Nutrition garden for food security: A sustainable model in Manipur

ICAR Research complex for NEH Region, Manipur Centre *

Nutrition Garden is critical for providing a nutritions diet. The garden not only assures the family’s nutrition, but it also positively utilises the family’s labour, land, and free time, as well as improving the family’s financial situation. They can cultivate many seasonal kinds using organic manures and production methods. Fruits and vegetables from kitchen gardens are high in micronutrients, especially in low-income homes.

Rural communities have plenty of room, and starting a kitchen garden is easier because farm families are active in agriculture. School gardens have been shown to boost children’s nutrition and food preferences in studies. School gardens have been shown to enhance fruit and vegetable consumption, influence health and nutrition behaviours, and improve adolescent health.

Furthermore, school gardens have the ability to increase children’s physical activity and dietary intake, Nutrition gardens are a low-cost, micro-solution for guaranteeing healthy food and balanced nutrition. Micro-gardening is an innovative approach for ensuring food security, youth employment, and an additional source of revenue in developing nations.

Households consumed the food, and any leftovers were given to neighbours or sold. Fruit -and vegetable consuming increased in frequency and quantity, meeting the nutritional needs of the households. A study indicated that homes with kitchen gardens had three to four times the variety and quantity of fruits and vegetables.

The nutrition garden grows veggies for the family using waste water from the house and other biodegradable materials. Chemical fertilisers are commonly used in the production of market vegetables. These chemicals are used to remove weeds, kill pests, and so on, and they bio-accumu-late in crops.

These vegetables have numerous negative effects on our health. Chemical fertilisers in vegetables cause a difference in taste. As a result, we’ll dig shallow trenches in empty land around our house and grow vegetables. The location of the kitchen garden should always be adjacent to the home, preferably behind the kitchen. Because it is close, it takes less time to get there and safety can be easily ensured. An area should be chosen for a kitchen garden close to the house.

The property should be chosen in such a way that irrigation may be simply arranged. Water from the well, bathing water, or kitchen waste water must be moved to the kitchen garden. The plot should be left empty so that the sun may shine through.

It should be resistant to stray animals and have a high reproductive rate. The size of the kitchen garden plot will be determined by the availability of land, the number of family members, and the availability of time. Cropping is done according to crop cycle, intensive gardening, and intercropping to meet the demands of the household.

Taller plants should be grown in such a way that they do not shade the other plants in this model. Concurrently, the vegetables must be chosen in such a way that they supplement the nutritional needs of the soil. The nutrition garden area must be separated in the following ways:

[ft shall be divided into 8-10 seedbeds, with each seedbed having a width of no more than 2 feet. There should be enough space between the seedbeds for mobility.

[Fruit plants can be planted to the north, and encirclement can be built around the kitchen garden, on which creeper-based vegetables can be cultivated depending on the season.

[Crop rotation and heavy cropping can be used. 5-6 vegetables can be planted at any time of year, 2 green vegetables and 1-2 tubers can be sown. On the mound, between two seedbeds, point tuber plants such as radish can be planted.

[A water tank in one of the garden’s corners can be kept, where domestic waste water will be stored to irrigate the crops.

An area can be built at the opposite corner of the garden to compost crop waste and. biodegradable household garbage.

The chosen site must be ploughed and tilled at least 2-3 times before beginning the nutrition garden.

Before final ploughing, a suitable amount of vermicompost (1kg per square metre) or cow-dung compost (3-4 kg per square metre) must be applied.

Following that, seedbeds will be constructed as planned.

It is also beneficial to use trichoderma mixed cow-dung manure, manure, or vermicompost.

Following cropping, depending on the need, Ghanjeevamrita or Jeevamrita will be applied. Organic remedies such as Neemastra, Brahmastra, and a sour buttermilk mixture will be used to combat pests and infections. Any chemical fertiliser or medicine should not be used. Vegetable cropping can be done in two ways, depending on the sowing method used:

Planting through transplantation : Brinjal, cauliflower, tomato, chilli, and other plants should be transplanted so that there aren’t too many distinct types of plants. As a result, nursery preparation should be based on plant selection. Seed Sowing: Carrot, radish, okra, and spinach seeds, for example, should be chosen so that they are disease resistant and to the owner’s like and choice.

Benefits of Nutrition Garden

Organically grown fruits and vegetables have more nutritional value and no chemical residue. It saves us money by avoiding the purchase of vegetables and fruits at the market. A continual supply of fruits and vegetables is maintained based on the family’s needs and preferences.

it’s a significant instrument for children’s training, amusement and fitness because many varieties of vegetables and fruits are grown. It is also an aesthetic source of peace of mind and beauty. Growing population, weather uncertainty, under nutrition, excessive use of chemical fertiliser, and other issues are frequent.

Nutrition gardens can be an effective answer to all of the concerns raised by the aforementioned issues.