Traditional Knowledge in Horticulture

Abstract

Traditional knowledge is the experience gained over centuries collectively owned as a tradition. It is mainly of a practical nature, such as agriculture, fisheries, health, horticulture, forestry and environmental management in general. In the recent years, TK is growing and gaining its due appreciation. TK makes a significant contribution to sustainable development. Most of the indigenous communities are situated in areas where the vast majority of the world’s genetic resources are found and are cultivated and are being used in a sustainable way for thousands of years. They relied almost fully on their TK for farming decisions. These means of engagement with the natural environment are skills not well understood by most scientists but useful to the farmers in a country like India which is an agricultural economy wherein about 70% of the rural household still depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Hence, it is one of the rich countries which is a home to abundant agroecological diversity wherein the relation of TK is of at most significance. This chapter tries to analyse the interplay of TK and horticulture, its parlance to climate change, further emphasizing on its legal background and the challenges ahead.