Identification of the indigenous pest control methods adopted in jhum fields of Mokukchung district, Nagaland

491-495The present study was conducted to document the various indigenous pest control methods in jhum fields in controlling pests. The data was collected from Mokokchung district taking 6 villages from a sample of 120 farmers practicing jhum cultivation. A total of 10 common adopted ITKs were documented, validated and triangulated. These includes seed preservation (1), crop protection from insect-pest and disease (7), crop protection from birds (1) and sowing time (1). A majority of the farmers (96.67%) perceived the indigenous pest control methods as effective in controlling the pests in the jhum fields. For the farmers in Mokukchung, jhum is a way of life and is to stay considering the socio-cultural institutions embedded with this practice along with the ITKs, their associated beliefs and perceived effectiveness