hb19(2) april-june 2008.pmd

Title............

Honey Bee Vol 19(2) April - June 2008

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Contents

EditorAnil K Gupta

Editorial AdvisorsRiya Sinha, Vijaya Sherry Chand

Editorial Support TeamArati Karmakar, Kirit K Patel, Jyoti Capoor, Hema Patel,Ramesh Patel, Mahesh Patel, Deepa Moni Gogoi Tripathi,Vipin Kumar, Nitin Maurya, Vivek Kumar, Rakesh KumarMaheshwari, Shalini Sharma, Rajasekar

Graphics and DesignUnnikrishnan, Goraiya Shailendra

IllustrationPalash Graphics

Administrative TeamR P S Yadav, R Baskaran, Bhoomi Shah, Daksha Makwana,Devshi Desai

Editorial AddressHoney Bee, C/o Prof Anil K GuptaIndian Institute of ManagementVastrapur, Ahmedabad-380015, Gujarat, IndiaPhone: 91-79-66324927; Fax: 91-79-26307341

Email: [email protected]://www.sristi.org

Published by Riya Sinha on behalf of Sristi Innovations, Gujarat University Boys Hostel Campus,Near University Library, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad-380009

Printed at M/s Bansidhar Offset, Ahmedabad

Weaving Uninterrupted: HowFormal System Yielded to InformalYearning ...............................................5

Learning from Apes:Medicinal Knowledgefor Future ....................... .............14

Honey Bee Regional NewsletterCollaborators

Aama Akha Pakha (Oriya)Dr Balaram SahuKeshari Enclave, B- Block,Flat No-401, NayapalliBhubaneswar-12 [email protected]

Hittalagida (Kannada)Dr T N PrakashCoordinator, HB Network,Department of Agricultural EconomicsUniversity of Agricultural Science,GKVK, Bangalore - [email protected]

Ini Karshakan Samsarikkatte(Malayalam)Fr Hubby Mathew & T J JamesPeermade Development SocietyPeermade, Idduki - 685531 [email protected]

Loksarvani (Gujarati) andSujh-Bujh Aas Paas ki (Hindi)SRISTI, P O Box No. 15050Ambawadi, Ahmedabad - [email protected],[email protected]

Num Vali Velanmai (Tamil)Mr P Vivekanandan45, T P M Nagar,Virattipathu,Madurai - 625010 Tamil [email protected]

Palle Srujana (Telugu)Brig. Pogula Ganesham VSM (Retd)C/o Ms. Aruna Ganesham102, Vayupuri, Sainikpuri PostSecunderabadAndhra Pradesh 500 [email protected]

Tuvans Intrigued by SimpleInnovation at Bruges ................ 11

Agony in Diversity

AFRICA CALLING: Learners Become Educators .... 18

Honey Bee HumsGujarati ............................................................................... 8Kannada ............................................................................ 10

News and ViewsExperiment Demonstrates 110Years of Sustainable Agriculture .............................. 21

Technology Commons: A Lateral Learning

Workshop .................................................................... 21Dialogue ............................................................................ 22

CHIN-IV: Stalks in a Pit Keep Carrots Fit:Grassroots Innovationsfrom China .................................................................... 16

ll the children had gone away to collect plantsamples, but there was one girl who followed a

different trail. As a part of 21st Shodh Yatra in ArkuValley in Vishakapatnam, bio-diversity competitions wereorganized among children in various villages. This was avillage with a difference. After landslide had damaged theoriginal village and killed large number of people, thewhole village was relocated to a site, a kilometer away.We were sitting on the steps of a common meetingplace, waiting for the children. After a while, childrencame one after another and started showing the samplesof the plants. Their mothers and in some cases fathersalso were standing behind, observing the process ofquizzing children. Most children had brought similar plants.

After a while it was the turn of Roshni, an eight yearsold student. She brought 25 leaves, all of different kinds,the only one to do so. We were surprised and intrigued,as to why did Roshni behave so different from all theother children. We wanted to meet her parents. Whenwe asked her to call them, she stood still, with tears inher eyes. We did not understand. Then a lady standingthere informed that Roshni had lost her mother in thelandslide and her father had abandoned her to marryagain and live separately. She was being brought up byher grandparents.

Is that the reason she knew so much about diversity?

A


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EDITORIAL

Will you stand by the IPRs of peasants ?

Draft National Innovation Act: Exclusion of the Majority

D epartment of Science and Technology, Government ofIndia has taken a bold step by putting the draft ofproposed National Innovation Act for wider public

scrutiny. The debates on proposed policies, which affect thewhole country are always welcome. The draft Act provides aspecial window for low cost technologies: “The AppropriateGovernment shall take special measures for supporting public,private or public-private initiatives, which facilitate andencourage Innovation, including in low cost technologies,products and services for the benefit of the common man whetherin urban or rural India”. Excluding this para, the whole draftessentially deals with providing incentives for research by publicand private sector and ensuring confidentiality rights of theinnovators, individuals and firms through contractual or non-contractual exchanges. The Act also provides for the fiscalincentives for those who invest in technologies and those whoset up facilities in the innovation park or special innovation zones.The firms or research labs are exempted from custom andexcise duties, central sales tax, duties on equipmentsmanufactured by the units located in the zone, export benefitsand exemption from research and development cess, if applicable.Likewise, other proposals include: direct tax holidays on profitsfrom sale, transfer or use of copyrighted/patented technologiesalong with other commercial rights; exemption from incometax for venture capital firms, which invest in the domestic unlistedcompanies engaged in innovation, weighted deduction andexemption from capital gains tax arising from securities madeby angel investors in innovation zones and /or companies /parks/universities supporting innovation zones and parks.

As readers would notice, the dominant belief behind such apolicy draft is that major drivers of innovations are firms /organized labs / or R&D institutions. While there is indeed aneed for providing support to start up companies and also theresearch institutions, delinking these incentives with the needto serve the informal sector, is a major lacunae of the draft.Even at present, not even 0.01 per cent of the total budget ofscience and technology is spent for the informal, unorganizedand often uneducated sector of the country, which sustains thelivelihood of at least 60 per cent people of the country. Thenew draft Act provides specific concessions for the formalsector but assures only a consideration for the informal sector.In this dichotomy of concessions and considerations, thedestiny of the grassroots innovators and traditional knowledgeholders will be designed. There is a need for a very radicaldeparture from this draft if the National Innovation Act has totruly reflect the aspirations of the creative and innovativemajority of the country. My suggestions are:

a. There must be at least ten per cent of the total funds of theDST earmarked for the informal sector raising that to atleast 40 per cent by the end of 12th Five Year Plan.Otherwise, the entire value chain for the knowledge rich,economically poor people will remain starved of resources.

The implication would be lack of value addition and thereforecontinued low income of the vast majority in rural areas.

b. Today, there is no angel fund worth its name to invest ininformal sector technologies which, are yet to becomeproducts, ready for market. Tens of thousands of suchtechnologies whether of herbal origin or otherwise have beendocumented by the Honey Bee Network and not even fewhundred have received support in the last decade. Unlesswe assume that the patience of the people will grow withtime, such a policy is fraught with risks. The number ofdistricts affected by extremists violence triggered by extremedisparity in income, very low level of social and economicdevelopment and preponderance of unjust social order isonly going to increase. While Government may considerthis as a law and order problem, the basic root of the crisislies in lack of opportunity for the creative majority.

c . Continued intransigence of the policy makers on the issueof supporting low cost technologies developed by informalsector does not bode well for the innovation system in thecountry. The transaction cost in dealing with suchinnovations should be especially reimbursed/paid for so thatcorporate as well as civil society initiatives grow in thisfield.

d. The testing fee, even by public sector, often is same forlarge or small sector and even the tiny informal sector. Thisis true in various sectors including automobile, energy,agriculture and food processing, utilities, etc. There has tobe a national fund for meeting testing and prototyping costsof ideas that go through an expert sieve.

e. Ironically, many public sector labs, which agree to test andimprove innovations from informal sectors expect to sharethe IPRs of the value added technology. The existing fiscalincentives do not seem to be sufficient enough to providesuch support without expecting financial returns. There is aneed to incentivize the scientists in public and private sectorsto provide value addition support without sharing IPRs unlessa very significant modification has been made in suchtechnologies. Ideally, the intellectual property may be sharedbut the rights could be assigned to the innovator for eventualbenefit from the same. Idea is to provide incentives toscientists who add value and who should get fair academiccredit. In some cases, they could also get up to 20 per centof the financial benefits, if any, accruing from thecommercialization of the technology exceeding Rs.5 lacs,i.e., till the innovator is able to earn at least Rs.5 lacs fromthe value added innovation, scientists should not expect toshare any part of it. Alternatively, they may be given taxbreak for income foregone on account of this policy.

f. The proposed innovation Act conveys considerable legitimateconcern about the confidentiality of the information producedby innovators or other stakeholders around the innovations.Similar concern has not been expressed in the Act about thetraditional knowledge of the local communities and


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individuals, which can be a basis fordevelopment of remunerative innovations.Today, any scientist from public or privatesector is free to document the knowledge ofindigenous / local healers or crafts people andbring their hitherto unknown technicalknowledge into public domain withoutattribution, acknowledgment, or reciprocity.This Act would not change this unfair, unethicaland unprofessional practice a slightest bit.There is a need to incorporate appropriateclauses in the Act to safeguard the knowledgerights of the individuals and communities inthe innovations with or without value additionclaimed for protection by the formal sector.Indian Patent Act will also need amendment inthis regard. One cannot assume all thetraditional knowledge to be either prior art orin public domain eroding in the processpeoples' knowledge and innovation rights.

g. There is a need for a fast track registry ofinnovations with attendant grant of rights onundisclosed technical innovation so that thereis a smoother flow of information betweensmall and large, formal and informal andorganised and unorganised sectors of Indianeconomy. The conventional patent system isnot suited to meet such needs. This systemmay not provide any long term patentprotection but only help in ensuring precedencein the knowledge right conflicts and provideonly five to eight years protection. Even inEuropean Union, small and medium enterpriseshave been pleading for reforms in the currentIPR system to make it conducive for smallplayers. Similarly, Australia in their nationalinnovation system has tried to address thisissue by reducing cost, shortening time forgrant to three months and shorter duration ofprotection. In European Union, subsidies havebeen suggested for the first time, patents forsmall enterprises besides lowering theprocessing fees, offering targeted subsidiesbesides tax breaks. Likewise, access of smalland medium enterprises to alternative low costdispute resolution procedures is also currentlyunder discussion.

h. The science departments in undergraduate andpostgraduate colleges around the country haveto be mandated to provide access to their labsand facilities for innovators from informal sectorwhose ideas have gone through some scrutinyas a part of National Innovation System. UnlessInnovation Act incentivizes investments in thedecentralized and distributed infrastructuredevelopment, the benefits will not percolate to

the masses. Assumptions shouldnot be that ideas and innovationsprimarily emerge from high-techformal sector though suchopportunities for high-tech sectorare indeed required.

i. The access to technical journals,local language databases ofpatents and other innovationssources including open accessdatabases at community levelthrough one lac common servicecentres being set up by thegovernment must be incorporatedas a part of Innovation Act. Evenif one in ten thousand students incolleges and schools reads a fewarticles on the subject of theirinterest, their imagination andability to innovate will improveenormously. Today, even theTKDL (Traditional KnowledgeDigital Library) having a hugelyrich data on traditional medicineis not accessible to Indianresearchers and innovators informal or informal sector. It issupposed to be available to theInternational Patent Offices.Such asymmetry in access toknowledge created by publicinvestment is obviously notconducive to promotion ofinnovations in the country. Anational effort to make variouskinds of databases with adequatesafeguards, available to localpeople is required and shouldbecome part of a commitment inNational Innovation Act.

j. The public media whether radioor television provide no time fordissemination of information aboutinnovations, which may servepublic interest, inviteentrepreneurs for non-exclusivelicenses and thus create linkagesbetween innovation, investmentand enterprises. The NationalInnovation Act should include aprovision for earmarked timeeveryday for innovationsdissemination, whether coveredby patents or otherwise after somescrutiny about the validation byappropriate organizations.

k. The term 'innovation eco system'does not only include theinnovators, income tax or othertax authorities or other suchactors. It also includes testing,calibrating, packaging,communicating and other relatedinfrastructures.

l. The role of standards is verycrucial in promoting innovations.Several leading labs refuse to testcertain technologies for whichstandards are not available. Givensuch an attitude, innovations inIndia will always lag behind theconsensus in the profession asreflected through the standards.There must be a regularmechanism of review ofstandards in collaboration withinnovators in formal and informalsector so that our system ofstandards become an activepartner in the innovation system.

There are many other areas where thedraft Act needs improvement fromthe point of view of individual,unattached innovator who has limitedresources and limited access to thepowers that be. The Act rightlyfocuses on incentivizing angelinvestment in innovations and alsotries to protect the confidentiality, sonecessary to many of thesetransactions. It also deals with theissue of public interest, which mayoverride in certain cases, theconfidentiality interests. However, itis necessary to define thoseconsiderations.

I hope that national debate on thesubject will trigger a rethinkingamong all concerned, so that a trulyempowering legislation follows soonenough. It is recognized that no Actcan address the interests of all actorssufficiently. At the same time, theinterests of the weak, unorganizedand unattached innovator must takeprecedence in the spirit of the‘antyodaya’.

Anil K Gupta

A Dialogue on People’s Creativity, Experimentation & Innovation


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S. ShanmugamS/o K Subramaniam, Pavadi Street ,Chinnappampatty Post, Omalur, Salem 636 306Tamil Nadu

Background

Shanmugam (28 yrs) hails from a weaver’sfamily in Chinnappampatty village of Salemdistrict, Tamil Nadu. Around two hundredfamilies in this village earn their living by weavingand agriculture, growing cotton, sorghum andmillets. He has an elder sister who is marriedand a younger brother, now a Diploma in TextileEngineering, working in the field of TextileMarketing. Since childhood he had an activeinterest in reading books rather than playinggames and spent most of his free time in thevillage library.

His father, owned only one handloomto weave saris. He used to help hisfather and in the process always thinkabout various ideas by which theloom could be improved. But he couldnot do much. After passing HigherSecondary, he was put as anapprentice with his uncle on dailywage basis. His uncle had 15 powerlooms. Here began his experimentaljourney. He worked with his unclefor three years. Most of theexperiments he did were without theknowledge of his uncle. He wouldoften repair the power loomwhenever there was a problem. Henever let the productivity decline andthus his uncle relied on him fully.

One of the problems he noticed wasthe need for an additional person torefill the shuttle with pirn windingsof yarn. One pirn would have 1000meters yarn for lateral movement orweft insert. He not only solved thisproblem but also got entry in DiplomaCollege, and later degree college, alldue to his talent.

Genesis

He started experimenting at hisuncle’s power loom without hisknowledge. Though he saw manyfailures yet he made sure that the

productivity was not compromisedbecause of his experiments. Hemanaged to repair whatever problemoccurred, either due to hisexperiments or otherwise. Four yearsago, SSM Institute of TextileTechnology advertised in a localnewsletter, about a training programin yarn dyeing under the CommunityPolytechnic Scheme. Shanmugamwas interested in learning about newadvancements in the textile industry.He applied for this six months longtraining program. There was no feeand the Institute bore food and travelexpenses. Trainees were expected tostay in the hostel. His village was fiftykm away from the college.

During the training, one day, he wentto the weaving lab after his lunch andhe started chatting with the LabAssistant, V. Chandrasekaran. Duringtheir chat Shanmugam shared histhought to modify continued weftinsertion system in power looms.Chandrasekaran was impressed withhis innovative mind and took him to

PROFILE

Weaving Uninterrupted: How Formal System Yielded to Informal Yearning

This is an extraordinary story not because Shanmugam solved a small technical problem and generated low costhigh efficiency solution for many weavers. It is extraordinary, also not because a young wage labourer managedto seek admission in Diploma and then Degree Engineering course, because his talents impressed the gate keepers.It is extraordinary because a lab attendant saw the merit of a quest in the eyes of a young boy. The Principalthen tested the talents of Shanmgam, a school passout with very average marks. Impressed by his talents he decidedto offer him admission in Diploma Course without fees or donations and that too in Second Year directly. NationalInnovation Foundation awarded him in 2007. As if this was not sufficient, he wrote to the Chief Minister of TamilNadu seeking admission in Degree course of Engineering. And within a few weeks, Chief Minister's office notonly communicated him the news of his admission in one of the best textile engineering colleges without feesbut also with fellowship. How many such examples do we have in our educational system, when somebody’s talentswill let authorities make exception and that too for a labourer having no recommendations (except of an attendent)or connections? We salute the lab attendant, the Principal and even the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for recognizingthe need to nurture innovative talent. We request readers to send us more such stories, in which innovators havebeen recognized beyond normal expectations by the formal system: Ed.

When did you last think of a new idea ?

Alamelu & Subramaniam(Parents)


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the Principal the same day.Shanmugam presented hisideas to the Principal andHOD of weavingdepartment. Initially, theywere skeptic and did notaccept his ideas. Somehow,he convinced the Principalto give him two days to

prove his concept. Having got the permission, andthe workshop facilities, he started improvementefforts in an old power loom, meant for trainingin the lab. He successfully proved his techniquewithin one and a half day'stime. In ordinary powerlooms, one has to changethe weft yarn frequently, butby adopting the two weftcones with one pirn, onecan weave up to 1000 mfabrics without changing the pirn windings.

Breakthrough

Acknowledging and appreciating his innovativethinking, the Principal offered him direct admissionin the Second Year Diploma course in textiletechnology. Though he had low marks in HigherSecondary, the college offered him the free seatfrom management quota. He was also allowed tostart his work on the innovation as an academicproject work, which otherwise is allowed for thefinal year students only.

Like Shanmugam, his younger brother was alsoworking as a daily wager at their uncles’ powerlooms after finishing school. Shanmugam’sparents got excited with the offer by the SSMInstitute of Textile Engineering, and they decidedto educate their second child too in the samecollege. Later, Shanmugam’s brother also gotadmitted in the same college and completed hisDiploma. He is working as Marketing Engineer ina Coimbatore based Textile Company.

Shanmugam passed the Diploma exam with firstclass marks in 2007. In June 2007, he began hisEngineering Degree with direct admission insecond year, given normally to all Diplomastudents. His innovation was forwarded to NationalInnovation Foundation by the Principal of thecollege through Mr P Vivekanandan, SEVA,Madurai, a senior collaborator of Honey BeeNetwork. Accordingly it was documented forNIF’s fourth biennial competition under students'

category. Shanmugam was awardedwith National second prize undergeneral category (not just thestudents' category), by formerPresident of India, Honorable Dr APJAbdul Kalam at NIF national awardfunction, 2007.

Later Shanmugam was interviewedby media and also felicitated by thelocal news papers and TV channels.Soon after, Shanmugam wrote a letterto the Chief Minister requestingadmission through a free seat underB Tech program. He received not onlyan appreciation letter from TamilNadu Chief Ministers’ PersonalSecretary but also an offer from theTamil Nadu Government to supporthis further studies. The letter fromthe Chief Secretary to DirectorTechncial, Education made a specialreference to NIF award and includedrecommendation for his admission inone of the best private colleges, PSGCollege of Textile technology,Coimbatore. Accordingly, he wasoffered a loan of Rs. 45,000/- withoutinterest, to be paid after getting job.The government also offered him ajob in Tamil Nadu HandloomWeavers’ Co-operative Society (Co-optex) as R&D Engineer even beforecompleting the degree.

Mr Shanmugam also applied forKishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana(KVPY) 2008, a National Fellowshipby Department of Science andTechnology for students interested inresearch and got selected for thesame. His life has now taken a verypositive turn.

Innovation

With Shanmugam’s technology, allshuttle looms can be modified in sucha way that weft can be insertedcontinuously without frequent pirnchange. Yarn from dobby (source ofyarn hanging on the top of the loom)through two cones could now bedrawn into single pirn without refillingthe shuttle frequently. The weft thus

would work up to 1000 metercontinuously. Earlier, the pirn had tobe refilled every five minutes.

Two weft cones stands are providedon the sides of the loom and they arespecially arranged so that they havethe capability of controlling yarntension and electronic weft stopmotion. The yarn from the pirn isonly used to bind the weft takenfrom the cones, by doing so theexpense on pirn winding is reduced.In this method weaving takes placeby two weft threads so that thefabric is dense. Only the cones haveto be changed. There is no frequentneed to change the pirn up to onethousand meters as in rapier looms.Fifty per cent of the total warp


Lab Assistant,V. Chandrasekaran.

PrincipalR Muthusamy

Have you ever tried to listento the wisdom of your grand-parents? If so, share with ussomething inspiring,interesting and intriguing.Selected insights will bepublished along with thephotographs of your grandparents. Other ideas are alsowelcome. Ed.


7When did you last confess to your children that you did not know the answer to their question?

Inspirations Personified

Shanmugam’s success is a tribute to optimism and spirit of struggle amongthe grassroots innovators - so rich in knowledge but so poor in resources.This mention would be incomplete without appreciation for the ‘resourecful’people who went out of their ways to ensure that Shanmugam gets his duerecognition, position and respect.

Modest Beginning

Shanmugam’s father worked as a weaver, earning a paltry sum of Rs 500-1000 per week. His mother is a housewife and rears animals. After hisschooling, in order to assist his family financially he started to work at hismaternal uncle, Mr Kannan’s power looms at the compensation of Rs. 100per day in the same village.

Innovative Spirit

From a very young age Shanmugam lived on the concept of ‘What, Why andHow’ and reflected signs of determination and power of thinking. He wasalways interested and participated in Science and Technology relatedprogrammes. He started learning the techniques of power looms since theage of 13 years so much so that within 3 years he became an adept in it. Aninnovator would always and everywhere be an innovator. Shanmugam triedhis hands at agricultural experiments also!

Defining People

A boy who had to start earning after schooling managed to do Diploma andthen B.Tech. The credit of his success goes to his perseverance as well as tothe compassionate people who helped him in the following ways:-- Mr V P Chandrasekar, Lab Assistant: Encouraged and helped him to

show his talent to the Principal- Mr Muthusamy, Principal: Gave him admission and fellowship- College Authorities: Provided him a free Desktop Computer- Teachers: Sponsored money, books and memento.- Kannabiran Mills, Coimbatore: Sponsored him Rs.5000/- and offered him

a Supervisor job in company- Mr Karthick Madhavan: Hindu reporter from Erode published an article

on him- General Manger, Canara Bank, Coimbatore: Opened an account for him

and deposited Rs.200 as opening balance on his behalf.- Mr Vishwanath Shekawath, Textile Secretary and Joint Secretary: Helped

to take his case to the Chief Minister- Chief Minister and His Personal Assistant: Helped him in getting admission

to B Tech.- Mrs Nirmala, I A S, Managing Director, Co-Optex offered Rs.47,000 as

scholarship- SEVA helped in documenting his story.

threads are lifted at a time and the remaining50 per cent is kept down for the first pickand for the next pick the system is reversed.The heald frames are connected to dobby insuch a manner that there is no collision inbetween the healds. The dobby mechanismcan be used to select the weft colours as andwhen required. An additional hole is made inthe shuttle to give proper tension of pirnthreads which interlock the pirn from thecones.

Manpower and time needed for weavinghave been reduced considerably because ofobviating the need for frequent pirn change.New loom is less expensive and themaintenance can also be done easily. Half ofthe fabric could be weaved with one colourand the other half with a different colour, bykeeping two different colour threads on bothsides of the cones. By providing more

number of cones of different colours at thefeeding end (selection of weft colours bydobby) a stripped or checked patterns couldbe weaved without drop-box mechanism.For wider looms this method is very muchsuitable. Small sectors in the country canincrease their fabric production without anyadditional expenses. One can weave fabricslike cotton, rayon, polyester, and silks usingthis method in normal plain power looms.

Aboout 15 to 20 per cent productivity hasimproved in terms of saving of time for weftreplenishment. Further, fabric qualityobtained from this innovation is very good

due to very few stoppages for weftreplenishment. Coming from aweaving background Shanmugamwants to develop many more lowcost technologies for traditionalweaving community so that they

can upgrade their life style. It seems thatGovernment, for once, has made nomistake in spotting the talent, andresponding to his career growth. It isto be hoped that he will continue withhis creative and innovative pursuits.


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Honey Bee

Lemon Flowers Trap Pests, Palms Put Weevils to Rest

19201 Bark of Khakhara, Jambu and Sagfor Diarrhoea

To cure animals suffering from diarrhoea,Rathava Jatanbhai Bhalubhai follows a traditionalmethod using bark of khakhara (Buteamonosperma (Lam.) Taub.), jambu (rose-apple,Syzygium cumini L. or Eugenia jambolana Lam.)and sag (teak, Tectona grandis L.).

He takes 100 g bark of khakhara, jambu and sag,grinds them and soaks the mixture in one litrewater for half an hour. He then filters the solutionand the paste obtained is given to the ailing animals

twice a day for two days. The method has noside effects.

Rathava Jatanbhai Bhalubhai, Patiya, TalukaPavi Jetpur, Distt. Vadodra.

The anti-diarrhoeal potential of the ethanolicextract of stem bark of Butea monosperma has beenevaluated using several experimental models inWistar albino rats. The extract inhibited castor oilinduced diarrhoea and PGE2 inducedenteropooling in rats; it also reduced


This is a common problem inGujarat. To cure this, RabariZebarben uses fruit of kukadvel(Luffa echinata Roxb.).

It is a creeper with yellow flowers,mainly growing during the rainyseason. Zebarben gives five

kukadvel fruits to the animal alongwith thick rotlo (flat bread) twice aday for 7 to 8 days.

Zebarben learnt this techniquefrom her forefathers and hasadministered it many times withpositive results.

Rabari Zebarben Dhanabhai,Sujpura, Ta. Detroj, Distt. Ahmedabad.

Zebarben is 75 years old. She has sixsons and all are farmers.

Extracts of Luffa echinata exhibit aconsiderable inhibition of lipidperoxidation and possess hydroxylradical scavenging activity.(Prashanth Kumar V; Shashidhara S;Kumar M M; and Sridhara B Y, INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST :984, 35400008883531.0170)

19204 Potato for CornealOpacity

When animals suffer from cornealopacity, eyes become cloudy white,water frequently, the animal has

gastrointestinal motility aftercharcoal meal administration. (A.Gunakkunru et al, Journal ofEthnopharmacology, Volume 98, Issue3, 26 April 2005, Pages 241-244)

The bark of Syzygium cumini isastringent and is used in sore throats,indigestion, loss of appetite, andleucorrhoea. The fresh juice of barkwith goat’s milk is given in diarrhoea.( h t t p : / / E z i n e A r t i c l e s . c o m /?expert=Robin_Brain)

19202 Bilipatra for Wounds

Wounds in animals get infested withvarious ectoparasitic worms. To keepthe wounds clean and preventinfections, Maganbhai takes 250 g ofleaves of bili (Aegle marmelosCorrea.), grinds them and applies thepaste on the wounds three timesa day.

Maganbhai Narsihbhai Patel,Anandpur, Taluka Sankheda, Distt.Vadodara.

The leaves of Aegle marmelos aredepurative and anthelmintic and arerecommended for leprosy, skin diseasesand ulcers. (http://www.nccsl.lk/ranosu/medicinal_plants.htm)

Essential oils isolated from the leavesof ‘bel’ (Aegle marmelos) have beenevaluated for antifungal activity. Theoil exhibited inhibition of sporegermination of fungi at 500 ppm.(Rana BK, Singh UP, Taneja V. 1997.Antifungal activity and kinetics ofinhibition by essential oil isolatedfrom leaves of Aegle marmelos.(Journal of Ethnopharmacol. 57(1):29-34.).

19203 Kukadvel for Anestrus

Anestrus in animals may occur dueto internal body heat, deficiency ofminerals or reproductive diseases.


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Contd... on page 17

When did you last meet an innovator ?

hemostat, laxative, purgative,refrigerant, sedative, vermifuge,antidote and used in various ailmentsto cure headache, snakebite,blennorrhagia, boil, cancer, cold,colic, conjunctivitis, convulsion,cough, diarrhoea, fever, gastritis,gonorrhea, jaundice, malaria, night-blindness, ophthalmia andrheumatism. The seeds are also usedto treat diabetes and chronic nephritis.(ht tp: / /www.disabled-world.com/a r t m a n / p u b l i s h / a b r u s -precatorius.shtml)

19206 Herbal Fertilizer forMango

Very often, mango trees tend to dryout due to a disease locally knownas “Bandi” and consequentlyflowering is considerably reduced.Insect attacks during fruiting alsoresult in loss in yield and profit.

He has been trying hard to find asolution for this disease for the last15 years. Fellow farmers usedcompost and DAP for this diseasebut did not get desired results.Karmasibhai thought that non-bearing and sick trees can be savedby the use of materials that emanateheat. So he developed an affordablemethod through in-depth observationand experimentation. He preparedherbal fertilizer by mixing ankola(Alangium salviifolium (L.f.) Wang)and some other specific herbs withhoney, ginger and salt which whenapplied to mango trees gives goodresults. Following this idea, he startedusing this mixture five years ago.In the first year, he applied thismixture on one such tree and he

difficulty in opening eyes and has inadequatevision.

To cure this problem Ishverbhai takes a potato(Solanum tuberosum L.), rubs it on a clean stoneand collects the juice. He filters the juice througha cheese cloth and administers it into the eyes of

the animals twice a day for 7 to 10 days. Themethod has no side effects.

Ishverbhai Dahyabhai Patel, Amirgadh, TalukaAmirgadh, Distt. Banaskantha

Ishverbhai is 33 years old. He is an animal healerand has gained this knowledge from his forefathers.

Potatoes contain a number of important vitaminsand minerals including vitamin C and B6,potassium, thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin,magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc, and areknown to have a large number of therapeutic effects.( h t t p : / / w w w . p r e s s t v . i r /detail.aspx?id=35820&sectionid=3510210)

19205 Chanothi for Bloat

Characteristic symptom of bloat in animals isswollen abdomen, which sounds like a drumwhen gently tapped. The animal becomes restless,has difficulty in breathing and stops chewing.

To solve this problem, Lakhabhai uses chanothi(Abrus precatorius L.). He takes 50g of seeds ofchanothi, grinds them, and then mixes this powderwith 2 litres of water and gives the concoction tothe animal. He claims that the method cures bloatin 20 minutes. However, he repeats the process ifpositive results are not obtained within an hour.

Lakhabhai Nagjibhai Desai, Amarapur, TalukaMansa, Distt. Gandhinagar.

The seeds of Abrus precatorius are consideredabortifacient, anodyne, aphrodisiac, antimicrobial,diuretic, emetic, expectorant, emollient, febrifuge,

observed good flowering in nextseason. In the second year, hefollowed this practice in the halfportion of his farm and got thesame success. Finally he adoptedthis method in his entire farm. Asa result, he got around 13 quintalsof mango, compared to around 4to 6 quintals in the past. As a curehe applies 500 g of this mixture pertree three months after harvest andonce a year. The dose can beincreased as per requirement. 300g of this mixture can be applied totrees that are less than 10 years oldwithout any side effects.

This practice considerably booststhe flowering and also decreasesthe incidence of “madhiyo” disease.The quality of fruits also improves.

Karmasibhai Kurjibhai Ajudia,Hadmatiya, Taluka Talala, Distt.Jungadh

Karmasibhai is 60 years old and owns5 vighas of land. He has two sons whoare engaged in farming with him.

For increasing productivity, seeds aresoaked in the paste of ‘ankola’ fruit(Alangium salvifolium) before sowing(Honey Bee, 9(1):8, 1998).

19207 Lemon Flower (nimbu)for the Control of Helicoverpaarmigera (Hubner) Hardwick inPigeon Pea

Pigeon pea crop suffers significanteconomic damage due to Helicoverpa

armigera at the flowering stage. Toprevent infestation by this pest, Tadvi


10

attract the red palm weevil and divertthem. He takes some green coconutpalm leaves and removes all theleaflets. The remaining part of the leafis cut into small pieces and ground topowder. To one litre of water, he adds100g jaggery, 10g tobacco (Nicotianatabacum L.) powder and thepowdered palm leaves. He pours thesolution into an earthen pot, and placesanother pot with a hole at its bottomover it. These types of pots are placedat 3–4 corners in the coconutorchard. The insects get attracted by

the smell of this solution and cometo eat it. A mixture of jaggery, tobaccoand water is added to the pots oncein a month. By this palm weevil canbe controlled completely.

Santheshivara Basavaraju, Distt.Hassan, Karnataka.

Sri Ganapathi Sundaram ofTamilnadu, chops down a weevil-infested tree, taking care however toleave the trunk standing one footabove the ground. The remaining partof the tree is burnt. The standingportion of the trunk oozes out a liquidthat attracts adult beetles through itsodor. This fluid can attract beetlesover a ten acre garden area. Everymorning he collects about six to eightbeetles in this fashion and gets rid ofthem. After the removal of the beetlesthe trunk region is cut again,slantingly, to get fresh liquid. Thus byusing one such damaged tree (withthe trunk left intact at ground level)he collects and destroys almost sixtyto seventy beetles. This innovativemethod restricts the loss of coconuttrees to a mere four to six per year(Honey Bee, 12(4):8, 2001).

Hittalagida(Kannada version of Honey Bee)T N Prakash, Editor, Hittalagida,Department of Agricultural Economics,University of Agricultural Science,GKVK, Bangalore-560065, Karnataka.Email: [email protected]


19208 Treatement for Udder Lesions inCows

In order to treat lesions appearing on the udderof milk giving cows, Santheshivara B Basavarajuprepares a paste using one table spoon each ofseege powder (Acacia concinna DC.), turmericpowder (Curcuma longa L.) and common salt,

with water. After milking the cow, he washes theudder and applies the paste. The lesions on theudder disappear in 15–20 days. The methodcauses no side-effects in cows and also controlsswelling of udder.

B Basavaraju Santheshivara, TalukaChannarayapattana, Distt. Hassan, Karnataka.

A study reports that saponins extracted from podsof Acacia concinna have immunomodulatory effect,and can be used as adjuvants to increase immuneresponses.(Ratiya Kukhetpitakwong, ChariyaHahnvajanawong, Preecha Homchampa, VichaiLeelavatcharamas, Jarunee Satra, WatchareeKhunkitti; International Immuno-pharmacology, 6(11): 1729-1735)

19209 Jeevamrutha of Horsegram Flour

T G Mahabaleswara Bhat prepares jeevamruthaby using horse gram flour (Dolichos biflorus L.).He has six acres of Arecanut (Areca catechu L.)

farm and also grows indigenousbanana (Musa paradisiaca L.),nutmeg (Myristica fragrans), pepper(Piper nigrum L.), papaya (Caricapapaya L.), etc by organic farmingmethod. He uses jeevamrutha ofhorse gram to increase his yield. Hetakes 200 litres of water, to this adds10kg cowdung, 10 litres of cow urine,2kg horse gram flour (or flour of anyother pulse), 2kg black jaggery and1/2 kg upper layer of sand. Theingredients are all mixed properly andthe mixture is ready for use after 48hours. He applies 1 to 1.25 litres ofjeevamrutha to each Arecanut tree.About 200 litres of jeevamrutha isenough for 140 trees.

Mr T.G. Mahabaleswara Bhat,Taluka Puttur, Distt. DakshinaKannada, Karnataka.

Horse-gram(Dolichos biflorus) iscommonly used for green-manuring inIndia.(http://www.krishiworld.com/html/soil_ferti5.htm)

19210 Control of Red PalmWeevil in Coconut Trees

The damage caused by red palmweevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineusOlivier) to coconut (Cocos nuciferaL.) trees is noticed in 3-15 years oldtrees. The affected 3-5 years old treesfall down when pushed. If it affectsthe trees, bearing nuts, the leavesbecome yellow and coconut bunchesfall down. In order to prevent theinsects from attacking the trees,Basavaraju prepares a solution to


11When did you last consume organic food ?

The Climber Who Climbs Very High

A short story by Dis Huyghe describes how a music band from Tuva,Russia, responded to a local innovation of collecting horse droppingsin the historical city of Bruges in Belgium.

Tuvans Intrigued by Simple Innovation at Bruges

Early one Sunday morning in August 1992, Ireached Schiphol, the national airport ofHolland. Four Tuvan throat singers from thefamous band Huun Huur Tu were the reasonfor this visit. At that time, I was working as apromotion guy for a record company. And aspart of my job, I often had to pick up bandsthat came to Belgium to promote their album.

This story describes my first contactwith the beautiful people of the TuvanRepublic, Russia. The Tuvans hadtraveled from their country for the firsttime and were stopping over in Europe.They had to stay here for two days andthen leave for America to record withFrank Zappa. I knew from a Russianfriend that they would be in Holland andI suggested that he should do somepromotion for them and their unique styleof singing.

I picked up the four and drove with themto Bruges, the medieval town in the north of Belgium, for a radio show. Theyseemed a bit surprised with the huge “cultural shock”. Tuvans have historicallybeen cattle-breeding nomads, tending their herds of goats, sheep, camels,reindeer, cattle and yaks for thousands of years. They live in yurts covered byfelt, and with birch bark or hide and they relocate seasonally to move to newerpastures. Their horses give them a lot of things like meat, and especially horsedroppings, which is used as fuel.

I tried to make them comfortable by explaining where we were and what wewould do. They spoke very little English.

“Bruges,” I said, “was the Venice of the North.” It seemed that they did notknow what Venice was!“Medieval town,” I tried again. No reaction however.“Knight and horses,” I tried for the last time.“Oh horses!!” said the youngest of them. Now that was something they knew.

Three hours later we arrived at the venue, just in time for the sound check. Ithought of taking my new friends to see the medieval city hall of Bruges, but Isuddenly seemed to have lost sight of them. After a while, I located them andsaw that they were taking pictures of the sack hanging behind the horse carriagesto collect the horse droppings. This was apparently a novelty for them!!!

So it was here in Bruges that the horse people of Tuva entered a new millennium.Collecting horse droppings now seemed to be an easier task. The old sackbecame the symbol of innovation and convenience.

Dis [email protected]

Dr C Sahasranam, Coordinator-GIAN-Karnataka cell (Professor, SSIT-Tumkur) passed away due to heartattack on 29th June 2008.Dr Sahasranam was very activemember of HBN and was associatedwith NIF and its activities for a verylong time.

May his spirit rest in eternal peace.May God bless his family withcourage to bear the misfortune.

One of our most successful innovatorsand entrepreneurs, Mr Joseph aliasAppachan from Kerala passed awayon 19th July 2008 after a heart attack.He was the man behind variousmodels of the tree climbing device.A very humble man, he was alwaysfull of zeal and enthusiasm. Hisfather, Mr M J Joseph, also aninnovator, unfortunately passed awaysoon after.

May the Almighty grant their soulpeace and the bereaved family andfriends, courage to bear the loss.

IN MEMORIUM

Father and Son


12

21st Shodhyatra at Arku Valley, Vishakhapatnam, Andhra P

Carrying jackfruit miles away to sell, to earnRs. 30/- per head in two days

A day's shopping atweekly market

(Detailedreport willfollow inthe nextissue. Ed)

A three tier energy conservation systemin Arku valley


13

radesh

Biodiversity contest in a village. Enthusiastic responsefrom children of all ages

Monuments of clay. Culture andcreativity in Arku

Herbal head restTaming energy


14

In nature, infestation by parasites is a fact of lifefor humans and animals alike. Parasites cause avariety of afflictions, ranging from stomach upsetto malaria, cholera, dengue fever etc., that canhinder daily activities or pose life threateningconditions. Every society in the world has its ownmedicinal tradition, developed from millennia ofexperience passed down from generation togeneration. Whether it be the great writtenmedicinal traditions of India, China and Tibet, withover 2000 years of refinement, or local homeremedies passed down from mother to daughtercommonly throughout the world, a significant

proportion of the world’s population today stilldepends primarily on traditional plant basedmedicines for the daily treatment of illness.Antibiotic and antihelminthic resistance is anincreasingly serious problem in western stylehealth care and livestock husbandry around theworld. The study of self-medication in animalsand herbal medicines in humans can provide somealternative potential insights into dealing with theseproblems.

Given the common susceptibility to parasites weshare with our closest living relatives, themonkeys and apes (primates), it should not besurprising that they too have some similar meansof dealing with parasites and other health

threatening diseases. Research intothis area is relatively new. Beginningin the mid-1980, convincing evidencefrom study on chimpanzees, supportthe idea that self-preservation throughself-medication does exist inprimates.

Primates Not Alone

Primates are not the only non- humanspecies which use medicine. Wherecould this all have started? In theplant kingdom, a common line ofdefense is to produce a variety oftoxic secondary compounds storedin the leaves, fruits and barks ofsome species to prevent predationby animals. This is what makes someplants bitter or otherwise unpalatable.At some point in their co-evolutionaryhistory, probably starting with theinsects, animals began to takeadvantage of the plant kingdom’schemical arsenal to protectthemselves from predators andparasites and to enhance their ownreproductive fitness. In insects, forexample, adults of both sexes of somespecies of butterflies utilize analkaloid for defense against predatorsand males of the species have beenshown to depend on it to helpsynthesize a pheromone needed forcourtship! The monarch butterflyfeeds on specific plant speciescontaining cardiac glucosides, whichmake birds sick, conditioning themnot to feed on the butterfly. Suchthree species level interactions arelikely to have provided the foundationfor the evolution of a moresophisticated level of self-medicationseen throughout the animal kingdomtoday.

Interestingly, ethnographic literatureand recent ethnomedicinal researchsuggest that people belonging totraditional societies throughout theworld have long been aware of theuse of medicinal plants by animals andhave looked sometimes to them forclues about the medicinal propertiesof plants.

Primates, People and Parasites

In the course of my research on wildchimpanzees in Tanzania, I wasfortunate enough to provide the firstscientifically reported evidence thatanimals ingest medicinal plants whensuffering from illness and thenrecover. This came from myobservations of chimpanzeeschewing bitter pith of a plant, locallyknown as mjonso (Vernoniaamygdalina (Compositae)) by theWaTongwe people in westernTanzania. While ingesting the pithfrom the young shoots of mjonso,chimpanzees remove the outer barkand leaves to chew only on the innerpith, from which they extract theextremely bitter juice. We later foundthat the bitter compounds in the leavesand bark contained very toxicsubstances that inhibit most insectsand other animals from eating it.Mature chimpanzees in proximity tosick individuals chewing mjonso bitterpith show little or no interest iningesting the pith, as they seem toknow that it is used for medicine.Infants on the other hand try to tastethe pith discarded by their ill mothers.In this way, the young get their firstexposure to both the sick behaviorof their mothers and her ingestion ofthe extremely bitter tasting plant.

Learning from Apes: Medicinal Knowledge for Future

Michael A Huffman, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan

In this article, the author brings out rich practical and personal insights gained from observation of primatebehaviour in Tanzania. Isn't it apt to now consider sharing part of the benefits gained from such research withthe primates? Should we aim for new new bio-ethics so that the primates would be safe in their own habitat?After all, in their security lies the seeds of our health security in future: Ed.


CONSERVATION


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Chimpanzees, and indeed most animals, do notdirectly teach their offspring what to eat, ratherthe young learn by watching and trying forthemselves what their elders eat.

The fact that we share medicinal practices withanimals is obvious from the following example V.amygdalina is used by many African ethnic groupsacross the continent as medicine. This plant isprescribed as a treatment for ailments such asmalarial fever, schistosomiasis, amoebicdysentery, several other intestinal parasites,stomachaches and a variety of other diseases. Thechimpanzees, who share the bounty of the forestwith these ethnic human populations, too use thisplant as a treatment for intestinal parasites,diarrhoea and stomach upset.

Land to Lab: Validation

Chemical analysis of mjonso samples collected atMahale from plants used by chimpanzees revealedthe presence of two major groups of bioactivecompounds. We confirmed the presence of 4 well-known compounds (sesquiterpene lactones)

found widely in other Vernonia species, andcommonly used for their antihelmintic,antiamoebic, antitumor, and antibiotic properties.Vernonia species have been studied for nearly acentury, so it was most surprising to us when wediscovered 13 totally new compounds! Thishappened because we looked to chimpanzees fortheir knowledge of medicine and how to treatillness.

The compounds in the pith had never been studiedby scientists before, because the humanpopulations they had studied only used the leaves,bark and roots, the parts that chimpanzees avoid.In vitro laboratory tests of the pith’s compoundsshowed significant activity against the parasitesresponsible for bilharzia, malaria, leishmania andamoebic dysentery.

The ethnomedicinal uses of V.amygdalina and the conditions underwhich ill chimpanzees have beenobserved to ingest this species aresimilar in many respects. In the caseswhere I documented the use bychimpanzees, the rate of recovery(20-24 hrs) was comparable to thatof the local human inhabitants (within24 hrs) who use V. amygdalina forthe treatment of parasites andgastrointestinal upset. The evidencesuggests that chimpanzees ingest V.amygdalina when they experiencesome of the same symptoms of illnessas humans, indicating that bothhuman and chimpanzees respond tosimilar physiological cravings becauseof their illness. From anethnobotanical viewpoint, the greaternumber of different cultures thatrecognize a single plant species ashaving some kind of medicinalproperty, the more likely that speciesis to contain significant physiologicalactivities. The example of V.amygdalina with its widelyrecognized medicinal value in Africatakes this one step further by bridgingthe gap between apes and humans.

Knowledge Partnerships

A key collaborator in my 20 yearsof research at Mahale is MrMohamedi Seifu Kalunde, GameOfficer, Tanzanian National Park.Mohamedi comes from a long familyline of traditional healers. During thecourse of this collaborative workthat started in 1987, he providedexhaustive information about themedicinal plants used by theWaTongwe people, some of whichare also found in the diet ofchimpanzees in the Mahale M group.This information has providedsignificant insights into the originsof some of the WaTongwe’s mostimportant medicinal treatmentsnotably acquired through theobservation of sick wild animals.

Lastly, I would like to share anotherof many examples that exist in nature.

An important medicinal plant for theWaTongwe is ‘mulengele’(Aeschynomene sp. L., Fabaceae).The medicine was first discoveredby Mohamedi’s grandfather, BabuKalunde, as a treatment for diarrhoeawith blood, by watching a sick youngporcupine ingest the roots of thisplant and recover from thesesymptoms. Mulengele had neverbeen used as medicine before; ratherit was known widely and avoidedbecause of its highly toxic properties.He observed that the porcupine’scondition improved over time andbecame convinced that he could tryit on his sick patients. He told thevillagers what he had seen andadvised them to use it. People werereluctant because everybody knew itwas poisonous, but eventually theyagreed. The medicine successfullycured many people in the village.Since then the plant has become animportant medicine of the WaTongwein western Tanzania. Mohamedi alsohas experimented with the plant andhas found it effective againstcommon STDs. Recently othertraditional healers in westernTanzania have begun to use the plant’sroots to treat secondary infections inAIDS patients. A laboratoryinvestigation is needed to determinethe types of compounds present inthe roots and to check theirpharmacological properties.

A closer look into the ways adoptedby the wild animals for the use ofherbal plants may provide furtherinsights into ways of treating diseasein livestock and human in the tropics.This multidisciplinary approach,combining science, ethnomedicineand animal behavior, can bring abouta rich understanding and appreciationof the value of cultural and biologicaldiversity for the future of humankind.An ultimate objective of this researchshould be to integrate the results intolocal health care and livestockmanagement systems so that locallyavailable plants can be properly usedfor the benefit of all.

When did you last meet an innovator?


16

CHIN-IV

A Machine for Peeling Gingko (Nut from thecentre of the inedible fruit of the Maidentree, usedfor cooking)

Luo ZeyaoPizhou Jiangsu ProvinceScout: Yang Peipei

Conventionally gingko is peeled by hands. But themethod is time consuming and not very efficient.Mr Luo Zeyao has developed an electric machineto peel gingko. In the machine, there is a verythin and long knife which rotates continuously,and thus the flesh is peeled off the gingko. Thework is done not only at a fast rate, but it is alsovery convenient.

The patent no. WO03070028 (Ryu Keun-Won, 2003-08-28) discloses a machine for peeling gingko nut,consisting of a space between a driving roller anda rack roller each having spiral grooves,

a flesh of gingko seed is discharged through thespace between the driving roller and the rack roller,and the seed is discharged to a seed outlet by movingthe seed along the driving roller and the rack roller.

Machine for Drying Sunflower Seeds

Wei LeiPizhou Jiangsu ProvinceScout: Yang Peipei

The seeds of the sunflower are conveniently driedin a machine. The washed seeds of sunflower

Stalks in a Pit Keep Carrots Fit

This is the fourth installment of grassroots innovations from China pursued by Team-Chinese Innovation Network (CHIN), a sister network of Honey Bee Network familybased at Tianjin University of Finance and Economics (TUFE). Readers will notice thatmany problems are common, not just between India and China, but also in other partsof the world. But why has diffusion of such knowledge, innovations and practices beenso difficult in this age of globalization? How do we promote lateral learning acrosslocal communities around the world?

Contributors: Prof Zhang Liyan ([email protected]) along with her team comprising Bian Cuilan,Zhou Yongjun, Zhang Jiayu, Nv Lei, and students - Yang Peipei, Zhang Xiaoxu, Feng Tian, Du Wenting and ShangXuebin, Dr Zhang Wei and other senior officials of TUFE.

are put into the machine on differentplatforms. The machine useselectricity to generate heat, whichdries the seeds. It consists of a handleto stir the seeds continuously so thatthe seeds are heated and dried fromall sides uniformly.

The patent no. UA14956U(Vitaliiovych et al, 2006-06-15 )

reveals a sunflower seed dryerconsisting of a welded frame, fans, airducts and working units, infraredradiators, sieves, diffusers, inlet andoutlet spouts. It works on the principlevery much similar to the one describedin the above invention.

Improvement in the Plough

Huangzhong County, Qinghai Province,Wu Zhuang

This is a modified plough with ametallic triangular frame. The framecomprises spike-like protrusions andis fitted on to a tractor for ploughingpurpose. It is used for ploughinghard soil.

Improved Hoes

Han Guan LeLaizhou City, Shandong Province,Disabilities Town Tan VillageScout: Han Feng

This is a hoe that is attached to thefront half part of a bicycle. Only thefront wheel and the handle of abicycle are used. Thus a brokenbicycle is put to use, while at the

same time making hoeing an easy,less energy consuming job. There aremany such agricultural implementsthat use one or the other part of abicycle to save energy.

Shri Gopal Malhari Bhise, a farmer ofShendurin village situated in Jamner



17

Taluka of Jalgaon District,had fixed a rod with a bladeat the end, to an assemblyconsisting of only the front-wheel and the handle of abicycle. He has named theassembly as ‘Krishiraja’, and

claims it to be extremely efficient in removing weedsfrom hard land (Honey Bee, 11(4) & 12(1): 15;2000-2001).

Radish Preservation in Winter

Pingyin County, Shandong Province Town, TakanaoTian Yan-Ting Liu Guodong.

This is an innovation for keeping the carrots freshin winter. First an area, in land which can hold

moisture is chosen. A pit is dug and carrots areput inside it. The pit is then completely coveredwith soil. Dry corn-stalks are then inserted intothe pit. Corn-stalks are hollow inside and thuswould aerate the carrots stored and keep themfresh.

To preserve carrots they are buried in lightly moistsand in an underground cellar or stored in thegarden in a pit insulated with straw. Under properstorage conditions, carrots remain fresh for four tosix months. (http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/carrot1.html); Dudhabhai Arjanbhai Pandav ofGenol village in District Ahmedabad follows aspecial method to preserve wheat. Approximately2-3 feet deep pits are dug in the house/store room.The bottom of the pit is covered by a thin layer ofwheat husk and filled with wheat. Each layer ofwheat is alternated with a thick layer of husk andfinally covered by soil (Honey Bee, 3(1):13, 1992).

Making Coal from StrawChen Hong WeiZhou Kou City, He Nan Province

Coal is formed from lumbers at high-temperature,high-pressure and aneroxic conditions. Chen Hong

Wei, a peasant, has developed atechnology to make coal and coal ballsfrom straw, bamboo and lumber. Hehas spent three years on research, andhas conducted hundreds ofexperiments based on the law ofconservation of energy, usingchemistry additives under artificiallycontrolled conditions to finallydevelop the technology. He has namedit Solidified Molding Technology.

The patent no. CN1944601 (ShenChangbing, 2007-04-11) is a complexcatalytic physical and chemicalprocess of coalifying stalks. Theprocess includes the following steps:forming coalifying apparatus;spreading stalks with catalyst;igniting while spraying cold water forcarbonizing the stalks into charcoal;mixing the charcoal, potassiumdichromate, and water to formartificial coal; and forming to obtainenvironment friendly fuel. The coalifiedfuel may be used widely in industry andhousehold.

Fly Catcher

Hu Xilin, Manager of an Air-conditionerCompanyYuyao City, Zhejiang.Source: Hua Shang (morningnewspaper, 2004-07-08)

Ten years back Hu Xilin was havingdinner with a client, and a big fly wasfound in the food just before the deal

Indianversion

Contd... from page 9

on a huge contract was about to beclosed. The client got upset and left.Hu was determined to develop adesign to catch flies. Thus began hisefforts to innovate something.

The machine innovated by him emitssound waves which attract flies froma certain distance. It comprisesrollers covered with fly killingsolutions. Following the sound wavesthe flies fly into the rollers and getkilled. It took Hu more than 10 yearsto develop this machine and it hashelped in killing millions of flies.

A wide variety of electronic fly catchersare available in the market, ofparticular interest is an electronic fly-swatting device based on the idea ofthe Venus fly trap.

( h t t p : / / w w w . e u r o c o s m . c o m /A p p l i c a t i o n / P r o d u c t s / F l y c /flyc1GB.asp)

When did you last talk to your grandparents?

Jethabhai Virabhai uses flowers oflemon (Citrus limon Burm. f.).

According to him, a paste of around100 g of flowers of lemon is mixedwith 15 litres of water to make asolution. The solution is applied tothe crop twice a week to obtaingood results.

This method is quite famous amongthe farmers in his region. The onlydrawback is when applied in morequantities negative effects may beobserved. More over care shouldbe taken that the mixture should notfall into the eye while spraying.

Tadvi Jethabhai Virabhai, AkaKheda, Taluka Sankheda, Distt.Vadodara

The active ingredient d-Limonenefound in citrus oils kills many flyingand crawling insects on contact bydestroying the waxy coating of theinsect’s respiratory system. With theirrespiratory systems damaged, theinsects basically suffocate. (http://www.weekendgardener.net/organic-pesticide/lemon-120712.htm)


18

Wild Rice Control through Straw Slashing andBurning after Harvest

The fields of Moussa Dembele, Zeguesso werehighly infested with wild rice full of rhizomes.

With limited means, he could not afford chemicalinputs, and started pondering over alternatesolutions.

The wild rice biomass increased every year. Afterconsidering various alternatives, he decided to setfire to the rice straw after harvest. This actionwas fruitful in the first year, because he noticedthat the straw and wild rice grains were alldestroyed. Thus in the subsequent years, whenthe rainy season approached, he conducted an earlyseason ploughing that helped him to gather all thewild rice rhizomes on his plot and then set fire tothe rice straw after harvest. At the end of theseason, he noticed a significant reduction ininfestation compared to the previous year.

At the end of three years, the infestation reducedconsiderably. Neighbors noticing Moussa’ssuccess adopted it and ever since, it has becomea common practice in the area.

Biological control agents integrated with othermethods can increase and/or improve site-specificweed control. A study reports that controlled burnscan aid establishment of biological control agentsin marginally suitable environments for effectiveweed control, but timing of the fire must be wellcoordinated. (Rodney G. Lym, Biological Control ,Volume 35, Issue 3, December 2005, Pages 366-375)

Distracting Rats using Dried Fish

Gilbert Dembele is a farmer ofZeguesso and member of PLAR-IRM (Participatory Learning andAction Research in Integrated RiceManagement) committee in the samevillage. For the past several years, hehad been facing considerable damagescaused by the rats in his rice field.He had used chemicals to fight them,but in vain.

So he decided to use fish as decoy.He spread some pieces of dried fishon the rats track towards anotherdirection. This practice helped todivert the rats from the field. Sincethen, the rat attacks have decreasedand some other farmers in theneighborhood have also decided totry out the innovation.

Use of dried fish as baits for rats is acommon practice in various parts of thew o r l d . ( h t t p : / / w w w . c d 3 w d . c o m /CD3WD_40/VITA/GRAINENM/EN/GRAINENM.HTM)

Struggle Against Termites

a) Use of crushed millet and thecotton seeds

This method dates back to oldentimes, and suggests the use of

crushed millet and the cotton seedsto control termites in houses.

While building a house, before layingthe foundation i.e. before laying thefirst bricks, the owners mix cottonseeds with ground millet and spread

the mixture all along the building line.The bricks are placed on this mixture.Houses built according to this practiceare never infested with termites. Thisis explained by the fact that the milletattracts the ants while the cottonseeds attract the termites which areeaten by the ants.

A study suggests that ants could beused in an integrated managementstrategy for termites in smallholdermaize cropping systems. (B Sekamatte,M Latigo, A Russell-Smith; CropProtection, Volume 20, Issue 8,September 2001, Pages 653-662)

b) Use of tobacco

For many years, farmers in Builsa hadnot been able to avoid termitesdestroying their houses and crops.

Mr Awendayie is about 48 years oldand has been farming since he was20 years old. He grew up nearby atermite hill, 10 m away from theircompound. “The ants used to get into

AFRICA CALLING

Ants, Termites and Safe Houses

In the discourse on international agricultural development, Africa is often seen as a recipient of advice, assistance andaid. Technological solutions are supposed to be brought from outside. In the third part of the continuing series ofinnovations and traditional knowledge of African farmers documented by African Science Centre, Paul van Mele,technology transfer agronomist ([email protected]), provides many more experiences of the opposite kind, that is,where other countries can learn from African farmers. Readers are requested to share their views about the experiencesgiven here.



19

the house to build hills along the walls of the roomand sometimes they ate our cloths and destroyedstored grain in our barns,” he recalls. For manyyears they have tried using chemicals and otherlocal herbal materials, but without any success.

One day he decided to try burning the localtobacco which had been cured and preservedfor some time. He dug up the termite hill,exposing the tunnels, and stuffed them withrolls of tobacco leaves. After having set fire toit, he covered it with more leaves and thenadded sand to force the smoke through thetunnels.

One month later the rainy season set in. “NormallyI would observe termites whenever the rainsstarted, but I never saw them again for the monthsto come,” he recalls. As many farmers faced thesame problem, he invited his friends and told themabout his successful discovery.

Also, in some areas, in the Upper East/Westregions of Ghana, indigenous farmers controltermites by pouring a mixture of water andpowdered tobacco into a hole that has been dug

into the nest of the termites. This is practicedin communities where tobacco is cultivated.

Farmers of Dandava (Distt:Surendranagar) collectresidue of tobacco after harvesting. Thiswaste material of tobacco is incorporated intothe soil to control termite (Honey Bee, 3(1):15,1992).

Rice Ratooning

Rice farmers at Adugyama near the PADS siteBiemso harvest their rice crop by pinching off

the panicles. According to them, onecould obtain a good ratoon crop if onestepped on the stubble after the paniclepinching so that the stubble lied onthe ground. They did not manage thestubble after harvest and so took theratoon yield as a windfall gain.

Acheampong of the CSIR-CRI RiceResearch Programme then decided tovalidate it. After consultation with DrMonte Jones (then in WARDA),Acheampong, in collaboration withDr Lawrence Narteh (currently theROCARIZ Coordinator) decided to setup field trials on rice ratooning. As aresult a rice ratoon yield of up to 2tonnes/hectare was recorded.

As part of the AgSSIP Rice Project,Mr Acheampong in year 2005collaborated with Dr Annan-Afful(the National IVC coordinator) toconduct further trials onincorporating ratoon rice into rice-based cropping systems. Rice-basedcropping systems involving riceratooning, legumes and vegetables arerecommended for lowlands that haveadequate residual soil moisture tosupport it. This improves the lot ofeconomically poor farmers in termsof balancing their nutrition, creatingemployment and wealth, andalleviating poverty. The Inland ValleyRice Development Project that coversfive regions of Ghana intends adoptingratoon rice in its cropping systems inall favorable ecologies.

Field experiments conducted at theBangladesh Rice Research Institute,Charbadna farm, Barisal, from 'boro'(winter season) 2001 to 'aman' 2002,revealed that the photoperiod-sensitive rice varieties could beplanted in the early 'boro' seasonand the ratoons from this cropproduced a good harvest. After harvestof 'boro' crop the ratoons, coming outfrom the remaining straw and base ofthe hills, were allowed to grow andin the succeeding 'aman' a goodharvest was obtained from thoseratoons. This can be adopted as alow-cost rice cultivation technique in

those areas, where cropestablishment in the transplantedaman season is somewhat difficultdue to early intrusion of tidal waterin the field at the end of boro season.(B C Roy, M A Hossain and M ARahman; Pakistan Journal ofBiological Sciences 7 (3): 368-371,2004)

Use of Metè (Phyllanthusdiscoïdes) Powder in IncreasingPeanut Production

For many years now Sekou Camarahas been recording yield losses inpeanut cropping in the Lamikhourezone. Because of the scarcity andhigh cost of fertilizers, he opted for

the use of Phyllanthus discoïdesbark (Métè in Sosu language).

Métè is a spontaneous plant thatproduces many fruits in the dryseason. During fructification SekouCamara removed the bark, dried andground them. With the powderobtained, he coated the peanut seedshe had previously soaked forseeding.

Camara noticed a significant increasein yield with every application of thistechnique.

Prenylated flavanones isolated fromthe hexane extract of Phyllanthusniruri were found to have nematicidalactivity against root-knot as well asreniform nematodes (N A Shakil,Pankaj, J Kumar, R K Pandey, D BSaxena; Phytochemistry, Volume 69,Issue 3, February 2008, Pages 759-764). A similar activity may beexpected from Phyllanthus discoïdes,however it needs to be experimentallyconfirmed.

Will you stand for the IPRs of peasants ?


20

Storing Seeds and Other Products with Hyptisspicigera

Mamadou Dembele, the chief of the village ofZeguesso, was for a long time facing the problem

of seed storage at his village level.The chemical inputs sold in themarket were causing a lot of healthproblems to the people. So hepondered over a more local solution.On the lowland watersheds grows aplant called Hyptis spicigera (Labbahin Minianka language and Bénéfingin Bamana language). This plant hasa repelling smell and a very bittertaste. He decided to try it out. Heprocessed the leaves into powderand coated the seeds with it. He didnot observe any termite or insectattacks in his grain store or on thebags left on blocks. For years, heused the technique without observingany attacks. With these positive

NATIONAL INNOVATION FOUNDATION, INDIA

The CompetitionThe NIF, set up by Department of Science and Technology,GOI, seeks entries of unaided technological innovations andtraditional knowledge developed by an individual or groupcomprising farmers, artisans, fishermen and women, slumdwellers, workshop mechanics, students, local communitiesetc., in managing natural and/or other resources. Theinnovations can be in the form of machines, gadgets,implements, or processes for farm operations, householdutility, transportation, energy conservation or generation,reduction in drudgery, creative use of biodiversity,development of plant varieties, generation of herbal remediesfor human or animal health or developing new or any otherlow cost sustainable green technology related to variousaspects of survival in urban and rural areas. Creative ideasfor innovative technologies which have not yet been reducedto practice are also welcome. Communities developingPeople’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) or People’s KnowledgeRegister (PKR) are encouraged to register/link theirknowledge base with the National Register at the NIF.

The AwardsThe best three innovations and traditional knowledgepractices will be awarded Rs 1,00,000, Rs 50,000 andRs 25,000 each in different categories. In addition, individualsand/or organizations that make extraordinary contributionsin scouting grassroots innovations and traditional knowledgemay also get awards worth Rs 50,000, 25, 000 and 15, 000respectively besides recognition to many others. There willbe several consolation prizes of Rs 10,000 each in differentcategories depending upon the number of entries andincremental inventiveness and potential social andenvironmental impact. Three most outstanding innovative ideasmay be given prizes of Rs 50,000, 25,000 and 15,000 inaddition to consolation prizes of Rs 5,000 each. There are

special prizes for innovations by or dealing with, physicallychallenged people. The innovations /ideas of professionallytrained persons are not considered for award or financialsupport. There are special awards for journalists writingabout grassroots innovations and/or traditional knowledge andcreating greater awareness about NIF’s missions. The awardmoney may be revised in due course.

StudentsYoung inventors and innovators are invited to send their ideasor innovations for a special category of awards for them.

How to Participate?Individuals or groups may send as many entries as theywish on plain paper providing a) genesis of the innovationand traditional knowledge b) its background and c)educational qualification and occupation, accompanied byphotographs and/or videos if possible and any otherinformation that may help in replicating the innovations/traditional knowledge. Herbal entries may be accompaniedby dried plant samples to enable proper identificationprocedure. The Sixth National Competition started onFebruary 1, 2007 and entries would be accepted tillJanuary 31, 2009. Every entry should include the full postaladdress, to facilitate further communications.

Where to send entries?

National Coordinator, (Scouting & Documentation)National Innovation Foundation

Bungalow No.1, Satellite Complex,Premchand Nagar Road, Ahmedabad 380015 GujaratToll Free No 1800 233 5555 Fax: (079) - 2673 1903

E-mail: [email protected]; www.nifindia.org

The Sixth National Biennial Competition for Scouting Green Grassroots UnaidedTechnological Innovations and Traditional Knowledge

Co-sponsors

Honey Bee Network

CSIR

SRISTI

IIM-A

results he decided to use it asbasement in the construction of hisgrain stores. The results have beenvery encouraging and ever sincemany farmers have adopted thepractice.

Leaf powder of Hyptis suaveolens (L.)has been found to have fungicidalactivity and maintain a highgermination percentage of the soybeanseeds over a storage period of 6 months(Y L Krishnamurthy, J Shashikala, BShankar Naik; Journal ofStored Products Research, In Press,Available online 13 June 2008). Thesame may be expected from the speciesspicigera, however it needs to beexperimentally confirmed.



21

NEWS & VIEWSTechnology Commons: A Lateral LearningWorkshop

Copying, improvement and blending of localinnovations with one’s own ideas is quite common

at grassroots level. In fact, a processlike this has been at the heart of cultureof innovation at community level.Honey Bee has always supported theIPR rights of the grassroots

Contd... on page 23

When did you last talk to nature?

knowledge holders and innovators. Atthe same time, it is true that majorityof the innovators want to share theirknowledge openly with others. Butsome may not. There are tensions attimes. Riya Sinha as a part of herPh.D thesis has studied the innovationby Mansukhbhai Jagani involving anattachment of a ploughing machine(multi purpose tool bar, also calledas Saanti). She has also looked at lotof imitations and improvements in thismotorcycle driven Saanti. NIF andGIAN took the initiative to organizea workshop to test the ideas emergingfrom the original innovator as wellas those who copied and improvisedMansukhbhai’s design.

About 30 innovators, users andanother 20 stakeholders met atCommunity Science Centre, Rajkotto discuss these issues. Manyimprovisers brought their devices forthe lateral learning workshop. ShriAnil Kamdhar, Trustee of CommunityScience Centre hosted the workshopand offered the Centre as a place forcontinuing dialogue on policy andpractice. Innovators critiqued eachother’s design, offered solutions andappreciated innovations. The entireexchange took place in a very collegialenvironment with no inhibition aboutone’s proprietary interest in thetechnology. It is this culture ofcommunitarian spirit that Honey BeeNetwork wants to nurture. At thesame time, the creativity of individualsand innovators' networks has to berecognized. The concept of‘technology commons’ was proposedfor debate. It implies that there shouldbe no restriction on people to peoplelearning, imitation and copying, so longas the technology improves, the sharingis mutual and the farmers and otherconsumers are able to get bettersolutions at lower cost. A communityof these improvisers will constitutethe concept of ‘technologycommons’. They will collectively ownthe IPRs and none of them canindividually license it to a third party.

Experiment Demonstrates 110 Years of SustainableAgriculture

An agricultural experiment on a plot of land on the campus of AuburnUniversity, United States, shows that 110 years of sustainable farmingpractices can produce cotton crops similar to those using other methods.

In 1896, Professor J F Duggar at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama(now Auburn University) started an experiment to test his theory that sustainablecotton production was possible on Alabama soils if growers would use crop rotationand include winter legumes (clovers and/or vetch) to protect the soil from wintererosion.

Today, his experiment on the campus of Auburn University is the oldest, continuouscotton experiment in the world and the third oldest field crop experiment in theUnited States on the same site. The experiment, known as “the Old Rotation,”has continued with only slight modifications in treatments and was placed on theNational Register of Historical Places in 1988.

Researchers at Auburn University and at USDA-Soil Dynamics Laboratory in Auburn,AL, have prepared the first ever comprehensive research publication covering theentire 110-years history of this experiment.

The thirteen plots in the Old Rotation include (i) continuous cotton, (ii) a 2-yearsrotation of cotton with corn, and (iii) a 3-years rotation of cotton-corn-wheat-soybean. These crop rotations include treatments with and without winter legumes(usually crimson clover and/or vetch) and with and without fertilizer nitrogen.

It provides growers, students, and faculty with a living demonstration offundamental agronomic practices that result in sustainable crop production. Long-term yields indicate that winter legumes are as effective as nitrogen fertilizer inproducing non-irrigated, 10-years average cotton yields of 1,100 pounds lint peracre. Winter legumes and crop rotations contribute to increased soil organic matter.Higher soil organic matter results in higher crop yields.

In 1997, the Old Rotation entered a new era of agricultural production where bollweevil eradication, genetically modified crops, and conservation tillage almosteliminated the need for the plow and pesticides. In 2003, irrigation was addedto half of each plot. Yields of cotton, corn, wheat and soybean continue to increasefar beyond the yields, than during that of Professor Duggar’s generation. Sinceinitiating conservation tillage practices in 1997, all-time, non-irrigated record yieldshave been made on all the crops grown on the Old Rotation: 1,710 pounds cottonlint per acre in 2006, 95 bushels wheat per acre in 2001, 236 bushels corn peracre in 1999, and 67 bushels of double-cropped soybean per acre in 1997 afterwheat.

Journal Reference

Mitchell, Charles C, Delaney, Dennis P, Balkcom, Kipling S A Historical Summary ofAlabama’s Old Rotation (circa 1896): The World’s Oldest, Continuous Cotton Experiment.Agronomy Journal, 2008; 100 (5): 1493 DOI: 10.2134/agronj2007.0395

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/80929123945.htm


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DIALOGUECommon Goal

Susan [email protected]

We at the Centre for Science and Environmentare very much interested in the work, reflectedin the issues of Honey Bee. CSE’s EnvironmentResource Unit collects and disseminatesinformation on environment and related issueswith special emphasis on India. We havenoticed that the work done at the grassrootslevel is not reflected in the mainstream mediaand thus most people are not aware of the workand the traditional knowledge that the ruralhabitat particularly is a storehouse of.

(We are sure that Down to Earth team also sharesyour enthusiasm. Keep sending feedback to us.Ed)

Urge to Connect

Meghna [email protected]

My name is Meghna Shukla - MBA withMarketing, working in the field of sales for thepast 8 years in today’s hectic, competitive andcut throat corpoarate world.

I come from the land of Kutch whereininnumerable NGO’s are thriving for bettermentof mankind. I had always dreamt to be one ofthem - but time and circumstances were never infavour. I was just going through your websiteand found your work to be really creative and fullof initiatives. As the saying goes its never too late.I would like to offer myself for volunteer servicesas and when possible.

Thanks and once again hats off. Keep up theGood work.

(We are keen to welcome you to our network.Please do reply and let us explore a synergy. Ed)

Design for Self-reliance

Reinder van Tijen, [email protected]

I would like to join the Honey Bee Network.

My name is Reinder van Tijen. I live in theNetherlands, Europe. I have been involved with

Appropriate Technology, since 1973.I initiated the foundation “Demotech,Design for Self-reliance”.

My approach is “design for self-reliance”. Main success of my

work is the widely known “RopePump”, put to work for the firsttime in Burkina Faso, Africa, in1976. I have published the resultsof my work on the website http://www.demotech.org .

At present Demotech’s fieldworkcenter is in Guatemala, CentralAmerica. We are about to launcha campaign for making a practicalas well as beautiful device forwashing hands where there is nopiped water.

(Many thanks for sharing such anoutstanding work and that too withsuch a noble spirit. We welcome youto the Honey Bee Network. Yourdesign class can certainly work onideas developed by grassrootsinnovators in HBN. Please do visitnifindia.org, sristi.org andindiainnovates.com. I have no doubtthat the fusion of your design skillsand creative skills of our grassrootsinnovators will generate new optionsfor local communities worldwide. Dokeep in touch. Ed)

Young Enthusiast

Sunil Kumar [email protected]

I appreciate your voluminous effortsin throwing light on the till nowunheard inventions. I read the article

“Grassroots Guru” in Reader’sDigest and came to know aboutSRISTI.

I am deeply moved by your effortsand I want to do my part tointroduce the inventions to thepublic I come across.

I am doing my Bachelors inTechnology in Visakhapatnam. Ivisit universities during culturaland technical festivals. During thesefestivals, there is a sea of studentsfrom all fields visiting the campuses.So, I feel these festivals form animportant platform to introduce the“inventions” to the students.Regarding this effort, I want yourpermission and assistance as well.My idea is to design postersshowcasing the “inventions” andpresent them. For this I requirefurther details regarding theinventions. I shall use thephotographs of the people involvedin an invention as you have donein your website.

(We trust your intentions and wouldencourage you to go ahead withyour efforts to disseminate ideas andinnovations. You can download softcopies from our websites - sristi.organd nifindia.org. Ed)

Joining Forces - ScientificKnowledge and SocialConcern

Dr Preetha [email protected]

I came to know of your work fromReaders Digest and had the fortuneto visit the website of Honey BeeNetwork. I am extremely impressedby the work being carried out byyour network.

I am a Plant Biotechnologist with apassion for working on conservationof nature. I have done some workon medicinal plants and theirtraditional uses. Promotinginnovations at the grassroots level is



23

also one of my passions. But due to lack of propercontacts I have not been able to do much on theselines. Having come to know of your organizationI would be extremely happy to contribute in anylittle way I can (I am based in Goa).

(Surely we will appreciate your close involvement.Please let us know how we can merge our dreamsand concerns. Looking forward to hear from yousoon. Ed)

Bridge with Pakistan

Abrar [email protected]

My name is Abrar Habiby and I am the presidentof the biggest NGO “Samaj Foundation” inPakistan. “Samaj” means society and society ofany country is the main power. I am the foundermember of this organization and the aim is to solvethe problems of Pakistani and Indian people andto spread love and peace in their lives. At presentwe have lots of responsibilities on our shoulders.The social issues in both the countries are almostthe same and people of both the countries arefacing the same unending problems. If we,together, struggle to eliminate them, I am hopefulthat we would succeed. So I want to join handswith you to collectively work against Indo-Paksocial problems.

(You are welcome, please visit our sites and sendus examples of creativity by common people, wewill publish these in Honey Bee and encouragethem. Please advise if there is any way that wecan support your work. We are very keen tostrengthen your efforts. Ed)

A Pat on the Shoulder

Dr Mullapudi Harischandra PrasadChairman & Managing DirectorThe Andhra Sugars Ltd

While the National and International media arecompeting with each other to provide moderninformation on science and technology. “PalleSrujana” in an equal tone and tenor, is providinginformation which is not known to that media.Its contents are related to education, medicineand daily life are obtained from villages andcommon people. The presentation is simple andwritten in the language of common people. Theeffort is commendable and fills our heart withpleasure.

I wish the magazine an excellentgrowth and hope that it wouldcreate conducive circumstances tonurture creativity.

(Mr Prasad, we hope you will helpin spreading a good will about PalleSrujana. After all, how else will theidea spread? Ed)

Noble Initiative

Dr Shankar ParipllyLecturer, Govt DIET, (State ResourceGroup Member SSA)Warangal, [email protected]

We are proud of your efforts indocumenting inventions of ruralIndia. I read about you in IndiaToday and came to know howmuch inspiring hard work you havedone. I am a lecturer teaching atThe Teacher’s Training college andworked as District Science Officerin Warangal of Andhrapradesh.I am also closely associatedwith Sarvashikshaabhiyan of A.P.I am interested in indigenousscience and Gandhian thoughts.

Andhraprdesh Sarvashiksha-abhiyan is initating Science Forumswhere teachers could discuss aboutvarious issues related to scienceand its practice.This becomes aforce to dwell with the grassrootinnovations. Please bless us to takeyour ideas to document grassroottalent.

(Many thanks for your kindwords about what is essentially ateam effort of many quiet workerswho work voluntarily from thebackground to make Honey Bee whatit is.

I can see the tremendous power thatyour network has and we will verymuch like to forge close linkages.Please advise as to who couldtrigger start the process (Will you dothis?). We are looking forward to avery close and active cooperation.Please stay in touch. Ed)

Contd... from page 21

When did you last consume organic food ?

Within themselves, no licensing isrequired. But for the firms and otherthird party formal organizations, acommercial license would be required.They can not take the technologyevolved by the individual or groupmembers of ‘technology commons’without any consideration. Most ofthe innovators welcomed the idea andrespected the innovation byMansukhbhai which has madesubstantial improvement inproductivity. A joint patent applicationwould be filed by GIAN with the helpof SRISTI for protecting the‘technology commons’. Under MVIF(Micro Venture Innovation Fund), NIFwould provide risk capital to thecommons for improving theirproductivity. Time will tell how thisconcept evolves and meets the goalsof communitarian spirit and IPRprotection.

A Veterinary Workshop in Bihar

A two-day state level workshop ofherbal veterinary healers wasorganized in June in Champaran districtof Bihar. Over 30 healers shared theirknowledge with each other and alsolearnt about NIF activity.

Dialogue on Innovation with ChiefMinisters: Grassroots Inno-vations Reach the Top

Dr Vijay Kelkar, Chairperson, 13th

Finance Commission, is the memberof the Governing Council of NIF andhas been responsible during his daysin Finance Ministry for setting up ofNIF. During the interactions of FinanceCommission with the Chief Ministersabout various matters, he felt that aphoto essay in the form of a coffeetable book based on innovations andtraditional knowledge from and foreach state would constitute a noblegift to each Chief Minister. The firstof the series was presented to theChief Minister of Himachal Pradeshfollowed by Haryana.

hb19(2) april-june 2008.pmd

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