Status of the Traditional Agriculture in the Local Region

INTRODUCTION

The knowledge can originate from scientific and traditional sources (Altieri, 2004). In particular, traditional knowledge is often regarded as a cumulative body of practices, beliefs, and understanding, developed through adaptive processes and spread across generations via cultural means (Kamatchi & Parvathi, 2020). Traditional medicine, widely practiced globally, depends heavily on locally available plant species and plant-based products, drawing a rich repository of conventional wisdom (Kala, 2017). Biodiversity inventories, crucial for guiding local-scale conservation planning, are still underutilized, especially in tropical countries where technical capacity is often constrained (Shao et al., 2024). Forests in India have been extensively cleared for large-scale hydroelectric projects, industrial development, urbanization, agricultural expansion, and so on. Primary forests, specifically those in the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats of peninsular India, are rapidly disappearing due to anthropogenic activities, often being replaced by less desirable species or undergoing shifts in land use (Ramachandra et al., 2017).

Kolli Hills is a part of Eastern Ghats located in Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu, India (11^o 10' 54"- 11⁰ 30' 00" N latitude and 78⁰ 15' 00"- 78⁰ 30' 00" E longitude) bordered by Trichy and Salem district of Tamil Nadu in the northeast and southwest respectively. The topmost portion of the hill is highly undulating, cut by a network of streams most of which are semi-perennial or seasonal flowing in all directions but mostly to an Eastern and South Eastern direction finally drains into the Aiyur River (Jayakumar et al., 2000). Among the different landscapes in which agriculture is practiced by tribal communities of Kolli Hills major attention was given to valley land agriculture, where starting from land preparation to post-harvest storage was indigenously practiced with the support of surrounding forest tree biomass (Keerthika et al., 2024). Due to its inaccessible mountain ranges the mechanization and modern agriculture practices are yet to take over. Given the ongoing global reduction in agricultural land due to urbanization along with the increasing prevalence of large-scale monocropping practices, adequate soil fertility replenishment during or before crop cultivation is highly essential before or during crop cultivation to ensure successful harvests (Watanabe et al., 2024; Uma & Kumar, 2025).

Today, agriculture increasingly depends on the application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to improve crop yield and quality (Tudi et al., 2021). Fertilizers and pesticides are generally classified into chemical, organic, and bio-based categories, each with its unique properties and effects on soil fertility and overall crop management practices (Baweja et al., 2020; Ali et al., 2025). The distinctiveness of traditional agriculture lies in its environmentally benign characteristics, such as both environmental and economic feasibility and widespread public acceptance (Patil, 2022; Prajapati et al., 2025). It maintains productivity by effectively utilizing locally available resources and develops site-specific agricultural practices that are well-suited to regional climatic conditions, as well as spatial and sequential diversities (Dongmo & Tamesse, 2023; Kumar et al., 2025).

However, it has to be noted that animal husbandry only a negligible percentage exists hence for fertilization and other agriculture practices these tribal communities were dependent on forest biomass (Gohain et al., 2021). It is also noted that such knowledge and use are also decreasing due to slow and gradual penetration of modern agriculture like mechanization, and the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and weedicides (Revathi et al., 2016; El-Ramady et al., 2022). To address this gap, the present study aims to assess the use of tree diversity in 14 major regions of Kolli hills of the Eastern Ghats, India to trace existing knowledge on agriculture practices utilizing the trees and their present status amongst the older and younger generation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Study area

The study area of the present research, Kolli Hills block, is a part of Eastern Ghats located at an altitude of 1200 meters MSL in Namakkal District, Tamil Nadu covering an area of 280 sq.km (Figure 1) The block Kolli Hills comprises of fourteen Panchayats including Alathurnadu, Riyurnadu, Bailnadu, Chithurnadu, Devanurnadu, Edappulinadu, Gundaninadu, Gundurnadu, Peraikkarinadu, Selurnadu, Thinnanurnadu, Thiruppulinadu, Valappurnadu, Valavanthinadu. Similar to other regions globally, these mountain ranges are occupied by tribal communities commonly known as the Malayali tribe. These mountains are covered by moist evergreen forests which are cleared by the tribal communities surrounding the valley for their agriculture practices. People in all four panchayats of Kolli Hills have close relationships with their surrounding forest which built their culture and agriculture. In the present paper, such relationship of these people in their agriculture especially for their fertilizer, pest, and insect control is being studied.

Data collection

The present study was conducted by intensive field trips during 2023-2024 with an initial reconnaissance survey to understand their mode of interaction. Following by reconnaissance survey a detailed survey was conducted in fourteen panchayats using a structured questionnaire. 140 informants including males and females of different age groups, elders above 50 years of age, and youngsters of 25 years of age were interrogated. Plant species were collected in either flowering or fruiting stages. Data were recorded along with the Vernacular name, Uses, etc. The collected plant species were identified with the help of taxonomists and also using the Flora of the Presidency of Madras and Flora of Tamil Nadu (Silambarasan et al., 2023). These specimens were poisoned by using Mercuric chloride with alcohol, pressed, and herbarium specimens prepared according to the standard methods (Maden, 2006). The recorded data were tabulated using Microsoft Excel and processed data were subjected to statistical analysis with instant statistical software.

Malayali tribe

This study was carried out among the Malayali tribes residing in the Kolli Hills and aims to explore the plants used in conventional agricultural practices. The Malayali tribe is one of the 36 scheduled tribes in Tamil Nadu (Fiodorova et al., 2022; Silambarasan et al., 2023), comprising approximately 54% of the total scheduled tribe population. Members of the Malayali tribe possess extensive knowledge of medicinal plants, which they use to treat ailments such as coughs, colds, fevers, headaches, poisonous bites, and other common health issues. Additionally, the Malayali people continue to supplement their diet by foraging for roots and tubers from nearby forest areas. The core population of the Malayali tribe is primarily concentrated in the Kolli Hills (Israel, 2020; Marian et al., 2024).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The present study was conducted with an initial reconnaissance survey among the Malayali tribes to understand their mode of interaction inhabiting Kolli Hills. The findings from the survey revealed that forests serve as the primary source of biomass, which sustains agricultural production and productivity in the region (Jolly, 2022). The Malayali tribal community uses forest resources for agriculture practices right from land preparation, manure, pest and insect control, and also during post-harvest management of cultivated crops. Forest tree biomass has served as a crucial nutrient source for agricultural practices, playing a key role in enhancing soil fertility for centuries (Singh et al., 2021; Dipalma et al., 2022). The study revealed that 18 different tree species belonging to 13 families were used in the agriculture of Kolli Hills across fourteen panchayats by the tribal community for fertilizer, pest attack, insect infestation, and storage pest prevention (Table 1).

Table 1. Kolli Hills Tree species used in agriculture practice

The diversity of trees plays a vital role in the overall biodiversity of rainforests, as trees supply essential resources and habitat structure for nearly all other rainforest species (Bolay et al., 2024; Najeeb et al., 2025; Rengarajan et al., 2025). Tree species inventories carried out in defined study sites, along with assessments in minimum diameter classes, serve as reliable tools for indicating the diversity level of a study site (García-Alvarado et al., 2001; Dhanasekar et al., 2022; Makhoahle & Gaseitsiwe, 2022; Pisano et al., 2023). Myrtaceae is the most predominant family which contains 3 species (16 %) followed by Ebenaceae, Meliaceae, and Rutaceae (2 species each) (11.11 %) and families such as Boraginaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Malvaceae, Moraceae, Pinaceae, Proteaceae, Rubiaceae, and Sapindaceae are represented by single species (5.56 %) (Table 1, Figure 2).

Among the different families of tree species, Myrtaceae is the dominant family used by tribes of Kolli Hills as green foliar nutrition for agricultural soil. Studies have shown that these tree species are rich in potassium, followed by calcium, magnesium, sodium, and phosphorus which are very essential apart from carbon and nitrogen (Bulusu & Cleary, 2023; Hashemi, 2025). Other economically significant plant families commonly utilized include Ebenaceae, Meliaceae, and Rutaceae. Research has shown that tree species from these families contribute to soil fertility enhancement through the processes of carbon and nitrogen mineralization (Malcangi et al., 2023; Singh et al., 2015). This research was carried out on the knowledge and utilization of agroforestry trees among the Kolli Hills tribal community interview revealed that 75.12 % of both tribal men and women aged above 50 were aware of trees used for the agroforestry compared to only 54.33 % amongst the 25-year age group. However, no significant difference was observed in the knowledge regarding different trees within these age groups (Table 2).

Table 2. Existing knowledge and use of different Agroforestry trees among Kolli Hills tribal communities (%).

Among various categories of farmers, old-aged farmers exhibited significantly higher levels of knowledge about conservation agriculture compared to other categories at a 5% level. This can be attributed to the fact that some of the conservation agriculture practices like crop rotation were part of traditional Indian agriculture (Chichongue et al., 2020). Since a majority of the farmers in the study were older, their deep-rooted knowledge of traditional agricultural practices likely contributed to their higher understanding of CA (AlHussain et al., 2022; Hashemi, 2025). At the panchayat level, a significant trend emerged, revealing that tribal men and women above the age of 50 showed greater levels of awareness and utilization compared to their younger individuals, particularly those aged 25. Among the 50+ age group, the topmost levels of awareness were observed in Alathurnadu and Peraikkarinadu (88.33 %), followed by Gundaninadu (87.78 %) and Chithurnadu (86.67 %) (Table 3, Figures 3 and 4).

Table 3. Existing knowledge and use of Agroforestry trees among different panchayats in Kolli Hills tribal communities (%).

 Conversely, in the 25-year-old age group, Peraikkarinadu again initiated with an awareness rate of 75.00 %, followed by Alathurnadu (73.33 %), and Chithurnadu and Gundaninadu, both at 72.22 % (Table 3, Figure 3). Raja et al. (2023) had earlier reported similar views among older-aged farmers, who form the majority (50%), followed closely by middle-aged farmers (28.9%). Young farmers make up only 21.1%, which shows that the majority of youth are not attracted to farming. These findings suggest a trend where older individuals are more informed and occupied, possibly due to accumulated experience or targeted interventions, with regional differences further emphasizing the variable effectiveness of local efforts. The study revealed that the highest median knowledge and utilization of agroforestry trees among tribal men and women was found in Thinnanurnadu for the 50+ age group, with a value of 76.67 %, followed by Thirupulinadu and Devanurnadu (74.44 % each), and Edapulinadu (70.00 %) (Table 3, Figures 3 and 4).

For the 25-year-old age group, Thinnanurnadu again exhibited the highest level of awareness (56.67 %), followed by Devanurnadu (52.78 %), Thirupulinadu (52.22 %), and Edapulinadu (51.11 %) (Table 3, Figures 4 and 5). Conversely, the lowest levels of agroforestry knowledge among the 50-year age group were reported in Valavanthinadu and Selurnadu, each at 66.67 %, followed by Gundurnadu (67.22 %), Ariyurnadu (67.78%), Valappurnadu (67.47%), and Bailnadu (68.89%) (Table 3, Figures 4 and 5). Among the 25-year age group, the lowest awareness was found in Gundurnadu (40.00%), followed by Bailnadu (41.11 %), Valappurnadu (41.67 %), Valavanthinadu (42.22 %), Selurnadu (42.78 %), and Ariyurnadu (47.22 %) (Table 3, Figures 4 and 5). 

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