Dry land farming helps farmersurvive drought conditions
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Water shortage is a factor of previous for me now even in the course of the peak summer season, says K. Venkata Reddy
Rain-fed agriculture has at all times been a bet, given the erratic monsoon and it’s extra so within the drought-hit Prakasam district.
Like his fellow farmers, K.Venkata Reddy was about to uproot the fruit-bearing timber in his farm at Tippayapalem, close to Markapur, after his borewell dried up in 2017 after successive years of drought.
Fortunes turned for the higher for the progressive farmer as his essential resolution to dig a farm pond with a holding capability of three crore litre paid wealthy dividends. He additionally put in drip irrigation system to make sure environment friendly use of water in his orchard.
Convinced about the advantages of farm pond, he dug one other farm pond of the identical capability. “Now, water scarcity is a thing of the past for me even during the peak summer,” says Mr. Venkata Reddy.
Organic farm practices
“Marketing of fruits including jamun, pomegranate, sweet lime and custard apple was not a problem even during the coronavirus pandemic as the upcountry traders kept thronging my farm, offering a premium price,” says the 57-year-old farmer, including that he has struck a cope with a dealer from Kolkata for a truck load of candy lime.
Mr. Venkata Reddy says he used to ship his produce to Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad earlier. Now that I’ve taken to natural farm practices, merchants from far and close to approaching me. I’m utilizing fertigation with a community of pipes,” he says.
The farmer additionally practises pisciculture in his farm pond. The fish forestall clogging of the pipes used within the drip irrigation system, he says, including that he has adopted mulching approach and ZEBA, a starch-based tremendous absorbent, for extra environment friendly crop manufacturing. “I am happy now,” he says whereas explaining the very best farm practices.
Each farmer ought to put aside 10 cents of land per one acre of land for making a farm pond because it ensures irrigation water to crops throughout water shortage, says the farmer.
“Selection of drought-resistant varieties is important. I am using ‘Jeevamurtham’ comprising cow dung, cow urine, jaggery and gram flour which is being applied with water through the drip irrigation system in my orchard,” he provides.
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