Organic seed production - Issues and strategies
- Part 4 -

L Meghachandra Singh *

Soil treatment process

o Farm Border-Bunding for in situ ground water recharging
o Soil Forking of the in situ farm wastes using the digging fork
o Vermi-composting of farm wastes in (2 m x 1 m x 1 m) brick-trough using 2kgs of nucleus Jumbo earth-worms for monthly production of 0.5 tons of vermi-compost, adequate for manuring an acre of the crop land.

Soil-dressing of Animal manures annually as

(I) Cattle manure (FYM) : 5 t/acre
(II) Poultry manure : 1 t/acre
(III) Sheep penning (one day) : 500 sheeps / acre
(IV) Fish manure : 100kg/acre
(V) Earthworms : 50 kg/acre

o Soil- dressing of microbial manure annually as

(i) Fermented cow dung decoction (25% raw dung + 1 % yeast in 4% salt solution of 100 liters fermented for a week) at 100 kg dung per acre, through irrigation water.
(ii) Fodder yeast at 5 kg per acre.
(iii) Fermented curd in copper vessel at 10 kg per acre (Subsequently diluted into 100 liters)

o Soil- dressing of tree leaves of Neem / Pungarn/Glyricidia (25 bags per acre of the crop land).
o Soil-dressing of pulverized Unit manure as Neem /Amla/Acid lime/ Jamun@ 50 kg/acre
o Soil-dressing of 10 kg of bajra pulverized powder per acre as soil fungicide.
o Soil-dressing of fermented seed decoction of Gingelly + Mustard + Green gram in 5 % salt/sugar solution for a week (10kg per acre in 100 liters of water)
o Soil –dressing of mucilage manure

(i) Cardia sebestina – mucilaginous fruits (20 kg/acre)
(ii) Aloe vera / Bryophyllum sp. Whole plant extract

o Soil-dressing of non-edible oil cake. (Neem/Mahua/Pungam/Castor cake @ 100 kg/acre).
o Soil-dressing of press-mud (1 lorry load/acre) especially to reclaim problem soils.
o Soil-mineral pesticides spray (Need-based) as borax/sulphur powder/copper.

Sulphate/potassium permanganate/burnt lime stone @ 5-10 kg/acre.
o Soil-dressing of dead sea weeds (Sargassum grass)

3. Water treatment process

o Keeping 1 % of the farm area always under farm pond
o Field-irrigation through copper spirals kept at the channel outlet.
o Field water through latex creeper bundles (Sarocostemmafravigeta/Cryptostegia grandiflora)

4. Environmental treatment process

o Daily Agnihothra fumigation of the farm environment (with the burning of weeds/Trimmings/prunings at the tree basins of the farm)
o Maintaining cattles at least a minimum of 2-3ha farm size.
o Farm Border-planting of pest /disease repellent pillar trees as Neem Seethapal, Nux vomica etc.
o Keeping honey bee hives @ 5/acre.
o Trap cropping for pest management (Mustard/castor/garlic sown amidst main crops)

5. Plant treatment process

o Seedlings vigour exploitation by culling out of the week seedlings through thick rowing/planting (Similar to roguing in seed production)
o Botanical fungicides usage as fermented garlic decoction (10 kg per acre) Neem oil (5 liters per acre)
o Botanical insecticides usage as tobacco leaves/Asafoetida/Acorus calamus/Taramira (Eruca sativa) oil.
o Microbial growth boosters (GA & Vitamin B12 through tender coconuts spray Mineral FW1gicides as
o Bordeaux mixture as 5% solution
o Burgandy mixture as 5% solution
o Agricultural antibiotics like Aureo fungi, Terramycin, Ledermycin for pest/disease control.

6. Bio-Intensive Gardening

Raising of different crop/plant species in a field/garden provides ingredients to rebuild and maintain soil productivity. At the heart of the approach is the effort to improve the soil's capability to nurture soil and plant life.

7. Tank-Silt Application

Application of 5-8 truckloads (approximately 20-30 tonnes) of tank silt per hectare, in areas where there is an access to do so with minimum transport cost, is sufficient for 3 years crop cultivation to get crop yields on par with yield obtained using fertilizers.

8. 'Panchagavya'

It is a foliar nutrition prepared by organic growers using the following ingredients. Biogas slurry/Cow dung 5 kg, cow urine 3 litres, Cow milk 2 litres, Curd 2 litres, Clarified butter/ghee 1 litre, Sugarcane juice 3 litres, Palm sugar 1 kg, Tender coconut water 3 litres, Banana 12 No.

The ingredients are mixed in a mud pot after stirring them well. Then it is kept in a shady place for one week for fermentation. Then 3 litres of 'panchagavya' is diluted in 100 litres of water. This mixture is sufficient for spraying four acres @ 2 rounds per crop. The diluted mixture has to be thoroughly stirred for 20 minutes before spraying. It can be stored for one month. It induces growth and enhances quick flowering and also gives resistance against pests and diseases.

Thus, sustainable lifestyle is a value in our heart in tune with the beat of nature. Are you going to leave a barren, polluted land which can't feed its children? If you say 'no' then you are receptive to it. "Organic farming concept" i.e., to use the land without abusing it. Man's activities have destroyed the earth beyond repair. This statement can be disproved through our march to "Organic farming" to get safe and quality food through quality seed production.


To be continued ....