Ethno-Veterinary Traditional Knowledge of Some Plants Used in Wardha district (Maharashtra)

Most of the rural peoples in Wardha district, especially having low income rear livestock on diet consisting of high quantities of locally available indigenous fodder plants. In rural areas modern veterinary services are not available and also affordable to the villagers. Hence the small holder farmers and labors rely on traditional knowledge to cure their goats. The present study was conducted to explore traditional knowledge used for treating common diseases of Goats. A questioner was structured for this research work and interviewed the farmers, shepherds and vaidus asking the plants used to treat specific veterinary diseases and their mode of treatment. The documented information showed that about 28 medicinal plants categorized as Trees (13), Shrubs (4) Herbs (4), Climbers (4), Twiners (2) and Bulb (1) were used by villagers. Mostly plants were used for diseases like Enteritis, Maggot wound, Fracture, Tympani, Black quarter and few others. The present paper deals with the ethno-veterinary aspects of these traditional wild fodder plants.