On Amla
Thanks Mr.Kirti for the valuable information, (My response for the diffuser irrigation is long due, however I have taken up this recent topic for
discussion)
I would like to share some of my view points in the forum, mainly to utilize the knowledge of experts like Mr.Kirti and other selfless provider to the forum, theoretically the input provides the right information, but when you go and involve in the field, one is faced with different set of problems,
This may also provide some insight to the folks who have just started the Amla planting, (My field of expertise in not in agriculture but I had developed interest in it, a professional engineer working for offshore oil
projects)
By and large Agriculture is a complex subject, it is not that easy to get away with the desired result based on the theoretical reports and findings, it starts with soil, pest, and leads to the wonderful world of marketing, each area is very involved in itself.
Presently I am growing more than 1500 Amla plants in TN, all are 2 to 5 year old plants, I have planted at various periods whenever the seedlings were available (as such timing is not that important factor), the problems are so many, here I take up only the pertinent issues,
First of all, let us take 2 aspect of the Amla plantation;
1) Can we go for organic or inorganic?
(In case if we intend to go organic, do we have the right kind pesticides available for the pest and diseases in the local market, basically worthiness of the product, what kind of assurance one can have regard to that it will work against the pest in a timely manner?)
(Everyone knows about the expenses associated with the organic
certification issue, but not clear path on the way, who will take the
risk?)
Initially I was given the understanding that Amla is pest free plant and no major uncontrollable pests are known for Amla, whereas in actual case it differs, Stem borer made a havoc, then the regular Aswini (rust) made me run, the other worst problem I had was, some worms eating away the roots of the plant, the branches of the tree started drying, eventually the whole tree is dead, it happened for even 4 year old trees, the underground roots of the tree were eaten away by the worms (Scientist have so many names for it), more than 100 to 200 plants I have lost during the rainy season due to the above.
One has to be in race with the pest, to overcome the above in a timely manner, what ever remedies suggested by local experts, did not work that effectively for the pest as expected,
So, the details needed from the experts will be: Comprehensive list of pest
and diseases for Amla, details of the pesticides available (Both
organic/inorganic) to control/prevent
2) To go for organic manure or inorganic fertilizers?
FYM is difficult to source from the villages; again it works out to be too expensive, and there are plenty of natural manure are available from many sources, the authenticity factor dissuade one to go for the organic stuff (Safely one can depend upon the stuff that can be sourced from the sugar
factories)
Depends upon the soil type, inorganic fertilizers are easy to apply, at least to the minimum level in order to reach the break even point to start with.
Therefore, one has to go in the right direction to develop the field depending upon the availability of right information and products, so much and so forth is discussed about the organic agriculture, which will lead general public in to un known miseries, known solutions are still hazy.
(Once a certification agency member confided that we will inspect and provide the certificate for the land whereas finding right manure and organic pest control are lies with land owner, also says there is no known organic pesticides are available in India, he is fully aware of this fact)
Some other notable points:
a) Pit - Weed removal: no power tiller worth a salt (Indian make) can be deployed to plough, to remove the weed around the pit, doesn’t work for the purpose intended, applying coconut dust around the pit to prevent the weed growth, with one seasonal rain the whole stuff gets displaced by flowing water, why not a simple tool either hand operated or a mechanical operated is made available in the market, typically suited for the purpose, where is it available?
b) Marketing: Kirti’s observation like Amla from TN finding its way to New Delhi, it is very heartening to read, where as the actual case is different, local market prices are very fluctuating, now a days it fetches less than Rs16/- (whereas in the same period, the newspaper report says heavy demand for Amla and being sold for Rs 100/kg), so market happenings are also elusive
From the lessons that I have learnt so far, I can express few of my observations, agricultural knowledge is spilled all around, it is not easy to find a single source to get the required relevant input, for example, Is
a simple package information such as “cultivation practice for
Amla/sapota/teak” available? (A soil specialist talks only about soil, and the like, similarly other expert’s talks about their area, can not be blamed). To a commoner like me and other new comers, no single source data is available, To understand the structure and the rungs of Govt agriculture department, one needed to undergo some Govt dept. training to understand their functions, University’s are tightly engaged with their own good activities, library books and other useful information must be made available to the public Thus, the challenges posed by the agriculture tasks are quite daunting, unless the availability of relevant information and other mitigation measures are in hand for those challenges, agriculture activities will be rather frustrating, leave along the hard labour one has to put in to just meet the break even point and the ever uncertainty of market prices looming at large,
Wishing you all “Merry Christmas and Very Happy New Year”
V.Siva Rathinam
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