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Traditional wisdom on managing soil and water

in northern India, covering an area of 243,286 km , cultural and ecological contexts of specific regions. 40,41
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making it the fourth-largest state in the country. The state These practices, which have been developed and refined
lies between 23°52’N and 31°28’N latitude and 77°3’E over centuries, include crop rotation, intercropping, organic
and 84°39’E longitude, bordered by Uttarakhand and manuring, and water conservation techniques. They are
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Nepal to the north, Bihar to the east, Madhya Pradesh tailored to local environmental conditions and contribute
to the south, and Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi to the significantly to soil health and sustainability. This
west. The sub-tropical climate in Uttar Pradesh features section provides an in-depth analysis of these traditional
summer heat, monsoon precipitation, and a mild winter practices, emphasizing their scientific foundations and
season, while annual rainfalls reach 990 mm but vary relevance to contemporary soil management challenges.
between different areas. The four primary waterways of A comprehensive flowchart of the soil management
Uttar Pradesh consist of the Ganga, Yamuna, Gomti, and process is presented in Figure 1 and Table 1.
Ghagra, which serve essential functions for irrigation and
water management. The state spans nine agroclimatic 3.2. Crop rotation and intercropping
zones, which extend from Terai in the northern end to A traditional agricultural method is crop rotation,
Bundelkhand in the southern portion and exhibit different which entails planting several crops in succession in
soil characteristics, together with unique cultivation the same field throughout different growing seasons. 43,44
practices and water preservation priorities. 176 This practice enhances soil fertility and structure by
alternating crops with varying nutrient requirements
2.2. Systematic review and root structures. 45-47 Traditional crop rotation systems
For this review, we performed a systematic literature often include a combination of cereals, legumes, and
search from various database sources, including Web of root crops. For instance, in Uttar Pradesh, rotations
Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar, using keywords or involving wheat, rice, and pulses are typical. 48
combinations of words, such as “traditional knowledge,” Crop rotation offers numerous well-documented
“indigenous knowledge,” “soil management,” “water benefits, including healthier soils, improved crop yields,
conservation,” “agriculture in Uttar Pradesh,” and and better pest and disease management. Leguminous
“agricultural practices in north India.” Our original crops, such as pulses, fix atmospheric nitrogen in the
search revealed over 200 articles, which were screened soil, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers and
by title and abstract to determine eligibility. We applied improving soil nitrogen levels. 49-51 In addition, rotation
inclusion criteria based on studies on traditional soil and helps in disrupting pest and disease cycles, thereby
water conservation practices for Uttar Pradesh published reducing the need for chemical pest control. Scientific
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in peer-reviewed journals or credible sources. Studies studies have demonstrated that crop rotation can enhance
that were not empirical, not regional, or did not analyze soil organic matter content and improve soil structure,
traditional practices were excluded. Based on the above thereby contributing to overall soil health (Figure 2). 52-54
criteria, we included a total of 50 published articles Intercropping, the practice of growing two or more
for detailed analysis. The data extraction aimed to crops simultaneously in the same field, complements
identify relevant traditional practices, efficacy, cultural crop rotation by enhancing biodiversity and reducing
importance, and the applicability of conventional the risk of soil depletion. This practice can optimize
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practices to modern conservation strategies. The findings resource use, as different crops may utilize soil
were synthesized to highlight the most prevalent soil nutrients, water, and light in complementary ways. 55,56
and water conservation methods used in Uttar Pradesh In Uttar Pradesh, intercropping systems often involve
and their potential integration with contemporary combinations, such as maize and legumes, which
approaches. This methodology ensures a comprehensive can improve soil nitrogen content and reduce pest
understanding of traditional knowledge in soil and populations. 57-60 Intercropping has been demonstrated
water conservation, contributing valuable insights for to enhance soil fertility and productivity by increasing
sustainable agricultural practices in the state. soil microbial diversity and activity. 61,62 Furthermore,
this practice can help mitigate soil erosion by providing
3. Traditional soil management practices ground cover and reducing runoff. 56

3.1. Traditional knowledge and soil management 3.3. Organic manuring
Traditional knowledge in soil management encompasses Organic manuring involves the application of organic
a diverse array of practices deeply intertwined with the materials, such as compost, animal dung, and green

Volume 22 Issue 2 (2025) 3 doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025060035