Kerala’s ‘living paddy gene bank’ Cheruvayal Raman dies at 74; Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi pay tribute

Cheruvayal Raman was a tribal farmer from Kerala’s Wayanad district and a member of the Kurichiya community. He devoted his life to conserving traditional rice varieties and promoting sustainable farming. His work mattered because many native varieties were at risk of extinction, while farming knowledge was passed through generations.

He cultivated dozens of rice varieties on his three-acre farm. He preserved more than 45 varieties, including the aromatic Gandhakashala and red-grained Thondi. He also distributed seeds to farmers and other conservation-minded people. This kept the varieties in active cultivation rather than leaving them only as stored samples.

The phrase “living paddy gene bank” highlights that Raman himself maintained this diversity through daily farming. His farm became a learning space for students, farmers and visitors. He received the Genome Saviour Award in 2016 and the Padma Shri in 2023 for conservation and indigenous agriculture.

Cheruvayal Raman was known for protecting more than 45 indigenous rice varieties in Kerala. These varieties represented the agricultural diversity of Wayanad and helped preserve seeds that were at risk of disappearing. His collection made him widely known as a “living paddy gene bank.”

Two notable examples were Gandhakashala and Thondi. Gandhakashala was an aromatic rice variety, while Thondi had red grains. Raman grew these varieties and dozens of others on his three-acre farm. He also distributed seeds to farmers and people interested in conservation, so the varieties could continue growing beyond his own land.

The article presents his work as both conservation and education. His farm showed students, farmers and visitors how traditional varieties could remain part of farming life. His efforts earned the Genome Saviour Award in 2016 and the Padma Shri in 2023.

Kerala’s traditional rice varieties were at risk of extinction, according to the article. However, the article does not name a single reason for that danger. It shows that preserving native seeds, traditional practices and the knowledge connected to them was necessary to keep these varieties alive.

Raman responded by cultivating dozens of varieties on his three-acre farm. He did not treat the seeds as museum pieces. He grew them and distributed seeds to farmers and others interested in conservation. This approach allowed the varieties to remain connected to real farms and farming communities.

The article also describes wider awareness work. Raman promoted traditional, chemical-free farming and helped students, farmers and visitors learn about Kerala’s agricultural heritage. His recognition, including the Genome Saviour Award and Padma Shri, drew attention to the value of conserving indigenous plant varieties.

Raman’s method was practical: he grew traditional rice varieties instead of merely storing their seeds. This mattered because varieties remain part of farming when people continue planting, harvesting and sharing them. The article says he believed growing these varieties was essential to keeping them alive.

He cultivated more than 45 indigenous varieties on his three-acre farm, including Gandhakashala and Thondi. He also distributed seeds to farmers and other people interested in conservation. Sharing seeds extended the work beyond his own fields and gave others the chance to maintain these varieties in cultivation.

His farm therefore became both a conservation site and a learning space. Students, farmers and visitors could see Kerala’s agricultural heritage in practice. This model also supported the spread of traditional knowledge and encouraged wider interest in native seeds, although the article does not report how many farmers received or planted them.

Raman promoted traditional, chemical-free farming and connected it with the protection of soil health and biodiversity. His approach treated farming as more than crop production. It also protected native seeds, local knowledge and the natural variety found in agricultural landscapes.

The article does not name particular techniques, such as composting or crop rotation. It does say Raman argued that traditional methods helped protect soil health and biodiversity. His own farm demonstrated this approach while growing more than 45 indigenous rice varieties, including Gandhakashala and Thondi.

The wider value was educational. His farm served as a learning space for students, farmers and visitors interested in Kerala’s agricultural heritage. By promoting chemical-free practices and native seeds, Raman encouraged farming that supported conservation as well as food production. The article does not measure the method’s specific effects, but it records his clear environmental purpose.

Raman came from the Kurichiya community in Wayanad and carried forward knowledge connected with Kerala’s traditional agriculture. Rahul Gandhi described his work as keeping generations of Adivasi knowledge alive. This made conservation a cultural effort as well as an environmental one.

Raman cultivated more than 45 indigenous rice varieties using traditional farming practices. He shared seeds with farmers and others interested in conservation. He also helped students, farmers and visitors learn about native seeds and agricultural heritage. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said he understood the value of his culture and tradition and lived them proudly.

The article does not describe specific Kurichiya farming techniques or separate contributions from other Indigenous communities. It does show that Raman’s knowledge shaped his conservation work and public teaching. His example connected heritage, farming and biodiversity, while his awards brought national recognition to Indigenous agricultural knowledge.

A plant gene bank is a place or system that conserves genetic material from many plant varieties, usually as seeds or living plants. Genetic diversity matters because different varieties can carry different traits. In general, those traits may help crops cope with pests, diseases, drought or changing climates. The article uses “living paddy gene bank” to describe Raman’s active farm-based conservation.

Raman grew more than 45 indigenous rice varieties, including aromatic Gandhakashala and red-grained Thondi. He also distributed seeds to farmers. Unlike a collection kept entirely in storage, his approach kept varieties growing and connected to people who could continue cultivating them.

The article directly links his work to protecting plant genetic resources, soil health and biodiversity. It does not discuss specific future climate threats or food-security plans. More broadly, conserving diverse seeds gives future farmers and researchers more choices. Raman’s work therefore protected both Kerala’s agricultural heritage and a resource that may support adaptation over time.