Agroforestry - A blog on Agrihortisilviculture

Trees as fulcrum for rural development - by Dr.G.Kumaravelu

2013-02-03T03:54:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

I have received an interesting email from The Great Dr.G.Kumaravelu, former State Planning Commission member and former PCCF, a visionary of our times on Sunday, 3^rd February, 2013, 1:27PM. The letter is written in his usual inimitable style, truly expressed his concern for not only farmers but also environment and Govt. policies. I am sharing his mail (though personal) with our readers since keeping it in my ‘inbox’ is not going to serve any purpose. I feel really happy that we, the farmers, have these kinds of rare breeds among us with penchant for ‘upliftment of farmers’.

The letter:

"It is high time that the Governments mandate through their Industrial policy that at least 33% of Industries in the states to be established in future should use BIOTIC RAW MATERIAL like herbs, shrubs and Trees than ABIOTIC.

Now if you introspect, the fact that more than 90% of industries existing are using metals, chemicals and minerals like stones, sand, lime etc. The more affluent the society becomes, it becomes more effluents ridden. This causes more pollution for which we are scratching our brain to find appropriate solution and what is worse is that this malady remedy dilemma gets perpetuated. If trees are tailored for specific end use and through appropriate post harvest technology, full tree utilization is achieved. We can certainly make them to exemplify as fulcrum for rural development.

We should take into consideration the carbon footprint and the water foot prints in the choice of species. The govt should encourage (apart from the present encouragement given to paper pulp), non-effluent industries like veneer, plywood, particleboard, compressed wood, MDF (Medium density fibre board), furniture and construction wood fabrication units.

Apart from the above, encouragement should be also given to de-centralized electric power production units which adopt gassifier technology. The resultant bio-char can be impregnated with cow urine and beneficial microorganisms like azospirillum, phosphobacteria, psudomonas, Trichoderma viridi, VAM Etc.,. Application of this enriched biochar in the field will enhance the productive potential of our dead and desiccated soils which are deprived of essential nutrients, lost through leaching.

I had proposed COGENERATION OF FOOD WITH WOOD, when I was in planning commission. I am glad to see that the programme of ‘TREE CULTIVATION IN PRIVATE LANDS (TCPL)’ started by me while in service had picked up. I am aware that much more have to be done in this. Enthusiastic tree lovers and cultivators like you should be given more opportunity to contribute more. I wish more role for the members of tree growers association in govt programmes.

I am presently concentrating on screening best phenotypes of Melia dubia suitable for acid soils to alkaline soils. I am more concerned with the steady raise of TDS (Total dissolved Solids) in the bore-well waters of TN. My own farm bore well water has more than 4000 TDS. Less than 500 is desired for trees. I have one Melia dubia grown to 125 cm gbh in 4000 TDS WATER in 7.5 yrs in my farm which had been cloned. We have to screen and select plus trees for problem soils and water.

I AM NOW CONCENTRATING ON SELECTION AND SCREENING OF SUITABLE FAST WOOD SPECIES AND PHENOTYPES THAT ARE FIT FOR BUND PLANTING SUITABLE FOR VENEER. That can give more profit for farmers. ..one final good news. I had selected one phenotype of Melia dubia which has grown to 8 mts ht with 25 cm gbh in 6 months after planting.....I am cloning that....THAT IS HOW WE CAN MAKE TREES TO EXEMPLIFY AS A FULCRUM FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT...i am dabbling with two more species which will give more profit ....Let us try our best.

I CONGRATULATE YOU AND THROUGH YOU ALL THE TREE LOVERS. LATER I WILL WRITE TO YOU HOW WE CAN ENPOWER AGRI ECOSYSTEM THROUGH TREE PLANTING".

WITH WISHES,

DR.G.KUMARAVEL.

Shared to farmers, scientists, environmentalists and policy makers by,

A.Vishnu Sankar.

Apical shoot deformity in Melia dubia (Malai Vembu, Konda Vepa, Hebbevu) plantations:

2013-01-20T04:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Melia dubia (Malai Vembu, Konda Vepa, Hebbevu) is now in lime light only because of its tremendous initial growth i.e., during first two years even in marginal soils with sparse irrigation. Its growth after that initial period vastly differs from field to field and the current field reports are not that much encouraging in many parts of Tamilnadu, Andhra and Karnataka states.

Growth variation is so huge that even in my field, girth increment of some 4 year old trees are 200% more than 8 year old trees. Since too much hype has been generated already, reality will sink in slowly and in the coming years farmers will come to know about the type of soil required, soil depth, climate, tolerance to maximum temperature, drought tolerance and water requirement for successful cultivation of Melia dubia.

Though drought tolerance of this tree is moderate, it becomes ‘stunted’ during prolonged droughts. Tree will shed all its leaves and the growth stops during extreme and prolonged hot conditions. Do not plant in Alkaline soil, clay, sodic soils and wherever there is poor soil depth. Melia grows well in irrigated (weekly once) soils where pH is below 7.5.

All the plants in a field will not grow uniformly and the trees planted in bunds and near water channels exhibits rapid growth and attain enormous girth within 4 - 5 years. The presence of this kind of + trees though in small percentage are brought to centre stage by ruthless traders to make quick money. The pictures and Videos of young yet enormous Melia trees you find in 'Net' are carefully selected picks from the above +trees among a vast lot of average plants. So, don’t get distracted and be realistic in your estimates as the law of averages will always come to play even in your field.

‘Apical shoot deformity in Melia dubia’:

I happened to notice in my field last year that apical tip (actively growing top most tip of a plant) of about 5% to 8% of my Melia trees were found to be deformed. On closer examination I could not able to see any pest infestation (bore hole) leading to canker or any fungal infestation. In the later months I happened to see the same mysterious deformity in many parts of Tamilnadu and Karnataka states. I showed this condition to CCF and ACCFs of Forest Extension Department in their own demo plots itself in various districts.

The affected tree exhibits no vertical growth and for identification purpose I named it as ‘Apical shoot deformity in Melia dubia’. The affected plant part is usually about 1.5 to 2 feet, swollen, black in colour, rigid, one third of the length curved like a sickle or coiled. A tree planted in my backyard first showed this deformity about 2 years back. Now, the growing tip of lower most side branch of the same tree is also got affected.

Picture of deformity in side branch:

At the time of my visit to Forest College Research Institute (FCRI), Mettupalayam, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu on May, 2012, I pointed out the same deformity of apical tip in some Melia dubia trees (2 %to 3%) in their demo plots also that had not been observed by them earlier. The photos I had with me at that time were not good (long shots) so requested the FCRI people to take close up shots since they have a very high portable aluminum ladder to reach the tree tops easily. I fervently hoped that with all the correct persons, knowledge, equipment and lab, FCRI can find the reason and suggest a remedy which will definitely benefit poor ‘Melia tree grower’. After continuous follow up I came to know that exact cause of this condition is still not identifiable and they are also receiving same complaints from many Melia fields in T.N.

Then I happened to hear from few scientists of Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding Institute (IFGTB), Coimbatore that they have also observed this when they visited some pest infested Melia fields (Melia plantations affected by ‘Stem borers’ and ‘root grubs’) for on the spot assessment. According to them the scale of ‘Apical shoot deformity’ is up to 10% in some fields and their initial studies have revealed that this attack is neither due to insect nor due to fungus. Lab tests were going on to assess whether this is a viral infection since severely infected plots are located adjacent to fields with gourd family (Cucurbitaceae) vegetables which are a major source of virus pathogens.

Let these research institutions come with their findings at their leisure. We can not blame them since they don’t have virus testing facilities in their labs and even If they identify the cause for this deformity it has to be proved scientifically, has to be documented, corroborated by senior scientists before press release.

May be this deformity is due to physiological or environmental factors also. I kindly request our knowledgeable readers and ‘Melia growers’ to come out with their view. May be some of you might have invented cure for this infection. Speak out !, since you are the correct person to judge the cause and suggest remedy for this mysterious ‘Apical shoot deformity in Melia dubia’.

Regards,
A.Vishnu Sankar

Constraints faced by tree growers:

2012-12-30T01:35:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

I have been asked to prepare a list of constraints faced by tree growers in India by a Chief Conservator of Forests, Department of Forests, Tamilnadu. He would have thought that obtaining this kind of information directly from a tree grower will be realistic and an eye opener to the higher echelons in his department and the Government. But what he received from myself must have left him embarrassed, no doubt.

When I started to type the list, it grew to 32 hurdles to my utter disbelief and to the dismay of our respected officer. 32 hurdles will be difficult even for an Olympic hurdles runner to surmount. Truly a huge task for a tree grower.

Constraints faced by the tree growers:

I. Constraints from Nature (God?):

Vagaries of monsoon (Poor rainfall, excess rain, high temperature and prolonged drought).
Pest and disease occurrence.
Damage to crop by cattle and wild animals (especially wild boar).
Damage to crop by Birds (especially peacock).

II. Constraints from Govt.:

Poor assistance from Govt. for land development.

Poor assistance for Soil reclamation.

Poor assistance for water reclamation.

Poor assistance to establish ‘Farm ponds’ and ‘Percolation ponds’.

Poor assistance to put up solar fencing.

Nil assistance to fence our farm land (other then solar).

Nil assistance to avail drip irrigation facility for tree cropping.

III. Constraints in schemes of Dept. of Forests:

Non availability of preferred species.
Non - availability of good seedlings.
Non – availability of seedlings at the preferred time.
Provision to supply plants of various types with different maturity periods (short, medium and long duration varieties) is not adhered to.
Maximum ceiling level for the supply of seedlings is not adhered to.
Quality of seedlings from Forest nursery.
Transport of Seedlings from nursery. Cost / Damage / Other hurdles.
Replacement for plant mortality (for gap filling) is inadequate.
Inadequate training and lack of sound and easy to adopt technical guidance.
Market promotion and publicity materials are quite inadequate.
Delay in inspection and issuing of cutting / transport permit.
Non-Establishment of Agro-forestry model plots.
Incentives:

a)      Inadequate provisions.

b)      Duration of period (Max. No. of years) to avail incentive

c)      Delayed payment of Incentives.

d)      Method of Incentive payment.

IV. Infrastructure Constraints:

Inadequate credit facility from Banks/Govt. institutions/NGO and others.

No provision for Crop Insurance.

Lack of awareness and knowledge about growing trees.

Lack of organized groups like SHG, NGO, and other forums to support.

Quality of seedlings from private nursery.

Non - availability / timely availability of quality organic manures.

Labour shortage.

High labour wages.

Of course, I might have left some 'constraints' by oversight here. I kindly request our readers to point out the omissions in the above list to draw a complete (pathetic) picture.

Comment for the future of farming is your

comment for the future of mankind.

Regards,

A.Vishnu Sankar.

President,

Tirunelveli District Tree Growers Association.

Tamilnadu.

Suggestions to improve 'Tamilnadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project':

2012-12-20T02:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

We would like to bring to everybody's notice that through 'Tirunelveli District Tree Growers Association', we have made several suggestions to the Forest Department of Tamilnadu to improve ‘Tamilnadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project’ (TBGP), to turn it more farmer friendly at the execution level, in order to achieve the desired objective of planting 10 crore trees in 5 years. As special invitees, we had participated in many TBGP meetings right from the time of its inception to its' present advanced execution stage.

In reel life it is very common to witness scenes where petitions from a common man on submission to our rulers (read all powerful politicians and even more powerful bureaucrats) finds its way to dustbin in a matter of minutes. It is no different in real life also. But by God’s grace, nothing sort of that happened to our demands submitted to the State Forest Dept. There are one or two honest officers still alive and kicking in the decayed corrupt system. May be the presence of these tribe who are on the verge of extinction (endangered species of course) are the reason for the failure of these doomsday/apocalypse predictions like ‘end of Mayan calendar and the end of world on 21^st Dec, 2012’. It is a mere coincidence that I happen to publish this article a day before the much hyped doomsday.

(Pic. courtesy: ecofuture).

It is a great pleasure to announce that most of our suggestions were favorably considered by the Forest Department of Tamilnadu and found incorporated in the 'TBGP' project. Our heartfelt thanks to Mr.K.Chidambaram.,I.F.S., and Sri.Irulandi., I.F.S., Chief Project Director and Project Director respectively, who head the 'Project Management Unit' of TBGP, for their continuous support in achieving this impressive feat. Some of the suggestions made to them on behalf of farming community are given here:

1. Farmers normally don't have the knowledge to select a Tree variety that suits his land's soil type and water quality. Under the existing scheme, he is planting whatever variety he is getting from the Dept.of Forests. Due to wrong selection or supply, plant mortality is high at the field in the initial months itself. So before effecting supplies, the Dept. should take soil tests and water analysis tests in the identified farm land and should suggest to the farmer, suitable crops and the necessary cultivation techniques.

2. At present 'Drip irrigation subsidy' is not available for the cultivation of Trees. It is sad to note here that our Govt.rules and Acts not spared even border crops that act as fencing or as wind breakers to the farmer's field. More area will be brought under tree cultivation if the Govt, permits 'Drip irrigation subsidy' for tree crops. This is surely a short cut way to increase our country's green cover.

3. More number of Pamphlets and brochures with details of tree varieties, cultivation techniques, their maturity, preferable soil types Etc. should be released by the Forest Department for the farmer's benefit.

4. It is advisable to provide plants of various types with different maturity periods (short, medium and long duration varieties) to the marginal farmers instead of a single variety there by assuring him of a regular income.

5. Maximum ceiling level ( number of plants) for Bulk plantings should be removed.

6. Incentives for the tree growers may be increased to 3 years for short term tree crops and 5 years for long gestation tree crops. It is better to release the incentive amount at the end of the year, after seeing the results, instead of at the year beginning as is the case now.

7. It is not possible to raise the required number of plants and all the varieties in the nurseries of Forest Department alone. So, we should entrust this work to interested individual farmers, NGOs and SHGs. The planning should be in such a way, so that only plants identified for that particular village are allowed to cultivate in the nursery. By this way the farmer can avoid the huge transportation costs, and he is free to take delivery of the plants whenever he feels that climatic conditions are favorable for planting.

8. In continuation of the above, the farmer who is willing to establish a nursery exclusively for timber plants may require bank finance. So, a recommendation letter from the Forest department to the concerned banker to the effect that the farmer is a technically qualified person in the nursery keeping and the buy-back of the raised plants from the nursery by the Dept is guaranteed.

9. Farmers who are willing to do Agro forestry but have lands in rain fed areas and drought prone areas usually don’t come forward due to the high cost of land development expenses. We should help them by providing subsidies in leveling the field, to form bunds and to create structures for rain water conservation.

10. The tree crops raised under ‘TCPL’ scheme (Tree Cultivation in Private Lands) should be allowed to cut on maturity. These scheduled timbers should be allowed for transportation after sale and the Dept. should issue “No Objection Certificate”.

11. The Govt. should give importance and priority to “Agro-forestry” also, like the encouragement it gives to Horticulture and Spice crops. This can be done by enacting laws and by providing adequate funds to enhance acreage, coverage and productivity of timber crops so that farmers can be weaned away from water consuming traditional crops there by assuring them of appropriate returns.

Before concluding this post, I want to share this rather sad information:

This year under 'TBGP' project about 1 Crore tree seedlings were raised at various forest nurseries and kept ready for free distribution to farmers at the onset of monsoon. But, due to total failure of both South west and North east monsoons in Tamilnadu, the authorities could not able to move even 50% of the raised seedlings to the identified beneficiaries.

"Man proposes, God disposes".

May be man proposes only disposables.

(Pic.courtesy: multiwood).

For Tirunelveli District Tree and Medicinal Plants Growers Association

A.Vishnu Sankar,

President.

'REDDiness' is needed to implement REDD+ :

2012-12-13T00:03:00.000-08:00

'REDD'+ paves way for availing Carbon credit from soils.

Dear friends,

The long pending demand of environmentalists and organic growers is heeded (partially of course) at last by the UN. REDD+ is a UN programme under development which is likely to be included in a post 2012 international climate agreement.

It is a well known fact that atmospheric CO₂ is fixed as carbon in not only terrestrial vegetation but also in soils. In fact, ‘Soil’ is the major medium that contains more carbon than all terrestrial and atmosphere combined.

You may wonder then why tree sequestration alone is taken into account under Kyoto standards when finding the amount of ‘C’ sequestrated in soil is very easy when compared to the difficult task of finding them in trees?. Fertility of the soil is determined by the net amount of organic carbon content available in it. If the O.C is more than there will be reduced usage of agro-chemicals. (Click link 1, Link 2 and Link 3).

It is sacred soil. Not dirt.

Pic.courtasy: Colorado Boulder.

So, the main intention of the inventors of this carbon credit trading system, with enormous aid from giant agro-chemical and seed companies, was not to encourage the production of fertile soil but to retain their current potential market which otherwise will vanish if there is improvement in soil fertility. To put it simply, these mega multinational companies will suffer huge losses with the decrease in the usage of chemical fertilizers and the so called doctored hybrid seeds.

The Kyoto protocol has also established that the tree grower has to give a legal guarantee that he won’t cut trees for 30 years (in some cases for 100 years). It is illegal to convert the land for food production or even grazing land. The farmer can not sell his land and he can only reclaim his land for future use when all the carbon credits are refunded in hard cash or replaced by credits from some place else. By adopting these clever strategies, emergence of new fertile agriculture areas can be restricted thereby encouraging agriculture in lands which need constant chemical inputs.

Now, this major lacuna is find (seems to be) addressed in the proposed REDD+.

REDD+ means ‘Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation', and '+' means enhancing carbon through sustainable forest management, without sacrificing the ecosystem services, livelihood and biodiversity. Thus, REDD+ is sustainable forest management through conserving forest and enhancing carbon stock.

Thus, REDD is a global endeavour to create an incentive for developing countries to protect, better manage and save their forest resources, thus contributing to the global ﬁght against climate change.

If this programme is implemented fully then the consequences will be far reaching as it envisages assessment of carbon not only above ground level (read ‘trees’) but also below ground level (read ‘soil’). To put it simply, financial value of the carbon added in the soil over and above the value of carbon already stored in the base line year will be suitably compensated by money or can be availed as carbon credit.

There are yet to be solved challenges like, How will the REDD+ mechanism link to existing national forestry programs? How can forest communities and farmers participate in the design, monitoring and evaluation of national REDD+ programmes? How will REDD+ be funded, and how will countries ensure that benefits are distributed equitably among all those who manage the forests in Govt. lands and private lands? Finally, how will the amount of carbon stored and sequestrated as a result of REDD+ be monitored?.

India

has only 2% of the global forest area. In 1987, we had 19.49% of forest cover out of the total geographic area of the country and in the assessment made in 2007 it was found that forest cover increased to 21.02% (79.37 Million Hectares).

India

achieved this increase despite pressures like maintaining 16% of world’s human population and 18% of world’s cattle population.

India is very keen to implement this REDD+ since the approach incorporates important beneﬁts of livelihoods improvement, biodiversity conservation to protect, better manage and save our forest resources, thus contributing to the global ﬁght against climate change.
REDD+ goes beyond merely checking deforestation and forest degradation, and includes incentives for positive elements of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
It works on the basis of creating a ﬁnancial value for the carbon stored and enhanced in biomass and soil of standing forests. Countries that reduce emissions and undertake sustainable management of forests will be entitled to receive funds and resources as incentives.

The key objectives of the REDD+ are:

1. To assess baseline carbon in the identified sites with reference to a

baseline year.

2. To assess additionality (gains) in carbon stock in the sites as a result of

SMF (Sustainable Management of Forests) and other good practices. The

carbon will be assessed by adding above ground and below ground carbon
as per IPCC guideline.

3. To assess leakage (loss) of carbon from the identified sites as a result of

unsustainable practices.

4. To apply the methodology for monitoring success of REDD+ at National

level.

So, 'REDDiness' is needed on our part to implement 'REDD'.

This article flowed out after I happened to hear from Mr.Irulandi, IFS, who is now Chief Conservator of Forests (CDM) and Project Director (TCPL) in the Project Management unit of the Tamilnadu Bio-diversity Conservation and Greening Project (TBGP), that he had attended one REDD+ meeting last month at ICFRI, Dehradun as representative of TN Govt.

Source: Click: 1. REDD+ 2. ‘Preparedness of REDD Plus in India’.

Regards,

A.Vishnu Sankar.

Second Green Revolution and dismal pulses production in India:

2012-12-08T05:50:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

I. Second Green Revolution : Governments after Governments are assuring us that they will usher in a Second green revolution to improve agricultural production by addressing the productivity gap and through value addition. Please believe that they have also set for themselves an ambitious goal of two to three times increase in the farmers’ per capita income within five years (I am hearing your heckles and giggles, my friend. Don't comment anything. Perhaps this criticism will land us in jail).

The success (?) of first Green Revolution can be attributed to the introduction of Chemical fertilizers (N,P and K) which increased agricultural production substantially. Even after all the sufferings of farmers in the recent past, the worrying factor is that our policy maker’s mind set (should I say ‘Sick’) is still in the same ‘increasing agricultural productivity’ aspect.

The second Green Revolution may be a possibility not by increasing Agricultural productivity but in ‘Mechanization’ and ‘Value Addition of the harvested produce’.

II. Dismal pulses production : Indian Agriculture and Food Security policies have emphasized cultivation of rice and wheat and paid least attention to coarse grains and pulses resulting in a steep fall in pulses production and consumption by rural masses.

This is being attributed to the existing agriculture and food security policies, which have emphasized cultivation of rice and wheat to the exclusion of coarse grains and pulses which traditionally have been the primary source of protein for the rural poor.

After a steep fall in pulses production and consumption, our Govt. opened its eye to ‘Introduction of Special initiative of Accelerated Pulses Production Programme (A3P)’ in 2010 under NFSM pulses programme to boost the production of pulses (Red gram, green gram, black gram, Chick pea and lentil) by active promotion of production and protection technologies in 1000 clusters of 1000 hectares each with a hand holding approach. (Subject material gleaned from several web sources).

Seeds, Protrays, polythene sheets for usage as weed mat, MN mixture (‘Pulse wonder’ a MN enriched fertilizer developed by TNAU is supplied in TN), Water soluble fertilizers and DAP are available at subsidized cost under this program. Micro irrigation is provided exclusively for pulses in an area of 5000 Ha, wherein portable sprinklers and rain-guns are also earmarked to the farmers at subsidized cost. It is programmed to upscale and adopt this technology in an even more grand scale in the coming years also.

As a result of active 'A3P' implementation coupled with better crop management the customary image of pulses as 'rain fed crop' changed to that of pulses as 'irrigated pure crop'. A3P implementation has also resulted in increased Redgram (Pigeon pea / Thuvarai) area from 0.26 Lakh Ha.in 2009-10 to 0.60 Lakh Ha.in 2010-11 and fall in food grain production in some states which is not a cause for concern since we are already producing more food grains than what is necessary for our country.

Impressed with my post on ‘Red Gram’ (Pigeon pea /Thuvarai) in this blog, Mr.N.madhubalan, Assistant Director of Agriculture, Dharmapuri Dt, Tamilnadu had sent some photographs to share with our readers. He claims that he had selected 500 farmers to implement 'Accelerated pulses production program' in 150 ha, NADP-151 Ha. and NFSM in 100Ha. and satisfied with the rate of acceptance among the farmers about this modern pulses cultivation technology.

Transplanting Redgram (Pigeon pea / Thuvarai) is the new technique:

In pic. above: Germination of seeds in 98 cavity Plugtrays or protrays.

In pic. below: Seedlings transferred to polybags and raising them for 1 month before transplanting in the main field at favorable climatic conditions.

Benefits of this technology are:

to save seeds as only 2 - 3 kg is required for 1Ha,
to avoid damage to seeds by drought or heavy rains,
to avoid late sowing and adhering to correct crop season,
to maintain higher plant population,
to maintain correct plant spacing,
to increase the rate of 'rhizobium' inoculation,
to reduce the chances of Nematode attack to young seedlings,
to increase drought tolerance because of deep rooting,
to save two manual de-weeding costs,
to reduce the chances of pest attack,
to reduce the Fertlizer and Pesticide wastage at the first month,
to reduce the cost of applying them,
and to get more yield.

Innovation in cult. tech.1: Instead of the above procedure, raising seedlings in 'Root trainers' is the best option. It eliminates transplant shock and the cost of transferring seedlings from 'protrays' to 'polybags'. Handling of root trainers in the field at the time of planting is also very easy and damage to the plants can be avoided altogether. (Picture: An illustrative Example only).

According to experts the actual yield in India for red gram is 700 Kg against its actual yield potential of 3000 Kg / Ha. We can definitely bridge this wide gap between yield potential of a crop and actual yield in the field by adopting to latest technologies only. (Click this link).

Innovation in Mechanization 1.Tropicultor : Though there are many companies supplying 'Seed Drills' in India, a multipurpose equipment for small farmer's need is somewhat difficult to find. So, I can say that a major break through in technology is the introduction of an implement called as 'Tropicultor' by ICRISAT, Hyderabad, that can be drawn either by animal or Tractor. It is a multipurpose implement that executes land preparation, seed and fertilizer placement, weeding, bund formation and earthing operations. The implement costs about Rs.50,000 and is designed and supplied by ICRISAT.

Link 1 : Tropicultor: small farmers can sit pretty on this machine. M.J.Prabu.

Link 2 : Article in 'The Hindu': Cutting both time and cost of cultivation.

Link 3 : Details of 'Tropicultor'.

Link 4 : ICRISAT :Methods of fertilizer application. See Sl.No.8 for 'Tropicultor'.

Innovation in Mechanization 2. Combined harvesters for pulses: Nowadays farmers in Tamilnadu are using the same combined harvesters that are designed to harvest Paddy for harvesting all types of pulses also by changing the mesh required for separation of grains depending upon the pulse variety that is to be harvested. Total cost to harvest one acre comes to about Rs.1000 only. Link : Mechanized harvester for pulses.

I would like to conclude by again saying that succour to Indian farmers may be a possibility not by increasing Agricultural productivity but in ‘Mechanization’ and ‘Value Addition of the harvested produce’.

Note 1: My post on 'Redgram (Pigeon pea / Thuvarai) cultivation' in this blog is one of the most read article surpassing 'Melia' and 'Gmelina' posts in terms of readership. My personal experience in the cultivation of Pigeon pea (yield attained:1750 Kg/Ha) is explained in detail in this link.

Note 2: About ‘Pulse wonder’:

It is a micro nutrient enriched fertilizer developed by 'Tamil Nadu Agriculture University' specifically for pulse crops. Farmers can buy the ‘Pulse Wonder' at 50 per cent subsidized price.
In addition to major nutrients (NPK), ‘Pulse Wonder’ also contains micro nutrients such as iron and boron and plant hormones known as 'auxins' to promote growth.
'Pulse Wonder' should be applied at the time of flowering and fruiting to enhance yields by 10-20 per cent. It decreases flower shedding and increases drought tolerance in pulse crops.
Dosage for 1 acre: Dissolve 2.5 Kg of 'Pulse wonder' + 300 ml of 'Wetting agent' in 200 litres of water and spray it as foliar application on pulse crop during early morning hours.

Regards,

A.Vishnu Sankar

Suggestion to Mr.Amir Khan, Cine actor, on the topic “Toxic Food in our food plate” in 'Satyamevajeyate' - TV episode on 24-6-2012:

2012-11-13T21:38:00.000-08:00

Maintain 'Soil health'

for your 'Body health'

'Soil health' is 'Nation's wealth'

Mr.Aamir, you have ignited a spark!. No Doubt.

But, asking farmers to switch over to "Organic Agriculture" and discussing merits of the case in one Television episode is not enough.

This kind of mass awakening is necessary but to sustain the interest and to make it to reality, the root cause of the problem has to be identified.

Fancy phrases like 'Organic agriculture’ ‘Chemical agriculture’ ‘Biotech agriculture’ ‘Zero budget farming’ ‘Do Nothing farming’ Etc., Etc., are doing the rounds now. Basic concept of all is about the importance of Organic carbon content in soil for sustainable agriculture.

The problem in India is lower Organic Carbon content of soil resulting in lower productivity.The remedy is to adopt 'AGROFORESTRY' in a meaningful way, to increase 'Organic Matter (OM) and Organic Carbon (OC) of farm soil without any major effort. The increased OC and OM in the soil naturally increases its productivity without any usage of Chemical Fertilizers.

My detailed presentation on the above can be seen in the link: Agroforestry.

Yes! it is possible to check the amount of toxic food to enter your plate.

Regards,

A.Vishnu Sankar

vishnusankar@ymail.com

http://agrowmania.blogspot.in/

Disease management in Casuarina

2012-09-29T23:11:00.000-07:00

Disease in Casuarina Nursery:

(Pictures and content courtesy: Dr.V.Mohan, IFGTB, Coimbatore)

Damping-off in Casuarina:

It is a most prevalent disease in Casuarina nurseries world over and highly destructive & cause heavy loss of seedlings.

Causative organisms: Pythium, Phytophthora, Fusarium and Rhizoctonia.

Causes:

(1)High soil temperature,

(2)Excessive soil moisture,

(3)High soil pH (alkaline),

(4)High nitrogen content,

(5)Low light intensity due to shading,

(6)Stiffy or clayey soil with poor drainage, dense sowing.

Major diseases in Casuarina plantations: (Subject courtesy: FCRINAIP)

The casuarina plantation are found vulnerable to various diseases viz., stem canker and die back, pink disease, root infection and die back and wilt. The stem canker and die back can be controled by the application of Bavistan at 0.01 per cent active ingredients.

Wilt disease caused by Trichosporium is a serious disease and could be managed with proper soil and water management. Severely damaged trees have to be uprooted immediately to avoid further spreading.

S.No.	Common disease	Control Measure
1.	Damping off	Providing proper drainage Seed treatment with captan or thiram @ 4g/kg. Soil drenching with carbendazim @ 0.1 %
2.	Stem canker	Spray with mancozeb @ 0.25 %
3.	Die back	Removal of infected plant parts and spray with mancozeb @ 0.25 % or copper oxy chloride @ 0.25 %.
4.	Pink disease	Removal of severely affected plant parts or Scrap the infected portions and apply with Bordeaux Paste.
5.	Wilt disease	Remove the infected trees immediately. Digging the trenches around the infected tree. Scrap the infected portion and spray with copper oxy chloride @ 0.25 %.

The picture below illustrates Blister bark disease of Casuarina may be caused after the attack by pests or after mechanical injury. Picture Courtesy:

To know more about disease management please visit this link:

Ppt presentation on Management of Pests and Diseases by Dr.Balu, a

renowned Entomologist and Dr.V.Mohan, Pathologist, Forest Protection

Division, IFGTB, Coimbatore. Slide number 34 to 47 are primarily about

'Disease Management' authored by Dr.V.Mohan.

The above Ppt presentation is also uploaded in top right side of this blog

which can be used as a ready reckoner by our readers for the control of

Insects and diseases in almost all the crops.

My sincere thanks to Dr.V.Mohan, IFGTB on behalf of all our readers for

providing us with all the details and pictures.

Regards,

A.Vishnu Sankar

Insect pests of Casuarina

2012-08-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

In this third part of the series about pests, I have borrowed Pics from Dr.Balu, Entomologist, Forest Protection Division, IFGTB, Coimbatore and text content from Forest College and Research Institute, Mettupalayam to explain about 'Pests of Casuarina'. (FCRI, Link on Major pests of Casuarina ).

Major Pests of Casuarina:
A bark feeding caterpillar is a major problem which results in heavy damage of trees due to the cylindrical tunnels created within the wood. Control of the pest is difficult, however application of one or two ml of kerosene in to the tunnel is found effective. Monocrotophos @ 5 ml per tree as bark padding method would be also be an effective chemical control.

Important pests and their control measures

S.No.	Common pest	Control Measure
1.	Bag worm	Topical application endosulfan or chlorlpyriphos 2ml/litre.
2.	Bark feeding caterpillar	Remove the feeding galleries and apply insecticide soaked cotton (15ml of dichlorvos) in the bore holes.
3.	Stem borer	Inserting wire to remove feeding larvae and applying insecticide soaked cotton (15ml of dichlorvos).
4.	Mealy bug	Topical application of methyl dematon or dimethoate (2ml per litre)
5.	Termite	Application for chlorlpyriphos 2 ml per litre

Termites also cause serious damage in young plantation by destroying the root system leading to the death of young trees. This can be arrested by soil drenching with chlorpyriphos at 0.2 per cent.

Understanding their behaviour: Termites feed on dead organic material and when this is not available they will eat live plant material like roots and barks of live plants. So. it is an indication to the farmer that soil health is deteriorating and there is a need to increase organic matter in it.

(Click on the pictures below to have an enlarged view).

Termite attack on Casuarina:

Sap suckers on Casuarina: Scales and Mealy bugs:

Defoliators on Casuarina:Caterpillars and Bag worms

Defoliators on Casuarina: Needle feeders:

Defoliators on Casuarina: Needle miners:

Bark feeders on Casuarina:

The picture below illustrates Blister bark disease of Casuarina may be caused after the attack by pests or after mechanical injury. Picture Courtesy:

Nematode attack:

Casuarina roots are susceptible to infection by nematodes. There are many varieties in Nematode pests like: Lesion nematode, Lance nematode, Reniform nematode, Root knot nematode and Cyst nematode.

Control measures:

1) Soil application of 10 gms each of VAM culture, Paecilomyces, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Trichoderma viride at the pit at the time of planting will greatly reduce nematode population.

(or)

2) Apply carbofuran 3 G @ 5 gm (or) Cartop 2 gm per pit at the time of planting and another application after 2 months.

(or)

3) Nematode infestation in trees of 2 to 3 years age can be controlled by applying 10 gm of Carbofuran / tree, 1 feet away from the base in a circular fashion.

TNAU recommendations for Nematode control:

1) Apply pressmud at 15 t/ha or poultry manure at 2 t/ha or neem cake 2 t/ha or before last ploughing in garden lands.

2) Under wetland conditions, intercropping sunnhemp or marigold or daincha coupled with application of pressmud 25 t/ha or neem cake 2 t/ha.

3) Crop rotation for 3 years with Marigold or gingelly or sunnhemp for nematode control.

To know about Mechanical, Cultural, Behavioural, Botanical, Biological and

Chemical control of all the above Sucking pests and leaf eating caterpillars

please visit: Ppt presentation on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) by

(the same author) Dr.Balu, a renowned Entomologist.

The above Ppt presentation is also uploaded in top right side of this blog

which can be used as a ready reckoner by our readers for the control of

Insects and diseases in almost all the crops.

Regards,

A.Vishnu Sankar.

Insect pests of Gmelina arborea (Kumil in Tamil)

2012-07-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

We all accept the adage that 'A picture is worth more than a thousand words'. This preamble is necessary since this post bear more photos and a few words.

As in my earlier post, here also I heavily relied on the photographs and subject content of Dr.Balu, Scientist, Forest Protection Division, IFGTB, Coimbatore on 'Insect pests of Gmelina arborea' (Kumil in Tamil).

Insect pests are broadly classified as:

Defoliators
Leaf miners
Sapsuckers
Gall makers
Root feeders
Shoot borers
Bark feeders

In general, Gmelina arborea (Kumil) is susceptible to pest attack, hence farmers avoid planting them as inter crop inside orchards. One of the main causes of Gmelina arborea's poor bole form attributes to this high incidence of pest attack.
Some of the insects that cause damage to Gmelina arborea (Kumil) plantation are discussed here under:
Leaf Miners:
Leaf miner is larva of an insect that lives in and eats the leaf tissue of plants. For more info: Click.

Sap Suckers:

Organisms involved:

Aphids, Psyllids (Jumping plant lice), Plant bugs, Scales, Mealy bugs, leaf hoppers, thrips, Whitefly and mites.

Damage caused:

Chlorosis,

curling and bunching,

yellowing and withering of leaves,

wilting and drying of entire seedlings.

Inject toxic salivary secretions and responsible for spread of viral, fungal, mycoplasmal and bacterial diseases.

In farmer's meetings (and nowadays in many Agri portals also) most of the Gmelina (Kumil) growers used to lament that growing tip (Young shoot) of young Gmelina plants got dried up resulting in growth retardation and branching.

Root cause of this attack is usually by the Tingid bug shown in the picture below. It sucks the sap from the leaves and young shoots resulting in curling, drying and withering of not only leaves but also tender shoot tips. Farmer may incur severe economic loss if this bug attack is not managed well properly.

Defoliators:

Organisms involved:

Caterpillars, Bagworms, Beetles and Weevils,

Grass hoppers and Slugs.

Damage caused:

Feed on growing points of plants,

Feed on entire leaves,

Feed on surface tissue,

Notch the edge of leaves,

Leaves riddled with smaller to larger irregular holes,

Roll up and web the leaves and feed.

Browse the bark,

Cut the stem.

Wing/Wingless Grosshoppers:

Borers:

• Shoot borer

• Bark feeding borer/feeder

• Stem borer

• Stem and root borer

Goats likes to eat the bark of Gmelina, resulting in permanent injury to the stem. In the picture published here, the damage is caused by Bear. One of the effective ways to ward off animals in the unfenced farm land is by applying fresh cow dung + cow urine mixture on the stem upto a height of 5 feet.

On field trials in my farm, I found out that Entomopathogenic fungi: either

Beauveria bassiana or Metarhyzium anisopliae in association with Verticillium lecanii were pathogenic to all pests of Gmelina. Beauveria bassiana was found to be more effective than Metarhizium anisopliae.

Click on the names to learn more about these bio-control agents.

Trials were conducted in my Acid Lime orchards and Moringa orchards (Drumstick tree) also. A minimum of two to three sprays is necessary for complete control of pests. Subsequently, the number of spray applications (No. of cycles) per season will come down and you will be surprised to observe that there is increase in time between spray cycles also.

To know about Mechanical, Cultural, Behavioural, Botanical, Biological and

Chemical control of all the above Sucking pests and leaf eating caterpillars

please visit: Ppt presentation on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) by

(the same author) Dr.Balu, a renowned Entomologist. The above Ppt

presentation is also uploaded in top right side of this blog which can be

used as a ready reckoner by our readers for the control of Insects and

diseases in almost all the crops.

Regards,

A.Vishnu Sankar.

Insect pests of Melia dubia (Malai Vembu in Tamil, Hebbevu in Kannada, Konda Veppa in Telugu)

2012-07-15T08:30:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,

The time has come I think, to discuss the kind of pests that normally attack Melia dubia. To clear the doubts of our farmer friends, I have used here some pictures from the presentation of Dr.A.Balu, Scientist, Forest Protection Division, IFGTB, Coimbatore. You won't ask questions I hope, since they are from the most authentic source. Thanks to Dr.Balu on behalf of all of you.

Stem borer attack on Melia was already discussed in this blog. Click to revisit.

Please click on the pictures to have a better enlarged view.

Sap suckers : 1) Mealy bug attack in Melia dubia:

Sap suckers : 2) Thrips attack in Melia dubia:

White flies, Beetles and Leaf eating Caterpillars attack on Melia dubia:

To know about Mechanical, Cultural, Behavioural, Botanical, Biological and

Chemical control of all the above Sucking pests and leaf eating caterpillars

please visit: Ppt presentation on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) by

(the same author) Dr.Balu, a renowned Entomologist. The above Ppt

presentation is also uploaded in top right side of this blog which can be

used as a ready reckoner by our readers for the control of Insects and

diseases in almost all the crops.

Regards,
A.Vishnu Sankar.

Casuarina junghuhniana for sustainable energy development:

2012-06-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

Some snippets from IFGTB 'Tree Growers Mela -2012:

Part - 6

Casuarina junghuhniana for sustainable energy development:

A detailed report on 'Casuarina junghuhniana for sustainable energy development' is the joint work of Mr.S.K.Shanmuga sundaram, IFS, Present Chief Conservator of Forests, Tirunelveli (Former Head of the Department of Biodiversity, IFGTB) and Dr.R.Gopalan and presented as Power point by the former professionally to the audience, who are mostly farmers, on the concluding day of the Tree growers Mela - 2012.

This report analyzes in detail the issues involved in "Energy management, Growth Vs Energy, Types of energy, Energy Resources, Energy efficiency, Current Energy Demand, Energy consumption, Energy scenario in India and Biomass power".

From the above presentation, I would like to bring to our readers the main subject of 'Utilizing Casuarina for Biomass power production' only.

This report is generated from the PowerPoint presentation of Mr.S.K.Shanmuga Sundaram,IFS and the contents in its entirety and the projections / assessment made here are his personal views only.

Those readers who may differ on the issues of yield, profit from Casuarina junghuhniana, matters relating to energy conversion and the quantum of power production are requested to express their views here to upgrade this article for the benefit of the fellow readers.

CASUARINA – A BIO RESOURCE :

A tree species belonging to Casuarinacea.

Fast growing species, having multi utility value.

Calorific value = 5000 k.cal. (Approx.)

Wood density is 698 kg/m³ (irrigated), 703 kg/m³ (rainfed).

Preferred by farmers for Agro forestry and Farm land afforestation.

CURRENT UTILITY OF CASUARINA :

HOUSEHOLD FUEL, PULP WOOD,

SCAFFOLDING, CHARCOAL MAKING,

BIO SHIELD (SHELTER BELT, WIND BREAK)

PRODUCTION OF POWER

EXTENT OF CULTIVATION :

Casuarina is cultivated through out South India.

80% of plantations are in the coastal areas in AP, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.

Area planted – 5 lac ha. Inland cultivation data deficient.

Rotation 4 years.

Inter cropping practiced in Ist year of planting.

Preferable species Casuarina junghuhniana, a drought tolerant and high yielding variety.

Espacement 1x1m (4000 trees per acre).

YIELDING PATTERN :

Yield varies by

1. Locations

2. cultivation techniques adopted

3. Period of rotation

4. Irrigation facilities

5. Fertilizer application

6. Soil fertility

7. Rainfall pattern

8. 40 to 80 tonnes per acre in 4 years and 30 to 40 tonnes per acre under rainfed conditions is reported.

ECONOMICS OF CASUARINA CULTIVATION :

Usage of high yield clones, 4 year rotation, 1x1m espacement, Coastal

belt, Irrigated land, yearly farm yard manure application, yearly twice

weeding and manual pruning of branches gives the following revenue:


     Total income (sale of pruned materials & poles) = 2,50,000 /-*     (Average yield 80 Tons x Rs.3000 + 10000)


      Total expenditure (including watch and ward) = 75,000 /-

       Net Income = 1,75,000 /-

* Data for high yielding variety with the specified field conditions.

CASUARINA vs ELECTRICITY:

CALORIFIC VALUE = 5000 Kcalories

One kilowatt per hour = 859.845kilo calories.

Energy conversion efficiency of casuarina = o.25.

The power production by using One ton of casuarina =

5000x1000x1/4x/859.845 = 1453.75 kwh

5MW Power Mill (Plant Load Factor=0.9)

Per day production =1000X5X24X0.9 =108000kwh

Per year production =108000x365 =39420000kwh

Casuarina wood required per year

=39420000/1453.75=27116.07911m.ton.

Per day requirement =74.29 rounded to75m.tons.

Area required@productivity of 60m.tons per acre

with 4 year rotation period =452acres

For continuous operation =452x4=1808acres

Per day area required =1.23acres(0.5ha)

Total no. of blocks in Tamil nadu=397

Area required for cutivation of casuarina for operation of

5M.W.power mill in all the blocks=397x1808=717776 acres

Power production capacity=397x5=1985mw.

BIOMASS POWER PLANTS:

VIABILITY OF POWER PLANTS:

Cost of electricity per unit=4.65

Revenue to be realized per year=39420000x4.65= Rs 183303000

Cost of wood =27116x3000= 81348000

Profit margin=183303000-81348000=Rs 101955000

Viability is facilitated by many other factors.

INCENTIVES TO THE MILLS:

1. Capital subsidy @Rs 20/lakhs/MW subject to Maximum of 5 MW.

2. Fiscal incentives in terms of excise duty concession, reduced

customs duty.

3. 80% accelerated depreciation for IT purpose in I year of

installation.

4. Tax holidays for 10 years for profit from the project.

5. Power purchase @Rs4.65/unit as per tariff order of TNERC.

6. Concessional wheeling charges of 3% for distance upto 25 km and

6% for distance beyond 25 km for captive use.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS TO THE MILLS:

Bio char.
Activated charcoaL
CDM.
Prevent migration.
Additional employment.
Land improvement.
Theft, Prevention of transmission loss.
Protection of environment.

SCOPE FOR MAXIMISING ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION:

- BLOCK WAR POWER MILL IN TAMIL NADU.

- REDUCTION IN TRANSPORTATION COST.

TRANSMISSION LOSS REDUCED.

PARTICIPATION BY LOCAL COMMUNITY.

COST EFFECTIVE PRODUCTION.

BETTER LAND USE STRATEGY.

ENABLES ENERGY SECURITY OF THE BLOCK.

ENSURES GREEN AND CLEAN ENERGY.

ADDITIONAL REVENUE TO FARMING COMMUNITY.

STRATEGY TO BE ADOPTED:

1. START PRODUCER COMPANIES IN EACH BLOCK.

2. ALL FARMERS AND CONSUMERS ARE TO BE MADE AS

-MEMBERS,WITH SHARE PARTICIPATION.

3. GOVT. IS ALSO A MEMBER WITH MAXIMUM SHARE VALUE OF

RS.25-CRORES.

4. ROLE TO BE ASSIGNED TO BLOCK LEVEL TREE GROWERS.

5. EFFORTS TO MAKE IT AS A ‘CDM ‘ PROJECT.

6. TIE UP WITH TREE GROWERS TO PROCURE WOOD SIMILAR TO

-CANE PROCUREMENT BY SUGAR MILLS.

7. VENTURE CAPITAL FOR ERECTION AND RAISE PLANTATIONS

8. CAUTION FOR DIVERSION OF LAND FROM AGRICULTURE AT THE

-COST OF FOOD SECURITY.

9. SUBSIDY AND SOFT LOAN ARRANGEMENT THROUGH NEW AND

-RENEWABLE ENERGY DEPARTMENT.

BENEFITS TO MEMBERS (Farmers):

1.Members (read as farmers) will initially receive only such value for the

produce or products pooled and supplied as the directors may determine.

2. The withheld amount may be disbursed later either in cash or in kind

or by allotment of equity shares.

3. Members will be eligible to receive bonus shares and patronage bonus

(akin to dividend).

(Concluded).

Some points to discuss:

1. Readers are requested to send their opinion and corrections required in

the given report to my email.

2. Clarifications regarding some contentious issues like yield and profit from

Casuarina junghuhniana and matters relating to energy conversion and power

production will be sent to the above authors on your behalf and their replies

will be published in this blog.

Links for some of my older posts regarding Biomass:

1. Melia dubia for Biomass Power production

2. Sustainable energy development should not at the cost of Agriculture.

Regards,

A.Vishnu Sankar.

Anthocephalus cadamba, Neolamarckia cadamba (Vellai Kadambu in Tamil)

2012-06-06T10:20:00.001-07:00

Some snippets from IFGTB: Tree Growers Mela -2012

Part-5: Anthocephalus cadamba:

At the 'Tree Growers mela' a very informative presentation on Anthocephalus cadamba (Kadambam, Vellai kadambu in Tamil) was made by Dr.Vijayaragavan, Scientist, IFGTB, Coimbatore. His speech dealt with special features of Cadamba, + tree selection, propagation methods, nursery raising, cultivation technology, uses, economics of cultivation, yield and profit.

Anthocephalus cadamba is native to the following areas:
Southern China, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.

The pictures of Cadamba plantations published here were taken by the scientists of IFGTB at the farm of 'Hindustan Pencils Ltd., owners of very popular "Nataraj pencils' and 'Apsara' brands, near Coimbatore. This company is producing a mind boggling quantity of 5.6 million pencils, 1.2 million sharpeners, 2.3 million erasers, 0.16 million scales and 0.30 million pens daily (read once again 'DAILY'!).

Instead of thoughtlessly plundering trees for pencil manufacture, and relying on forest grown timber, the company encourage renewable sources of timber by procuring their requirement from those who grow trees on their own farms.

The company has also ventured into developing their own timberland for raising short rotation tree crops. Since there is a wide gap between demand and supply, there is scope for the Indian farmers to go in for the cultivation of Cadamba under contract farming.

Trees can be grown up to MSL 1300m.

Rainfall : 500 - 1600 mm

Tree selecton:

A good + tree selection in natural forests and in private plantations by IFGTB, Coimbatore has resulted in the availability superior plants of 'Kadamba' to the tree growers of India.

Fruit collection, processing and handling:

Readers are requested to Click the link: 'Nursery technique' for more information.

1 Kg will contain 9 Lakh seeds.

Flowering : May - June (Bisexual flowers)
Fruits : June - Feb
Germination - 90% (Germinate in 2 weeks).
Nursery:

Transplantation from mother-bed to poly-bags can be done when the seedling attain the height of 5 cm.

Propagation by 'cuttings' and Tissue culture technology:

Pit size: 1.5 ft depth. Application of F.Y.M and Vermicompost in the pit will induce root development.
Spacing: 5m x 5m for bulk planting and 4m x 4m for border planting.
Growth: Trees grow to a height of 12m to 26 m, (2.5m growth / per year)
Girth - 70 to 125 cm

Cadamba wood :

Cadamba is a good shade giving tree:

Uses of Cadamba:

Pencil making, match splints, ply-woods, pulp wood for paper, leaves as fodder and they are also used to cure throat infection.
Fruits also have medicinal properties. Seeds have 'Anti-poison' medical properties. Crush the seeds, dissolve them in water and drink it as medicine for "Anti-poison'.
Natural yellow dye can be extracted from the root bark.
Due to its heavy leaf shedding nature, O.C content of the soil can be increased.
As there is no distinct heart wood, tree can be easily sawed.

Wood demand for the manufacture of pencils:
India requires 30 crores pencil / month.
'Nataraj pencils' alone produces 20 crores.
'Nataraj pencils' has manufacturing facility in J and K, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamilnadu.

Economics:

An 8 years old tree with a Ht of 10m and a girth of 100cm will give 11 Cu Ft of wood.
! Cu Ft = Rs.250
Rs.250 x 11 Cu Ft = Rs.2750 per Tree.
For 400 Trees per Ha x Rs.2750= Rs.11.00L ( Approx. 9000 / Month).
Additional Income is possible from inter cropping also.

In Bund planting:
If the spacing is 3 to 4m - 130 trees.
130 x Rs.2750 = Rs.3.58 L ( Approx. Rs.3300 / Month).

Harvest cycle is 8 years in India and 4 - 5 years in other countries.

To achieve this economic gain:
Select good seedlings from nursery, cultivate in fertile soil that have good soil depth, give proper irrigation and opt for 'Contract farming',

Content and pictures courtesy:

Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore.
Dr.Vijayaragavan, Scientist, IFGTB, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India.

For those readers who want more specific information on Cadamba:

Name of the plant - Anthocephalus cadamba (or)

Neolamarckia cadamba (Vellai Kadambu, Kadamba maram in Tamil).

N’ fixing capacity - No.

Fodder Tree - Yes.

Deciduous - Yes.

Drought tolerance - Can’t tolerate long drought period.

Soil type / pH range - Deep, moist, well-drained loamy soils of alluvial origin. (Not suitable for clay soil).

Tolerance to water logging - After sapling stage, the tree is quite tolerant of water-logged areas where the water inundates for 2-3 months.

Seeds - Tiny seeds. About 6 kg of dry fruits yield 1 kg of seed. Each fruit on an average yields 456 mg of pure seeds. Approx. 9 – 11 lakhs seeds / kg.

Germination - Sowing of pulped seed gives poor germination (4.85%) as compared to sieved and winnowed seed (52%).

Vegetative propagation - Possible. Not recommended. This species is best raised by planting out entire seedlings or polythene bag raised seedlings during June – July at start of monsoon when they are about 4-5 months old.

Spacing for border planting- 4 m x 4 m,
Spacing for bulk planting - 5 m x 5 m

Maturity - 8 years

Growth : Height - 20 m Ht in its favorable habitat.

Girth - 1.5 m – 2 m

Yield - 10 to 11 Cu ft of wood in 8 years.

Timber - The wood is white to creamy white, odourless, light in weight , straight-grained and medium and even textured. It is moderately strong, can be seasoned easily; but susceptible to sap- stain quickly after conversion, non durable; can be easily and completely treated with preservatives. Treated timber is quite durable. It saws and works easily under tools. Peels readily on a rotary lathe.

Weight - 545 kg/cum at 12% moisture content.

Uses - The wood is extensively used for ceiling boards, light construction work, packing cases, planking, carving and turnery. The wood makes good veneers and plywood suitable for the manufacture of grade IV commercial plywood and tea chest plywood. It is also suitable for both match boxed and splints. Tests indicate its suitability for writing and printing paper giving 48.6% yield and over 6000 m breaking length. Brown wrapping paper can also be prepared by sulphate process. Fruits are edible. Bark and leaves are used for medicinal purposes.

Ratoon / Coppice capability - Yes, vigorous.

Special features if any - The species is fast growing especially in the initial years. Rate of growh is very rapid in the earlier years; on an average it gives a maximum girth increment of 15 cm per annum upto the 9th year, the height increment averages 3 m per annum for the first six or eight years after which the growth becomes slower. Tends to grow vertically in the initial years without branches and then branched to form a big canopy. A beautiful majestic looking tree. Performs well in irrigated conditions. For the first 2 – 3 years irrigation is essential. Requires more sunlight and will not grow well in shades. It can regenerate well even if the branches are pruned annually for fodder. A good windbreaker.

Courtesy of the above content: FCRI, Mettupalayam, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India.

Regards,

A.Vishnu Sankar

Melia dubia for Biomass power production:

2012-05-23T04:33:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

"...Treat wood on par with food"...,

"...change from 'Hydrocarbon economy' to 'Carbohydrate economy'.."

"...Fast woods better than Fast foods"

"...Civilizations flourish in fertile soils' and diminish in depleted soils'.."

"...policies to lift 'Primary sector' from the 'Tread mill' and place on 'Escalator',

"...cultivation and utilization of trees as an economically viable, ecologically empathetic, environmentally ameliorative and aesthetically acceptable..."

By now you might have guessed the person who cleverly uses the likes of above keywords and key phrases to deliver a punch to get the attention of the listeners. He is none other then our Dr.G.Kumaravelu, former Indian Forest service Officer and a well known Forest and tree scientist in India.

He is the person who introduced Melia dubia for economical upliftment of farmers and the main driving force to popularize the concept of using Melia dubia for biomass power generation.

'Melia dubia tree holds promise of good returns for ryots'

'Melia dubia tree can generate substantial power for Tamilnadu'

'Utilising the Melia dubia wood as alternative fuel in co-generation plants of co-operative sugar mills in the State' (Note: Last part of the above article deals with Melia dubia).

Trees suitable for biomass power generation should have the following characteristics: Fast growing, drought tolerance, tolerance to grow in all types soil, coppice capability, short gestation period of 2-3 years, with high calorific value, less ash content Etc.,

Casuarina junghuhniana, Casuarina equestifolia, Eucalyptus, Melia dubia, Leucaena leucocephala (Subapul), Prosopis juliflora (Seemai karuvel / Vaeli karuvel in Tamil), Bamboo are viable source of feedstock for combustible type Biomass power plants.

Some major companies, who have established their units in Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai, Sivaganga, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts with the intention of using Prosopis Juliflora which is seen almost everywhere in Tamil Nadu, as their main biomass material are feeling the pinch now with the high cost and non availability of feedstock. It is not an exaggeration to mention here that many of the biomass power plants had become economically unviable and had to be shut.

The time has now come for them to establish energy plantations, announcing 'Minimum Support Price' and entering into 'Buy back agreements' to infuse confidence among the farmers.

According to Dr.G.Kumaravelu, Melia dubia (Malai Vembu in Tamil, Hebbevu in Kannada, Konda Veppa in Telugu) is the right choice for establishing large scale energy plantations because of it's excellent utility value as Biomass fuel with good Calorific value of 5,043 - 5,176 Kcal / Kg., lesser ash content of 2.88% and higher fixed carbon content.

Electricity production in Biomass Gasifier / Combustion using 'Melia dubia':

Spacing @1.5x1.5m...........- 1740 Plants / Acre.
Yield @ 50 Kg/tree after 2 years - 87 Tonnes/Acre/irrigated & fertigated.
Yield per year...................- 44 Tonnes /Acre / Year
1MW production................- 24 Tonnes/Day. (Roughly 2Kg for 1 unit)
For 365 days.....................- 8760 Tonnes/Year. (Approx.9000 T)
If the yield is 50 T/Acre/Year, than for continuous feedstock availability 360 acres (180 acres x 2) of Melia should be planted.
Viability: 10 MW plant. So, 3600 acres are to be planted.
Profit for farmer:87TxRs.2000=Rs.1.74 Lakh /2 years (-) cultivation + Drip + Fertilizers + Harvest cost Rs.0.74= Rs.1.00 L (i.e) Rs.0.50/year.
Cost of production for the mill: Rs.3.50 per unit.
Cost of selling electricity - Rs.4.50 per unit.
Minimum profit for the company (per unit) - Rs.1.00

This meagre profit to the power producer is due to the wrong calculation adopted by the Tamilnadu Energy Development Agency when fixing power purchase rate. The agency estimated the biomass cost at Rs.1000 per ton whereas the present actual cost is around Rs.2500 / Ton.

Apart from sales, the other benefits being enjoyed by the companies are capital subsidy, selling the byproducts - Biochar and Activated charcoal, availing carbon credit under CDM and the subsidy from Department of Non-conventional Energy.

All is well for the producers and to the power buyers because they are getting cheap subsidy and power at cheap rate respectively.

All is not well to the farmers since companies are still offering Minimum Support Price of only Rs.1800/Ton/at farm gate even for contract farming (Click the Link:FCRI- Market Current Prices).

Need of the hour is for the Government to take into account the interests of the farmers and fix a reasonable Minimum Support Price on the lines of 'Sugarcane Pricing' every year. In the present chaotic power scenario, our Govt. can also directly participate in the "Power from Biomass programme" like its decision to participate in the ethanol programme of Sugar Industry.

By announcing more procurement price for the feedstock and a reasonable price for the Power produced by the companies, our Govt. will not only solve the present power crisis but also will bring back smiles to the majority voters (sic) farmers.

Regards,
A.Vishnu Sankar

Casuarina junghuhniana as intercrop in Melia dubia plantation:

2012-05-19T22:01:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,

Some hard facts about Melia dubia (Malai Vembu) and Casuarina junghuhniana:

Melia dubia has very good coppice capability whereas C.junghuhniana exhibits very poor coppice growth, so any attempts for ratoon cultivation of C.junghuhniana will be uneconomical. (For more info: Click here).

Mean annual girth increment of above 5 cm places Melia dubia in the list of fast growing plants in the world. It is observed that when planted in rain-fed conditions its characteristic rapid growth declines after 2 years. So to maintain a uniform growth even after the initial years of establishment stage, regular irrigation along with application of fertilizers (if planted in poor soils) is necessary. In contrast, growth of C.junghuhniana is uniform even in drought conditions and in poor soils. So farmers who are blessed (?) with problematic soils can opt C.junghuhniana or Eucalyptus instead of Melia dubia which has now got more publicity than it really deserves.

Casuarina junghuhniana is drought tolerant (survived without water for 6 months in my field) whereas 4% of 2 year old and 1% 6 years old Melia dubia trees perished. So irrigation is must for Melia during summer.

Casuarina junghuhniana thrives well in high clay, sodic soil with a pH of more than 9.4 whereas 30% (read thirty percent) of Melia dubia trees dried during severe drought and growth was stunted during monsoon because of water stagnation.

These observations were made from the soil types of my field located in Tirunelveli district and hence readers should bear in mind that findings will vary in different soil types and in different agro-climatic zones.

We may conclude that Melia is a preferred crop for a good fertile soil and C.junghuhniana or Eucalyptus can be preferred for problematic (high alkaline, Sodic, high clay content and saline soils) and for lands with poor soil depth.

(For more information on Casuarina junghuhniana intercropping with Melia dubia: Click 1, Click 2 here).

The same Melia dubia ratoon after 1 year:

Casuarina junghuhniana as intercrop in Melia dubia field.

During severe summer C.J is still green,

whereas Melia dubia sheds all its leaves.

Regards,
A.Vishnu Sankar.

Sustainable Energy Development should not be at the cost of Agriculture

2012-05-17T08:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

"Plants for Power plants" is the buzz word now.

There are news reports that by raising plantations that could be used in biomass power generation, the wastelands in our country could be converted into green lands and farmers will get substantial entitlements and enviable returns.

There is no question that "Energy is Engine for growth" and 'Bio-energy is Green energy and Clean energy'.

The word 'Biomass' in this context can be referred as 'Bio-degradable wastes' that can be burnt as fuel. In wood fired Biomass power plants, biomass is burnt to produce steam which in turn is used for power generation through turbines.

The worrying development now in India is that almost all agricultural wastes find their way into furnaces for power production. Our self styled environmentalists conveniently forgot that for a sustainable agriculture a portion of produce must be returned back to our mother earth to maintain a reasonable 'Organic Carbon content' in the soil.

If this pillage is allowed further then the all important 'Carbon cycle' will get seriously disrupted. It is an irony that the proponents of 'CDM's are availing Carbon credits for this carbon plunder.

These Biomass Power plants have already started to use Coconut fronds, shell, fiber waste, Cotton stalk, straws and stalks of all the plants, Rice husk, Coffee husk, Saw dust, Corncobs, Ground nut husk, wastes from all Grams (Red, Black, Green Etc..), Millets, Cereals after thrashing and whatever things they see on road that can be burned. To their benefit our Govt's Biomass Power Policy clearly define the term 'Biomass' as all field level residues, plantation crop residues and Agro industry residues.

To put it simply all agriculture wastes that once found their way to Agri waste pit in our farm for compost making (FYM) is now moving out to these furnaces in the garb of producing 'Clean energy'.

In the eyes of the farmer, the 'Rice bran/husk' is a cattle feed and a very good manure for his field. An industrialist view it as an input to extract cooking oil. The scenario is entirely different now as it is viewed in terms of 'Biomass availability' (Kt/Yr), Power potential (MWe), 'Calorific value' (Kcal) roughly 1.5 kg of rice husk yields 1 kwh (kilowatts per hour) electricity), and 'ash content' only. In future you may not get rice husk even for cattle feed also.

Agricultural residual waste is essential for soil health and their total annihilation for power production is detrimental to the equally all important food production. In similar lines,Cuban President Mr.Fiedal Castro objects to the idea of converting food into fuel.(Read : Ethanol Vs Poor).

So the need of the hour is a change in our Govt's policy thereby forcing these wood fired biomass power companies to procure trees cultivated exclusively for this purpose directly from the farmers under contractual agreement at a prefixed procurement price.

Regards,

A.Vishnu Sankar.

Agroforestry for Soil health

2012-05-09T05:57:00.001-07:00

Dear friends,

An updated version of the Power-point presentation about ‘Agro-forestry’ (Latest update on 06/05/2012) is available in this blog. This presentation has become so popular with the Agri-netizens that download requests and permission to copy it are pouring in.

The presentation can be viewed by clicking the thumbnail below:

The presentation has the following topics with 76 slides of good pictures and graphic illustrations. Some of them are published here:

1. The factors influencing the farmers to adopt ‘Agro-forestry’.

2. Farmer’s misadventure in the cultivation of ‘Money Spinning Trees’.

3. Agro-forestry for soil health.

4. Agro-forestry to raise ‘organic carbon’ (O.C) content of the soil.

5. Measures to enhance soil fertility.

6. Agriculture also contributes to ‘Green house gases’.

7. The ‘Carbon cycle’.

8. The concept of 33% reservation.

9. The six Agro-forestry practices.

a) Wind Breakers / Shelterbelts.

b) Forest farming in shade. (Integration of trees with plants that loves shade).

c) Alley cropping.

d) Riparian forest buffers.

e) Woody crop plantations.

f) Silvo-pasture.

10. Cropping patterns for tree crops.

I. Bund planting.

II. As contour hedge rows.

III. Multitier cropping system.

11. Importance of mulching.

12. List of some fodder giving trees.

13. List of some ‘Nitrogen fixing trees’.

14. List of ‘Economically important fast growing trees’ as recommended by the

Forest Department.

15. List of trees that have gained wide spread acceptance among farmers.

16. List of long standing, hard wood trees that have good market value.

17. List of 12 trees that are eligible for 'NMMP' (National Mission for Medicinal

Plants scheme).

I kindly invite the readers to comment about the presentation

to improve it for the benefit of all.

Regards,

A.Vishnu Sankar

Money spinning trees

2012-04-28T13:37:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,

"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed".

The super-exploitation of the present day farmers by a handful of business people has become possible due to the fo(a)rmers' insatiable greed for money.

Every year we have been witnessing the aggressive promotion of one tree species or other by some magazines and companies and we never bothered to verify the facts.

In the last few years alone, the list of plants that adorned the "Hall of Fame"for a short period of time and fell flat after benefiting a select few business crooks are Vanilla, Jatropha, Teak, Mangium, Paradise tree, Red sanders, Pathimugam (Sappan wood) Etc. Etc. and the list is endless. The species in the limelight now is 'Agar' (Aquilaria species) and its fall in near future is a foregone conclusion.

In recent years, farmers are finding fault with FC&RI (Forest College and Research Institute, Mettupalayam, Coimbatore) for not providing authentic information about the cultivation technology of some trees other than Eucalyptus, Casuarina junghuhniana, Ailanthus (Perumaram), Melia dubia (Malai vembu), Anthocephalus cadamba (Vellai Kadambu) and Leucaena leucocephala (subapul or Soundal).

FC&RI has acceded to the demands of tree growers and embarked upon to establish small trial plots in their premises for the following tree species which they assume to occupy the attention of the farmers in the coming years.

Populus (Poplar) Tree.
Dalbergia sissoo (A straight growing Dehradun selection)
Chukrasia tabularis (Mathagiri vembu in Tamil)
Poulownia tomentosa (China Teak)
Salix (Willow)
Acacia hybrid (Mangium X Auriculiformis)
Toona ciliata (Santhana Vembu in Tamil)
Dalbergia sissoo (A Dehradun selection with straight bole)
Lannea coromandelica (Othiyan in Tamil)
Mitragyna parviflora (Neer Kadambu in Tamil)
Alstonia scholaris (Ezhilai palai in Tamil)
Anthocephalus cadamba (Vellai kadambu in Tamil)
Gmelina arborea (Kumil in Tamil)
Melia dubia (Malai vembu in Tamil)

The selected plants are fast growing in nature and FC&RI has done a good job by selecting a mixture of soft, medium hard and hard wood trees native to India which can be promoted after successful field trials.

Chukrasia

Poplar

Poulownia

Alstonia scholaris:

Anthocephalus cadamba:

Gmelina arborea (Kumil)

Melia dubia (Malai vembu)

Tree cultivation should be done with affection, love, care, deep respect, awe and reverence. It is a sacred act and if your only aim is to spin money out of them, then be prepared to face some disastrous consequences like losing whatever wealth you have accumulated over the years.

Don't imagine! Be realistic!

Daytime robbery is going on and when will we learn the lesson?

Please have a look at the following links:

Timber Tree selection - A Check List

Fast growing tree species for economically important commercial timber cultivation.

Regards,

A.Vishnu Sankar.

'Wavy grain' - The smugglers choice !

2012-03-22T19:16:00.026-07:00

Some snippets from IFGTB 'Tree Growers Mela -2012:

Part - 4

Red Sanders – Way to identify a tree with wavy grained wood without cutting the tree:

In recent years, a variant of Red sanders species which has wavy-grained wood has leapt into sudden prominence because it is highly valued in the export market. Wood pieces with the wavy grain margin are graded as "A" grade and fetch a higher price than the non-wavy wood.

Trees with this variant character are rare in nature and they seem to show no apparent morphological differences to differentiate them from the normal-grained trees. Matters have become worse lately with illegal fellers and smugglers felling non-wavy grained timber for making wood chips and wavy grained timber for logs of size 90 cm girth and 3 to 5 feet which are later stuffed with other export goods for illegal export out of country. See the kink:The Hindu.

This secret to identify a tree with wavy grain wood without cutting the tree is the most intriguing problem for the scientists throughout the world.

Dr.Parthiban, an enterprising scientist of FC&RI, Mettupalayam, Tamilnadu approached this problem in a novel way by approaching the illegal feller himself and came to know that trees with wavy grain wood will be easily identified from their seeds which carry a characteristic feature (not revealed in this blog for the safety of this endangered tree) that can not be seen in the seeds of trees with non-wavy grained wood. The secret has been revealed at last at the ‘Tree Growers Mela – 2012 held at IFGTB, Coimbatore.

P. santalinus grows as a wild plant in Cuddapah and Kurnool districts in Andhra Pradesh and Arcot and Chingelpet districts in Tamil Nadu up to 500 m.

The name Santalinus refers to its name of red Sandalwood, which all its Indian titles signify, though it bears no relationship to Santalum. This wood was primarily a dye-styff in India, where it was mixed with sapan wood, for dyeing silk, cotton and wool.

Though there is no domestic market in India, plantations have been formed for its cultivation in Southern India, where it is very rare.

CAUTION 1: It is now declared as endangered because its natural habitat is constantly subjected to human pressure. Cutting of trees in natural forests and in protected areas is totally prohibited. The legal trade in INDIA is limited to occasional auction sale of confiscated timber by Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh Governments.

Cost of seedling: Seedlings are available @ Rs.8-10 per plant at almost all Govt and private nurseries.

CAUTION 2: The natural habitat of P. santalinus is hilly regions with hot dry climate. It is a strong light demander and does not tolerate overhead shade. It cannot withstand water-logged conditions. If planted in problematic soils and in soils with more clay content the plant will get stunted and there will not be any heart wood formation. In that case this high value crop will not fetch price of even fire wood.

Yield estimate: At a spacing of 15’ X 15’ roughly around 500 trees can be planted in a hectare and after 25 years minimum 250 to 500kg of heartwood/tree can be obtained. Thus one can expect 1,25,000 to 2,50,000 kg of wood from one hectare plantation. (This yield estimate is disputable and there is drastic variation in yield from place to place).

At an average market rate of Rs.150/kg an income of Rs.185 Lakhs to Rs.375 lakhs/ha is expected. (The current purchase price by the smugglers is several times more than what is given here). See the link: The Times of India.

CAUTION 3: The species is covered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which forbids international trade of endangered timber as logs, but recent seizures in India, Nepal and in Southeast Asia suggest increasingly quantities are being smuggled.

Red Sanders as fence along with Gliricidia in my farm.

Red sanders - Bark pattern.

Sources:

(1) Natural Product Radiance, Vol.3, Mar–April 2004, pp. 83 - 84.
(2) jawaharlal.overblog
(3) moef.nic.in/.pdf
(4) http://iwst.icfre.gov.in/ and from other web sources.

Casuarina - Species variation in wind hardiness.

2012-03-09T06:08:00.006-08:00

Some snippets from IFGTB 'Tree Growers Mela -2012:

Part - 3

The total destruction of Casuarina plantations in Cuddalur, Pondicherry areas by cyclone 'Thane' has left many farmers to wonder whether any University or Research institute will come up with a Casuarina variety that could withstand this kind of violent on-slaught.

A Casuarina plantation before "Cyclone Thane":

After "Cyclone Thane":

Dr.Nicodemus of IFGTB, an eminent scientist has an answer to this problem. At the 'Thane' affected fields he noticed a particular Casuarina junghuhniana variety supplied by the IFGTB withstood the cyclone effectively. This variety because of its remarkable wind hardiness is selected by him for future development and multiplication.

The clones in the left half of the picture below exhibits
the character of better wind hardiness:

The selected variety stands tall even after the 'Thane' aftermath:

Those interested to purchase this variety can contact Dr.Nicodemus at IFGTB, Coimbatore.

Regards,
A.Vishnu Sankar

Casuarina as windbreaker

2012-03-09T04:37:00.007-08:00

Some snippets from IFGTB 'Tree Growers Mela -2012:

Part - 2

In our country, wind damage to crops is a perennial problem and loss to the farmers who never insures his crop is running into crores. One of the simple solutions recommended by experts is to grow trees in farm boundaries as wind breakers.

The usual practice adopted by farmers is to plant Casuarina trees in one or more rows in zig-zag fashion. The clones we get from the nurseries are designed to grow tall with minimum side branches. These clone types are not suitable for planting for the purpose of 'Wind breaker'.

In order to solve the above problem Dr.Bhuvaneswaran of IFGTB has come up with a new variety in Casuarina junghuhniana which produces more side branches to effectively reduce the wind force when planted as wind breaker. Some pictures from his Ppt presentation titled "Phenotypes for Windbreak Agroforestry System" is published here under:

Select the variety that serves your purpose: For Pole ? or for Windbreak ?

The Casuarina junghuhniana clone selection with its
special character of more side branches:

An innovative concept of selecting a tree because of its special architecture within the species to suit our end use. Congrats to Dr.Bhuvaneswaran on behalf of the farming community for his efforts.

Regards,
A.Vishnu Sankar.

Book on Gmelina arborea (KUMIL) Tamil edition.

2012-03-09T02:45:00.007-08:00

Some snippets from IFGTB 'Tree Growers Mela -2012:

Part - 1

I would like to bring to our readers some interesting and useful information from the "Tree Growers Mela" organized by The Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB), Coimbatore on 23rd and 24th February, 2012. (Part - 1)

Book on Gmelina arborea (KUMIL) Tamil edition:

A book on Gmelina arborea (Tamil edition) has been released by IFGTB. English edition is under preparation and will be published soon. This nice little book is a must for Kumil farmers and the new planters as it contains elaborate information in simple farmers language. Some of the topics covered by this book are listed here:

General information about the tree, flowers, fruits, seeds, seed collection, storage, seed handling, nursery raising Etc.
Maintenance of seedlings
Vegetative propagation
Plantation methods
Silvicultural characteristics
Planting space
Pests and diseases
Importance of pruning and mulching
Recommended intercrops
Wood properties (Both physical and chemical)
Timber characteristics
Wood processing
Uses
Growth statistics
Economics
Comparison with Eucalyptus for using kumil wood pulp for paper making.

Thanks to Dr.S.Saravanan for his meticulous efforts in compiling this useful book. This book can be purchased from : The Director, IFGTB, PB:1061, Forest campus, Coimbatore - 641 002, Tamilnadu. Price Rs.70/- Tel No.04222484142.

Regards,
A.Vishnu Sankar

TREE GROWERS MELA 2012 - AT IFGTB, COIMBATORE.

2012-03-07T08:39:00.008-08:00

The Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB), Coimbatore has organized a "Tree Growers Mela" on 23rd and 24th February, 2012 at Coimbatore. It was inaugurated by Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent charge), Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. More than 1000 farmers from TamilNadu, Puducherry and palakkad District of Kerala participated in the mela.

During the function she released the following publications brought out by IFGTB:

Proceedings of Casuarina Seminar that was held last year,
Book on Biofertilizers and Biomanures,
Cultivation guide on Gmelina arborea (Kumil) in Tamil, Frankia, Vana Ariviyal a Tamil quarterly newsletter,
Brochure on yield table for Casuarina.

Hon'ble Minister also released two products, a biofertilizer developed by IFGTB and a pesticide HyACT based on plant formulations.

She announced a grant of Rs. 1 crore to produce 15 lakhs of quality planting stock of Casuarina for supply to the 'Thane' cyclone affected farmers of Tamilnadu and Puducherry areas. She declared IFGTB as an ENVIS Centre on the subject of Forest Genetic Resources and Tree Improvement.

IFGTB has assigned 'one scientist for each district' of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andaman Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep to address the environmental and forestry issues related to those districts. Individual farmers or Farmer's Associations can call the respective scientist to clear their forestry related issues.

This 'Tree Grower's Mela' has assumed great importance over the years since it is bringing together a large number of farmers, wood-based industries and forestry research organizations on one platform which will help in understanding the issues related to tree farming and exchange of ideas and sharing of experiences.

The lectures and presentations from the scientists were very informative and useful to farmers. Even though an exclusive session was allotted to the farmers to share their tree growing experience with the scientists, it is sad to note that the contribution from the farmer's side was very poor.

I have assured the Director that with little persuasion, effort and advance planning the quality of presentations from the farmers side will be increased considerably in the next mela.

Regards,
A.Vishnu Sankar.

Project report for cultivation of Casuarina in irrigated condition and cultivation of Eucalyptus under rain fed condition.

2011-10-21T00:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

A preliminary project report was prepared by me for a corporate farm last year for getting in-principle clearance from their H.O and from their Bankers. I have published that report here below with the belief that this will greatly help our fellow farmers in preparing reports for bankers with repayment schedule easily.

PROJECT REPORT FOR PULP WOOD PLANTATION

Objective:

To establish a pulp wood plantation in 500 acres in the farm lands of M/s.......... Ltd., with Eucalyptus hybrid clones and Casuarina Junghuhniana clones as main crops.

Introduction & Scope:
This report is prepared at the behest of Sri. ............, Regional Manager, ................ Ltd.,Tirunelveli by A.Vishnu Sankar, (Mob.........................), President of the Tirunelveli District Tree Growers Association and an approved contractor (Readers please note: I am not a contractor now) to undertake the Farm Forestry scheme of TNPL, Karur.

It is a welcome gesture from M/s................ Ltd., to utilize the vast tracts of cultivable drylands (rainfed farm lands) in their possession in Southern districts of Tamilnadu, to a productive cum profitable purpose with bare minimum investment.

As many farmers / corporate entities have now come to realize that the cultivation of horticulture crops in rain fed dry lands is unremunerative, most of them are turning to the most promising Agroforestry / Silviculture cultivation. Mostly, preference is given to ‘Fast Growing Trees of commercial importance’ in order to cut short the long gestation period a tree growing project normally involves.

In general the following fast growing timber trees are recommended for the plains of southern India:

1. Gmelina arborea (Kumil , Kumula maram in Tamil )

2. Melia dubia (Malai Vembu in Tamil )

3. Casuarina junghuhniana (Indonesian / Junguniana Savukku in Tamil )

4. Ailanthus excelsa (Perumaram, Pee maram, Peematti in Tamil)

5. Grewia tiliaefolia (Thadasu , Sadachi in Tamil )

6. Khaya senegalansis (Kaya or Senegal Mahogany in Tamil)

7. Albizia falcataria (Kattumaram in Tamil )

8. Pterocarpus santalinus (Red Sanders / Sivappu Santhanam in Tamil )

9. Acacia auriculiformis (Pencil Tree in Tamil )

10. Anthocephalus cadamba (Vellai Kadambu in Tamil)

11. Eucalyptus - (Tamil: Thaila maram)

12. Bamboo (Varieties: Bambusa nutans, B. Bamboos, B. tulda, B. vulgaris, B. Balcooa)

Selection of appropriate Tree varieties:

Bearing in mind the factors such as our soil type, soil fertility, soil depth, MSL, rainfall, impossibility of providing supplementary irrigation, dry land tree cultivation in 100% rain fed condition, and above all the marketability of the wood , we can safely select only the following two varieties:

1) Casuarina junghuhniana clones
2) Eucalyptus clones.

For commercial cultivation of the above two tree species, good technical guidance, supply of high yielding clonal planting materials and buy back agreement with a reliable buyer are utmost necessity. ‘TNPL’ will naturally fit into that slot of reliable buyer with whom we can enter into a contract agreement for the cultivation of Casuarina junghuhniana clones and Eucalyptus clones under Farm Forestry scheme.

TAMIL NADU NEWSPRINT AND PAPERS LIMITED:

Government of Tamil Nadu Enterprise) Kagithapuram – 639 136. Karur District
Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL) is a Government of Tamil Nadu Enterprise producing Newsprint and Printing & Writing paper at its Mill located at Kagithapuram in Karur District with an installed capacity of 2.45 lakh MT per annum. TNPL is producing different varieties paper of acceptable quality primarily from Bagasse and pulpwood and currently taking up the expansion of paper production capacity from 2.45 Lac MT to 4 Lac MT per annum. TNPL, therefore, requires continuous availability of about 4.5 Lac MT of pulpwood per annum. Against this backdrop, TNPL has embarked upon development of plantation in the year 2004-05 and launched a plantation scheme called Farm Forestry scheme.

FARM FORESTRY SCHEME:

Through this farm forestry scheme, the Company motivates and facilitates the farmers to take up pulpwood plantation. Under this scheme, dry land farmers in the State are encouraged to cultivate pulpwood trees. The salient features of the Scheme are:

Dry land farmers in the State are encouraged to cultivate pulpwood trees in their lands, which are currently barren.

TNPL provides high quality seedlings/clones to the farmers at concessional rates. (Rs.3.50 / Clone).

TNPL enters into an agreement with the farmers to buy the pulpwood at the prevailing market price at the time of harvest or at the minimum support price guaranteed at the time of entering into contract whichever is higher. (current price Rs.2000 / Ton).

TNPL provides assistance to the eligible farmers in obtaining bank finance. The principal amount together with interest is to be repaid after the harvest.

TNPL provides free technical assistance for planting and advisory services after planting of seedlings/clones in farmers' lands.

TNPL arranges harvesting and transport of pulpwood from the farmers' field to factory at company’s cost.

TNPL has established an area of about 50,000 acres under farm forestry scheme involving about 10000 farmers in 15 districts of Tamil Nadu within a span of five years and is committed to raise plantation in about 15000 acres every year to attain the target of 1,00,000 acres by the end of 2012.

The above plantation scheme is being implemented throughout Tamil Nadu through 10 regional offices providing advice and technical assistance to tree growers. The designated officer of TNPL for Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari District is Mr.Krishnasamy, Mob.94425 91418.

Casuarina:
All information relating to Casuarina cultivation, tips to increase yield, photographs of fields with Casuarina plantations, Clonal production centre of TNPL Etc., can be had from this blog: agrowmania .blogspot .com . Please click this 'Casuarina Link'.

Cultivation details can be also had from: http ://www .fcrinaip .org /casuarina _cultivation .php

This crop requires supplementary irrigation in peak and prolonged summer that is difficult to provide by the promoters with the poor irrigation facility available at present in the field. Retaining moisture in the soil by providing flood irrigation at least once in a month is necessary for Casuarina cultivation. Though this crop is most suited for our soil, it is advisable to reduce the area under Casuarina, to eliminate risks.

So the given mandate of selecting tree crops for cultivation in 100% dryland should be altered to include this crop by providing irrigation facility.

The safest way is to go for drip irrigation system thereby we can increase the area with minimum water usage and to obtain a bountiful harvest. We can take up Casuarina cultivation in a minimum of 50 acres in the fields where water availability is adequate.

Cost of cultivation of Casuarina junghuhniana:
Please note that the cost figures and yield estimates are only symbolic and sketchy. The calculations may vary depending upon the fertility of the soil, spacing, dosage of fertilizer, irrigation schedule; proper and timely pruning and other related Good Agriculture Practices.

Please note that a small fraction of farmers are getting a yield of 70 Tons and above in an acre and the majority farmers are able to get only 40 Tons – 50 Tons from 31/2 to 4 years crop will explain many questions on the yield front. So a realistic,achievable target of (Average yield ) 55 tons / Acre was taken for the estimates.

'EUCALYPTUS' Cultivation:

This species is one of the fastest growing trees in the world, a favoured species for the commercial plantations companies owing to its:

● fast growth,
● greater vigour,
● drought resistant nature,
● insect resistant characters,
● adaptability to a variety of agroclimatic conditions,
● adaptability to varied soil conditions (from good to degraded soils).
● moderately salt tolerant,
● relatively fire resistant,
● strong coppice capability (Ratooning),

Details about introduction, cultivation and management of Eucalyptus can be had from this link: http ://www .fcrinaip .org /eucalyptus _cultivation .php

YIELD:

The growing stock and yield in eucalyptus plantations varies considerably depending on the site, the climatic conditions and the inputs.

Eucalyptus clonal plantations perform better than seedling origin plantations. Apart from increase in productivity, the rotation period is reduced by half.

As per TNPL records, the average yield from the well managed private plantations of Eucalyptus clones is about 40 Tons/acre in 5 years.

YEAR WISE BREAKUP OF PROJECT COST FOR CASUARINA 50 ACRES AND EUCALYPTUS UNDER 450 ACRES :

CONCLUSION: Any agricultural project involves some amount of risk in it, as agriculture is subjected to vagaries of monsoon which is not under the control of the farmer. To compound the matter further, unscientific approach by the farmer without proper understanding of soil health, wrong selection of crops and inadequate funding leads to ‘high-risk zone’ that is called AGRICULTURE.

But here, we have prepared a significant project, wherein importance has been given to solutions (to risks) and thereby eliminating risks in the planning stage itself. The main ideas conceived by us to make our project a grand success are summarized here below:

Selecting drought tolerant tree varieties for drought prone area.

Both the selected crops are some of the fastest growing trees in the world.

Both the crops have adaptability to varied soil / agroclimatic conditions.

No need for fencing the crop area as cattle do not graze these two crops.

Possibility of theft is almost Nil when compared to Horticultural crops.

Reducing the area under Casuarina to our irrigation capacity.

Provision of drip irrigation system for Casuarina for higher yields.

Selection of Hybrid clonal Casuarina jughuhniana variety for higher yields.

Selection of Hybrid clonal Eucalyptus for higher yields.

Procurement of high quality planting materials from TNPL at concessional rates.

Planting coincides with the onset of North East monsoon, hence mortality of plants will be Nil and their establishment in the soil will be far better.

It has been planned to provide sufficient plant spacing for efficient use of machines instead of manpower for deweeding.

Marketing the harvested produce is made simpler by entering into ‘Contract agreement’ with the market leader - ‘TNPL’.

Harvesting cost, Loading cost and Transportation of pulpwood from our lands to the TNPL’s factory at Kagithapuram, Karur will be borne by TNPL thereby saving not only our money but also our precious time and considerable energy.

As Eucalyptus has coppice capability, the plantation can be retained for 18 years.

We can get more income from the ratoon crops of Eucalyptus because of faster and more cycles and reduced expenditure in the ratoon stages.

Free technical assistance for planting and advisory services after planting can be had from TNPL.

TNPL and M/s Forest College and Research Institute, (FC & RI) Mettupalayam are Consortia partners in the NAIP-ICAR sponsored project. Hence we can avail free technical assistance from FC & RI also.

We can arrange inspection of our fields by experienced officers from the ‘Forest Department of Tamilnadu’ and the scientists from ‘Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding’ (IFGTB), Coimbatore also.

Hence, considering all the above positive features I recommend you to implement the project in whole as per the project implementation schedule for attaining a 100% success in this maiden venture.

Please find here in attached a model format of ‘Contract Agreement of TNPL’ for perusal.

Thanking you,

A.Vishnu Sankar.

Leaf and bark pattern of Dalbergia sissoo and Dalbergia latifolia:

2011-09-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

This post has become necessary to clear the doubts among our readers about the identification of Dalbergia sissoo (Sisu) and Dalbergia latifolia (Eeti, Thothakathi, East Indian Rose wood).

Sissoo leaves have pointing tip whereas the leaves of Latifolia are blunt and rounded.
While the bark of D.Sissoo is dark brown, very rough thick layer and with cracks, the bark of D.Latifolia is gray in colour, thin and smooth in appearance.

Refer the following links also:
Link 1
Link 2
and my previous posts on Sissoo.

(Please note that the pictures showing leaf pattern of Dalbergia latifolia were taken with the trunk of Gmelina arborea (Kumil) in the background).

Regards,
Vishnu Sankar