Project 1: Community Knowledge about Classification of Land

Project 1: Community Knowledge about Classification of Land

Introduction:
This exercise is intended to know the process of farmers’ classification of their land based on their perceived criteria. This will also help the student to understand the farmers’ decision making process in respect of land management especially crop choice, fertilizer use, irrigation scheduling, etc. This project has two basic components. At first level a field survey and mapping will be made at a community field adjacent to his/her locality with the participation of knowledgeable farmers and in the second level the community knowledge may be validated in school laboratory or agriculture laboratory nearby.

Objectives:
1. To identify different categories of land in farmers’ field according to farmers’ own criteria
2. To understand the rationale behind the farmers’ classification system and its affect on land management.
3. To validate the farmers’ classification process with some simple analytical techniques.

Methodology:
Requirements: Photocopy of the revenue map of the field, colour pen and paper, soil testing kits

Steps
• Select a field around your locality
• Collect a copy of the revenue map of the field and make a photocopy
• Meet with the some knowledgeable practicing farmers from the field and explain the purpose in details
• Ask the farmers about different types of land they have in the field
• Visit the different types of land and ask them the reasons for differentiation
• Take a note while visiting each type of land about the land type, soil type, slope, vegetation, nutrient management and irrigation management practices, water table, yield, cost of land, revenue etc.
• Request the farmers to draw boundary lines of each homogenous type of land in the revenue map.
• Transfer the map to graph paper for quantification of area under each type of land
• Make a comparative table for different types of land based on their attributes
Experiment:
• Collect appropriate sample of soil from each type of land
• Assess the pH, electrical conductivity, NP K status of each type of land with the help of soil testing kits
• Compare the results with farmers’ classification technique for validation
Conclusion:
• Find out the strength and weaknesses of farmers’ classification technique

Relevance:
This project will help the students to understand the farmers’ land classification system, and their relevance in land management and it will also promote respect towards the farming community