The document outlines a course on indigenous knowledge systems focusing on soil management practices in Sri Lanka, encompassing 12 hours of lectures by P.B. Dharmasena. It discusses traditional agricultural practices, including soil conservation, crop selection, and eco-friendly farming techniques, emphasizing the importance of indigenous knowledge in sustainable agriculture. The summary also highlights the socio-cultural dimensions and community practices that are integral to traditional soil and water resource management.

1. Indigenous Knowledge Systems
lesson 5 - Indigenous soil management practices (2hrs)
• Course Code: MS 5208 (02:30/00)
• Saturday 3.30 pm – 5.30 pm
• P.B. Dharmasena
• 0777 - 613234, 0717 – 613234
• dharmasenapb@ymail.com , dharmasenapb@gmail.com
• Links to publications:
https://independent.academia.edu/PunchiBandageDharmasena
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Punchi_Bandage_Dharmasena/
contributions
http://www.slideshare.net/DharmasenaPb
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_PFqwl0OqsrxH1wTm_jZeg

2. Indigenous Knowledge Systems
2. Fundamental features of Sri Lankan Agriculture; climate, Soil, Genetic
resources, agro biodiversity (2 hrs)
3. History and the culture of Sri Lankan agriculture sector development (1 hr)
4. Green revolution and its impact on Sri Lankan traditional agricultural
system (biodiversity deterioration, inorganic substances for pest and disease
controlling, development of hybrid varieties etc.) (1hr)
5. Indigenous soil management practices (2hrs)
6. Indigenous Irrigation systems (cascade system, water harvesting concepts)
(2hrs)
9. Traditional practices for, weather forecasting, plant nutrient supplementing,
pest and disease control and indigenous agricultural machines and tools (2hrs)
13. Cultural dimensions of Agricultural rituals in Sri Lanka (1 hr)
14. Climate change and Indigenous Agricultural knowledge in Sri Lanka(1 hr)
Total: 12 hours)
List of lectures by P.B. Dharmasena

3. 3
Systems of knowledge are many.
Among these, modern science is only
one, though the most powerful and
universal.
Rural people’s knowledge is in contrast
‘situated’, differing both by locality and
by group and individual, and differing in
its modes of experimenting and learning:
different people know different things in
different places, and learn new things in
different ways.
– Robert Chambers, 1994
Robert Chambers - British academic and development practitioner

4. What is Indigenous Knowledge ?
• Unique to a given culture or
society.
• Techniques, practices,
customs, traditions and beliefs
in rural life (agriculture,
health care, food preparation,
education, natural resource
management, social unity etc.)
• Information base – evolved
during thousands of years
• Dynamic and changing
(creativity, trial and error).
• Wealth of the community
established over time
• Adapted to local culture and
environment.
4

5. • Rural people understand the soil
salinity by observing the plants
found in an area.
• Vetakeya (Pandanus kaida),
• Diwul (Feronia limonia),
• Keeriya (Acacia chundra),
• Indi (Phoenix zeylanica),
• Ikiriya (Hygrophila spinosa),
• Pothu-pan (Scleria poaeformis),
• Illuk (Imperata cylindrica).
• Good rains are expected if they
observe more flowers in wood apple
trees.
Very common Examples of Local Knowledge
5

6. Indigenous knowledge
• Indigenous knowledge has two powerful advantages
over outside Knowledge
• It has little or no cost and is readily available.
• Indigenous knowledge systems and technologies are
found to be socially desirable, economically affordable,
sustainable, and involve minimum risk to rural farmers
and producers
• Above all, they are widely believed to conserve
resources.
• There are situations in which modern science is not
appropriate, and use of simpler technologies and
procedures are required. Thus, indigenous
knowledge provides basis for problem solving
strategies for local communities, especially the poor.

7. Indigenous knowledge
• Indigenous knowledge has always placed human
being within the context of total environment.
• As such it pays attention to all living things
including plants, animals, water, soil and other
natural resources.
• It tries to achieve human wellbeing without
jeopardizing the environmental totality.
• For example, people are not permitted to destroy
woods haphazardly, although clearing jungles is
needed for cultivation.
• There is a jungle low to which people should obey.
Forests cannot be burned without following certain
rituals.

8. Cosmo-spiritual
powers
Socio-cultural
dimension
Bio-physical process
Indigenous
agriculture

9. Principles of Indigenous Agriculture
• Risks of farming due to factors such as rainfall, drought, pest and
diseases, damages from wild animals etc. were reduced through
adoption of auspicious times and spiritual powers in farming
operations, timely cultivation, crop management etc.
• Maintenance of favourable environment for crop growth.
• Maintenance of the land productivity by adjusting the farming
practices with least disturbance to soil and addition of organic
biomass.
• Independence of farming from external inputs and influence of
outside technologies.
• Adoption of diverse crop combinations in agriculture to cope up
with the variation of climate, soil and other biotic as well as
abiotic stresses.
• Use of farm implements with lesser energy consumption
• Making use of natural processes to minimal use of inputs in
cultivation i.e. introducing and maintaining crop diversity (to
minimize pest attack), planting Mee (Madhuka longifolia) to
attract bats to improve fertility etc.

10. Godawala
Perahana
Gasgommana
Iswetiya
Tank water resource – no pollution, no sedimentation: safe drinking water, good storage
Soil and
water
resources,
recycling
Dharmasena, 2010

11. Landa
Thisbambe
Gangoda Kattakaduwa
Kiul-ela
Paddy field soil resource - no salinity, good fertility: High productivity
Soil and
water
resources,
recycling
Dharmasena, 2010

12. Objectives of Traditional Soil Management
1. Tillage – Objective is to obtain a
weed free smooth soil surface for
germination and initial growth
First tillage is taking place under
water mixing all weeds and
incorporating green leaves he added.
After about two weeks he ploughs
again and prepare the land syrupy
enough for sowing. The traditional
farmer uses betel spit to test the soil
condition for sowing. Betel spit
Objective of traditional soil
management was to increase
physical, chemical and biological
fertility of soil

13. Traditional Ploughing Techniques – Sinhala
Nagula (plough), Poruwa (leveller) • Formation of
hard pan at 4-6”
depth
• Rice root system
within 6” is
more active
• Water is not
percolated due to
hard pan
• Nutrient is not
lost from the
root zone
• Weeds with tap
root are not
comfortable

14. Lewis - 1884
Handle
නගුල් කඳ
Gripping peg
පළු ඇණේ
Blade
හී වැල
Trailer
නගුල් ඉහ
Balancing log
ණකොණවක්
ණකොණේ
Components of Sinhala Nagula

15. Rice soil
Mechanism of Sinhala Nagula
Clay hard pan
4-6”
Plough
Farmer is competent to
operate the plough without
piercing the hard pan with
the shape of plough handle

16. Objectives of Traditional Soil Management (contd…)
2. Soil conservation -
Erosion control and
sustenance of soil fertility
Construction of dykes –
Cleaning dykes and
plastering to prevent weed
germination
On individual farms,
cultural practices and
agronomic practices are
adopted to conserve soil.
Mostly emphasis is on
reducing erosion in channels
and streams, tank bunds and
on reducing sedimentstion
on reservoirs

17. Liyadda – Bench terrace
•Soil erosion control is achieved by terracing the
land, especially in the rice cultivation

18. Maintenance of soil and water regime for rice plant
Soil saturation
zone
Capillary fringe
Water
table
fluctuation
Rice
soil

19. Gal bami (Stone bund) and Neththikanu
(Leader drains)
• Stone ridges are
constructed with rubble
available in the land
itself
• Leader drains are to
carry water down the
slope without subjecting
the soil for erosion.
These are made of
rubble without using
any cement

20. Green manure application to paddy fields
• Thespesia populnea (ගංසූරිය)
• Erythrina variegata (එරබදු)

21. Green manure application to paddy fields
• Hibiscus tiliaceus (පටබෙලි)
•
• Pongamia pinnata (කරඳ)

22. Green manure application to paddy fields
• Tithonia diversifolia
(නත්තසූරිය)
• Azadirachta indica (ණකොණහොඹ)

23. Social Aspect of Soil Management Practices
• Working together – ‘Ekathu pada nowi hari haman wedak
nokaran’
• Sharing
– Hada beda ganeema and beda hada ganeema (grow and share
and share and grow)
– Bethma - It is a practice that temporarily redistributes plots of
land among shareholders (paddy landowners) in part of the
command area (territory) of a tank (reservoir) during drought
periods.
– ‘Pangu’ method—The tank had to be maintained properly to
avoid breach, leak, and excess seepage. Repair and desiltation
of tanks and cleaning of canals during dry periods are shared
tasks assigned to each farmer proportionately to land
ownership
• Village commons (common ownership)
– Micro-landscapes are utilized to reduce tank water losses,
mitigate salinity effects, prevent tank sedimentation and so on
Social Cohesion

24. Land sharing in chena
cultivation
Share equally the extent,
soil productivity and
security
Mulketa hena
Social cohesion (Sharing)

25. Social cohesion - Land sharing in chena cultivation
Land sharing in chena
cultivation
Share equally the extent,
soil productivity and
security
Irawili hena

26. Leaving out
• Chena cultivation – lands after cultivation are left out for
years. Reason behind is to rejuvenate the land productivity
• Kurulupaluwa – cultivation is left out for birds
• Village commons – ownership is left out
• Forest tanks are left out for wild life

27. Soil management – Crop Selection
Selection of crop on soil
fertility level:
• Nawadali hena – After burning the
forest - very fertile: mustard, legumes,
vegetables
• Ath danduwawa – After burning the
secondary vegetation - fertile:
legumes, vegetables, coarse grains
• Landa/ hirilanda – Prepared from
shrub land - moderately fertile: coarse
grains, sesame
• Kanathu, piti – Land abandoned due
to low fertility - less fertile: sesame,
meneri
• Goda wee hena – Land above the tank
or paddy fields - imperfectly drained:
paddy, vegetable

28. Soil management practices
• Chena cultivation
• Sharing land based on
productivity
• Burning the vegetation to obtain
high biomass, ash and debris –
soil conservation
• Mixed cropping
• Paddy cultivation
• Shallow tillage – water and
nutrient conservation
• Drainage – dispose of polluted
water
• Maintenance of rice – weed ratio
for pest management (small plots)
• Varietal selection – duration,
medicinal value, season, water
logging, salinity
• Top – down field to field
irrigation

29. Field drainage to prevent soil
salinity development

30. Eco-friendly practices
• Minimal tillage of the
land
• Mixed cropping and
seeding wherever
possible
• Fencing activities at
auspicious moments
• Crop protection like
cultivation of a small
portion of land to attract
birds for pest
management in paddy
• Use of plants or plant
extracts (bio-pesticides)
30

31. Kem and bio-pesticides
Kem
• Ash spreading with
chanting manthra
• Oil lamp or fire torch
• Fumigation (keppetiya,
gandapana, sera)
• Plant extracts (Madu,
Valdel, kokun, Godapara,
Demata, Kukuruman)
Bio-pesticides
• Ash spreading
• Light trap
• Fumigation (keppetiya,
gandapana, sera)
• Plant extracts (Madu,
Valdel, kokun, Godapara,
Demata, Kukuruman)

32. Some drawbacks of using IK
• Mostly confined to rural
communities
• Scattered and not well
documented – does not
reach the development
personnel
• Modern society does not
place much faith on IK
• Modern education and
technology claims it to
be non-scientific

33. Strategies to harness the potential of IK
• Raising awareness: identity –
record – disseminate – exchange
IK
• Validation and Valuation: study –
test-compare – challenge – fund
– protect
• Mainstreaming: pilot – adapt –
integrate into comprehensive
development framework
• Technology transfer: adoption of
IK in other locations requires
validation eg. testing herbal
medicines for efficacy and safety
• Building Local Capacity: train –
facilitate IK exchange

34. Areas, which need improvement
• Policy and legal frameworks for incorporating traditional
knowledge practices in place
• Collection and compilation of traditional/indigenous
knowledge scattered in the country.
• Information, communication and educational strategy to
be operational
• Research in traditional knowledge programmes that can
be implemented
• Capacity building of stakeholders using existing
traditional knowledge
• Institutional mechanism for incorporating/mainstreaming
traditional knowledge

35. Traditional 10 commandments for
Sustainable Land/ Ecosystem Management
– Regulations for water security during drought
– Correct time of cultivation to reduce
the risk
– Use of environment
without destroying it
– Make
your mind free to attend religious events through raising 5 types
of babies
– Harvest rainwater and store
for future use

36. 5 types of babies - (child, calf, kitten, pup
and chick)

37. –
Work as a team
–
Store excess grains for future use
– What
is impossible if everything is with you?
– Gain
knowledge to protect all
10) –
Preserve the cultural arts
Traditional 10 commandments for
Sustainable Land/ Ecosystem Management