| Details of Innovation |
Spme of the traditional farming practices: 1. To get drought-tolerant plants, the seeds of the crop should be mixed with a paste of the excrement of the polyvoltine silk worm and melted snow. After five or six days when the excrement is well-softened, rub the mixture between the hands (1963: 13)2. Treat seeds with a decoction/extract of certain types of bones. It helps them withstand stress better. In case the prescribed bones are not available, the boiled steep of silk reeling basins may be used.3. When rains fail in the sowing season of wheat, treatment with a sour rice drink (lactic fermentation of cooked rice steep) may help the wheat become drought-resistant while bombyxine excrement may help in developing cold-tolerance. Prof. Hunkel - a Russian Scientist of the Timiriazeff Institute of Moscow- suggests that the high content of calcium carbonate in bombyxine excrement dissolves in the lactic and acetic acids (produced by the fermentation of sour rice-grain) to result in a solution of calcium salts in organic acids. It was found that when wheat seedlings were treated with a solution of calcium chloride, their drought-resistance increased. The treatment has been analyzed from another angle also. Excrement of silk worm is highly hygroscopic. So, when it is sown along with seeds of millets, the soil in the immediate vicinity of the seed is enriched by the moisture absorbed by it from the atmosphere. This might improve germination ability. Further, bombyxine excrement contains a good amount of easily available nitrogen, phosphorous and potash, together with auxins and microbial action. The author has critically analyzed the significance of melted snow. It is noted that in the arid north-western China, water from the river and particularly from the wells, is heavily charged with soluble salts present in the soils. The melted snow would obviously have a far lower content of salts and thus be devoid of harmful ions.4. The bombyxine excrement when mixed with seeds of spiked millet is assumed to protect the millets from insects and pests.5. To prevent frost injuries in spiked millet, it is advised to monitor the night temperature 80 to 90 days after sowing. If frost or white dew is suspected, two persons (facing each other) drag a rope horizontally rght through the crop, all through the night to dislodge the frost or dew. This exercise is stopped only after sunrise. (Similar practices are followed in India, Bangaladesh and Sri Lanka. : ED)6. In Yao Shus, in compilation of a sort of agricultural encyclopedia, several suggestions have been given for linking the type of bone decoction (to be used for treating the seed) with the type of soil. For example, for red hard soil, the bone decoction of oxen has been suggested, whereas the decoction of bones of hogs has been suggested for sowing in clay soil. 7. Extremely meticulous recipes have been given for preparing the shallow pit manure for growing melons and other crops. Chinese philosophical thought about a holistic approach to problem solving very strongly underlined the harmony of three cardinal factors: season, proper ground, and impact of humans. |
Honey Bee Network Knowledge & Innovation Database (HBNKIND)