TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES OF ANCIENT INDIA: A BLUEPRINT FOR TODAY'S SUSTAINABLE FARMING

Agriculture has been the backbone of Indian economy since time immemorial. Indian agriculture began by 9000 BCE as a result of early cultivation of crops and animals. The economic prosperity of India was a result of its agricultural well-being. The science of agriculture was highly developed as can be seen from the large number of texts such as Krishi Parashar written on the subject. Many of the ancient practices have been documented, experimented and validated by different researchers as agriculture continues to play a predominant role in Indian economy. This paper tries to bring out the role and importance of ancient Indian agricultural practices. It also explores agricultural, methods and practices in seed, plant, tree, soil and water management.