Lok Sabha Question No. 609 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-03
Subject: Indigenous Traditional Knowledge based Climate-Resilient Agricultural Practices
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Sribharat Mathukumilli

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 609

TO BE ANSWERED ON 3 RD  FEBRUARY, 2026

## INDIGENOUS TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE BASED CLIMATE-RESILIENT AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES

## 609.   SHRI SRIBHARAT MATHUKUMILLI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि और ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government maintains and documents Indigenous Traditional Knowledge (ITK)-based climate-resilient agricultural practices and if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
- (b) whether the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) collaborates with civil society organisations and private sector entities for the identification, validation and promotion of such ITK-based practices and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has assessed capacity gaps at the State levels in delivering large-scale  climate-resilient  agriculture  extension  services,  including  training  in  machinery operation and maintenance and if so, the findings thereof; and
- (d) whether  farmers  adopting  or  developing  climate-resilient  practices  are  provided  any financial or institutional incentives to scale up such innovations and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि और ककसान कल्याण राज्य मंत्री (SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY)

(a) & (b): Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR),  under  its  National  Agricultural Technology  Project  (NATP),  collected  about  5000  Indigenous  Technical  Knowledge  (ITK) including  climate-resilient  agricultural  practices  from  different  regions  of  the  country  and documented  in  4  volumes  titled  "Inventory  of  Indigenous  Technical  Knowledge  (ITK)  in Agriculture ' (https://icar.org.in/sites/default/files/202510/ICAR%20Insights%20Outcomes%20B ooklet%20%28English%29.pdf). These  ITKs  have  been  collected  from  the  primary  sources through voluntary disclosure; and available literature, like books, journals, thesis, etc. so as to make them accessible at one place. Some of the crop based ITKs includes cultural practices for

minimizing  the  risk,  dry  seeding  of  rice,  traditional  rainfed  farming  for  soil  conservation  by cultivating close growing crops, Pagadi planting in finger millet, sowing of rabi sorghum after first three  days  of  Lokhandi  Charan  of  Hasta  Nakshatra  to  avoid  seedling  damage  due  to  high intensity rain, establishment of crop stand under rainfed conditions by early seeding, dry seeding and transplanting, Khakhra mulching in maize for moisture conservation, addition of organic matter and termite control. Recently, ICAR documented 110 farmer led innovations, identified and collected  during Viksit  Krishi  Sankalp  Abhiyaan  (VKSA), organized  in  collaboration  with progressive farmers, innovators, agri-preneurs, FPOs, SHGs, state departments and agricultural universities from May 29 to June 12, 2025. Some of the innovations captured includes urban roof tops farming for growing organic food, soil pulverizing roller adaptation for dryland fields, solar automated hydroponic system, innovative community-based fodder banking system for drought  preparedness,  'Amulya  amrit':  a  farmer -innovated  organic  pest  and  disease  control formulation, zero tillage cultivation of garden pea & cole crops in rice fallow, water-saving and weed-control through indigenous mulching in vegetables etc. (https://atarijabalpur.org/Publication.html).

ICAR through its network centres of KVKs, some of which are managed by civil society organizations undertook validation and promotion of such ITK based practices.

(c): Under ICAR flagship project National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), risk and vulnerability assessment of Indian agriculture to climate change was conducted using IPCC protocol and identified 301 districts with very and high risk. NICRA is operational in 151 risk prone districts across the country through Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs). The KVKs in each village  assessed  the  gaps  in  technology  needs  through  participatory  rural  appraisal,  and prioritized  the  climate  resilient  location  specific  technology  interventions  for  implementation. Over the past 15 years, about 25000 trainings were conducted on various aspects of climate resilient agriculture, including operational and maintenance of farm machinery through farmer participatory approach in NICRA adopted villages benefitting 7.5 lakh farmers and stakeholders.

(d): To help farmers in adoption and scaling up of climate resilient practices, the Government of India implements National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), which is one of the Missions within the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). NMSA has three major components i.e. Rainfed Area Development (RAD); On Farm Water Management (OFWM); and Soil Health Management (SHM). The Government of India provides financial assistance to the states through the NMSA to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change.

In the NICRA adopted villages, institutional interventions such as custom hiring centres, seed  and  fodder  banks,  community  paddy  nurseries,  village  climate  risk  management committees have been established with the financial and technical support from NICRA project to enable upscaling of resilient practices in the village.

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