Indigenous Technical Knowledge in Dairying
Dr. Rupendra kumar
PhD, LPM department, ICAR – NDRI, Karnal, India
Abstract
India has a very rich heritage of traditional health control and treatment systems (Ayurvedic, Unani and Homeopathic) that have been used for animals since time immemorial. These practices have been percolating from one generation down to the next by oral transmission and considered to be the holistic approach for livestock management. The indigenous technical knowledge regarding animal husbandry is as old as domestication of various livestock species. Over the last decade, policy makers, development planners and the public at large have become increasingly aware of the important role that traditional knowledge of the indigenous peoples can play in the promotion of sustainable development (Davies and Ebbe, 1993). The significance of such a pool of knowledge for sustainable development was recognised as far back as 1987 in the Brundtland Commission Report, Our Common Future (1987).
Keywords: Indigenous technical knowledge, livestock, indigenous people
Introduction
The role of indigenous knowledge was similarly acknowledged at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and is incorporated in the Agenda 21 documents of the United Nations and the International Convention on Biodiversity. Both reports emphasised the need to use directly the environmental expertise of local people in managing natural resources. They stressed the sustainable management of natural resources could only be achieved by developing a science based on the priorities of local people and creating a technological base that blends both traditional and modern approaches to solving problems (Johnson, 1992). Interest in indigenous knowledge systems has been fuelled by the recent worldwide ecological crisis and the realization that its causes lie partly in the overexploitation of natural resources based on inappropriate attitudes and technologies.
A critical assumption of indigenous knowledge approaches, for example, is that local people have a good understanding of the natural resource base because they have lived in the same, or similar, environment for many generations, and have accumulated and passed on knowledge of the natural conditions, soils, vegetation, food and medicinal plants etc. Note that under conditions where the local people are in fact recent migrants from a quite different ecological zone they may not have much experience yet with their new environment. In these circumstances, some indigenous knowledge of the people may be helpful (e.g. traditional systems for allocating community forest access to women for collecting fodder), or it may cause problems (e.g. use of agricultural systems adapted to other ecozones). Therefore it is important, especially when dealing with recent migrants, to evaluate the relevance of different kinds of indigenous knowledge to local conditions. Most observers, in fact, suggest that a combination of both IK and science be used to solve development problems, in order to capitalize on the strengths of each.
Indigenous technical knowledge in different areas of dairying
Breeding practices
To induce heat
Feeding of jaggery, common salt, pigeon faeces, sprouted wheat, masur dal (Lens esculenta), hen’s egg mixed with oil cake, Arbi tubers (Colocasia esculenta), sprouted chhole (Cicer ariestinum), crushed soyabean (Glycine max/Gycine suja), ‘Madua flour’ (Cynosurus coraccanus) and sprouted ‘Methi’ seed (Trigonelle foenumgraecum) to the animals to induce heat.
Boiled methi (Trigonella foenum- graecum) grain @ 1kg/day fed empty stomach for 5 days or 1 kg/day bajra (Pennisetum typhoides) and ½ kg/day jiggery for 10-15 to induce heat in dairy animals.
Feeding of Hing (Ferula assafoetida) and mustard cake (Brassica spp.) to the animals to induce heat.
For removal of retained placenta
Paddy, banana, and “Soanf” is boiled in water and then filtrate is given to animal in case of retained placenta.
Feeding of Kathal leaves or boiled paddy along with bamboo leaves are given for easy expulsion of placenta.
Drenching the affected animal with 50 ml of castor oil.
Abortion
Drenching desi ghee @ ½ litre/ day for 3-4 days.
Repeat breeding
Feeding of only dry fodder to the animals up to 22 days following service.
Extract of Kela leaves (Musa paradisica) fed to cattle for the treatment of repeat breeding.
Prolapse of uterus and rectum
Animal is forced to stand and fed 2-3 kg tuber of elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus compandulatum) along with other feed.
Animal suffered from prolapse in past, given 10 kg of onion to eat when it is not carrying. This prevents prolapse at delivery time.
Surukkuthamarai, Thottachinungi (Mimosa pudica) are to be macerated and administered orally to the animals.
Health Care
Abscess
Fomentation with warm mustard oil and firing with hot iron in the developing stage of abscess, while other use onion roasted in cow dung along with little common salt Turmeric powder (Curcuma longa) is mixed with deshi ghee in equal proportion and applied on the abscess.
Constipation
100 ml castor oil given to animal or crushed bark of Arjun (Terminalia arjuna) mixed with water and fed to affected animals.
200g of gurh (Saccharum officinale) is dissolved in water and given to affected animals.
Diarrhoea
Linseed plant/soaked gram/thorn apple/arhar wood mixed with ash, salt and water is given to animal passing watery stool.
Pulp of 100 g old ripened Tentul (Tamarind, Tamarindus indica) is fed to the animal for two to three days to cure diarrhoea.
Dissolve salt and sugar in 1:2 ratio in water and drench the animals 2-3 times a day.
Eradication of ectoparasite
Burning of neem leaves near the animal in case of lice infestation.
Tobbacco shoot with kerosene oil should be applied all over the body.
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)
The suspension of ajma (Trachyspermum ammi) 50 gm seed, jiggery 100 gm and tea powder 25 gm in half litre of water is given to the affected animal.
Banana fruits are soaked in castor oil overnight and fed to the animal. Pork is cooked with water from Samai (Panicum miliare) grains and fed to the animals.
A paste of the leaves of Sadad (Terminalia crenulata) is made and applied on the affected area.
Fever
Bark of rayan (Soymida febriluga) tree is powdered separately and given to animals along with water for 4 to 5 days continuously.
In case of ephemeral fever, urine obtained from cows, leaves of Vellaikundumani (Arbus precatorius) bearing white seeds and Veliparuthi (Pergularia daemia) are to be pounded and fed to affected animal.
Fracture
A mixture prepared from two spoonfuls of turmeric powder and a hen’s egg is applied on the site of the fracture and covered it with five to seven leaves of Gundi (Cordia gharaf).
Bovine fat is melted and applied on the affected place or Egg and black gram (Vigna mungo) is grounded and applied in the fractured place and bamboo stick is tied around the fractured bone.
Wound
About 3 to 4 droppings of goat and one or two leaves of aval (Cassia auriculata) are mixed together and applied daily over the animal’s wound.
A handful of neem leaves (Azadirachta indica), Acorus calamus leaves, ten pods of garlic, 3 to 4 naphthalene balls and some carbon powder from a waste battery are crushed and mixed together into a paste and applied on the affected part of the skin.
Tympany
A mixture of whey milk, onion and leaves of Sitafal is given to the animals.
Soda (Sodium bicarbonate) and mustrad oil (Brassica nigra) is mixed together and poured in a litre of water and then drenched to animal.
Eye related diseases
An unusual solution is chewing common salt and spitting it into the injured eye of the animals.
Crepe jasmine (Erratamia coronaria), thumbai and clove (Syzyzium aromaticum) are taken into equal quantity and juice of this extract is applied on the eyes or eyes are washed with tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) mixed water.
Poisonous bite
A handful of leaves of each plant, namely Siriyanangai (Polygala grinerisis), Periyanangai (Andrographis alata), Kottagasalai, Kupaimeni, Arugambal (Cynodon dactylon) are to be grounded into paste. The mixture is added to 100 ml of neem oil and 200 ml of warm water and administered to animal.
Sacred basil and Acalypha indica are crushed and the juice is poured in the nostrils of affected animal or Pelican flower (Aristolochia gigas) is grounded and mixed with equal quantity of butter and should be given to animal for one week.
Maggot infestation
The leaves of Erythrina mysorensis are crushed and mixed with eucalyptus oil. The mixture is applied on the affected part of the animal and the wound is covered with a bandage. After 3 days, the bandage is removed and the wound is pressed softly so that the maggots come out.
Swollen udder
The juice of pilodi (Salvadora persica) leaves are used to cure this condition. This juice is applied on the swollen udder twice a day.
250 g of coriander is fed to animals twice a day.
Juice of lemon and powdered chalk piece (CaC03) are mixed with water and applied on the udder.
Arthritis
Decoction of the root of Babul (Acacia Arabica) is mixed with mustard oil in the ratio of 1:3 and to be drenched to the animal.
Mouth ulcer
Lukewarm pure mustard oil smeared on the neck proves to be an effective remedy for the pain.
Food poison
Chotrukatrazhai (Aloe vera), Vanai nerunji (Pedalium murex), Athi (Bauhinia racemosa) are to be crushed together and it is mixed with water and administered to the animals three times in a day with the help of kottan (hallow bamboo funnel).
Respiratory diseases
Ruptured leaves of Bahufali (Corchorus sp.) is fed to the bullocks which breathes too much during work.
The use of Kupaimeni (Acalypha indica) is widely acknowledged for curing the respiratory disorders, dry cough, bronchitis, lung ulcers.
Jaundice
A mixture of ‘haritake’ (Terminalia chebula), Amla (Emblica officianlis) is prepared and fed to the animals twice a day.
Turmeric is grounded and made into arecanut size and given to animals.
Intestinal worms
Extract of ‘neem’ leaves (Azadirachta indica) mixed with water and sugar and then drenched to animal.
Seeds of Subabul (Leuceana leucocephala) is mixed with water and grounded. This mixture is taken with 200ml of water and given to goats.
Conclusion
Developing countries have a valuable, but largely untapped, reservoir of indigenous agricultural and natural resource experience and knowledge. Development planners and policy makers are beginning to recognize the need to understand existing knowledge systems and decisions-making processes as they focus their attention on the role that small-scale dairy and agricultural producers can play in achieving national food self-sufficiency. These systems influence current farming practices and responses of the small-scale producers to agricultural and natural resource policy initiatives and technological innovations. There is a growing body of evidence describing the positive uses of ITK in development projects and many successes in building upon it.
Email I’d – rupeivri2@gmail.com
Authors declaration – I wish to confirm that there are no know conflicts of interest associated with this publication
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