Mechanical transplanting workshop…in photos

Site inspection and land preparation

At the start of the season the land was identified where the experiment would take place. Land preparation was undertaken with care to ensure all clumps of soil are broken down. Ploughing was carried out twice, once with a power-tiller and once with bullocks and a traditional plough.

Offloading machinery

The machinery was brought from Pilar Nature Farms, run by the Society of Pilar. The Yanji Shakti mechanical transplanter is available for rent from this farm. It can also be bought at Goa Tractors (Mapusa). Presently, this machine can be purchased at a 70% subsidy, provided under a scheme of the Depratment of Agriculture.

Machine being assembled

The machine was then assembled on the site.

Wheel and motor being mounted

The wheel and the motor were mounted onto the machine.

seedlings raised in a special nursery are used

Seedlings are raised in a specially prepared nursery so that they grow into a dense cluster, resembling a  mat. This mat is then cut into appropriate sizes to be fed into the machine. As can be seen above, the seedlings are strongly held together and can be transported, in what resembles ’tiles,’ without any damage.

Greeting guests with the first harvest and presentations before the demonstration starts

Before the actual demsontration, several presentations were made by representatives of the Directorate of Agriculture, Pilar Nature Farm, SAMETI, Ela Farm, ICAR and Goa Tractors.

Presentations made before the demonstration

Over 45 people were present at the event. Mr. Remy Gass, who has a beautiful old Goan home, allowed the Club to use his verandah for the presentations.

Transplantation in progress

The demonstration was carried in three plots of land adjacent to one another. The soil in these plots is clayey and is said to be suitable for the operation of this machine.

Watching the transplanter in action

Vandana watched as her field was being planted rapidly. others present also gathered eagerly to watch the machine in action.

Transplantation com pleted and gaps are manually filled in

In 47 minutes, the machine managed to translpant the three plots. Areas around the corners that were left out (as the machine turns) were filled in manually by Vandana

Participants at the workshop and the Drum Seeder still to be tested

From left to right: Frank Talbert (Goa Tractors); Celly D’souza (NABARD); Mr. Mahambare (Chorao Farmers Club); Ulhas Kavlekar (Karapur Watershed Association); Dr. Prabhudesai (ICAR); Mr. Abreu (Chorao Farmers Club); Mr. Verenkar (ZAO, Tiswadi); Mr. Amrik Singh Deul (Branch Manager, Central Bank-Chodan ); Dr. Fernandes (Asst. Director of Agriculture, FT); Mr. Chodankar (Chorao Farmers Club)

Also, the Drum Seeder has been given to Vandana as part of the experiment. It is to be used under drier conditions. The Club will test its usefulness during the next season.

Chorao Farmers Club tests Agriculture Machinery

The Chorao Farmers Club, will be testing the feasibility of mechanised paddy productionin order to evaluate the usefulness and cost effectiveness of an 8-row paddy transplanter on a test plot in Chorao island.

With support from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and NABARD and under the guidance of the Department of Agriculture and the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, the Chorao Farmers Club will be transplanting paddy seedling using a transplanter on Monday 20th July.

The members of the Chorao Farmers Club, who have a high dependence on rice cultivation, have been dogged by labour availability problems in recent years. The shortage in labour availability coupled with increasingly high labour costs have been contributing to the retardation of agriculture in the state. The use of the paddy transplanter is expected to significantly reduce the labour cost required (by upto 50%) during the transplanting of paddy seedlings from the nursery into the fields – which is one of the largest components of overall labour costs in the cultivation of paddy. The chart below shows this activity makes up about 31% of the total operative costs of paddy production when labour is hired. This also cuts down the time required for the transplanting process by over 90%.

Source: Chorao Farmers Club experiment for the paddy season in 2008

In order to use this transplanter the main change required by a farmer is in the plantation of the nursery. Thick mats of seedlings need to be developed in what is known as a ‘Dapog Nursery’. These can be compared with the ‘tiles’ of fine grass available for planting lawns. Specific sized seedling-tiles are fed into the transplanter, which can plant 8 rows in one go, and there is a predetermined distance at which clumps of 5-7 seedlings will be pulled out from the ‘tile’ and transplanted. Typically, this transplanter can cover 1 acre (approximately 4,000 sq.mts) in two hours.

Pre-monsoon Paddy Clinic

The KVK held a special Paddy Clinic for the Club members. Besides distributing some basic farm inputs like lime, seeds and trichoderma, discussions were held regarding paddy sowing techniques, land preparation etc. Some highlights are presented below:

Collecting farm inputs at KVK, Goa

Tips for paddy cultivation:

• Goan soil tends to be acidic (naturally as well as due to the use of chemical fertilisers and urea). Thus, to neutralise this acidity chuna/lime should be incorporated in to the soil at the time of land preparation. For every 300sq. mtrs, 8kg of lime should be ploughed into the soil

• Use Trichoderma to treat seeds before planting them – trichoderma is a variety of fungus, common in soil and root systems. The chemicals released by these fungi have a strong local effect and assist in the control of plant disease, increase root growth and development, crop productivity, resistance to abiotic stresses, and uptake and use of nutrients.
• Bokashi (made from EM and rice husk) is also very good for land preparation. Its main function is to enrich soil with microbes. These eventually help fix nitrogen for plants. Bokashi must be added 10 days before planting of seeds. Due to its high level of acidity, it can potentially harm seedlings. Therefore a gap of 10 days after addition of bokashi to soil is important. 1 sq. mt of land needs approximately 30-40 gms of bokashi (i.e. 30-40 kgs per 1000 sq. mts or 120kg-160kg/acre of land)
• EM-5 – can be used as a natural repellent for ants. EM 5 is a non-toxic chemical free insect repellant used to repel pests and diseases in crops.
  • Ingredients:
    • Water
    • Molasses
    • Natural Vinegar
    • Distilled Spirit/Ethyl Alcohol/Whisky
    • EM
  • Method: Mix the five ingredients in the ratio 6:1:1:1:1
    Seal the container. Release gas at regular intervals and re-seal till the formation of gas has subsided. Store in a cool and dark place.
  • Use:
    Spray EM5 diluted in water 1/500-1/1000 to wet the crop.
    Start spraying after germination, before pests and diseases appear.
    Spray in the morning or after heavy rains.
    Apply EM5 regularly.
• Phosphorus Solubalising Bacteria (PSB)[1] : Goan soil contains phosphorus but it is contained within aluminium and iron molecules. These bind the phosphorus in such a way that it is not possible for the plant to assimilate it for its needs. (Phosphorus is essential for plants to fight disease). KVK provides farmers Phosphate Solubalising Bacteria (PSB). This needs to be added to cow-dung (1 packet can be used for 2 gadaas of dung). After adding, it is mixed and kept covered by a plastic sheet for 2-6 days. After a couple of days it can be opened to mix and stir. After a period of about 6 days it can be mixed in the soil. This will assist the plant to uptake phosphorus from the soil.

---

[1] Phosphate Solubalising Bacteria: Some bacteria like Aspergillus awamori have the capacity to solubalise the phosphates fixed in soil. It must be recalled here that most of applied phosphorus is fixed in soil, and a small part of it is available to plants every year as labile phosphorous. When such bacteria are grown in large quantity in soil during the plant growth they release large quantities of phosphorus from fixed sources and make it available to crop roots. Recently such bacterial fertilizers are also made available in the market. Phosphate solubalising bacteria have potentiality to solubalise 10 – 20kg phosphorus per hectare – there by avoiding the necessity to apply phosphatic fertilizers.

Towards Sustainable Farming – A Workshop

Workshop on Sustainable Agriculture

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this workshop is to provide farmers a first-hand account of what it mean to manage farms ‘organically’ as well as identify clear options for the Club to take steps towards organic farming in their context.

SPEAKERS

Mr. Jayant Vaman Barve: A post-graduate in Physics from Bombay University. He was a researcher in Physical Chemistry at the prestigious National Chemical Laboratory [NCL] and a lecturer in a degree college, who went back to his native town to be with his parents as he was the only son. From manufacturing Para-Nitro Aniline, a chemical dye intermediate, to selling chemical fertilizers and pesticides to becoming an organic farmer producing and marketing both, organic inputs like manure and food products like grapes and cereals, Jayant Barve has come a long way. He is now an ardent apostle of organic farming and his mission is to convert the whole of India to organic farming through the Organic Farming Association of India [OFAI] and its associates in every state.

Mr. Jayant Barve - from selling chemical fertilisers to organic farming

Mr. Barve spoke of his experience as an orfanic farmer since 1988, touching on the dangers to the environment and to human health, from the use of chemicals in agriculture. He stressed on the importance of the farmer in making the right decisions on the nature of farm inputs used. He outlined key elements of organic farming that need to be followed and the benefits of advanced research in organic farming that helps farmers retain yield levels.

Mr. Miguel Braganza: An agriculturist, Miguel is currently the Additional Director of the Organic Farmers’ Association of India and a Horticultural Consultant. He has worked with the Department of Agriculture in the past and continues to be a very active civil society member. His passion for agriculture and gardening is evident from the various activities he has been involved with. He has initiated and been an integral part of the Botanical Society of Goa, conceptualized and presented the Konkan Fruit Festival since 2003 along with the ICAR and Dept. of Agriculture. He has edited several books on agriculture and presently writes a weekly column called “Green Thumb” for the Gomantak Times.

Explaining the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) for Organic Certification

 

Mr. Braganza outlined the process through which farmers can obtain an organic certification for their farms. The Peer Guarantee System (PGS) that has been developed by the Organic Farmers Association of India (OFAI) helps facilitate the process of obtaining certification for small-scale farmers through a peer guarantee system.