the land's natural moisture to cultivate a vital second crop, ensuring food and oil for our families.

By relying on traditional farming methods and saving our own seeds, we ensure food security and healthy crops without external inputs.

Even without irrigation, our traditional seeds and old farming methods ensure our crops ripen, providing food for our homes.

By preserving our traditional, rain-fed seeds and planting them with care, we ensure food for our families and fodder for our animals.
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
Yes, I cultivate pulses as a second crop using zero irrigation. Our ancestors used to farm this way, and I also save urad and horse gram seeds to farm using this organic method every year.
— DASHARATH SINGH · Sambalpur, Odisha
Yes, I cultivate pulses as a second crop with zero irrigation. Previously, our ancestors used to cultivate this way, and I also save black gram and horse gram seeds and cultivate using this organic method every year.
— DASHARATH SINGH · Sambalpur, Odisha
Yes, I cultivate pulses as a second crop with zero irrigation. Our ancestors used to cultivate this before, and I also save black gram and horse gram seeds and cultivate every year using this organic method.
— DASHARATH SINGH · Jamunkira, Sambalpur, Odisha
I practice zero-irrigation farming of pulses and also preserve its seeds, and we get a lot of benefit from this, which has been passed down from my ancestors.
— Krishna pada mahato · East Singhbhum, Jharkhand
Yes, I cultivate pulses as a second crop with zero irrigation. Our ancestors used to cultivate these crops, and I also store black gram and horse gram seeds and cultivate them every year using this organic method.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Jamunkira, Sambalpur, 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
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
Yes, I cultivate pulses as a second crop with zero irrigation. Our ancestors used to cultivate this before, and I also store Urad dal and Horse gram seeds and cultivate every year using this organic method.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Jamunkira, Sambalpur, 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 preserving Urad and Kulthi seeds.
— Kumudini Chhanchan
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
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
I cultivate pulses as a second crop without irrigation, using old methods with cow/cattle manure, and I save urad and horse gram seeds, using them for cultivation every year.
— DASHARATH SINGH · Sambalpur, Odisha
Our ancestors used to cultivate pulses as a second crop using organic methods without irrigation, and I also follow this method every year by storing black gram and horse gram seeds.
— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha
I am saving it. Yes, I have been saving it from before. Yes, green gram, yes, chickpeas, yes, now it looks like peas. I am seeing all of it being cultivated. Your ancestors were indeed tied to the yoke (of farming) before. Yes, in the past, everyone used to plow and cultivate. Yes.
— Santosh Pradhan
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
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
Yes, I am a traditional second-crop farmer. For the last 40 years, I have been cultivating with my own saved seeds using a plough.
— Paradeshi Mirdha · Sambalpur, Odisha
I cultivate pulses as a second crop with zero irrigation, using cow dung manure from domestic animals and following old methods. I store urad dal and horse gram seeds and use them for cultivation every year.
— DASHARATH SINGH · Sambalpur, Odisha
I cultivate lentils as a second crop with zero irrigation, using cow dung manure and following traditional methods. I store black gram and horse gram seeds and use them for cultivation every year.
— DASHARATH SINGH · Sambalpur, Odisha
Yes, I am a farmer. I cultivate moong and mustard using traditional methods with my own seeds.
— Paradeshi Mirdha · Sambalpur, Odisha
Yes, I work with pulses and oilseeds, conserving their seeds by learning from my ancestors, and I also nourish the soil following ancestral methods.
— Krishna pada mahato · Birra, East Singhbhum, Jharkhand
I cultivate pulses as a second crop without irrigation, adopting organic methods, and I store urad dal and horse gram seeds, using them for cultivation every year.
— DASHARATH SINGH · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, 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
I want to preserve traditional farming by cultivating pulses and carry this tradition forward.
— Pushpalata Surtange · Baloda Bazar, Chhattisgarh
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
Yes, I cultivate a second crop, I cultivate using traditional methods with a plow and a harrow, and I preserve seeds from the harvested grains.
— Paradeshi Mirdha · Katarbaga, Sambalpur, Odisha
I am cultivating using traditional methods, which is why I am following seed preservation.
— James · Kharlingi, Housingboard Colony, Rayagada
We sow with great effort without irrigation, and cultivate crops by plowing with oxen and a plow. We save seeds for many years, which come in handy.
— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
We cultivate a second crop. The valuable seed of our family is Horse gram. Our ancestors have given us Green gram, Black gram, Horse gram, and Finger millet. We follow the farming methods of our ancestors.
— Basanti · Nayagarh, Odisha
We do traditional farming. We save rain-fed seeds and cultivate crops like sorghum and chickpea.
— Vijay kanesh · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
Yes, I cultivate the second crop using traditional farming methods and seed preservation.
— Sabina · Tumudibandh, Kandhamal, Odisha
I am Hiralal Mainat Jaluqua. I practice zero-irrigation farming. In this, chickpea, mustard, and flax can be cultivated. For seed collection, in olden times...
— narayanlalbaranda5@gmail.com · Jhapa, Dungarpur, Rajasthan
Yes, I am a second crop farmer. Every year, I cultivate green gram and mustard using traditional methods after paddy.
— Paradeshi Mirdha · Katarbaga, Sambalpur, Odisha
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
Here, we cultivate Sawa, Medon, Mujhri, Kodo, and pulses using the 'Batririri' method. We also store the seeds at home for the following year and then re-sow them in the field; this practice is a legacy from our ancestors.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
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
Yes, I am cultivating moong using traditional methods.
— Madan Hantal · Pujariguda, Malkangiri, Odisha
Our plows and bullocks till the fields, we sow millet, maize, make furrows, and plant small seeds, and also save seeds for the next year. This is a legacy from our ancestors, which we still have today and which we utilize.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Yes, pulses are cultivated in this. According to our ancestors, we also preserve seeds.
— Jagannath Baraik · Bayang, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Jharkhand
The voices in this theme were gathered by these organisations through their community reports.

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