To strengthen our Fish Biodiversity Database, I request you to send details on all traditional/innovative/medicinal uses of aquatic organisms recorded in your database We would be working within protected areas to develop aquatic sanctuaries. I am writing to our collaborators to contribute article to Honey Bee on any traditional/innovative use of aquatic fish germplasm which they may record during their field collection

(We look forward to hear from you Dr. Ponniah for active collaboration in developing fishery based indigenous knowledge including innovation and practices through Honey Bee Network. You must have received the list of entries we already have. We also look forward to the articles for possible publication from your colleagues. These contributions can be even one paragraph long and do not necessarily have to be long.: Ed)

Ramesh Mahajan

23B Parvati Nagar, Zilla Peth, Jalgaon, Maharashtra

I would like to share with you the two ways in which the farmers of the Satpura range drive the wild pigs away (Boar) which spoil their crops. The farmers use "gulal" (vermilion). 

They draw a line of "gulal" which keeps the pigs away. Second way, they use burnt dry fishes, tyres and rubbers. The repelling smell of these things drives the pigs away.

Building North-South Linkages Through Honey Bee

I am writing on behalf of Professor Coombe. The federal Government of Canada selected her as a recipient for a substantial grant for her work with traditional knowledge. We would like to build a database or connect existing database of traditional/indigenous knowledge. We are trying to figure out how many such databases are there and whether it is possible and desirable to link them together. We would appreciate your input. You have lot of experience and knowledge in this area, with Honey Bee and the National Innovation Foundation.

(This is an excellent way of networking. Global registry of innovation (INSTAR) was proposed by SRISTI in 1993. There are not many other databases like the Honey Bee but many other groups do have specific areas of knowledge and information which can be linked up. Let us take this issue forward. :Ed)

May I request your help for the soft copies of all the pervious issues of Honey Bee, if available. While going through Honey Bee last year, I have noted that SRISTI has some herbal pesticides. May I have information on different types of the pesticides available with SRISTI. We will be keen to have a sample of each of them. These will be used for testing their efficiency against some insect-pests such as Helicoverpa. I look forward to receiving these and use them in our laboratory experiments. 

And if qualities are sufficient we will be happy to use them in field experiment also. Our emphasis will be to identify those botanicals that have compatibility with the micro-organisms with potential to manage insect pest.

(Thank Dr. Rupela, now that ICRISAT has taken initiative, may be ICAR and SAUs will also respond. Keep us informed please. :Ed)

We got a Finishing School, Usha Martin Technical Institute in Jamshedpur. I was wondering if we could pursue the idea of having a vocational training where we could train master craftsmen at the village level. Over my worldwide travel, I find that artefacts coming from the cottage industry from Thailand, China etc. have much better quality than what is produced by the Indian village industry. I think that it is high time now that there is a concentrated effort made by all those who care to upgrade the skills and organise master craftsman training so that there are at least one or two master craftsmen in their own fields in a particular area.