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Experiences prospective life by turning waste into manure
“ ‘When there is no waste in the farm then how the farmer will get the yield? Fill the farm with waste, the yield would follow on its own.’ These are the words of renowned agriculturist Mr. Narayana Reddy that still echo in my ears hence I always maintain the waste in my farm,” says, Mr. Ashok Shetty, Founder, Malathesha Farm. He has experienced extreme lows in farming due to chemical farming and highs after changing his farming practices. His farm, Malathesha Farm is located in Hirekur Taluk, Haveri District, Karnataka. It is 4 acre farm having 1500 yelakki banana trees, 200 coconut trees and 4-6 lime trees. He shares his experience and journey of rags to riches. Excerpts:
Mr. Ashok Shetty
The green revolution brought abundant production by using the poison aka chemical fertilizer. “I practiced it from 1970 – 1990 and lost all my fortune gradually. After 1988 I was so depressed that I did not do anything and even I had no money to buy fertilizers! But then the year 1991 brought a complete change in my life. January 1991, I attended 7 days training program by Mr. Narayana Reddy in Ranibennur organised by ICRA. It was the session to unlearn the on-going farming practices and learn old farming methodologies. It was a mesmerizing experience and after applying the newly gained knowledge it was complete makeover of the farm and financial status! Since then there is no looking back. Next, I attended training on jeevamrutha by Subhash Palekar and started using natural pesticides for crop production. I don’t buy any farming inputs from market for my farm anymore!
Post training, tilling was reduced and tender coconuts along with fallen leaves were cut into pieces to be spread on the ground for mulching. The impact of these simple changes was amazing! I stopped stacking water for 3 months for paddy cultivation, paid more attention to the precise spacing between the trees and always keenly looked for increasing the manure content in the farm. I started converting farm waste into manure through vermicomposting. In the produced quantity I used to use half vermicompost on my farm and sell the remaining. It gave good add on earnings.
In my farm when coconut trees were small, I cultivated marigold, jasmine, jasminum multiform (kakada) flowers and vegetables. But later I discontinued as the trees grew up!! Growing flowers was emotionally and financially very encouraging. Kakkada flower farming gave me name and fame like no other crop.
I intercropped banana with coconut as complementary crops. Consequently the yield of coconut improved drastically. I have 1500 banana trees planted in 3 acres at a distance of 7-8 feet away from coconut trees.
Coconut leaf pieces and saplings of banana plants are used for mulching. I leave one big sapling sprouted from the mother plant and remove rest of the saplings. Once in 3-4 months banana saplings sprout out and I keep cutting it. If saplings are not cut then yield drops. Banana fruits are harvested once in a year. After we harvest banana, the leaves of the mother plant are cut but not the stem, because it gives nutrients to the new sapling. I spray cow urine to the banana plants as a natural pesticide. As a result there are no pests or diseases in the farm.
Water management is also crucial aspect of the faming. I have made a canal of 1.5-2 feet wide in between two coconut trees. I leave water in this canal so that the banana and coconut plants get water. It saves time and physical work. It also helps to cope up with the electricity crisis as in our village we get the power only for 2-3 hours.
In order to have more manure in the farm without spending money I have few other sources.
I ask the labour to bring the dead animals like dog and bury in 2 feet deep pit near the coconut tree. It converts into manure and the public will not be harassed with foul smell. I pay Rs. 20 but I get 20 kg worth manure! Secondly waste like coconut tree leaves, husk and shell has 60% organic potash. So I leave these items on the bottom of the tree. Coconut tree needs 90% of potash for the growth. Lastly I give dried coconut leaves/shells/husk to the labours for cooking their food and ask them to bring back the ash to be added to the soil again.
The coconuts harvested from my farm are best in quality. It has 0.75inch pulp, oil content is more and taste is really good. Out of 200 coconut trees, 170 trees yield an average of 25,000 coconuts a year. These are sold locally on retail basis at Rs. 10/each. I have 11th year yelakki banana plantation. The yield in one banana plant is 5-6kgs. I have cultivated local variety of banana. Banana is sold at Rs. 25/kg on wholesale but I sell at Rs. 30/kg.
I have done only farming all my life. In my opinion key to success in farming is always have waste in some form in the farm and irrespective of the any crop grown every farmer must cultivate flowers because profits earned in floriculture is not seen in any other crop!!
(As told to Mamatha S R)
Contact Details:
Malathesha Farm
Malagi Road, Post Rattihalli, Hirekur Taluka, Haveri District, Karnataka - 581 116
Phone: 9008646844
“ ‘When there is no waste in the farm then how the farmer will get the yield? Fill the farm with waste, the yield would follow on its own.’ These are the words of renowned agriculturist Mr. Narayana Reddy that still echo in my ears hence I always maintain the waste in my farm,” says, Mr. Ashok Shetty, Founder, Malathesha Farm. He has experienced extreme lows in farming due to chemical farming and highs after changing his farming practices. His farm, Malathesha Farm is located in Hirekur Taluk, Haveri District, Karnataka. It is 4 acre farm having 1500 yelakki banana trees, 200 coconut trees and 4-6 lime trees. He shares his experience and journey of rags to riches. Excerpts:
Mr. Ashok Shetty
The green revolution brought abundant production by using the poison aka chemical fertilizer. “I practiced it from 1970 – 1990 and lost all my fortune gradually. After 1988 I was so depressed that I did not do anything and even I had no money to buy fertilizers! But then the year 1991 brought a complete change in my life. January 1991, I attended 7 days training program by Mr. Narayana Reddy in Ranibennur organised by ICRA. It was the session to unlearn the on-going farming practices and learn old farming methodologies. It was a mesmerizing experience and after applying the newly gained knowledge it was complete makeover of the farm and financial status! Since then there is no looking back. Next, I attended training on jeevamrutha by Subhash Palekar and started using natural pesticides for crop production. I don’t buy any farming inputs from market for my farm anymore!
Post training, tilling was reduced and tender coconuts along with fallen leaves were cut into pieces to be spread on the ground for mulching. The impact of these simple changes was amazing! I stopped stacking water for 3 months for paddy cultivation, paid more attention to the precise spacing between the trees and always keenly looked for increasing the manure content in the farm. I started converting farm waste into manure through vermicomposting. In the produced quantity I used to use half vermicompost on my farm and sell the remaining. It gave good add on earnings.
In my farm when coconut trees were small, I cultivated marigold, jasmine, jasminum multiform (kakada) flowers and vegetables. But later I discontinued as the trees grew up!! Growing flowers was emotionally and financially very encouraging. Kakkada flower farming gave me name and fame like no other crop.
I intercropped banana with coconut as complementary crops. Consequently the yield of coconut improved drastically. I have 1500 banana trees planted in 3 acres at a distance of 7-8 feet away from coconut trees.
Coconut leaf pieces and saplings of banana plants are used for mulching. I leave one big sapling sprouted from the mother plant and remove rest of the saplings. Once in 3-4 months banana saplings sprout out and I keep cutting it. If saplings are not cut then yield drops. Banana fruits are harvested once in a year. After we harvest banana, the leaves of the mother plant are cut but not the stem, because it gives nutrients to the new sapling. I spray cow urine to the banana plants as a natural pesticide. As a result there are no pests or diseases in the farm.
Water management is also crucial aspect of the faming. I have made a canal of 1.5-2 feet wide in between two coconut trees. I leave water in this canal so that the banana and coconut plants get water. It saves time and physical work. It also helps to cope up with the electricity crisis as in our village we get the power only for 2-3 hours.
In order to have more manure in the farm without spending money I have few other sources.
I ask the labour to bring the dead animals like dog and bury in 2 feet deep pit near the coconut tree. It converts into manure and the public will not be harassed with foul smell. I pay Rs. 20 but I get 20 kg worth manure! Secondly waste like coconut tree leaves, husk and shell has 60% organic potash. So I leave these items on the bottom of the tree. Coconut tree needs 90% of potash for the growth. Lastly I give dried coconut leaves/shells/husk to the labours for cooking their food and ask them to bring back the ash to be added to the soil again.
The coconuts harvested from my farm are best in quality. It has 0.75inch pulp, oil content is more and taste is really good. Out of 200 coconut trees, 170 trees yield an average of 25,000 coconuts a year. These are sold locally on retail basis at Rs. 10/each. I have 11th year yelakki banana plantation. The yield in one banana plant is 5-6kgs. I have cultivated local variety of banana. Banana is sold at Rs. 25/kg on wholesale but I sell at Rs. 30/kg.
I have done only farming all my life. In my opinion key to success in farming is always have waste in some form in the farm and irrespective of the any crop grown every farmer must cultivate flowers because profits earned in floriculture is not seen in any other crop!!
(As told to Mamatha S R)
Contact Details:
Malathesha Farm
Malagi Road, Post Rattihalli, Hirekur Taluka, Haveri District, Karnataka - 581 116
Phone: 9008646844