Sustainability Practices in KERALA - An example to the world
In Kerala (India), when the laborers are setting up a new establishment, they never chop down the trees that stand on the property. Instead, they dig a hole around the tree and push it aside along with its roots.
It’s actions as simple and emotive as this that eventually make a huge difference.
Isn’t it worth spreading the word…
Onions NHRDF-RED-2 Variety for North India
This New Variety onion NHRDF- RED- 2 developed by our very own scientists at the National Horticultural research and development foundation at Nashik.
The crop matures in 100-120 days after transplantation and average yield is 30-40 tonnes per hectare.
This variety is ideal for growing in Delhi, Uttar pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Rajasthan, Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
For further Queries feel free to contact nhrdf_nsk@sancharnet.in or www,nhrdf.com
(Thanks to R P Gupta & R K Singh and the Hindu)
Cashew stem & root borer infestation
Cashew stem and root borer is a serious pest both in East and West coasts of India capable of destroying an entire cashew tree. Adults are medium in size, dark brown in colour and measure 30-40 mm long.
During the grub stages, the pest feeds inside the tree trunks or branches, boring tunnels causing the tree to wilt. Leaves turn yellow in colour, twigs dry up and the tree dies in 1-3 years depending on the extent of pest infestation.
Infestation extent
Plantations over 15 years old are often infested with this pest. Infestation ranges from 4-10 per cent in affected crops. Adult beetles lay dull white single eggs under loose bark of the stem and roots. Eggs hatch in 4-6 days.
Grubs riddle holes into the stem and bore down into the root. Openings of tunnel are plugged with reddish mass of chewed fibre and excreta with exuding sap at the base of the stem. Larval stage lasts for 6-7 months. Full grown larva measures 7.5 cm long and is creamy white in colour with a brown coloured head. It pupates inside the bore hole in a thick calcareous cocoon. Pupal period lasts for two months. The pest completes one generation in one year.
Control measures
— Survey the plantations during fruiting season and eradicate severely infested trees.
— Adopt phyto-sanitation methods by completely removing the dead trees in advanced stages of infection
— Cut and destroy damaged branches along with eggs and grubs
— Locate loose bark and boreholes and spike out eggs and grubs and kill them periodically.
— Train the newly planted grafts to bear branches at a height of 1metre above ground level. Use light trap at the rate of one per hectare to attract the pest.
— Swab the trunk with a mixture of coal tar and kerosene at the ratio of 1:2 or chloropyrifos 0.02 per cent twice a year once during March-April and again during November-December. Root feeding with monocrotophos at 20 ml/tree is also promising. Thanks to R.K. Murali Baskaran & J. Jayaraj, TNAU, Madurai.
Honorable Vice Chancellor of TANUVAS University Dr. R. Prabakaran receiving the Sardar Patel Outstanding ICAR Institution Award from Honorable Union Minister for Agriculture Mr. Sharad Pawar accompanied by Mr. Harish Rawat and Dr. S. Ayyappan (Dated:July 16 2012)
A very well deserved award – an honor on behalf of the thousands of families benefited through its doctors and scientists noteworthy to mention about the TANUVAS Univ students with cutting edge technology experience from the University.
Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University(TANUVAS), chennai a premier university of global repute has developed and released improved cattle and avian varieties, 27 vaccines and diagnostic kits for prevalent, emerging and reemerging economically important diseases affecting livestock, poultry and fish farm management technologies. TANUVAS has the unique distinction of having developed e-Courses for two undergraduate degree programmes- BVSc & AH and BFSc, the first of its kind in the country. TANUVAS has, through its state wide extension network, been contributing to skill enhancement and human resource development and promptly responding to the livestock, poultry and fish farmers’ needs to optimally accomplish their farming activities to reap the potential benefits and ensure reliable rural employment and income.
All these reasons and more make this Indian University, a world class technological infrastructure to enlighten the futures of all its students in turn to brighten the lives of all its countrymen.
Vegetables from India to Europe
PUNE: The state government has identified groups of farmers in the state who will grow vegetables especially for export to the European markets.
The development comes in the backdrop of importers raising objections about non-availability of pre-harvest information about vegetables that are currently exported. The Union government too has taken serious note of the objections raised by the European Union, said Govind Hande, phytosanitary inspecting authority, state horticulture department.
So far, more than 700 farmers from Thane, Pune, Satara and Nashik have enrolled for this project. They completed the first round of training last week. The current annual revenue from vegetable export is Rs 2,000 crore, of which Maharashtra’s share is 55%.
As per the new arrangement, farmers will produce export-quality vegetables like brinjal, ladies finger, green chilli, bitter gourd, drum sticks and curry leaves. These six vegetables comprise 80% of total vegetable export from India.
A delegation from European Union (EU) member countries visited Pune office of the state horticulture department followed by farm visits in Satara and Nashik. The farmers, who have enrolled for growing exportable vegetables, interacted with the EU panel and shared the traditional agricultural practices followed by them.
A set of guidelines for Indian farmers is being prepared by the state horticulture department. Hande said, “The EU norms are very strict and the government does not want farmers’ produce to get rejected because of small mistakes which will result into losses. A policy has been drawn with help of the Union agriculture ministry and agricultural and processed food products export development authority (APEDA) to set up a chain of growers, processors and exporters. The farmers who have enrolled for the project have been trained through workshops. There will be further workshops on post-harvesting, which will be conducted soon. It will ensure that vegetables grown in a developing country like India meet the quality norms set by the European Union.”
The Union government is developing a ‘Hortinet’ system which is based on the ‘Grapenet system’ which grape growers are using since last decade.
Thane-based exporter of vegetables Kaushal Khakhar said, “Hortinet is a good concept. It will ensure export happens as per the strict norms of EU. The Grapenet system is already successful. If Hortinet is modified keeping in mind that vegetables are harvested daily and not one-time like grapes, it can ensure EU norms compliance.”
For grapes, there is a laboratory testing system wherein samples are tested a few days before they are harvested. However, this system cannot be used for vegetables as they are harvested daily.
Vegetable trade worth INR 2000 crore
The EU has very strict norms for compliance irrespective of the source of produce. For instance, Spain and India need to adhere to the same rules for supplying produce to EU, but the resources at the disposal of a Spanish farmer are far superior compared to an Indian farmer. Spanish farmers have strong trade associations and lobby strongly to get chemicals used by them accepted by the EU. This unfortunately is not happening with Indian farmers. This makes supply to EU that much tougher for the Indian farmer, Khakhar said.
The entire exercise is part of a programme drafted by the Union government to increase trade between EU and India. In the first phase of the programme, six districts each from Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been selected. Pune, Thane, Nashik, Satara, Jalgaon and Amravati have been selected from Maharashtra.Courtesy: Times of India
Aloe Vera - King of Ayurveda - Benefits of its Farming
1. First of all it would be wonderful to raise Aloe vera in Regions of India best suited to fulfill the needs.. they are raised from Himachal Pradesh to Andhra and have world over proven medicinal properties.
2. Aloe vera according to few Forest Officials is disliked by monkey population and could be strategically grown in places where the monkeys pose a threat to vegetation and human population
3.According to Ayurveda, the status of Aloe vera is very high and termed as the King of Ayurved itself and has many miraculous properties too.
4. There are more than 200 varieties of Aloe out of which only 5 are suitable for human consumption
5. This miracculous plant not used for external burns, cuts, etc but also cures internal bleeding, intestinal and digestive tract burns
6. It even regulates blood sugar level too and it is said regular usage of Aloe vera even cures Diabetes for few cases
7. Aloe vera even repels MOSQUITOES***
8. These days one can find them in all cosmetic products such as skin care lotions, moisturisers, shampoos, etc,
9. It can be easily grown even in homes and plz take some time to enjoy this wonderful FOOD of NATURE..
10. In foreign countries refreshing juices contain aloe vera in them too..
Hope this ancient miracle works wonders for our Indian Farmers with necessary developments in production and processing
The Lifestraw – an icon of humanitarian product design – is a small tube that houses some pretty impressive engineering. When water is drawn through the straw, the mechanism inside it purifies water from potential pathogens like typhoid, cholera, dysentery and diarrhea – all before it reaches your lips.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) call for a reduction of the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by half between 1990 and 2015. Yet, an estimated 884 million people in the world, 37% of whom live in Sub-Saharan Africa, still use unimproved sources of drinking water1Lack of access to safe drinking water contributes to the staggering burden of diarrhoeal diseases worldwide, particularly affecting the young, the immunocompromised and the poor. Nearly one in five child deaths – about 1.5 million each year – is due to diarrhoea. Diarrhoea kills more young children than AIDS, malaria and measles combined2. Drinking contaminated water also leads to reduced personal productive time, with widespread economic effects.
Approximately 43% of the global population, especially the lower-income populace in the remote and rural parts of the developing world, is deprived of household safe piped water. Thus, there is a pressing need for effective and affordable options for obtaining safe drinking water at home. Point-of-use (POU) treatment is an alternative approach, which can accelerate the health gains associated with the provision of safe drinking water to the at-risk populations. It empowers people to control the quality of their drinking water. Treating water at the household level or other point of use also reduces the risk of waterborne disease arising from recontamination during collection, transport, and use in the home, a well-known cause of water-quality degradation3. In many rural and urban areas of the developing world, household water-quality interventions can reduce diarrhoea morbidity by more than 40%4,5. Treating water in the home offers the opportunity for significant health gains at potentially dramatic cost savings over conventional improvements in water supplies, such as piped water connections to households6.
Water filters have been shown to be the most effective interventions amongst all point-of-use water treatment methods for reducing diarrhoeal diseases7. The Cochrane review demonstrates that it is not enough to treat water at the point-of-source; it must also be made safe at the point-of-consumption.
LifeStraw® and LifeStraw® Family are both point-of-use water interventions – truly unique offerings from Vestergaard Frandsen that address the concern for affordably obtaining safe drinking water at home and outside. These complementary safe water tools have the potential to accelerate progress towards the MDG target of providing access to safe drinking water, which would yield health and economic benefits; thus contributing to the achievement of other MDGs like poverty reduction, childhood survival, school attendance, gender equality and environment sustainability.
A child using Life Straw to drink water
LifeStraw is now available for sale from two reputable online retailers in the US and Canada for individual customers: www.buylifestraw.com
References
1. WHO and UNICEF. 2008. Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation
2. UNICEF and WHO. 2009. Diarrhoea: Why children are still dying and what can be done
3. Wright, J. et al. 2003. Household drinking water in developing countries: a systematic review of microbiological contamination between source and point-of-use. Trop Med Int Health 9: 106 – 117
4. Ghislaine, R and Clasen, T. 2010. Estimating the Scope of Household Water Treatment in Low- and Medium-Income Countries. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 82(2), pp. 289–300
5. Fewtrell, L. et al. 2005. Water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions to reduce diarrhea in less developed countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Infectious Diseases (5): 42–52
6. International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group). Safe Water for All: Harnessing the Private Sector to Reach the Underserved
7. Clasen, T. et al. 2006. Interventions to improve water quality for preventing diarrhoea (Review). The Cochrane Collaboration
Maharashtra Ban on GM Bt- cotton seeds sale
The Maharashtra government has banned the sale and distribution of the genetically modified Bt cotton seeds of Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco), a partner of US multinational Monsanto, in the state with immediate effect for supplying inferior quality seeds.
“The government has banned the Mahyco company with immediate effect,” agriculture commissioner Umakant Dangat told IANS Thursday, when asked about the cancelling of the company’s licence.
The controller and director, commissionerate of agriculture (Inputs and Quality Control), the licensing authority, took the action late Wednesday under the Maharashtra Cotton Seed Rules, 2010.
The ban comes in the wake of widespread complaints against the company accusing it of supplying inferior quality seeds which aggravated the agrarian crises in rural Maharashtra and spurred suicides among farmers.
Last month the issue was discussed in the state legislature and agriculture minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil then proposed a ban on the sale and distribution of the Bt seeds.
“It is a bold move by the agriculture minister and proves the government has not succumbed to MNC pressures,” Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) told IANS.
VJAS has sought a similar ban on 28 companies sub-licensed by MMB for selling the Bt cotton seeds, and replacing them with traditional Indian cotton seeds, Tiwari said.
India is now the largest cultivator of Bt Cotton, jumping from 400,000 hectares to 12,600,000 hectares now after it was approved for commercial cultivation in 2002 by the regulator, genetic engineering approval committee of the union environment ministry.
Certain Bt cotton variants are suspected of toxicity, damaging public health and environment, and agriculture activists have been demanding a complete ban on Bt technology in India.
Protests have marked the 10th anniversary of the introduction of Bt cotton in the country this year with angry farmers and social activists asking policy makers for a comprehensive review of the technology that was meant for irrigated areas but was pushed in all cotton-growing states.
Tiwari said that while the Indian cotton seeds cost much lower, they are ready for plucking within five months, while the Bt cotton takes upto 200 days.
“Indian cotton seeds greatly reduces the demand and need for additional inputs like water, fertilizers, pesticides and other nutrients,” he added.
cotton seeds from Mahyco
A top state agriculture department official, requesting anonymity, said henceforth, all trading activities of the company shall be illegal and any violations could attract criminal action.
The government has taken precautions to ensure that the ban is implemented without legal hurdles in case the company challenges it.
“We have already filed caveats in the Bombay high court and have given them sufficient opportunities to present their side of the case,” the official added.
Following the ban, there were reports of raids being carried out on some stockists in eastern Maharashtra. Courtesy: Times of India
Trap crops are designed to keep pests away from the cash crop
Trap crops are plants grown to attract insects or other pests that destroy the main crops. The principle of trap cropping rests on the fact that virtually all pests show a distinct preference to certain crops during growing stages.
Trap cropping is economical and environmental benefits are often associated with this strategy. Its potential role in improving the environmental soundness cannot be undermined.
Yet another function of trap crops is their use of attracting natural enemies of pest insects to the fields and concentrating them there to enhance naturally occurring biological control.
Essential features of the trap cropping are that the trap crop must be more attractive to the pest than the main crop, should occupy a small area as far as possible and must be established at an early or later stage or along with the main crop.
Some important trap crops commonly used in pest management include bhendi/okra in cotton to trap bollworms and marigold at the border of the field. Sesamum is commonly being used as trap crop to attract pests such as diamondback moth in both cabbage and cauliflower. Two rows of sesamum for every 25 rows of cabbage or cauliflower can be planted to trap the pest. In groundnut, castor or sunflower can be used to attract leaf eating caterpillar on the field borders.
In tomato marigold or cucumber is commonly used as trap crop for every 15 rows of the main crop to attract tomato fruit borer. In case of field beans, chrysanthamum acts as a trap crop against leaf minor.
Marigold is a potential trap crop in potato and rice against nematodes and snails, respectively.
To trap corn stalk borer in maize sorghum has been exploited as trap crop. Bihar hairy caterpillar in cowpea can be trapped by planting gingelly.
Trap cropping has indicated benefits in terms of economic returns on an average of 10-30 per cent increase in net profits mainly resulting from reduced insecticide use and pest attack. It is a useful strategy in managing several pests in various cropping systems.
(Courtesy: D. N. Kambrekar, Asst prof, S.B.Kalaghatagi, Prof, Regional Agricultural Research Station, Bijapur, UAS, Dharwad, Email: kambrekardn@gmail.com, phone: 08352- 230568. The Hindu)
Students doing study at farm
Many varsities now offer diploma courses to retain rural youth in farming and livestock rearing
Those interested in continuing the family tradition of farming or animal rearing need not wait for four years to be trained in these fields. A two-year course can equip you with the basic information about them.
Agriculture and veterinary universities in Karnataka are offering undergraduate diploma and short-term courses to provide trained hands to the farming sector or to provide para-technical staff to corporate farms and the food processing industry. These are fast gaining popularity.
Increased demand for the undergraduate course in veterinary science introduced last year forced the Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries University to start two more polytechnic colleges this year. Similar is the case with the Universities of Agriculture Sciences in Bangalore, Dharwad and Raichur. They are expanding the number of polytechnic colleges and streams in which the course is offered.
The two-year, four-semester courses have an interesting content of 40 per cent theory and 60 per cent practical experience. Students are given a stipend of Rs. 1,000 per month throughout the course. The agriculture diploma curriculum includes lessons in agriculture, horticulture and even a bit of veterinary science.
Veterinary
The two-year diploma course in veterinary and animal husbandry started last year is exclusive for students from rural areas who have passed the SSLC examinations. After a year of theory classes, they undergo practical training for another year in a hospital and livestock farms by rotation. After a positive response to the course in Konehalli in Tumkur district, colleges have been started in Ganjigatti in Haveri district and Dornalli in Yadgir district. The course is residential.
Students are exposed to farms that breed livestock, sheep and goats, chicken and fish. They are also placed in veterinary hospitals by rotation. The first batch of 50 will complete the course in August next year.
“The main idea behind starting diploma courses is to retain rural youth in farming and livestock rearing,” says the former Vice-Chancellor of the KVAFSU, Suresh Honnappagol. Nowadays, there is a huge market for veterinary graduates and fewer veterinarians are attracted towards government service or teaching. The worst sufferers are industries that need middle-level managers. Graduate veterinarians are either not available or might demand higher salaries. This is where the diploma course makes a difference, he said.
He expressed confidence that there was a sustainable market for veterinarians with a diploma in corporate livestock farms, dairy, poultry and fish farms or food-based industries.
“Creating a cadre of para-technical staff in agriculture and allied subjects is very important,” said former Vice-Chancellor R.N. Srinivas Gowda. “The recent trend is that most graduates don’t go back to farming. They either join government departments or food processing companies. It is very difficult to get qualified personnel for jobs that demand low level of technical skills or to traditional farming. We hope diploma graduates will fill an important void in the system,” he said.
“Diploma students have not less than 50 per cent of the course content that is prescribed for graduate students. The two-semester practical training gives the much needed experience,” says Ravi Deshmukh, training coordinator at the Bidar Krishi Vigyan Kendra where the agriculture diploma students will be trained. Starting diploma and short-term courses is among the ideas promoted by the Central Government through its Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. Diploma courses in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have created an army of agriculture technicians, he said.
“The University of Agriculture Sciences, Raichur, will conduct its courses in Raichur, Bidar, Bheemrayana Gudi in Yadgir and Hagari in Bellary. We have an intake of 35 in each college. We plan to provide 10 per cent reservation to diploma students in B.Sc agriculture courses from next year,” Suresh Patil, professor of UAS-Raichur, said.
Job market
Those who complete their diploma will be absorbed in private food processing industries, fertilizer and seed companies, sugar factories and agriculture and horticulture nurseries. They can also start counselling, he said. He hopes that in a few years, diploma agriculture students may be recruited by government departments.
UAS-Dharwad has polytechnic colleges in Dharwad, Bijapur, Sirsi (Uttara Kannada) Jamkhandi (Bagalkot), Akki Alur (Haveri ) and Hukkeri (Belgaum). UAS-Bangalore offers diploma courses in its colleges in Bangalore, Mandya and Hassan. Boys and girls are admitted to both agriculture and veterinary courses.
Course fees are affordable and are in the range of Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 5,000 for two years for students of various categories.
Certificate courses
UAS-Raichur, UAS-Dharwad and UAS-Bangalore offer certificate courses. Courses in agronomy and agriculture marketing can be completed in six months. UAS-Bangalore offers a one-year diploma in Agriculture Extension Services for input dealers (DAESI). The candidates have an option of attending classes only on weekends. UAS-Bangalore offers a diploma in organic farming and a diploma in Bakery Products Technology for rural women.
Other courses
The undergraduate diploma course in animal welfare offered by the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bangalore, is popular among researchers and animal lovers. The Karnataka State Open University offers a one-year diploma in veterinary pharmacy. Courtesy: RISHIKESH BAHADUR DESAI The Hindu