Seeds from the past in India

Published 2024년 4월 27일

Tridge summary

Women in Hurlu village in Rayagada district, Odisha, are reviving native seed varieties of paddy and millets, which have proven to be climate resilient and pest resistant. These seeds, which include traditional paddy and millet varieties, were nearly lost due to the promotion of high-yielding varieties during the Green Revolution and the introduction of eucalyptus plantations. The revival of these seeds has been aided by constant communication among communities and the efforts of non-profit Living Farms. The village has also established a seed bank and has developed a system of cultivating crops to ensure round-the-year food availability. The village elders are now passing this knowledge onto the younger generation to ensure the survival of these heirloom seeds.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The pride and excitement were evident among the women at Hurlu village in Odisha’s Rayagada district as they congregate in a sprawling courtyard to display a colourful array of seeds to Down To Earth (DTE). It is early February and yet, temperatures have begun to rise in various parts of the state. But the weather at Hurlu is still pleasant, as if to reflect the spirit of its inhabitants. Soon, the women decorate one cot with red, black, white, green, yellow and grey seeds, neatly placed in bowls made from sal leaves. “These are the native varieties of kuyan (pearl millet), dokin (sorghum), kode kanga (cowpea), arka (foxtail millet) and dangrani (a type of pulse),” says Kirko Kilaka, a 70-year-old resident of Hurlu. Seeds on the other cot are of indigenous paddy varieties that the residents refer to, in their native language, Kui, as kanda kuli, dhangri mali, basna kuli and bodhana. The 100-odd tribals in Hurlu village, belonging to the Talia Kondh, a sub-tribe of the Kondh ...

Source: Down To Earth