Question

how crops are stored by the women in ancient times ​

Answer 1

Answer : Farmers and traditional grain processors have been evolving number of traditional practices through trial and error method, to avoid huge loss that are occurring in stored pulse grains due to insect and pest infestation

1. Women folk have accumulated knowledge of household practices over generations by observation, experimentation and by handling age old people’s experiences and wisdom. Certain practices are unique to a given culture of a society and vary between countries, regions, villages and even communities. Indigenous practices emanate from the cultural contact of the people concerned and evolve in close contact with specific environmental conditions and are based on traditional societies intimate knowledge of their environment.

2.These reasons imply that indigenous knowledge is eco friendly and safe both to man and his environment. It is estimated that 60-70% of food grains produced in the country is stored at home level in indigenous structures ranging from bamboo baskets to mud structures, gunny bags and modern bins

3. Indigenous Knowledge is a type of knowledge, which has evolved within the community and has been passed on from one generation to another

4. Proper storage of food grains is necessary to prevent spoilage, increase keeping quality and for monetary reasons. The practice of using natural sources for storage of various household items dates back to the very earliest periods of known history. There is evidence of ash, sand and herbs used in ancient civilization, which have been credited with mystical power for increasing storage life. Many of these practices find their credibility even in the modern era. The logic behind the use of this material is that they are user friendly and are also associated with scientific reasoning

5. Hence, the study was carried out with an objective to document the traditional storage practices adopted by the dry land farmers of Tamil Nadu.

Explanation: Indian agricultural production increased under the Mughal Empire, during which India's population growth accelerated. A variety of crops were grown, including food crops such as wheat, rice, and barley, and non-food cash crops such as cotton, indigo and opium

Answer 2

There are many methods used by the farmers or the women for storage of crops. They were done for the efficient storage of the crops and to avoid the maximum losses in storage.

EXPLANATION:

The crops were stored in home levels in ancient time. It was done by the knowledge experience gained by them from observation from generations. It was kept in bamboo storage or mud containers.

There was also the use of modern bins and separate bags. These methods maintain the quality and reduce the losses of grain. Also the ashes were used as powder to remove and avoid moisture from the grains.