Farm Update 30-Dec-2015

Tilling:  Entire pieces of land have been tilled with tractor.  The tractor is owned by Subbu's brother. With half cage wheel, they have completed the job.  Half cage means attaching a cage wheel to the tyres so that it can run on marsh soil without getting submerged.

Paddy :  Subbu  and Sumathi (temperory lady staff) have completed planting of Ambi-16 variety of Paddy on remaining patch of land.  He could get around 60 Nos of 24 day old rice saplings in around 24 cents of land. The crop will come to maturity in 90 days.  Though I have reservation in planting anything other than country variety, this time let it go with hybrid. After all we are testing the ground for the first time.

The paddy has been laid with adequate spacing between them in what is called as System of Rice Intensification (SRI).

Vegetables:  Over the tractor tilled soil, the mud bars have been constructed using 3 man power. This is for vegetables.  Presently Sweet potato, Onion, tomato, chilli, brinjal have been planted.  The seeds will sprout in a week.  Apart from this bottle gourd and ridge guard also planned in few quantities.  I am missing the farm now.

Nursary :  We discussed and decided to remove the existing nursary and re-do the same with iron pipes, perhaps little smaller in size.  There will be ceiling at 7 Feet. There will be no side covers. That was causing wind to shake the pandal.  this activity ofcourse can be done after 10 days.

Plantain (Banana) :  Near the wind tower, the banana plants have rooted properly. It requires de-weeding and cleaning.

Sugar Cane:  Has come to market.  Subbu will buy few and try this time.

Vettiver :  The vettiver that survived near the tower has grown very well. They need to be re-planted near the mud pond to arrest soil erosion. That was the original plan.

Coconut : Each of the new coconut saplings in polythene bags (with mud) has cost Rs. 150/- each.  10 of them have been planted.

Climate and the Farm. Miscellaneous Topics

"Sir, the sun is so bright we have never seen this in the recent past.  Very hot Sun. I am just getting water from the neighboring well". In the background I could hear the motor and water sound. Subbu was bit worried about the stock of water. But he was satisfied that he had soaked the entire banana plantations with water to the effect there may not be any more requirement to irrigate them. They are already in fruiting stage.

"How many hours have we pumped water from neighborhood ?", I asked. I was worried on how much I need to plan for future to be self sustainable. He said "so far 7 hours in the past few days", that means we have filled mud pond (30x30x6),  the tank (25x10x6) and banana crops. A lot of water indeed.  They charge Rs. 100/- per hour of  water pumped.

What you set out to do may not be what you end up doing over the week is applicable not only to business but also the agriculture field.

So it is only the job of irrigating where all the time is spent now.  

1. The company who was supposed to send Polybags for nursery is nowhere in sight. Every time they say some excuse. Today they confirmed that they will dispatch. It costs Rs. 100/- per KG of polythene bags. I ordered 2 KG each of 4"x 5" and 6" x 7" size.  It was funny how to imagine the size of the bags would be based on the flat measurements of length and breath. For this I used excel sheet.  If 4" is the width of bag, 8" should be the circumference of the bag. Therefore using 8" circumference, the diameter should be 8"/3.14 = 2.54".  Using this, in excel you can define a circle with 2.5" length and 2.5 width. Once drawn on screen, you can satisfy if this size will do.  
2. Vettiver is not seen anywhere in sight. This was to be sent by a fellow farmer in Pollachi  The consignment sent by the vendor never reached. A drunken driver has lost it without watering it had dried enroute.  
3. The stone pillars for the shade house is still not having permission for transport.  
4. But the pursuit on drip irrigation is ON.  That is the only way forward for the water issues.

Boys always like to experiment.   But for this I need to keep inventing new projects. That is investment and not core business of growing plants. Nevertheless all round development and future proofing can happen only when you do all kinds of activities, not only growing crops.

Yesterday Subbu sounded joyful when he said he had purchased the first lot of 200 feet drip pipe and a host of connectors.   He was planning to first put this near the gate where few fruit trees and coconut plants are laid. This corner is farthest and tiresome to irrigate, so Kandan had suggested this place.

"Have you brought the instrument to puncture hole and tape to cover the hole if it is mistake?. have you brought connectors, joints and T junctions?"  The answer was affirmative from Subbu.

Subbu and Kandan fixing the drip pipes - their first experiment

The plastic tank kept above 15 feet from ground level having 1000 liter capacity that gets filled with wind energy should be able to create pressure using gravity to reach this spot which is around 75 feet away. The water will travel through an underground PVC pipe, emerge near the gate and connect with the drip lateral pipes. This will be Subbu's first experiment.  But for wind. There is no wind. Since yesterday the windmill is standstill.

A quick check at the climate and my own wisdom says that this Hot sunshine must end with a rain. The hot air should create low pressure which should bring thunder showers in few days from now.

Let's wait and see.......

The Week Ahead on 20th Feb, 2015

We can't keep celebrating success or failure for long.  Should keep moving ON.

I need to create more engagement and bring energy after a small failure. few days back Subbu had harvested sweet potato and it was a disappointment.

Not really.  Perhaps.

1.  First asked Subbu to cover the plot of land with palm leaves which he promptly did. The lesson No. 1 in natural farming is that you keep the soil covered from hot sun. We did.  Sun is very hot now.

2. Decided to go for Brinjal. I have ordered Brinjal seeds from a friend Paramez. Out of the following varities, myself and subbu have selected the once in bold. These are appealing to the native people here.  All are native varities.  The white brinjal is costly.  Once the seeds are obtained, we need to grow them in polythene bags in the new shadenet.

1. பச்சை கத்திரி
2. வரி கத்திரி
3. திண்டுக்கல் ஊதா கத்தரி
4. மணப்பாறை கத்தரி
5. வெள்ளை கத்தரி
6. கும்கோணம் குண்டு கத்திரி
7. பவானி கத்திரி

3. After chasing Vettiver Vincent for long time, I thanked and said good bye to him. He is unable to send vettiver for me.  Amids his busy schedule he is unable to visit his own farm which is hardly 50 Kms from his work for months togather.

4. I found a new source Mr. Senthil Vel, near Erode. He promptly responded my requested.  At Rs. 3.5/- per root, I am purchasing 500 Nos today.  It will reach near my farm by tomorrow through KPN travels.  Good going so far..... I asked Subbu to keep in shade net for few days and then plant around the rain water catchment pond.  He was doubting if we should actually go for it now.  But I am going to force my way. Enough of waiting. I cannot wait till next rainy season.  Vettiver I heared can withstand draught. Only in the beginning we have to take more care.

5. Need to purchase polybags for nursary. I am searching internet for suppliers. Hopefully I will place order for 500 small and 500 medium size black polythene bags.  This will be my first professional setup towards growing own saplings from seeds.  hereafter for want of water, I need to use more of shade.

6.  Two fishes have been lost yesterday.  Subbu told they had left two large and two small fish on the large cement tank which has just 1 feet of water.  Till 6 PM everything was ok. Once they retired, some large bird (eagle) was seen scooping the fish from the tank. There is no resting place there. It should have descended and ascended in flight.  While Subbu was sounding disappointed and angry, i asked him to take photos next time for me.
  
*****

Fishes in the Farm

Subbu and Fishes

How about some fishes in the tank? I asked Subbu. He had already planned for it.  There is plenty of water in the rain water catchment tank.  It is likely it will stay for some time. The bottom of the tank is solid rock.

"How to bring the fishes?  "

"Shall I take a vehicle? ", asked fish eating Subbu.

"No.  don't, fishes can be brought in a 5 liter drinking water CAN."   You can buy one in the neighbour hood shop", I told - a staunch vegetarian myself.

Both of us have no idea, how fishlings are generally transported.  We guess, we should get small fishes or eggs from the owner.  He said he will consult his friend tomorrow on this.  We need around 2000 of them.

Meanwhile Subbu is busy mending the eastern bank of the pond which is lower level in height.  Similarly on the input channel also he is putting the extra cement pipe we have and sealing so that the fishes will not "escape" when more water comes into pond.  Good idea.  Two days of labor work.

View of the would-be fish tank. Now full with water. But it will come down  

Meanwhile I was exploring if we can plant some Vettiver to prevent soil erosion.  I spoke to P Vencent, a bank employee who promotes Vettiver from Coimbatore.

He said he will let me know in a couple of days. I hope to ship in some vettiver from him and plant them around.

He also advised to plant Pungan and Punnai treeds to covert an inert soil into one having organic matter.