kharif polambadi results

polam badi means farmers field school is a field based learning experience for 30 farmers .
The main idea behind polambadi programme is to empower farmers in integrated crop management
and to reduce unnecessory pesicide applications, controlling pests through alternate ways and using neem based pesticides which will help in increasing NATURAL ENEMY POPULATIONS which will control the
pests.
Before polambadi :
Pre-polambadi survey at THUMMIAPALLI village

1. Ignorance and lack of awareness regarding the ill effects of pesticide usage.
2. application of heavy doses of pesticides like lamda cyhalothrin,monocrotophos.
3. using small quantities of spray fluid
   
4. spraying 4-5 times in a paddy season.
5. application of 5 bags of urea per acre
6. no idea about beneficial insects and natural control.
7. low yields of 16- 18 bags( 1375 kgs/ac)
8. high cost of cultivation of > Rs.6500/ac

EFFECTS OF POLAMBADI-KHARIF2005

1. Farmes now believe that there are friends in their field to protect their crop.
2. many now recognised that the man cause of pest out breaks in previous years is elimination of natural enemy populations resulted by unnecessory pestide applications.
3. Urea application was reduced by 50%.
4. Sprayings as well as quantity of chemicals used was also reduced by 75%.
5. heavy infestation of leaf folder was controlled by just one spray in the village.
6. Jassids ( Green Leaf Hoppers) were controlled by fire traps on community basis.
7. farmers got awareness on the adverse effects of pesticides to both the human beings and to the agro eco system.
8. though they have sown the crop with over aged seedilings of 65-75 days ,due to failure of monsoon they got more than 16 bags per acre.