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Our village, situated near the banks of the Cauvery River, is known for its fertile lands filled with paddy and sugarcane fields during our childhood. However, due to labor shortages and the younger generation opting for non-farming jobs, the fields have gradually been transformed into coconut and mango orchards.
Farm location: Nanniyur pudur village, Karur, Tamilnadu.
The farm was once a barren land and we started developing it since December-2014.
Kaizen @2014
Kaizen @2023
And this is how the farm has evolved,
INITIAL SETUP
As we started developing, we started with fencing the land, followed by borewell drilling, establishing electricity connection and laying pipelines to facilitate drip irrigation.
FIRST TIME HARVESTS
We harvested from our farm for the first time, and it was an incredible feeling to have the produce grown by ourselves. We enjoyed sharing it with our neighbors and selling the extra stock to the local store.
TRADITIONAL/ORGANIC PRACTICES
The field is always adopted with the organic/sustainable practices. Mentioning here the practices we do follow and its implications.
RAINWATER HARVESTING:
To maintain a high groundwater table and prevent soil erosion, pits measuring 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep are dug across the width of the land at intervals of 100 feet. These pits collect rainwater, allowing it to percolate into the ground. This helps preserve the topsoil, which is rich in decomposed organic matter and vital for healthy soil.
JUL-2020
After a rain, the rainwater harvest pit is almost full.
MULCHING THE SOIL:
Mulching is the process of covering top layer of the soil with decomposable materials. This layer of soil is home to microbial life that continuously breaks down the organic matter and returns valuable nutrients to the soil. By applying mulch, moisture retention improves, leading to water conservation.
MAR-2016
Mulched with Tephrosia Purpurea(leguminous plant)
JAN-2021
The irrigation trench mulched with Gliricedia Sepium (Leguminous plant)
MULTICROPPING:
Multicropping involves growing different types of plants in multiple layers within a field. This helps maintain a balanced nutrient level in the soil, as each plant absorbs nutrients differently. Only the harvested fruits are removed from the farm, while the remaining plant matter is left to decompose on the field. Soil microbes aid in the decomposition process, returning nutrients to the soil. This decomposed material, known as soil carbon, is crucial for soil health, with 4% to 6% soil carbon being ideal. To increase soil carbon levels, it is important to promote beneficial microbes and provide the necessary materials for decomposition.
FEB-2016
105 feet * 135 feet field with <10> different varieties of trees
NUTRITION MANAGEMENT:
We do apply cowdung manure twice a year.
During the rainy season, when we receive rainfall from the North West Monsoon, we sow the seeds of Tephrosia Purpurea, which is a type of leguminous plant. This particular variety has the ability to thrive even in regions with low rainfall. Once the plants mature, we harvest them and use them as mulch around the base of other plants. Leguminous plants are unique because they not only absorb nutrients from the soil but also have nitrogen-fixing bacteria naturally occurring in their roots. These bacteria play a vital role in fixing nitrogen, enriching the soil with this essential nutrient.
Apart from this, we do supplement with the below listed fermented mixtures at regular intervals.
AMIRTHA KARAISAL:
Making: A mixture of cow dung, cow urine, sugar, and ground dhall (as a protein source) is combined with water in specific proportions. This mixture is then left to sit for a period of 2 to 3 days, allowing the microbes to multiply. After this fermentation process, it is applied to the field.
How it works: Cow dung and cow urine contain naturally occurring beneficial microbes. By multiplying these microbes with the help of glucose and a protein source, we create a nutrient-rich mixture that can be applied to the field. This mixture can be applied every 2 weeks.
Benefits: The application of this mixture provides crops with essential nutrients and enhances the overall microbial activity on the farm, leading to improved soil health and plant growth.
FISH AMINO ACID:
Making: Combine equal amounts of fish choppings (or fish waste collected from fish stalls) and jaggery powder. Allow the mixture to ferment for 30 days in an airtight container.
Application technique: Dilute the fermented juice with water at a ratio of 3 to 5ml per liter of water. This diluted mixture can be sprayed directly onto plants or mixed with the water used for irrigation. For vegetables, apply once a month, while for trees, applying every 3 months is sufficient.
Fermented Oil Cake Juice:
After extracting oil from oil cake, the remaining residue is fermented for approximately 3 days. This fermented residue is then mixed with water and applied to plants. For vegetables, it is recommended to apply this mixture once a month, while for trees, applying it once every 2 to 3 months is sufficient.
NOV-2016
Fertigation system setup
The diluted solutions mentioned above are drawn from the blue barrel container and injected into the water pipe that supplies water to the plants.
PEST CONTROL
Pest Repellent:
Making: Chop leaves from plants such as Neem, Aloe vera, Mukia maderaspatana, Adathodai, Aristolochia Bracteolata, Calotropis, etc., into small pieces. Soak them in cow urine and let it ferment for about 20 days.
Application: Dilute the fermented mixture with water at a ratio of 3 to 5ml per liter of water and spray it directly on plants.
How it works: Different pests are attracted to specific plants based on their odors. By applying this mixture, the odor of the plants changes, making them unattractive to pests. It is recommended to spray this mixture every 2 weeks as a preventive measure.
Neem Oil:
Neem seed oil can be mixed with khadi soap and applied to plants every 2 weeks. This alters the taste of the leaves, reducing pest attacks.
Note: Pest control serves as a precautionary measure and should be followed regularly. However, if a pest infestation becomes severe, it becomes a battle between the plant and the pests, and it cannot be completely cured. In cases where the pest is unidentified, we rely on nature's assistance for recovery. In most instances, plants are resilient and can recover easily from pest attacks.
TIMELINE
YEAR-2020
YEAR-2023
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