INTRODUCTION

Agriculture in India is not of recent origin but has a long history dating back to Neolithic age of 7500 – 6500 B.C. It changed the life style of early man from nomadic hunter of wild berries and roots to cultivator of land. Agriculture is benefited from the wisdom and teachings of great saints. The wisdom gained and practices adopted have been passed down through generations. The traditional farmers have developed the nature friendly farming systems and practices such as mixed farming, mixed cropping, crop rotation etc. The great epics of ancient India convey the depth of knowledge possessed by the older generations of the farmers of India. The modern society to a proves of refinement through generations of experience. The ecological considerations shown by the traditional farmers in their farming activities are now a day is reflected in the resurgence of organic agriculture.

The most probably earlier cultivation of crops was started on the foothills of upland areas of easily worked soil and not in the valleys because development of agriculture in the valley implied water control which need more skill and relatively more advance stage of technological development.

Farmers of the Vedic period possessed a fair knowledge about soil fertility, selection of seeds, seasons of sowing and harvesting and other practices including manuring of fields. Farmers of the Vedic period knew the methods of improving soil fertility through rotation of crops.

Most common rotations were of three years which included deep rooted, shallow rooted and legume plants. These were wheat – chick pea, sugarcane – green manure crop, wheat – fallow pigeon pea, sorghum, etc. Mixed farming which included a combination of crops and livestock components was already in practice. Mixed cropping was the accepted system for raising crops. Legumes such as chick pea and other pulses were of ten grown in combination with wheat in order to augment the nitrogen availability for wheat. Some of the important crop mixtures were sorghum + pigeon pea + cow – pea; black gram or green gram (Mung bean) + s sorghum or bajra; wheat + chick pea; and wheat + linseed. In general, monocropping was not the accepted practice.