Glimpses of training programme on sustainable and integrated diversified organic farming system
A farming system is referred as “diversified” when it encompasses functional biodiversity at multiple spatial and/or temporal scales, through package of practices developed via traditional and/or agro-ecological scientific knowledge. Agriculture in Meghalaya is characterized by limited use of modern techniques, low yields and low system productivity. As a result, despite the vast majority of the population being engaged in agriculture, the contribution of agricultural production to the state's GDP is low, and most of the population engaged in agriculture remains poor. With this reasons, the intervention of integrated organic farming system was thought to be beneficial and attempted for promoting the same through constructive training programme at adopted Mynsain village on 16th July, 2018. Around 30 keen farmers were attended the training programme.
Dr Jayanta Layek (Scientist, Agronomy) deliberated the meaning of the term ‘integrated diversified organic farming system’ to the farmers for better understanding. He explained that ‘integrated diversified organic farming system’ is a system that comprises of different agro-enterprises in a single cropping area. These enterprises may be crop husbandry such as cereals (maize, rice), pulses (pea, lentil), oilseeds (rapeseed-mustard, groundnut, soybean,), vegetable crops (potato, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, frenchbean, tomato, carrot, okra, brinjal, chili, coriander, beetroot etc.), fruits (papaya, Assam lemon) and involve animal husbandry like piggery unit, dairy unit with supportive water harvesting unit (Jalkund). Besides this, Dr Utpal Dey basically a pathologist added that diversified farming system promotes crop diversification which serve as integral for improved food/nutritional security and employment for the farmers round the year. He further emphasized that this system involves use of outputs of one enterprise component as inputs for other related enterprises wherever feasible by citing an example of how cattle dung mixed with crop residues and farm waste to convert in to nutrient-rich vermi-compost. This kind of simplistic practices ensued the less dependence of farmers on organic manure from external sources. Also judicious mixture of livestock enterprises such as dairy, poultry, fishery, goat-rearing, vermi-composting and others can help farmers in generating additional income. Ms Daphibanri Lyngdoh explained few more interventions that can be taken up under the diversified organic farming system such as (i) farmers can grow fodder crops such as Napier, Congo signal and Guinea grass on terrace risers to bring back degraded lands under cultivation with improved soil fertility and also for supplying green fodder as a feed to milch animals (ii) Low cost micro storage structures (Jalkund) with 250 GSM Silpaulin linings of 30,000 litres capacity which can be constructed for live saving irrigation during lean period (iii) A vermicomposting unit can be constructed to recycle on-farm biomass to increase the fertility of the soil etc.
