Author: ritwick

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Kattunaickan

The Kattunaickan are one of the five ancient tribal groups in Kerala. The Kattunaickan get their name from the words kadu (forests) and nayakan (leader). The Kattunaickans were traditionally hunter-gathers and are very much in tune with Nature. However, legislations put in place to protect native forests and wildlife have forced them to find work outside the forests. The Kattunaickans are plagued by unemployment and poverty and their numbers are fast dwindling as they are unable to keep pace with changing times. Another important characteristic of this tribe is the medicinal system and its close association with culture. They use traditional medicines for common ailments and will turn to modern medical care only in an emergency, after seeking consent from deity via the chieftain or priest, through a well-defined set of traditional rituals or poojas.

Of late, the Kerala Forest Department has been engaging with the Kattunaickans for forest plantations, logging operations, elephant tracking and developmental programmes. As they reside in the forest fringe and the south western slopes of Nilgiri hills, small scale traditional mixed farming is practiced which includes exclusive varieties of little millets and maize other than pulses, cereals, greens, vegetables and tubers. Kattunaickans practice Hinduism and have a dialect which they use amongst themselves; with other non-tribals they speak Malayalam or Tamil.

 

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Irula

Irula tribesman
Irula tribesman
Irula tribesman

One amongst six primitive tribal groups of Tamil Nadu, the Irulas predominantly reside in the relatively low altitude regions in southern and eastern slopes of the Nilgiris and the northern and eastern slopes of Coimbatore.

The Irulas have a population of around 8000 and practice traditional mixed millet farming which includes exclusive varieties of little millets and maize, other than pulses, cereals, greens, vegetables and tubers. The average Irula settlement size is about 30 households – they have very neat houses and clean front yards. Their homesteads are full of useful trees, especially banana. Indigenous cattle and buffalo are reared in large herds and the forest pen system is well documented. The Irula store millets stocks in underground granaries, some of which are still in use. The community is also involved in collecting non-timber forest produce (NTFP) like honey, amla, hirda, shikakai, bellerica, Chebula, myrobalan, soapberry, and phoenix leaves for their livelihood.

The Irula are also involved in coffee farming (primarily Coffee Arabica which is a Presidia product in Terra Madre, Italy) on the hill slopes around 850-1200 metres above sea level. Some of the Irulas are shareholders in a registered farmer producer company called Aadhimalai Pazhangudiyinar Producer Company Limited (APPCL). The producer company is managed entirely by the tribal community and it procures farm produce like millets, pulses, cereals, amaranth seeds and forest harvests like amla, honey, soapberry, etc.

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Indigenous Communities – India

Scheduled Tribe communities live in about 15% of the country’s areas, in various ecological and geoclimatic conditions ranging from plains and forests to hills and inaccessible areas. Tribal groups are at different stages of social, economic and educational development. While some tribal communities have adopted a mainstream way of life, at the other end of the spectrum, there are certain Scheduled Tribes, 75 in number known as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (earlier termed as Primitive Tribal Groups) (PVTGs), who are characterised by a pre-agriculture level of technology, a stagnant or declining population, extremely low literacy, and a subsistence level of economy

There are over 700 Scheduled Tribes notified under Article 342 of the Constitution of India, spread over different States and Union Territories of the country. Many tribes are present in more than one State. The largest number of communities listed as Scheduled Tribes are in the State of Odisha, i.e. 62.

While all tribal communities are closely linked to their environment, there are some whose lifestyle and activities directly influence or are influenced by pollinators, especially the honey bee. This website is dedicated to gathering and disseminating information about them and their traditional knowledge and practices that help conserve pollinators and their habitats

Source: Ministry of Tribal Affairs Annual Report 2016-17

Cliff honey hunting
Cliff honey hunting
Toda man collecting honey from a hive in tree cavity
Southern India
Dongria Kondh of Niyamgiri, Odisha
Eastern India
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About Pollinating Agents

Pollination is the process of transfer of pollen from the anthers (male part) of a flower to the stigma (female part) of the flower through which fertilization is achieved. Pollination is a vital step in reproduction of flowering plants to obtain viable seeds.

Methods of Pollination

Self Pollination: The transfer of pollen from the anther to stigma of the same flower or same plant is self pollination.

Cross Pollination:  The transfer of pollen from the anther of one plant to the stigma of another plant of same species through natural agents, is called cross pollination.

The transfer of pollen between anther and stigma is accomplished by various agents. These agents could be living organisms (bees and butterflies) or natural agents (wind and water). Living organisms are the more numerous of pollinators and honey bees (social and solitary), wasps, flies, moths, butterfly, birds, bats and animals are the most common agents of pollination. Other pollination agents such as wind and water also contribute to cross pollination.

Living agents cause pollination to take place during the collection of nectar or pollen as food. The aim of the animals is not to facilitate pollination, but to derive nutrition. Pollination takes place as a happy side effect of their foraging. Almost 80% of food crops, medicinal plants, commercial and fuel plants and fodder plants require pollination to propagate their species. Without pollinators, these plant species would not be able to produce viable seeds and hence would be go extinct. Once the plant dies out, all organisms that are dependent on that plant species would suffer as well.

Artificial Pollination: Also called mechanical or hand pollination is practiced by farmers to increase fruit setting in crops such as apple, vanilla and sunflower.

Pollinators provide an essential ecosystem service. Indeed, approximately 80% of all flowering plant species are pollinated by animals, including vertebrates and mammals – but the main pollinators are insects. Pollinators such as bees, birds and bats affect 35% of the world’s crop production, increasing outputs of 87 of the leading food crops worldwide, as well as many plant-derived medicines. Pollination is critical for food production and human livelihoods, and directly links wild ecosystems with agricultural production systems. In medium elevation wet evergreen forest of the Western Ghats, Apis bees contributed to the pollination of 18% of 86 species of trees, and 22% of the understory shrubs (Devy & Davidar 2003, 2006).

 

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Pollination

Pollination is the process of transfer of pollen from the anthers (male part) of a flower to the stigma (female part) of the flower through which fertilization is achieved. Pollination is a vital step in reproduction of flowering plants to obtain viable seeds.

Methods of Pollination

Self Pollination: The transfer of pollen from the anther to stigma of the same flower or same plant is self pollination.

Cross Pollination:  The transfer of pollen from the anther of one plant to the stigma of another plant of same species through natural agents, is called cross pollination.

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About Pollinators Network

 

The Pollinators Network is a joint initiative of Keystone Foundation, Nilgiris & NESFAS, Meghalaya (Northeast Slow Food & Agrobiodiversity Society) to create a repository of existing knowledge on pollinator species, pollination services, traditional farming practices, food production, conservation of pollinator habitats, conserving biodiversity, and the benefits that farmers and pollinators bring to each other. The Network will focus on different agroclimatic zones of India, South and Southeast Asia, Africa and Mexico. The other focus of the Network is to create a pool of Indigenous knowledge and practical scientific knowledge that can be readily used by students, farmers, various indigenous communities, service agencies, social enterprise groups, environmentalists, and policy makers for better management of natural resources.

Currently, the Pollinators Network is concentrating on collecting information related to pollinator species (distribution, behaviour, habit, habitat), traditional farming practices and folklore (songs, stories, riddles).