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