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| AGRICULTURE TRIBUNE | Monday, October 27, 2003, Chandigarh, India |
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Plant
wheat on raised beds to save resources SALT:
technology to get nitrogen and save slopes in one go Tree talk To save
mahseer, save its home |
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Plant
wheat on raised beds to save resources
RAISED-BED planting of wheat is advantageous in areas where ground water levels are falling and herbicide-resistant weeds are a problem. And such conditions are common in Punjab. Wheat sown with this technique in medium to heavy soils with good moisture has shown promise with better yield (3-4 per cent) and more efficient use of natural resources as compared to conventional sowing. Advantages — Management of irrigation water is improved, simpler and more efficient. — Saves 30 per cent water. — Higher yield. — Saves 25 per cent seed. — Fertiliser efficiency is increased because of better placement, including top dressing applications. — Wheat seed rates are lower but plant stands are better. — Better tillering, increased panicle/ear length and bolder grains. — Farmers can apply nitrogen and irrigation at grain filling stage to improve protein content without lodging. Reduced lodging gives better yield. Many farmers do not irrigate after heading to avoid lodging, as a result, water can become a limiting factor during grain filling, resulting in lower yields. — Bed planting facilitates irrigation before sowing and thus provides an opportunity for weed control prior to planting. If pre-sowing irrigation is likely to delay planting, bed planted crops can be irrigated immediately after seeding. — Weeds between the beds can be controlled mechanically, early in the crop cycle. — Herbicide dependence is reduced and weeding and roughing between rows are easier. The major weed species affecting wheat, Phalaris minor, is less prolific on dry tops of raised beds than on the wetter soil found under conventional method. Raised beds make it easier to apply herbicides as the person spraying can follow a line. — On raised beds, the plants catch more sunlight. Apart from better growth, with that the soil around the base is drier and prevent lodging. — Compaction of soil due to heavy machinery is limited only to the furrows. Crop management Use only the recommended variety for planting of wheat on raised beds. Seed rate: For planting on raised beds, a seed rate of 30 kg per acre is sufficient to obtain a yield similar to 40 kg per acre with the conventional method. Seed treatment: Attack of termites may be a problem in sandy areas. Treat the seed with 4 ml Dursban/Durmet 20 EC (Chlorpyriphos) or 7 ml Thiodan 35 EC (Endosulfan) per kg seed. Dry the seed before sowing. Irrigation: On an equal-area basis, irrigation depth of 5 cm in bed-planted wheat is sufficient, as compared to 7.5 cm under conventional sowing. Fertiliser: Use the same recommended dose of fertiliser as for conventional sowing. Bed planting helps better utilisation of fertiliser because of retaining the basal dose in the beds, where plant roots are concentrated. Weed control: Weed emergence on the beds is less and the control of weeds on both beds and furrows is possible through intercultivation (with tractor) integrated control of weeds. Spray Leader @ 13 g or Topik @ 160 g or Puma Super @ 400 ml per acre by dissolving in 100 litres of water for effective control of grassy weeds, especially Phalaris minor (gulli danda), after the first irrigation, i.e., 30-35 days after sowing, 2-3 leaf stage of Phalaris minor. After one week of this application, apply 2,4-D (sodium salt) @ 250 g per acre in 120-150 litres of water for the control of broad-leaf weeds. Don’t mix these herbicides, otherwise their efficiency is reduced. Topik/ Puma Super/ Leader should be used only in the fields where Phalaris minor is not controlled with continuous use of Isoproturon. Otherwise, use Isoproturon @ 500 g in 200 litres of water per acre 30-35 days after sowing. Post-emergence herbicides must be rotated each year to reduce the development of resistance in weeds. Bed planter Sowing of wheat on raised beds is possible with the development of the bed planter, which enables sowing 20 cm apart on a 37.5cm wide bed and 30cm wide furrow between two beds. An adjustment in these is also possible with this planter. The following measures should be taken in this technique: —The field should be level and well prepared before making beds. — Make beds well in advance and irrigate to encourage germination of weeds before sowing and then control these weeds mechanically or during the sowing operation or by applying gramaxone (Paraquat) @ 500 ml/acre in 200 litres of water before planting. — Do not allow drying of the upper soil layer before sowing, otherwise the seed will go deep and affect germination. —Take special care regarding the depth of seeding. —At times, due to an
imbalance in the machine attached to the tractor a soil layer forms on
one side on the top of alternate beds, which may hamper seed
germination. Balance the machine to remove this soil layer. |
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SALT:
technology to get nitrogen and save slopes in one go
IN northeast India, where it is thought that agriculture is not possible the non-traditional way, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) is bringing about a ‘nitrogen-propelled green revolution.’ North-East India Committee on Relief and Development (NEICORD) is an organisation that functions through churches and other voluntary organisations in the North-East (NE) to bring about individual and community-level transformation. One of the menaces that captured the attention of NEICORD was jhum cultivation, wherein forests are burnt for agricultural purposes, resulting in massive soil erosion and denudation of bare slopes. Says Lather Mylliemnap, head of NEICORD, sarcastically: "You know the beauty of jhum, the slash-and-burn agriculture. In the first year, the yield is good. In the second, it is even better, and by the third, everything is gone." Lather says that jhum is an environmental problem of enormous proportions that has eroded the fragile topsoil to a large extent and cultivable land has become scarce because of the increase in population. "Farmers have to produce more from limited land. To do this we are pioneering a technology in India called sloping agricultural land technology (SALT). Through this we have been able to control soil erosion and maintain soil fertility in the West Khasi Hills (Meghalaya) and Manipur," he says. SALT is a simple and low-cost method that can be practised on hill slopes. The strategy is to use tree legumes to improve the fertility and stability of the soil, thereby saving the cash-starved farmers from bearing prohibitive chemical fertiliser costs. Crops are grown in 5m-wide bands between contoured rows of leguminous flora, which could be shrubs and trees. These are thickly planted in double rows to form hedgerows. The hedge is cut by 1.5 m when it attains a height of 2 m and the cuttings are strewn in the alleys (between hedgerows) to serve as biomass, mulch and organic fertiliser, or green manure. From this, SALT technology has earned the sobriquet of alley farming. Some common nitrogen-fixing soil-binding plants are alder, flemingia and leucaena. The crops raised are beans, betel nut, peach, seasonal vegetables and fruits. In short, terraces are out and alleys are in. "We sent down one of our colleagues to the Philippines to learn this technology and have replicated it successfully here. Nitrogen-fixing trees, which are planted along the contours, have dual effect. One, they prevent soil erosion by 90 per cent and, two, they restore soil fertility. The areas where we have been successful are Riangdo, Jinamjiri, Vangai, Tousem and Hejaichack," claims Lather. Citing success a story from Jhinamjiri, Manipur, he discloses that earlier people in this area, which lies 400 km from Shillong, were literally hand-to-mouth and had no food security. "Then we moved in. Today Jhinamjiri produces food in excess. Farmers have formed a cooperative society and sell their produce through that. They are already earning profits," he says. Lather, however, agrees that the SALT method has its own limitations. "At altitudes of more than 4000 ft, nitrogen-fixing fauna has not shown very good results. The success is reduced by 50 per cent there," he says. For implementation, the NGO runs a rural-life centre at Umsning, 20 km from Shillong, where farmers are trained to improve the area under slope farming and propagate quality seeds. — This article has
been facilitated by a fellowship given by the National Foundation of
India under its North-East Media Exchange Programme. |
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Tree
talk GULAR is a partially deciduous tree with medium to large stature. The scientific name being Ficus glomerata, some its regional names are kurnambal, rumbal, kakammal, dadhure, umra, umar, kathgular, etc. A common tree of the sub-mountainous tract, it is particularly noticeable by a peculiarity that it sheds leaves during monsoons, i.e., July-August, while most deciduous species do so during autumn and or winter. It comes up naturally in nullah depressions or on riverbanks. Phenology The leaves of gular are alternate, 10-18 cm long and 5-8 cm broad, generally oblong. Glabrous green above, the leaves are dull green and pubescent beneath. Old leaves keep falling throughout the year while new ones appear during March-April. The flowers being hardly visible to the naked eye, the fruit appears directly on the stem branches during April/May. The globose fruit is 4-6 cm in diameter. It is greyish when raw and pinkish red when ripe. The bark is greyish white, smooth and 5-6 mm thick. Distribution Gular is a native species of Asia. In the Indian subcontinent, its natural habitat starts from Burma and extends up to Afghanistan. Altitude wise, its zone starts at sea level and goes up to 1200 m. Temperatures between 0`B0 and 40`B0C being most suitable, the plant adjusts to a variety of soils as well. Moist sandy loam soil is, however, ideal. The wood Being only a reasonably fast growing species, gular wood is moderately hard. The colour of the wood from a young tree is dull white and that from a mature one is grey. It weighs about 16-18 kg to a cubic foot. However, more than its wood, gular is valued for its religious aura. The Hindus use this wood as fuel in various yajnas. The wood is not very strong. It is, therefore, used mainly as firewood. Nevertheless, it can last better in under-water use. Freshly cut logs can be submerged in water and the sawn pieces can be stored in a covered and well-aerated godown. The timber so seasoned is used in carts, well curves, packing cases, or even poor man’s furniture and agricultural implements. Medicinal value Oriental practitioners consider gular fruit very useful. While the raw fruit is considered ‘sarad tar’ (less caloric) the ripe one is ‘garam’ (potent: full of nutrition). The raw fruit is used as a vegetable, and the ripe one, being sweet and full of pleasant aroma, is taken like any other fruit. It is laxative in effect. It also gives relief from cough, dysentery, etc. A ‘joshanda’ made out of dry leaves is considered helpful for cough, cold, asthama, worms, etc. Gular comes up naturally
in a variety of environments. It is seldom raised manually because of
the abundant natural regeneration. However, for academic interest, the
species can be raised in nurseries. In that case, the seed is
collected during May-June. |
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To save
mahseer, save its home
STUDIES conducted by the Department of Zoology, Panjab University, say the population of golden mahseer is declining in Himachal Pradesh. Prof M.S. Johal of the department says mahseer population has declined by 50 per cent during the past 10 years. Even a 1998 report of the Lucknow-based National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, "Conservation assessment and management plan," says it is facing extinction. The decline is not restricted to any specific area. It is a widespread. Mahseer, also known as the tiger of Indian rivers, is an indicator fish species for the overall health condition of water bodies. Its growth, density and reproductive potential are indicators of water quality and the size of the river. It has been declared endangered by the Washington-based International Union of Conservation of Natural Resources. Mahseer, the longest-living freshwater fish, is native to mountain and sub-mountain regions. It belongs to the genus Tor. In the Himalayan region, two species are found — the golden mahseer and the Tor mahseer. In the middle Himalayas and lower parts of the western Himalayas, golden mahseer is common. The mahseer population is declining due to various reasons, including construction of dams, barrages, pollution and human interference. The construction of dams restricts the mahseer to being a local population. Its biology, growth rate and size are, thus, influenced by the local conditions. Mahseer migrates upstream for spawning during southwest floods. After spawning, it returns to the original feeding grounds. It is available at altitudes of up to 2,000 m and is purely carnivorous. Molluscs, insects and insect larva form part of its food chain during starvation. Dr Johal suggests the following measures for its conservation: — Study its growth parameters on the basis of a scale study. This will help in pinpointing the areas having maximum growth and the age of the fish. — Owing to dams, most of the stock has become land locked, which results in inbreeding. Breeding between widely separated stocks must be undertaken for genetic improvement. — Certain insecticides should be banned. Malathion, an organophosphorous insecticide, is more toxic, even at low concentrations, to aquatic organisms than to terrestrial mammals. — Identification of migratory routes, breeding grounds, biotic, abiotic and geomorphological factors should be done. Breeding streams like Kahn, Baner, Ali, Gamrola, Daber and Ghatti should be declared sanctuaries. — Artificial breeding and stocking of mahseer seeds should be done in natural conditions. It is more difficult to practise artificial breeding on coldwater fish than on warm-water fish. So a hatchery must conform to the local conditions and the parent stock should be collected from a nearby stream. —The government should ban the harvesting of fish that is less than 50 cm in length. The close season should be species specific, according to the breeding habits and the local conditions. — Suitable conditions should be created in mahseer’s natural habitat. Rockier the river, the better it is for this fish. —There is a need to study the hill streams, which are the nurseries for 95 per cent of the fish of the Himalayan region. Earlier researches have concentrated only on major rivers and reservoirs. |
