Indigenous Agricultural Technology and Agri Productivity in Kashmir

Agricultural Production has to be in tune with ecological preservation.The age old agricultural productivity methods and practices need to be clubbed in today farming system. It is not true that all what came to be known in past few centuries is only science. The improved cultivation methods, seeds and plant and animal germplasm is used progressing year after year and from centuries. These tested and improved practices have come into existence through centuries experience ,tests and notes of farmers around the globe. The faster communications methods are needed to propagate them.

The evils of past unidirectional more production oriented policies have given enough food but has robed us of our ecological resources. Now we face soil degradation corrosion, denudation of forests and great dangers to our biodiversity and eco-environment. An attempt has been made in these pages to present our own experience in Kashmir.

Firstly to define some of the indigenous techniques used in the past which were eco-friendly. Secondly,a combination of the modern and indigenous technology use in agriculture has been compared in term of individual crop and fruit production. Lastly policy and innovative models of mixed crop, livestock production system have been postulated.

Methodology
Competitive global marketing demands some changes in our farming systems. Farmers have to be cost conscious and need new strategies of mixed farming option like combined agriculture, horticulture, livestock husbandry and horticulture activities. A new model for incorporating all these fields in an eco-friendly mode is discussed.

An agricultural mission for efficient resource management should aim at bridging gap between current farm yield and potential farm yield. Use of bio-technology and bio-informatics for identification of economically viable cropping options and combination can not be ruled out ,however soil and environmental preservation must be kept in mind while using bio tech farming options. We should talk of eco-conducive-germplasm-base instead of high productive germplasm base. Minimum use of chemical fertilizers has been tried with increased crop production. Such organic farming options resulted into 19% enhancement of production per hectare in capsicum,cabbage,rice apple, Onions and other crops. The use of N fertilizers were replaced from 25-75% with organic manures like agricultural waste material, dalweeds, cow-dung, forest waste and other ecofriendly substitutes including microorganisms.

The micro-nutrient availability in mud, green waste and other cheep agri -Hort bye products have been analyzed.The soil composition and remediation factors to restore ecological balance in degraded lands is discussed.New options for combined farming of crops, animals, plant, fish, poultry and other biological partners shall be projected for a more safe farming with ecological resource management. The blend of indigenous and more recent technology for resource management of eco-systems is the viable conclusion