Farmer s bible
Krishi Geeta (song of cultivation) is an ancient treatise, a primer on agriculture still followed by the farmers of Kerala. It has existed as an oral tradition for many generations. It is as relevant today as it was when it was written. According to belief, the Krishi Geeta has existed from the days of the mythological figure Parasurama.
It has four sections. The first records different seed varieties of paddy, fruits, roots and herbs. The second prescribes suitable agronomic practices for different crops, including methods of storage of agricultural produce and the importance of water conservation. This is further discussed in the third section, with emphasis on weather and rainfall patterns. The fourth section provides details of the timing for planting and harvesting of different crops. It also provides a detailed description of cattle, their features and how they can be used in agriculture. The document depicts the diversity in crop varieties present in Kerala in the earlier times.
"Now we hardly find these varieties,' says Regi Thomas, senior research fellow at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, who has worked on Krishi Geeta .
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