Documentation of Indigenous Technical Knowledge and Their Application in Pest Management in Western Mid Hill of Nepal

M Jaishi,K Naharki

doi:10.3329/sja.v18i1.48397

Abstract

Indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) are based on the experiences of the local people being passed on from one generation to next and has been used for management of pest since ancient times. A study was conducted to collect and document the ITK and their application in pest management from indigenous communities in western mid hill of Nepal. A total sample size of seventy-five respondents from the indigenous communities of Magar, Gurung, and Newar in Tanahun, Lamjung and Kaski districts of Nepal were interviewed with a semi structured questionnaire. The study revealed that subsistence farmers and semi commercial farmers usually made the most use of ITK while commercial farmers rarely used such indigenous knowledge. Use of ITK was highest (85%) by the subsistence farmers, followed by semi-commercial farmers (60%), and lowest (10%) by commercial farmers in pest management. The transfer of ITK was mostly found to be through past generations. The indigenous technological knowledge being applied in pest management should be documented, promoted, and encouraged in combination with scientific knowledge among the farming communities. SAARC J. Agri., 18(1): 251-261 (2020)

Highlights

Indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) is the fundamental part of the culture and history of a local community (Borthakur and Singh, 2012)
Documentation and statistical analysis Focus group discussion (FGD), transect walks, observation and key informant interview were qualitative research methods used for the validation and documentations of ITK
It was found that ITK are transferred from past generations such as elder persons, parents and grandparents

Summary

Introduction

Indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) is the fundamental part of the culture and history of a local community (Borthakur and Singh, 2012). It is the knowledge of the indigenous people residing in different geographical regions of the world with their own techniques, practices, skill and culture (Bruchac, 2014). ITK are the storage house of knowledge, skills and techniques for management of farming system. They are transferred through sharing of cultural and traditional information (Singh, 2007)

Methods

Results

Conclusion