Two days training programme from 4th to 5th March, 2024 on “Advanced cultivation for sub- Tropical Fruits” has been organised by Abhinavakrishi Research Organization, Sambalpur, Odisha in collaboration with the Indo-Israel Centre of Excellence – Centre for Subtropical Fruits, Ladwa, Kurukshetra, Haryana.

Day one of the programme focused on Advanced production technology and understanding the specific requirements of several sub-tropical fruit species such as Pomegranate, Mango, Guava, Sapota and Litchi. Apart from that the first day of the program focused on training and pruning practices that help maintain the balance between vegetative and reproductive growth, ensuring healthy fruit production. Discussions were carried out on several methods to facilitate the adaptation of low-chilling temperate fruit varieties of pear, peach, plum, and apple in sub-tropical areas & tropical highlands of India.

The second day of training commenced with a visit to the food processing unit of Mr. Dharambir Kamboj Ji at Damla, Yamunanagar, Haryana. His innovation of “Multi-Purpose Food Processing Machine” not only expands the scope for fruit processing but also advocates for possibilities of employment generation and reduced food waste. Through his Multipurpose Food processing machine, which operates on principles encompassing cutting, mixing, pulping, juicing and distillation, he has paved the way for the comprehensive utilization of fruits, vegetables and flowers. The same apparatus can be employed for extracting essential oils from aromatic and medicinal plants. Producing pulped juice and preparing juice that is ready for immediate consumption. Afterwards, farmers actively participated in practical sessions focusing on different grafting and budding techniques, that are essential for producing robust seedlings ready for transplantation, specifically tailored for subtropical fruits at CSTF, Ladwa.

With the collaborative efforts of both organizations, farmers gained valuable insights into improving fruit production in sub-tropical as well as tropical fruit species cultivation and nursery management. Through collaborative efforts, we aim to address the specific challenges of fruit cultivation in tropical and subtropical climates of India. Participants engaged in discussions regarding potential collaborations between CSTF, Ladwa, and Abhinavakrishi, Sambalpur.

The goal is to leverage each other’s expertise for the adaptation of low-chill temperate fruit varieties in the Eastern Ghats hills of Odisha. This partnership has the potential to significantly impact fruit production addressing our sole vision towards achieving excellence in innovative farming practices for the improvement of small and marginal farmers of India.

Jai Bharat Jai Kisan (www.abhinavakrishi.com)

Abhinavakrishi Research Organization Sambalpur Odisha

The snag of the water crisis, commonly called as drought, is not an uncommon issue in the state of Odisha. Historically, the ‘Na Anka Durbhikhya’ had already proved the prolificacy of drought and its consequences in the state. Apart from the five districts such as Bolangir, Bargarh, Phulbani, Nuapada and Kalahandi which are marked as the drought-prone areas, the coastal Odisha had also been suffered, although not frequently as the formers but severely in the current year.

In the mid-2021, the northern, central and coastal northeastern Odisha comprising the districts of Jajpur, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Bhadrak etc. have also experienced a huge water crisis. In the state of Odisha, 26 districts barring Khordha, Jagatsinghpur, Koraput and Malkangiri have recorded deficient rainfall of 20% or above. Jajpur was the worst affected with 54% less rainfall. It is observed in the blocks of Jajpur and Bhadrak district that after a long standby, the paddy fields are being less transplanted by lift irrigation by using private pump sets which is undoubtedly unaffordable for the long run. Consequently, the paddy fields were severely affected.

As the periodicity of drought in Odisha is usually once in five years and is mostly confined to the drought-prone areas of the state and the northeastern coastal plain experiences plenty of annual precipitation which is sufficient for the crops like paddy, then the question arises, should this temporary irregularity in rainfall be a relevant reason for the reduction of paddy yield and should the same be considered as a parameter for affecting the annual income of a marginal farmer or disturbing the state agricultural GDP . The prevailing rainfall is usually observed during mid-June and persists up to the end of August. However, in this year (2021), the climate alternation has brought minimal precipitation during the monsoon. Simultaneously the dry spell period has dominated over the monsoon months.

Usually, in the drought condition, a farmer completely relies upon the accountability of rain falling in his field, whereas the primary cause is hidden behind the faulty cropping system and intercultural practices. One would suggest a lot more solutions to the prevailing issues where most of them are not feasible in the current scenario of the state.

Firstly, crop rotation is a safe alternative to beat the dry spell period by the use of alternative crops like legumes or millets. However, this option is preferably considerable for farmers those who don’t rely upon rice completely as their livelihood. In the northeast coastal Odisha, there is uncertainty in drought prevalence where a farmer couldn’t plan a resistant variety of paddy against it. Most often, the problem is observed after a standing nursery bed is raised. This leaves no option to modify the variety in between the cropping season.   

Secondly, drought breakers such as mulching and greenhouse cultivation for paddy is restricted to western countries only as there is large scale cultivation of paddy in India which wouldn’t give space to such intensive methods and is not affordable to the farmers as well.

However, the average moisture level in the paddy field can be maintained by the use of safe alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This might sound weird to the commercial ears, but factually, the constant deposition of chemical inputs over the land for a longer period results in forming a hardpan and depletes the moisture level of the soil. Minimum use of chemical inputs or replacing the same with organic manure containing humus as the major constituent which effectively restores moisture (70-80%) in the soil for years. The frequency of drought occurrence is also reduced by adopting the Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) with minimum use of inputs in the field.

There are other productive options to counter the drought prevalence such as making water reservoirs near the agricultural fields for rain water harvest and utilizing during the dry spell. An acre of paddy field may consist of about four to six small fields in general, which can be effectively irrigated by a reservoir of dimensions (25x15x10) feet. The reservoirs must be covered by concrete lids to check evaporation.

Moreover, plantation of avenue trees in a radius of about 200 meters around the rice field and along the bunds as well was found to minimize evaporation loss. These trees take about three to five years for full canopy development. When we think about our traditional methods of rice cultivation, broadcasting seed during summer (Bihida dhana chasa)  can be carried out during the expected drought year in the rainfed districts of Odisha to save our standing crop from loss due to irregular or deficient rainfall.

Lastly, the Government should equally emphasize creating lift irrigation projects on a wider scale, both in rural as well as urban agricultural sectors. Various irrigation projects have been officially planned but unfortunately, most of them are limited to the files only. Utilization of the two perennial rivers of the coastal plain, the Brahmani and the Baitarani should be made by encouraging dams and reservoirs. The Rengali project that has come into action in the districts helps foresee a better agricultural structure of the belt. Eventually, the seasonal MSP (Minimum Support Price) of paddy should be raised during the period of disaster to stabilize the state economy and be a safe alternative for the paddy farmers.

Author Details:

Bimal Dash

Block Project Coordinator (Odisha Millet Mission)

Joda, Keonjhar

Mail-bimaldash.ar@gmail.com

mob:9776994620