polambadi session on importance of natural control , preserving natural enemies, identification of pests and natural enemies 

VISIT OF DR. RAGHUNADH FROM CSA , HYDERABAD

Dr. RAGHUNADH, FROM CENTRE FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE , AN NGO,
HAS VISITED CHEEPURUVALASA VILLAGE AND POLAMBADI RECENTLY.
CSA IS IMPLEMENTING NPM ( NON PESTICIDAL MANAGEMENT) IN SOME 8 -10 VILLAGES WITH THE HELP OF SERP(IKP) , THROUGH WOMEN'S ORGANISATIONS AND UTILIZING WOMEN GROUPS IN VILLAGES.

IN THIS PICTURE YOU CAN SEE G.V. VIJAYA KUMAR ,MANDAL AGRICULTURAL OFFICER , EXPLAINING ABOUT POLAMBADI CONCEPTS TO THE WOMEN FARMERS AND SABALA ( NGO) CO-ORDINATORS 

FFS SESSION IN PROGRESS

POLAMBADI SESSION ON VERMICOMPOST , ALTERNATE
PEST CONTROL , NSKE PREPERATION AND NEEM OIL SPRAY . 

LAY OUT OF POLAMBADI PLOT

Polambadi plot at
NIMMALAPALEM VILLAGE
FARMER : B.APPALANAIDU
EXTENT : 2 AC.
ICM PLOT 0-40 AC
FARMERS PRACTICE
PLOT 0-60AC
PLOT FOR CONDUCTING
EXPERIMENTS AND
OTHER STUDIES 1-00 AC

SPIDERS - FARMERS' FRIENDS

AN ORB SPIDER - PRESENT IN PADDY FIELDS . AN IMPORTANT PREDATOR
PREYS ON MOTHS AND
OTHER PESTS OF PADDY. 

VISIT OF OBSERVERS FROM COMMISSIONERATE ,HYDERABAD

SRI MANSOOR AHMED, AN OBSERVER FROM COMMISSIONERATE OF AGRICULTURE , AP, HYDERABAD
HAS VISITED POLAMBADI PROGRAMME ON 4-09-06 AND INTERACTED WITH THE FARMERS.
IN THIS PICTURE, SRI GOMPA SRINIVASA RAO ,AND B.APPALANAIDU,FARMERS ARE SEEN EXPLAINING, THEIR EXPERIENCES TO THE TEAM.
SRI K.LAKSHMANARAO, i/cJDA,AND SRI R.SIVARAM ASST.DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE ,KOTHAVALASA ALSO VISITED 

OBSERVATIONS IN EXPERIMENTAL PLOTS

A GROUP OF POLAMBADI FARMERS IN NIMMALAPALEM
RECORDING OBSERVATIONS IN P.A.R EXPERIMENTS. 

NIMMALA PALEM VILLAGE -WORK DONE

A BASE LINE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED IN NIMMALAPALEM VILLAGE
DURING MAY2006 .
TRAINING ON POLAMBADI WAS CONDUCTED AT FARMERS TRAINING
CENTRE , VIZIANAGARAM TO 5 NOS. OF SELECTED FARMERS ON 25-05-06.


3O FARMERS WERE SELECTED FOR POLAMBADI PROGRAMME.

A COLLABORATOR (HOST FARMER) WAS ALSO SELECTED .
NAME OF THE HOST FARMER : BOBBARI APPALA NAIDU 60 YEARS

A 2.00 AC. PLOT OF COLLABORATOR WAS SELECTED FOR IMPLEMENTING INTEGRATED CROP MANAGEMENT (ICM) TECHNOLOGY
DULY COVERING THE GAPS IN PADDY CULTIVATION THAT WERE
FOUND IN BASELINE SURVEY.


FARMERS ARE DEVIDED INTO 4 GROUPS AND THEY WERE ALLOWED TO
CHOOSE THEIR LEADERS.

AN ENTRY POINT ACTIVITY ON SYMPTOMS OF PESTICIDE POISONING
ON HUMAN BODY WAS CONDUCTED .

A BALLOT BOX TEST WAS CONDUCTED TO KNOW THE LEVEL OF
KNOWLEDGE OF FARMERS REGARDING PESTICIDES , PESTS ,
DISEASES , PREDATORS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS PRESENT
IN PADDY FIELDS.

A TRAINING PROGRAMME ON SEED QUALITY, AND SEED GERMINATION
AND PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN WHILE PURCHASING SEEDS IS
ALSO CONDUCTED ON 13-07-06 IN THE VILLAGE.

SEED GERMINATION TEST WAS DEMONSTRATED ON 13-07-06.

SOIL SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED FROM FARMERS' FIELDS AND
SENT TO SOIL TESTING LAB ,VIZIANAGARAM.

A SOIL TEST KIT WAS ALSO PROVIDED AND 2 SAMPLES WERE
ALSO ANALYSED IN THE VILLAGE ITSELF, BEFORE SEASON.

RESULTS RECEIVED FROM STL ,VIZIANAGARAM WERE
COMMUNICATED TO FARMERS IN THE FORM OF SOIL HEALTH CARD.
TRAINING ON SOIL TEST BASED FERTILIZER APPLICATION WAS
ALSO GIVEN.

FARMERS WERE TRAINED ON SEED BORNE DISEASES AND SEED TREATMENT.

PSEUDOMONAS - A BIO AGENT FOR SEED TREATMENT WAS ALSO SUPPLIED
ON 50% SUBSIDY TO THE FARMERS.
DEMONSTRATION OF SEED TREATMENT WAS CONDUCTED .

EXPERIMENTS IN FIELDS 

WOMEN FARMERS OBSERVING

IN CHEEPURUVALASA POLAMBADI WOMEN FARMERS ARE SHOWING INTEREST IN OBSERVING PESTS AND DEFENDERS

PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH

In polambadi farmers learn things by doing .
They conduct LONG TERM AND SHORT TERM EXPERIMENTS
in their fields . The Agricultural Officer will act a FACILITATOR only,
and help them by brief explanations and to bring out answers from
farmers themselves.

Group Dynamics are also conducted as ice breakers when some farmers
feel it to difficult to learn too many things .
POLAMBADI is a great experience .They expolre the science in their fields.


In polambadi we see ,how natural enemies help our fields .
we learn , how pests damage our crop.

We learn, how to control pest populations
by conserving natural enemies in the fields .

WE LEARN HOW TO GROW A HEALTHY CROP
We observe the crop regularly.
Finally farmers become experts .

POLAMBADI- FARMERS OF CHEEPURUVALASA- not for a village festival but for learning science in their fields

IN CHEEPURUVALASA VILLAGE OF KOTHAVALASA MANDAL ENTHUSIASTIC FARMERS MOVING INTO FIELDS IN GROUPS TO CONDUCT AGRO ECO SYSTEM ANALYSIS( AESA) IN POLAMBADI PLOT

AN EXPERIMENT -- USING TRAINED FARMERS AS MESSAGE CARRIERS

An experiment is in progress in all mandals of the state of
ANDHRA PRADESH.
For the first time farmers are being used as facilitators to
conduct polambadi in one village in each mandal.
The farmers are being paid with TA and DA to a tune of
Rs 125 per polambadi session .IN OUR DISTRICT ,
Two farmers selected from
previous polambadi village are once again being trained at
FARMERS TRAINING CENTRE ,VIZIANAGARAM
IN A SEASON LONG TRAINING PROGRAMME . They will go
to the selected polambadi village and conduct polambadi
in a planned and programmed way.The department of Agriculture
is expecting good results as the polambadi message can
be effectively carried by these farmers.

FARMER FACILITATORS P.NAGARAJU & T.ESWARA RAO

POLAM BADI FARMERS WITHMANDAL AGRICULTURAL OFFICER G.V.VIJAYA KUMAR , AND AEO ,M.APPA RAO 

GROUP PHOTO OF POLAM BADI FARMERS OF NIMMALA PALEM VILLAGE 

PADDY NURSERY SUBJECTED TO SEVERE SHOCK AFTER IT IS PULLED 

GAPS IDENTIFIED IN PADDY CULTIVATION

GENERAL:

SHALLOW SOILS ,LOW ORGANIC CARBON CONTENT ZINC AND IRON DEFICIENT SOILS
NO SCOPE FOR WATER MANAGEMENT,
CULTIVATION UNDER SMALL RAIN FED TANKS


MISTAKES COMMITTED BY FARMERS;

1.USING HIGH SEED RATE 60-70 Kg per ACRE.
2. 5 CENTS NURSERY INSTEAD OF 10 CENTS FOR ONE ACRE MAIN FIELD.
3.NO SEED TREATMENT.
4.APPLICATION OF FYM TO SESAMUM CROP ONLY.



5.INSUFFICIENT PUDDLING.
6.PLANTING IN FLOODED CONDITION.
7.DEEP PLANTING .
8 PLANTING 20 TO 25 SEEDLING PER HILL.
9.LOW PLANTPOPULATION.
10. NO BASAL FERTILIZATION .
11. EXESS UREA APPLICATION 2-3 BAGS PER ACRE.



12.HIGH DOSAGES OF PESTICIDES.
13. NO KNOWLEDGE ON BIOLOGICAL CONTROL.
14. LITTLE KNOWLEDGE ON PEST AND DISEASES.
15. INDESCRIMINATE USE OF PESTICIDES
16.SPRAYING PESTICIDES AGAINST DISEASES.
17.LOW VOLUME OF SPRAY FLUID ...50 TO 60 LITRES ONLY PER ACRE.

BASE LINE SURVEY RESULTS

A BASELINE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED IN PB VILLAGES
TO KNOW THE PRESENT STATE OF KNOWLEDGE OF
THE FARMERS IN RESPECT OF PESTICIDES, DOSAGES ,
THEIR POISONING EFFECTS, BIOLOGICAL CONTROL ,
NATURAL ENEMIES, RECOGNITION OF PESTS AND DISEASES ETC .


30 POLAM BADI FARMERS AND 5 OTHER FARMERS HAVE BEEN INTERVIEWED.

COLLECTION OF SOIL SAMPLES AND TESTING WAS ALSO DONE ,WELL IN ADVANCE.

POLAMBADI( FFS ) PROGRAMMES 2006

POLAMBADI programmes are being implemented
under 3 categories during kharif 2006 in PADDY crop.


Grade I Nimmala palem village

Grade I using FARMER FACILITATORS .......Cheepuruvalasa village

Grade II Thummikapalli village

Grade III Musiram and Kothasunkari palem villages
( on farm extension demonstrations)

To conduct a successful polambadi we have to apply both our body and soul and work sincerly . we get wonderful results which was previously proved.

Paddy is the major food crop of vizianagaram district

EARTH WORMS

EARTH WORMS ARE BEING PRODUCED AT VERMI HATCHERY
AT CHEEPURUVALASA VILLAGE OF KOTHAVALASA MANDAL. GOVT.OF ANDHRA PRADESH IS ENCOURAGING SMALL FARMERS TO SET UP THEIR OWN VERMICOMPOST UNITS BY PROVIDING UPTO 75% SUBSIDY WHICH INCLUDES A CASH COMPONENT OF
Rs. 3000/-for construction of shed and 3 pits. 

HAPPY NEWS

PENTA SRIRAM PURAM OF GANTYADA MANDAL IS IN THE NEWS ONCE AGAIN.
SRI SOPAN JOSHI NEWS EDITOR ,FROM DOWN TO EARTH MAGAZINE
MOST POPULAR , ENVIRONMENT FORTNIGHTLY IN INDIA AND WORLD
CAME ALL THE WAY FROM DELHI TO STUDY THEIR CULTIVATION PRACTICES.

WHEN I JOINED AT GANTYADA , THE PEST PROBLEMS WERE VERY SEVERE AND FARMERS USED TO BLAME THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE . I HAVE TRIED MY BEST TO GAIN THEIR CONFIDENCE AND WE COLLECTIVELY ACHIEVED 100%PESTICIDE FREE CULTIVATION DURING 2002 AND 2004 .
FARMERS INFORMED THAT THEY ARE CONTINUING THE SAME.TIMELY SOWING ,BALANCED N APPLICATION WITH POTASH, INCORPORATION OF MORE
ORGANIC MATTER CONTENT ARE THE REASONS FOR THEIR SUCCESS.

THE PADDY SEASON JUST STARTED.A SMALL FARMER IS LEVELLING HIS FIELD BEFORE TRANSPLANTATION OF PADDY SEEDLINGS. 

MOTHER EARTH

MOTHER EARTH

I KNOW HER .......MOTHER EARTH,
SHE BREATHS IN THE FORESTS,
SHE FLOWS THROUGH THE RIVERS
AND CRASHES ON THE SHORE
WITH THE SEA.
I FEEL HER ARMS AROUND ME ,
NURTURING ME
AND ALL SHE ASKS IN RETURN IS
TO LOVE HER , CARE FOR HER, NURTURE HER



..................................FROM PANCHAMAMA

PANCHAMAMA means Mother Earth
in the old Inca language of
South America

collected from www.unep.org

VERMI HATCHERY BEDS-54 ft x 3 ft SIZE -5 Nos.

 

VISIT OF MANDAL AGRICULTURAL OFFICERS TO THE VERMI HATCHERY ESTABLISHED AT CHEEPURU VALASA VILLAGE OF KOTHAVALASA MANDAL 

we are conducting SLTP -SEASON LONG TRAINING PROGRAMME TO FARMERS FACILITATORS AT VIZIANAGARAM ON POLAMBADI 

THANK U FOR COMMENTS

I AM VERY HAPPY .I AM SURPRISED TO SEE 2 COMMENTS ON MY BLOG . I NEVER EXPECTED THIS WILL HAPPEN. THANK U FRIENDS . I WILL TRY TO POST MY VIEWS ON EVERY SUNDAY FROM NOW ONWARDS.

A TEAM LEADER EXPLAINING THE ILL EFFECTS OF PESTICIDE POISONING TO HIS FELLOW POLAMBADI FARMERS 

viaya kumar

GEOCIDE - HOW SOIL IS KILLED BY MAN 

GEOCIDE

GEOCIDE

While nature takes centuries to build
one inch of top soil ,thousands of tonnes of this precious
material is being wasted in brick and tile making .
There is no law against GEOCIDE.

mixed cropping vegetables in maize

polam badi continued

polam badi maize at M.R.Puram-Field Board

maize borer 

maize polambadi continued

Mixed/inter cropping:
farmers have taken up inter and mixed cropping with
AMARANTHUS , CORIANDER,RADISH, PALAK ,HIBISCUS
The vegetable crops will come to harvest with in 20-30 days .
Income:the additional net income excluding family labour , per acre is
Rs.5000-6000 /-
Farmers have no need to spend any amount from their pocket towards
fertilizers ,irrigation charges for maize crop.
observations/results:
How staggered sowings helped:During Aesa conducted on 2 feb '06
farmers observed heavy infestation of pinkborer in some fields.
(Azadirachtin (neem based pesticide) was supplied on 50% subsidy.)
How ever on late sown crop pink borer was not seen.The predator popuations
increased in every early sown field have taken care of late sown crop.
On 8 March 06 no pink borer was observed.
How mixed cropping helped:
farmers observed more and more populations of LADY BIRD BEETLES on Radish
and Amarathus leaves .
Almost 3-4 paederus insects and 2 coccinellid beetles
found on each maize plant during ,mid february to march AESA observations.

MAIZE POLAMBADI- RABI 2005-06

VILLAGE: M.R.PURAM A.E.O: K.S. PRAKASA RAO
AGRIL.OFFICER : G.V.VIJAYA KUMAR
NO. OF FARMERS : 30 R.M.G. Involved: Sri Veeranjaneya RMG & Bangaruthalli RMG

Introduction:
MAIZE is cultivated in M.R.Puram village only for the past 6-7 years.
Farmers use to sell greencobs in local market.Farmers are hard working,
and never waste a single minute. Each family has got,not less than 3 milch cattle.
They grow vegetables through out the year except in kharif .

Cropping pattern: Vegetables- paddy -Maize/vegetables- Vegetables

FARMING SITUATION: TANK FED - MEDIUM SOILS supplemented by wells
Soil sampling and analysis was conducted during 2005 and also Jan,2006:
PH: Neutral O.C: Low P2 O5 : High K2O: Low WELL DRAINED SOILS.

Baseline survey conducted during January 2006 revealed that farmers used to apply
METHYL PARATHION DUST against pink borer and also were using even synthetic pyrethroids
and MONOCROTOPHOS on maize and vegetables.
Higher doses of pesticides often lead to resurgence due to death of natural enemies.
Farmers have no idea about beneficial insects.
Crop losses and increase in cost of cultivation is also noticed.
Farmers do not know that pesticides can ruin their lives.
They informed they got reeling sensation and burning sensation after application of L-Cyhalothrin.
Farmers were thinking that Lady bird beetles were damaging their crop.
SPECIALITIES OF M.R.PURAM POLAM BADI:
1. Upgraded from grade iii OFED i of 2004 to grade i.
2.Active involvement of members of 2 RYTHU MITHRA GROUPS
During February 2006 a group loan of Rs. 75,000 was provided to Sri Veeranjaneya RMG
through State Bank Of India ,DENDERU branch to take up Maize crop.
3. Mixed and Inter cropping with LEAFY and other Vegetables.
4. STAGGERED SOWINGS: An Innovative Market Intelligence.
Because the crop was grown for green cobs,farmers have opted to sow the crop
in 4 intervals to ensure better price in the market.
Staggered sowings from 10 th January to 12 February 2006 are followed.
10, 11 th JAN ---- 4.00 Ac
26,28 JAN --- 4.00 Ac
3, 4, FEB ---- 2.00Ac
12 FEB --- 2.00Ac
This will ensure regulated supply and continuous demand and leads to better price.
more in next posting-----

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.