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1L E I S A I N D I A D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9

Magazine on Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture INDILEISA

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Nurture plantsSave the planetNurture plants

Save the planet

L E I S A I N D I A D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9

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ADecember 2019 Volume 21 no. 4

INDILEIS Dear Readers

LEISA India is published quarterly by AME FoundationAddress : AME FoundationNo. 204, 100 Feet Ring Road, 3rd Phase,Banashankari 2nd Block, 3rd Stage,Bangalore - 560 085, IndiaTel: +91-080- 2669 9512, +91-080- 2669 9522Fax: +91-080- 2669 9410E-mail: [email protected]

LEISA IndiaChief Editor : K.V.S. PrasadManaging Editor : T.M. Radha

EDITORIAL TEAMThis issue has been compiled by T.M. Radhaand K.V.S. Prasad

ADMINISTRATIONG.G. Rukmini

SUBSCRIPTIONSContact: G.G. Rukmini

DESIGN AND LAYOUTS Jayaraj, Chennai

PRINTINGNagaraj & Co. Pvt. Ltd., Chennai

COVER PHOTORural women raising tree saplings in nurseries(Photo: Grow-Trees.com)

The AgriCultures NetworkLEISA India is a member of the global AgriculturesNetwork. The network organisations provideinformation on small-scale, sustainable agricultureworldwide, and publish:Farming Matters (in English)LEISA revista de agroecología (Latin America)LEISA India (in English, Kannada, Tamil, Hindi,Telugu, Oriya, Marathi and Punjabi)AGRIDAPE (West Africa, in French)Agriculturas Experiências em Agroecologia (Brazil).

The editors have taken every care to ensurethat the contents of this magazine are as accurate aspossible. The authors have ultimate responsibility,however, for the content of individual articles.The editors encourage readers to photocopyand circulate magazine articles.www.leisaindia.org

Board of TrusteesSri. Chiranjiv Singh, IAS - Chairman; Sri. B.K. Shiva Ram - Treasurer; Dr. M. Mahadevappa - Member; Dr. N.G. Hegde - Member; Dr. T.M. Thiyagarajan - Member;Prof. V. Veerabhadraiah - Member; Dr. A. Rajanna - Member; Dr. Venkatesh Tagat - Member; Dr. Smita Premchander - Member, Shri. Ashoke Chatterjee, Member

MISEREOR founded in 1958 is the German Catholic Bishops’ Organisation for DevelopmentCooperation. For over 50 years MISEREOR has been committed to fighting poverty in Africa, Asiaand Latin America. MISEREOR’s support is available to any human being in need – regardless oftheir religion, ethnicity or gender. MISEREOR believes in supporting initiatives driven and owned bythe poor and the disadvantaged. It prefers to work in partnership with its local partners. Togetherwith the beneficiaries, the partners involved help shape local development processes and implementthe projects. This is how MISEREOR, together with its partners, responds to constantly changingchallenges. (www.misereor.de; www.misereor.org)

AME Foundation promotes sustainable livelihoods through combining indigenous knowledge and innovative technologies for Low-External-Input natural resourcemanagement. Towards this objective, AME Foundation works with small and marginal farmers in the Deccan Plateau region by generating farming alternatives,enriching the knowledge base, training, linking development agencies and sharing experience.AMEF is working closely with interested groups of farmers in clusters of villages, to enable them to generate and adopt alternative farming practices. Theselocations with enhanced visibility are utilised as learning situations for practitioners and promoters of eco-farming systems, which includes NGOs and NGOnetworks. www.amefound.org

LEISA is about Low-External-Input and Sustainable Agriculture. It is about the technical and socialoptions open to farmers who seek to improve productivity and income in an ecologically sound way.LEISA is about the optimal use of local resources and natural processes and, if necessary, the safeand efficient use of external inputs. It is about the empowerment of male and female farmers andthe communities who seek to build their future on the bases of their own knowledge, skills, values,culture and institutions. LEISA is also about participatory methodologies to strengthen the capacityof farmers and other actors, to improve agriculture and adapt it to changing needs and conditions.LEISA seeks to combine indigenous and scientific knowledge and to influence policy formulation tocreate a conducive environment for its further development. LEISA is a concept, an approach and apolitical message.

AMEF is a member of AgriCultures Network, which is involved in co-creation and sharing ofknowledge on family farming and agro ecology. The network is locally rooted and globallyconnected. Besides magazines, the network is involved in multi stake holders’ engagement andpolicy advocacy for promotion of small holder family farming and agroecology. The network consistsof members from Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Netherlands, Peru and Senegal. The secretariat of thenetwork is located in IED Afrique, Dakar, Senegal.

It is being simply forgotten that the well-being of human kind is dependent on the well-being of the plants. Soil health is critical for growing healthy plants. Way too long we havebeen focusing on soil chemistry and greatly ignored the benefits of caring for soil biology.Indiscriminate use of chemicals has destroyed life in the soils as well as greatly pollutedthe air and water sources. Agroecological approaches are the answer for better use andrecycling of resources. We need to value trees deeply and promote them widely – for ahealthy environment, resilient livelihoods, favorable microclimate, and as a carbonsequestering measure. In this issue we have a mix of insightful scientific explanationsand people led initiatives. This issue celebrates the year 2020-International Year of PlantHealth.We acknowledge deeply your overwhelming response to our reader’s survey. Besidescontributing regularly your experiences and wisdom, you have spared your precious timein responding to our survey. Your gesture and efforts reaffirms our relevance and is deeplymotivating. We remain deeply indebted to you all for your commitment to promotion ofLEISA. Together, let us celebrate 20th year of LEISA India. We heartily wish you and yourfamilies A Very Happy New Year 2020. Hope some of you have received the ’gift’ for yourtimely response to reader’s survey….as promised delivered or being delivered!

The Editors


CONTENTSVol. 21 no. 4, December 2019

4 Editorial

6 Healthy plantFoundation for nutritional and environmentalsustainabilityPradip Kumar Sarkar, M K Dhakar, Bikash Das, Priya RanjanKumar, Sudarshan Maurya, S S Mali, Reshma Shinde,J S Choudhary, S K Naik, Dharamjit Kherwar,Asit Chakrabarti, D K Raghav, A K Singh and B P Bhatt

11 Understanding crop healthT M Thiyagarajan, S Rageshwari, L Ramazeame andC Partheeban

15 Enhancing green coverThe journey of SankalpTaruSankalpTaru Foundation

19 Green Festivalfor Green IndiaM N Kulkarni

22 Bio-primed plantsThe future of food and nutrition securityDeepranjan Sarkar, Sonam Singh, Ardith Sankar andAmitava Rakshit

25 No fertilisers, no pesticidesThis Karnataka farmer uses only solar energy

28 Farmer’s DiaryPlant is everything for life on the planet

29 In the news

32 New Books

33 Sources

34 Growing trees, strengthening livelihoods, protectingenvironmentSupriya Patil

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11 Understanding crop healthT M Thiyagarajan,S Rageshwari, L Ramazeameand C PartheebanMore than genetic resistance ofthe plant, application ofappropriate nutrients at the righttime, in the right dose, based onthe available form, plays a crucialrole in plant health. Factors thatinfluence the crop health is yet tobe understood in a holisticmanner.

Enhancing green coverThe journey ofSankalpTaruSankalpTaru FoundationInnovatively integratingtechnology with nature,SankalpTaru enables people, withno time or space to plant trees,contribute their share towards theenvironment. The initiative isefficiently connecting individuals with nature and also helping ruralcommunities in strengthening their livelihoods.

Green Festivalfor Green IndiaM N KulkarniThe culture of planting trees withcommunity participation isblended into the rural life stylesthrough organizing plantingfestivals like Hasiruhabba.

Growing trees, strengthening livelihoods,protecting environmentSupriya PatilGrow-trees, a social enterprise isproviding a cost-effective serviceto individuals and companiesglobally to enable planting oftrees. Through its web enabledservices, the organization is givingevery person an opportunity to dohis/her bit in protecting theenvironment.

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Nurture plantsSave the planet

The planet cannot survive without plants. Plantsconstitute majority of food sources and play animportant role in providing clean air. But we seem

to have ignored or forgotten this simple truth, in ourjourney towards building a modern, developed world.Every morning we hear about trees being felled or largeareas of farmland being diverted for other uses, in thename of development. We are getting extremely callousabout polluting soils and the water sources.

We believe that we nurture plants, but it is the plants thatnurture humans by providing food, air and a cleanenvironment to live in. We exploit to produce more,having little regard to the soil, water and the ecology.We have been using the most unsustainable practicesproducing unsafe food for both humans and animals.We need to therefore pause, understand plant health andreflect on how we could grow safe food without exploitingthe natural resources and the prevailing ecology andenvironment.

In this issue, we can see a number of positive examplesof ways of enhancing plant health, producing nutritiousfood that enhances health of the people and innovativeways of increasing the green cover on this planet.

Nurturing plant healthLike human health, often it is a reactive response to apest or disease incidence, rather than a proactive approachto plant health. Understanding plant health is moreimportant before suggesting ways of maintaining health.Plants are dependent on the soils they grow and hencesoil health takes precedence over plant health. Mereunderstanding of the soils by conventional soil testing isno longer sufficient to keep the crops healthy. We still donot test the soils for their health and more research isrequired to address this lacuna, opine the scientists fromSRMSIT. More than genetic resistance of the plant,application of appropriate nutrients at the right time, inthe right dose, based on the available form, plays a crucial

role in plant health. Factors that influence the crophealth is yet to be understood in a holistic manner(T M Thiyagarajan et.al., p.11).

Beneficial micro-organisms can enhance the nutrientuptake and make nutrients more available by influencingroot architecture. Scientists from SRMIST observed thatVAM-infected Lavendula plant growth increased 8.5times over non-infected plants. There is also someevidence that the soil bacteria can support in makingphosphorous available to the plants by solubilizing thewater-insoluble forms while mycorrhizal fungi help inmobilizing the immobilized nutrients from the soil.(T M Thiyagarajan et.al., p.11).

Pre-treatment of seeds with microbial agents hasenormous potential in promoting healthy plants. Selectiveuse of microbes for specific purposes can result in higheryields. Bio-priming is one of the techniques of integratednutrient management to achieve sustainable yields inagriculture.(Deepranjan Sarkar et.al., p.22).

Another way of enhancing the microbial activity in thesoils is by applying mulch. By way of mulching, scientistsalso observed better decomposition of fallen leaves anddead root mass, thereby increasing microbial population(Pradeep Kumar Sarkar et.al.,p.6). The root mass bindsthe soil, consequently, checking the soil erosion to a greatextent.


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Land covered with crops and trees conserves soil and waterwhile providing food and clean air

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Nurturing conducive microclimate will enhance plantgrowth. Many farmers have benefitted greatly byimproving the microclimate on their farms. For instance,Madhu Ramakrishnan, a farmer in Pollachi, Tamil Naduhas been successful in reducing the temperature in hisfarm, owing to dense population of different plants andtrees and also with live fencing.(Farmer’s Diary, p.28).The congenial micro climate in the farm, also helps fastermultiplication of microbes and earthworms. It alsonurtures good and beneficial relationship between plants,pests and pathogens. However, microclimate has beenpoorly studied in relation to crop health and there isinsufficient or inadequate research on microclimatemanagement in relation to crop health (T M Thiyagarajanet.al., p.11).

Kailash Murthy, another farmer in Karnataka, followinga number of nature-friendly practices, has been able tomaintain good soil and plant health on his farms (p.25).His farm which includes more than 138 species of herbsand trees, belonging to 28 families, is growing in harmonywith nature, like a forest ecosystem by using only sunlight.“We don’t get health security from super specialtyhospitals, but from the food diversity. That’s why, all theseyears, I have studied organisms under the ground andunderstood their ability to supply nutrients to soil.” saysKailash Murthy.

Increasing tree coverIn an era where trees are cut either from forest areas orurban areas, planting trees wherever possible is anotherway of increasing green cover and harvesting the benefitsthat trees provide to the planet. Planting a sapling to markspecial occasions has become a trend, but it is simply notenough. The way the air is getting polluted, it wouldprobably be hard to live in a few years from now. Delhiis clearly moving towards it and many urban areas arefollowing unsustainable models. We need to plant on awar footing.

Development organisations like BAIF are doing their bitin greening the rural areas. BAIF has been popularizinga cultural festival called Hasiru Habba, the Green festival,since 2001, in all its project locations. The culture ofplanting trees with community participation is blendedinto the rural life styles, by giving a traditional touch tothe event. (M N. Kulkarni, p.19).

The Government of Karnataka is also promoting biofuelspecies in private lands and government lands throughKarnataka State Biofuel Development Board. The speciessuch as Pongamia, Simaruba, Jatropha, Madhuca etc.,have been provided to the farmers through Hasiru Honnuand Baradu bangara project, where farmers are motivatedto plant these species all along the field bunds and in theuncultivable lands (M N Kulkarni, p.19). However, weneed to be extremely cautious with regard to purpose andchoice of plant species.

Tree planting initiative is catching up with the new ageorganisations too. Innovatively integrating technologywith nature, SankalpTaru Foundation (p.15) enablespeople, with no time or space to plant trees and contributetheir share towards the environment. The initiative isefficiently connecting individuals with nature and alsohelping rural communities in strengthening theirlivelihoods. Working with various organisations andcorporates, SankalpTaru Foundation has expanded itsgreen footprint to over 18 Indian states reaching close toa million healthy tree plantations.

Grow-trees.com, another social enterprise is providing acost-effective service to individuals and companiesglobally to enable planting of trees (Supriya Patil, p.34).Through its web enabled services, the organization hasplanted over 4.5 million trees across 20 states of India,generating approximately 370,000 workdays ofemployment for the rural communities.

Expansion and collaborationWith rising population and more food requirements,nurturing healthy growth of plants is not a choice anymore. Increasing urbanization, infrastructuredevelopment, increasing radiation and changing lifestylesare all leading us towards unsustainable living. Expandinglung spaces within cities, enhancing crop and animaldiversity, adoption of sustainable practices in ecosystemmanagement and food production and increasing treecover across the nation are some of the ways to meet thisimpending challenge. It is a huge task which calls for acoordinated effort from citizens as well as variousorganisations, backed by supportive policies.



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Pradip Kumar Sarkar, M K Dhakar, Bikash Das, Priya RanjanKumar, Sudarshan Maurya, S S Mali, Reshma Shinde,J S Choudhary, S K Naik, Dharamjit Kherwar, Asit Chakrabarti, D K Raghav, A K Singh and B P Bhatt

Healthy plantFoundation for nutritional andenvironmental sustainability

Jharkhand farmers are showing increased awareness andresponsibility towards efficient production systems as well as farmsustainability. With the support of ICAR scientists, farmers in Phusrivillage are reaping multiple benefits by reforming degraded mininglands into productive farm lands.

Mulching with Tephrosia candida is done around Bael plant for soil enrichment


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Plant is the basic unit of agriculture. Individual plantlies in the centre of all endeavours and activitiesin the field of agriculture. The output of each and

every input is expected to manifest itself in the form of ahealthy, robust and productive plant, be it a mushroomor a mango tree. The civilization lives by the traitspossessed by plants. Our diverse needs are met by thediverse kinds of plants we have around us. Diversity offlora contributes to the prosperity of a society and alsodetermines the amount of self-dependence it can attain.For example, more diverse the kinds of microbes in thesoil, higher the fertility and biological activity in the soil.Diversity of products that we can have is directlyproportional to the diversity of flora and fauna in ourecosystem.

Plant diversity and their products are source of livelihoodfor forest dwellers and many village communities all overthe world. Farmers at grass-root level have beenmaintaining homestead gardens which serve as a reservoiras well as cauldron of diversity. Homestead gardening isan important source of nutritional security at householdlevel for rural poor with no capability to afford fruits fromthe markets. In addition to generating employment in ruralhinter lands, they have come to hold a significant placein agrarian economy.

Women folk in rural areas are struggling to augment theirincome with limited options available in their socio-economic space. They are moving towards non-chemicalmethods. For instance, women in Palkot block of GumlaDistrict of Jharkhand had produced imitable example inthe field of plant protection by application of culturalpractices and organic methods. Incidence of fruit flies inmango orchard was successfully managed by use of paperenvelopes to cover the developing fruits and use ofpheromone traps viz., Methyl eugenol, instead of toxicpesticides, since 2012. This technology has now beenadopted over 1000 hectares of mango orchards.

Mine lands to productive landsThe State of Jharkhand has more than 180 coal mines.After years of mining, the land is rendered unsuitable forany use in general and agricultural use in particular. Thereare thousands of hectares of such lands waiting to bereclaimed.

Phusri is a tribal village situated near Charhi, Mandu,Ramgarh in Jharkhand. Quarrying and selling of raw coalto the nearest market has been the only livelihood optionfor these tribal households. In the lands they own, theyhave been cultivating rainfed lowland paddy duringKharif. Water gets collected in the abandoned mining pitsduring monsoons, which is used for washing and bathing,besides irrigating some crops. The pits get dried up afterMarch. The village has very few trees too. Infact, onlyone tree each of mango, guava, mahua and a grove of sal(Shorea robusta) trees was seen in the village.

To ameliorate the degraded lands, ICAR ResearchComplex for Eastern Region, Farming System ResearchCentre for Hill and Plateau Region (ICAR-RCER,FSRCHPR), Plandu Ranchi, started working in Phusrifrom 2014 onwards.

Considering the deteriorated condition of the soil, somesoil and water conservation measures (viz., constructionof plastic lined dobhas, full moon terracing, half moonterracing, staggered contour trenching, mulching, etc.)were designed and applied for improvement of the site.Pattern of changes in soil moisture content in both theconditions under full moon and half moon terracingconservation measures for the plantation during extremesummer was recorded on daily basis to determineoptimum irrigation requirement. In the beginning of theproject (2014), it was observed that, after 24 hours ofirrigation, the soil moisture content went down toapproximately 6 - 8% and then gradually declined overthe weeks. By 2018, water holding capacity of the soil

Mango fruits are protected using paper envelopes from fruitfly infestation in Gumla district



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improved remarkably. It took more than 72 hours afterirrigation, for the soil moisture content to reduce to6 - 8%. This can be attributed to decomposition of cropresidues leading to build up of organic matter, increasein microbial population and their activity. The soil bulkdensity has decreased from 2.3 g cm-3 to 1.1 g cm-3,whereas, available organic carbon content has increasedfrom 0.23% to 0.58%. The soil pH and EC values havealso shown an increase.

Raising plantationsA model of agri-horti-silvi-pastural system has beendeveloped for the coal mine affected areas in the village.This included planting of selected agroforestry speciesviz., Aegle marmelos, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Citruslimon, Dalbergia latifolia, Mangifera indica, Meliaazedarach, Pongamia pinnata, Psidium guajava, Punicagranatum, Swietenia mahogany and Tectona grandis.The species like Bamboos (Dendrocalamus asper andD. strictus) and Tephrosia candida were also introducedin the system for fodder as well as nutrient supplementpurpose.

Fruit plants like mango, guava, lemon, bael (Aeglemarmelos) are generally more susceptible to both bioticand abiotic stress as compared to forest trees like Bakain(Melia azedarach), Mahogony (Swietenia mahagoni) andShisham (Dalbergia sissoo). Increased incidences of pestand diseases owing to climate change,were reported.Technologies like full moon terracing, half moonterracing, staggered contour trenching, mulching resultedin reduction of plant mortality. For example, underextreme dry spells, the plants grown at coal mine affectedarea respond differently to moisture regime andscheduling needs may vary from species to species.

Vegetable cultivationTo help farmers grow some vegetables, both for nutritionand income purposes, the project promoted vegetablecultivation. Villagers were not growing vegetables before.Various trainings were therefore designed and conducted,which covered a number of topics like cultural practiceslike nursery raising, planting techniques, pruning,

thinning, weeding, mulching, plant protection and severaltechnologies related to soil and water conservationmeasures. The trainings were imparted during 2016-17by experts of ICAR-RCER at KVK, Mandu. These weresupplemented by need based on-farm demonstrations andfield trainings too. The activities were closely followedup with the help of the staff of KVK, Mandu.

Seeds of different varieties were provided to farmers. Forexample, tomato variety Swarna Lalima, hybrid SwarnaSampada, brinjal var. Swarna Shyamali, bitter gourd var.Swarna Yamini, sponge gourd var. Swarna Prabha, watermelon var Arka Manik were the major ones. Most of thesevarieties were developed by ICAR RCER. Vegetablecrops are now being grown on farmlands as well askitchen gardens. Vegetables like tomato, chilli, brinjal,cauliflower, cabbage, beans, okra, potato; and field cropslike arhar, cowpea and mustard were cultivated duringthe year 2018-19.

Diversity is the engine ofsustainability.L E I S A I N D I A D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9

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Results and impactsVast tracts of barren lands have been brought undercultivation. For the first time in Kharif 2019, the erstwhilemine lands were used for raising paddy nurseries, whichwere transplanted in rain-fed lowlands. Farmers are nowproducing fruits, vegetables, food grains, fuel wood,fodder, etc. All these have resulted in a number of benefitsin terms of income, nutrition, fodder availability, andbetter employment opportunities.

Farmers received net returns of Rs. 42683/- per hectarefrom rainy season crops (like tomato, chilli and cucurbits)and Rs. 18293/- per hectare from winter crops (likemustard, groundnut, chickpea, arhar, cabbage, cauliflowerand potato). Survey revealed that roughly 60.25% ofvegetables and 22.34% of the fruits produced were soldin the market. Entire mustard produced was sold in themarket. Households were able to obtain a marketablesurplus of cowpea.

The impact on the nutritional status of the communitywas obvious and tangible. The vegetable intake of family(4 members) increased by approximately 30% due tovegetable cultivation. Also, the entire pigeonpea producedwas consumed by households, improving their proteinnutrition.

The reclaimed land also served as a good source of fodderfor animals. Introduction of fodder species has become amajor support for livestock farmers since their animalslike cattle, goats and buffaloes mainly sustain on opengrazing in lean months. Bakain (Melia azedarach), amultipurpose tree was grown as intercrop in field crops.Kans grass (Saccharum spontaneum) was grown forfodder as an intercrop between fruit trees and forest treespecies. Bhoomi sudha (Tephrosia candida) was grownas a multipurpose species to serve as green manure, fodderas well as hedge. These fodder crops yielded around628.05 kg per hectare. Green fodder which in addition to

Agroforestry at coal mine affected area



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roughage, supply good amount of vitamins, proteins andmineral nutrients to cattle and goats.

As a result of these efforts, lot of employmentopportunities have been generated in the area. This furtherhas reduced labour migration from the region.

Impact on environment and biodiversityBy promoting crop cultivation, there is a change in thesoil and environmental condition. Introduction of varioussoil and water conservation measures like Dobha, fullmoon and half moon terraces, staggered contourtrenching, mulching and zero tillage cultivation practiceshave led to establishment of vegetation, the root mass ofwhich has had a binding effect on soil, consequentlychecking the soil erosion to a great extent. The rate oferosion measured as peak sediment discharge(concentration) reduced from 232 g m-3 to 181 g m-3.Because of mulching with dried vegetation,decomposition of fallen leaves and dead root mass, andagricultural activities, the microbial population as wellas their activities increased. The diversity of weed speciesalso increased from 7 in 2014 to 18 in 2017. Shanon index,a measure of weed diversity, increased from 0.34 to 0.79

in this period. Grey patches of lands are turning green.A concurrent increase in diversity of wild fauna like birds,honey bees, wild boars, reptiles, etc., has been observed.

Policy level measuresThe project interventions have had a positive impact ofavailability of nutrition, spread of education, socialstability, and employment opportunity for rural folks,including women. Farmers are showing increasedawareness and responsibility towards efficient productionsystems as well as farm sustainability. Scientists areengaged in developing climate smart technologies. It istime for the government to formulate policies whichencourage the efforts of farmers and are supportive tothe implementation of technologies developed by researchinstitutions. Since plant is the unit of production, farmers,scientists, industries and policy makers have to work intandem to make sure that every single plant gets mostcongenial environment to give its potential production.

Pradip Kumar Sarkar, M K Dhakar, Bikash Das,Priya Ranjan Kumar, Sudarshan Maurya, S S Mali,Reshma Shinde, J S Choudhary, S K Naik, AsitChakrabarti and A K SinghIndian Council of Agricultural Research – ResearchComplex for Eastern Region,Farming System Research Centre for Hill and PlateauRegion, Plandu, Ranchi, Jharkhand.E-mail: [email protected]

Dharamjit Kherwar and D K RaghavKrishi Vigyan Kendra, Mandu, Ramgarh, Jharkhand.

B P BhattIndian Council of Agricultural ResearchResearch Complex for Eastern Region, ICAR Parisar,Patna, Bihar.

Box 1: Success story

Mr. Sunil Murmu is a small farmer who benefitted from the projectinterventions. He cultivated different varieties of fruits, vegetablesand fodder species on his farm. The family started harvestingconsiderable amount of fruits, vegetables from alleys, fodder foranimals, pruned branches as fuelwood from the 3rd and 4th yearonwards. The family harvested fruits like mango (168.68 kg), guava(273.34 kg), pomegranate (117.15 kg) and lemon (72.9 kg) from aholding of 0.82 ha. Almost everything was consumed at the householdlevel.

In the year 2018-19, the family received net returns of more than Rs.40000/- per hectare from vegetable cultivation during rainy season.During winter, Sunil earned more than Rs. 18000 per hectare fromwinter crops like mustard, groundnut, chickpea, arhar, cabbage,cauliflower and potato.

Mr. Sunil Murmu has expanded cultivating different crops to hisremaining barren lands. He has also been motivating other farmersin the region to pursue crop and tree cultivation. People have takeninterest in on-farm demonstrations and have been participating intraining programs, as well. Now, he has become a role model andan inspiration for the rural youths in that area. For his excellent workand enthusiastic involvement, Mr. Sunil Murmu has been awardedwith the “Best Farmer Award” by Shri. Radha Mohan Singh, UnionAgriculture Minister on 22nd February, 2018.


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T M Thiyagarajan, S Rageshwari, L Ramazeame and C Partheeban

Understanding crophealthMore than genetic resistance of the plant, application of appropriatenutrients at the right time, in the right dose, based on the availableform, plays a crucial role in plant health. Factors that influence thecrop health is yet to be understood in a holistic manner.

Healthy food for human beings can come only fromhealthy crops. Modern agronomy, plantbreeding, agro chemicals such as pesticides and

fertilizers, and technological improvements have helpedin food sufficiency, but at the same time have causedwidespread ecological damage and negative human healtheffects. Cultivated crops face several health issues withbiotic and abiotic stresses which vary with weather, micro-climate, soil and ecology and the plant biochemistry.

A holistic understanding of the crop health in relation tothe above-ground and below-ground environment and theplants’ biochemical composition is essential to providedecisive healthcare to the crops.

Soil health is the keyA better soil health environment is a condition where thereis good drainage with adequate air circulation for the rootsto function without suffocation; nutrient supply to meet

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Mulching helps in conserving soil moisture and enhancing biological activity in the soil



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crop needs throughout growing season which varies withthe crop growth stage; favourable chemical status thatdoes not affect the functioning of the roots and nutrientavailability; soil biology that supports nutrientavailability; soil organic carbon that forms the basis forthe survival of microbes; and soil temperature.

Mere understanding of the soils by conventional soiltesting is no longer sufficient to keep the crops healthy.We still do not test the soils for their heath and moreresearch is required to address this lacuna.

Microbial population in the rhizosphere is the greatestreservoir in this global ecosystem. Nearly 20 percent ofthe photosynthates are released into the soil as rootexudates. The exudates mainly comprise of sugars, aminoacids, flavonoids, aliphatic acids, proteins and fatty acids.They serve as a nutrient source for the plant as well asfor microbiome near the rhizosphere. Pathogen activityincreases, when the requirement goes from deficiency tosufficiency. Besides, soil edaphic and biological factorsplay a major role in deciding the amount and compositionof root exudates. The soil bacteria are attracted towardsthe root zone and it converts ammonium nitrogen tonitrate. Phosphorous is sparingly soluble in most soilsand is often the limiting nutrient in natural ecosystem.There is some evidence that the soil bacteria can supportin making phosphorous available to the plants bysolubilizing the water-insoluble forms while mycorrhizalfungi help in mobilizing the immobilized nutrients fromthe soil.

Beneficial micro-organisms can enhance the nutrientuptake and make nutrients more available by influencingroot architecture. VAM-infected Lavendula plants growthincreased 8.5 times over non-infected plants. The primarycause of mycorrhizal-enhanced growth appears to beenhanced uptake of nutrients, especially phosphorous.Plant health can be successfully improved bymanipulating the rhizosphere by (i) increasing thesuppressiveness of the soil, decreasing the suppressiveof pathogens and by inflecting host immune system.A study on increased activity of microbiome in therhizosphere soil carried out by De Boet and his co-workersin 2003, revealed that it directly increased the competitionfor iron, the limiting nutrient and thereby suppresseddiseases such as fusarium wilt of carnation and radish,caused by soil borne pathogens. PGPF (Plant growth

promoting fungi) and PGPR (Plant growth promotingrhizobacteria) present in the rhizosphere has an ability toinduce resistance to plants against pest and pathogens.Studies reveal that, plants selectively attract micro-organisms thereby increase the density of few specieswhere, it also restricts different diversity of micro-organisms.

Microclimate influences crop healthMicroclimate refers to the climate just above and withinthe crop canopy and in the soil root zone that can beinfluenced by management practices. The best cropmicroclimate is one that provides the most favourablegrowing environment and that maximizes cropproductivity. Mulching produces new microclimate in theoriginal soil, reduces transmittance of solar radiation; soiltemperature and evaporation, helping in waterconservation. The biological activity in the soil is alsoinfluenced.

The microclimate of a cropland is influenced by themoisture and temperature available in the soil and air;the presence of dew and frost; humidity; wind speed etc.This can affect the plant growth and germination, soilrespiration, the vigour of soil biotic life, nutrient cycling,and the occurrence of pests and diseases. Microclimatemanagement is well known in protected cultivation butis only to a limited extent in field crop cultivation.

Microclimate has been poorly studied in relation to crophealth and there is no adequate research on microclimatemanagement in relation to crop health.

Nutrients decide plant defense mechanismAppropriate nutrient concentration of a plant has a highimpact on improving the resistance of a crop while thesurplus nutrients are responsible for inviting beneficialas well as harmful micro-organisms and insects. Nutrientsserve as the first line of defence in a plant. Altering theMere understanding of thesoils by conventional soiltesting is no longersufficient to keep the cropshealthy.


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nutrients concentration in a crop can directly trigger thedefense mechanism of the plants to pest and diseases.

Nutrients can directly alter the physiological andbiochemical condition of the host including assimilation,nutrient uptake, cell wall integrity, and etc. There are manyfactors that affect the severity of plant disease such as,mineral nutrients, organic amendments, tillage, date ofsowing, crop rotation, mulching, pH adjustment, etc.These factors decide the availability of nutrients to theplants and pathogens. For example, root rot caused byRhizoctonia sp, wilt caused by Fusarium sp and club rootdiseases can be easily managed by altering the soil pH.

The plant defense mechanism is regulated by planthormones like salicylic acid (SA), Jasmonates (JAs), andethylene. These hormones impart resistance to plantsagainst pests and diseases. SA plays a role in enhancingthe systemic resistance against pathogens especiallybiotrophic and hemi-biotrophic pathogens, whichcolonizes living tissue. JAs and ethylene play a roleagainst necrotrophs, and insects which rapidly kill plantcells to obtain nutrients.

Resistance against late blight of potato can be overcomeby increased K application which increases the fungistaticcompound arginine in leaves.

Plant nutrients and pest incidenceNitrogen is one of the most important factors influencingthe performance of herbivorous insects. Nitrogen has beenfound to affect the reproduction, longevity and overallfitness of certain pests. Application of syntheticnitrogenous fertilizer resulted in the more serious insectherbivores occurrence and crop damage by reducing plantresistance. The low nitrogen contents in the plantsenhances the resistance of plants against pests, while highnitrogen content leads to vigorous growth along withconsequent decrease in resistance. However, the highnitrogen rate resulted in the highest per leaf meanpopulation of jassid, whitefly, and thrips. High nitrogen,increases the reproduction of cotton aphid and highpopulation rate of whitefly. For example, the mustardaphid infestation increased with increasing level ofnitrogen.

High phosphorus level shortened the development timeof adult aphids (Macrosiphum euphorbiae). Recentreports showed that, the application of Phosphorusreduced the population densities and damage of podsucking bugs and Empoasca dolichi.

Potassium fertilizer is negatively associated withoccurrence of aphids (Aphis glycines), leafhoppers and

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Improving soil organic carbon forms the basis for the survival of microbes



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mites. Potassium nutrition has a profound effect onimproving the attractiveness of plant for insects andpathogens as well as their subsequent growth anddevelopment.

Potassium deficiency on its own may not correlate withhigher insect attack, but the subsequent impact ofpotassium deficiency on plants, makes plants more readilyattacked by sucking insects. For instance, the increase inpotassium level led to accumulation of more phenolswhich probably contributed to increased insect resistancein some rice cultivars. Moreover, potassium inducedchanges in rice plant had profound effect on insect- hostinteractions.

Abiotic stresses affecting crop healthAbiotic stresses that affect crop health include salinity,drought, flooding, metal toxicity, nutrient deficiency, hightemperature and low temperature, shade, UV exposurephoto-inhibition, air pollution, wind, hail etc. Effect ofabiotic stresses on the plants and their management havebeen studied well.

ConclusionUnderstanding the factors that influence the crop healthhas not been addressed in a holistic manner. Perfectmanipulation of nutrient, plant and environment canreduce most of the pest and diseases. More than geneticresistance of the plant, application of appropriate nutrientsat the right time, in the right dose based on the available

form, plays a crucial role in plant health. Sometimes therhizosphere reaction can be negative too. Some chemicalcompounds attracts pathogens, hence, application ofcorrect dosage of nutrients is highly crucial. Along withnutrients, crop amendments can help to improve themicroclimate as well as, serve as food source for beneficialmicro-organisms. Moreover, plants are capable ofrecruiting micro-organisms in there rhizosphere accordingto their genotype. The challenge lies in maintaining thedensity of microbiome high in rhizosphere.

T M Thiyagarajan, S Rageshwari, L Ramazeameand C PartheebanFaculty of Agricultural SciencesSRM Institute of Science and TechnologySRM Nagar, Kattankulathur - 603 203Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu.E-mail: [email protected]

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Produced since more than two decades, LEISA India magazine is known for its practicaland quality content, attractive design, colourful layout, consistency and timely production.It is produced in 8 languages – English, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Odiya, Punjabiand Marathi.

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SankalpTaru Foundation

Enhancing greencoverThe journey of SankalpTaru

Innovatively integrating technology with nature, SankalpTaru enablespeople, with no time or space to plant trees, contribute their sharetowards the environment. The initiative is efficiently connectingindividuals with nature and also helping rural communities instrengthening their livelihoods.

This farmer in Maharashtra is earning better income by growing custard apple and guava trees on his farm

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With an objective to reduce the carbon footprint of citizensby mobilizing them towards environmental conservation,SankalpTaru was born in the year 2011. Mr. ApurvaBhandari, an MBA graduate with many years ofexperience in the IT industry wanted to blend togetherhis love for the natural world and the use of technologyto better lives. The mission was to create a healthy, greenand clean planet through tree plantation, while creating arepository for a rich ecological bio diverse planet andhelping rural communities, in the process.

SankalpTaru website was launched in the year 2012,followed by its mobile application in 2013. By 2014, theorganization expanded its footprints to 6 Indian states,including Leh Ladakh. Working with variousorganisations and corporates, SankalpTaru has expandedits green footprints to over 18 Indian states reaching morethan half a million healthy tree plantations.

Supporting rural livelihoodsRural farmers are assisted in improving their livelihoodsby planting fruit and fodder-bearing trees. These treeshelp in promoting women’s empowerment andindependence, increasing biodiversity in the region,alleviating poverty, and improving green cover in someof the most arid places. The selected regions whereplantations are carried out are geographically deprivedof greenery. The objective is to increase the green cover,while also supporting rural farmers in strengthening theirlivelihoods supported with fruit-bearing saplings.

In 2015, in partnership with the Government of India inthe Thar Desert plantation programme, SankalpTaruFoundation started working in the districts of Barmer andJaisalmer. The aim was to support the livelihoods of poorfarmers by growing trees of varied plant species likepomegranate, ber, lemon and many more. This initiativenot only created greenery in this arid region but has alsogone a long way in providing livelihoods to the poorfarmers. Also, associating with Greenlam Laminates atotal of 5,002 saplings of pomegranate were planted onthe lands of 5 farmers from Dhaka village in Rajasthan.Also, trees were planted in community lands and schoolslocated in the region.

Under the Project Sanjeevani, a Rural Livelihood SupportProgram, a total of 16,000 trees of several fruit-bearing,shade and fodder giving trees were planted on community

lands and on the fields of several farmers in the cold desertof Leh Ladakh and in the arid Thar desert of Rajasthan.Community members were involved in nurturing thefoliage around them, with the theme of “Gaanv ka jungle,gaanv ke liye” (i.e. a forest by villagers, for the village).Since its initial plantation, the project has come a longway in revamping the living of the natives andempowering women.

In the south, the Foundation worked in Talupula villagein Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. The villagesuffers from frequent droughts and adverse weatherconditions for growing crops. The region faces a highagricultural related suicide rate because of failed cropsand drop in the market prices. More than 50000 treeswere planted to improve the villagers’ livelihoods andprovide a sustainable income for their families throughthe agroforestry approach. Similarly in Satara andBuldhana districts of Maharashtra, more than 12,500 treeswere planted on the lands of identified farmers.

Enhancing urban greeneryTrees are planted in residential societies and schools tocombat air pollution, and mobilize city residents to reducetheir carbon footprints by increasing green cover. Theplantation campaign had a sole aim of combating strikingpollution levels of India’s rapidly developing cities byrooting a total of 25,000 trees in several residentialsocieties. The mission was to mobilize city dwellers aboutenvironment conservation, while fostering environmentalstewardship within them to nurture plants regularly. Ourenthusiastic initiative is successfully creating green lungsin the respective cities to sequester high carbon from theatmosphere. More than 50000 treeswere planted in Talupulavillage in Anantapur districtof Andhra Pradesh toprovide a sustainableincome for the farmfamilies.


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Highly conscious towards sustainable development of theenvironment, NEC Technologies associated withSankalpTaru Foundation to make Earth more greener andcleaner through their Project Protect Earth. Thus, theteams carried out plantations of 600 fruit-bearing andnative trees at Nirashrithara Parihara Kendra (NPK), adestitute center in Bangalore. Since its initial plantation,the project has come a long way in developing a self-sustainable and self-enthusiastic model for the inmatesof NPK, while revamping environmental conditions ofIndia’s Garden City.

In Pune, 85 trees of several native plant species wererooted in a residential society. Enthusiastic residents,including kids and women participated in the plantationdrive and pledged to nurture the saplings regularly.

Educating studentsThe vision of Clean and Green School programme is tosensitize children about growing environmentaldegradation and its repercussions and help them growinto environmentally conscious citizens of thecountry. Students and teachers are involved in plantationactivities and cleanliness drives by holding workshops,screening educational movies, and giving them practicaltraining to achieve a thriving ecosystem within theircommunities.

Collaborating with Teach for India, a holisticenvironmental education program was introduced in their

MCD schools across the NCR region. Joining hands withTATA Power, around 5,000 trees were planted in variousschools across 8 Indian states, involving around 6,000students in the campaign. With every tiny sapling planted,the students are being educated about different ways ofnurturing plants to grow into trees, while keeping theirschool vicinity clean and green.

SankalpTaru Foundation and Cairn India organized aworkshop with students of State High Primary School inBarmer. Under their Clean & Green School program, theteams educated students about water harvesting throughscience kit, where the enthusiastic kids also participatedactively to learn about environment conservationtechniques.

Restoring community landsBy planting trees on barren community lands, we creategreen pastures and develop an ecosystem which engagescommunity members in growing and nurturing trees.

The Aravallis are a vital ‘Recharge Zone’ for Delhi NCRwhich are being aggressively exploited to create concretejungles, while its green foliage is being tarnished intobarren land. Perturbed by the destructive plight ofAravallis, Rio Tinto and SankalpTaru Foundationcollaboratively initiated Project Bhavnam to restore thegreenery by creating green-lungs in this eco-sensitiveregion. Two thousand saplings of varied native plantspecies have been rooted on the rugged mountains of theAravallis Range to strengthen the natural infrastructurearound Delhi NCR.

To compensate for the forest fires that took place inUttarakhand in 2016, native trees were planted. Thisprogram was designed to address the locals’ needs, whilepreserving and growing trees suitable to protect andincrease biodiversity. Ever since its execution, the projecthas come a long way in revamping the natural aura of theHimalayan region and has also enlightened the natives toprevent incidents of forest fires.

Way forwardPresently, SankalpTaru is leading the way in using thelatest technology to better serve the planet. Beejyaan 1 isthe organisation’s first drone that uses the seed-bombingmethod to plant tree saplings in toughest terrains, likethe Tehri belt. With increasing awareness and the need

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School students in Panchgaon, Haryana plant trees as partof the Clean and Green School Program.



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Another main challenge was to expand the operationalnetwork in a country like India, which is geographically,culturally and linguistically diverse. It was quitechallenging to reach out to remotely located rural placesin various program states. Since most of the program statesspoke different regional languages, conversing withfarmers and convincing them to adopt the program wasquite a challenge.

With more than 95% survival rates, the plants are growinghealthily, enhancing the green cover in many locations.While the programme is improving livelihoods in the ruralareas, it is increasing the green cover and the lung spacesin the urban regions. In future, the full grown trees willhelp in cleaning the environment by filtering pollutantsfrom the atmosphere. Most importantly, the programmeis inculcating a sense of responsibility in communitiestowards maintaining a healthy environment. Innovativelyintegrating technology with nature, SankalpTaru allowspeople with no time or space to plant trees and contributetheir share towards the environment. The initiative isefficiently connecting individuals with nature and alsohelping rural communities in strengthening theirlivelihoods.

SankalpTaru FoundationPlot No. 12, Dhoran Khas, Kishanpur,Near St. Xavier's School, Canal Road,Dehradun, Uttarakhand - 248001.www.sankalptaru.orgE-mail: [email protected]

Box: Project Green Leh Ladakh

The mystical mountains of Leh Ladakh which are located at analtitude of 3500m are undoubtedly scenic but they have sparsegreenery. To revive its barren lands with healthy fruiting trees andincrease groundwater levels, SankalpTaru Foundation, anIT-enabled tree plantation NGO operating across 18 Indian states,initiated ‘Project Green Leh Ladakh’ in the region during 2014.The team transports saplings during October and November andstores them in bunkers to preserve the plants from extremesnowfall. After the snow has cleared, trees are planted during Aprilwith the support of native villagers.

The plantations are carried out under two operational models:The Rural Livelihood Support Model, which undertake plantationsof apple and apricot trees on the lands of rural farmers, and theCommunity Plantation Model under which fodder-bearing treesare rooted on vacant community patches. The NGO’s effectiveimpact is measured through its 95% tree survival rate in this areadespite adverse weather conditions, where not only growing theplants but even the act of planting them in the first place is a toughchallenge. By reaching out to more than 800 rural farmers and 50schools in the region, SankalpTaru has developed a self-sustainable and biodiverse ecosystem through the addition ofthousands of blooming green trees in the cold deserts of LehLadakh. These fruits are sold in the market and are a reliablesource of income for farmers. The fruits also meet their nutritionalneeds and the roots bind the soil to prevent against flooding.

Having covered around 12 village clusters of Leh Ladakh withmore than 30,000 flourishing trees, the organisation has alsoplanted trees at the Indo-China border in Nyoma village. Onethousand popular and select saplings were planted with the IndianArmy to generate oxygen for them at high altitudes. SankalpTarualso planted trees in the flood affected villages of Tia and Vanla toprevent recurrent flood incidents in a flood-prone region.

for expanding green covers, the programme is being takenup as employee engagement programmes in the urbanareas. As an employee engagement campaign, the aim isto reduce carbon footprints of the corporate officials,while enlightening them about the importance of treesthrough their green contribution.

With its aim of reaching more than a million healthy treesand expanding to global locations, the programme hascome a long way in the last seven years, with its ownshare of challenges. Initially, arranging a seed capitalfunding was a challenge. Unlike for-profit ventures whichhave better access for funding from venture capitalists,non-profits find it challenging to arrange seed funding.


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M N Kulkarni

Green Festivalfor Green India

The culture of planting trees with community participation is blendedinto the rural life styles through organizing planting festivals likeHasiruhabba.

Tree based farming system – A view

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Among 123 special days that are celebrated acrossthe world for various issues every year, threedays are reserved for the soil and plant life on

the earth, namely, World Forestry Day (March-21), WorldEarth Day (April-22) and World Environment Day (June-05). Besides celebrating these occasions, there isnt muchdiscussion among the general public on plants and theirbenefits for human beings.

Planting trees is the duty of all citizens, as all need cleanair and environment to be healthy. However, planting isdone as a token, to mark occasions like WorldEnvironment Day. It is the plants that provide food to theentire living beings on the earth, it is plants that absorbharmful gases and makes the air clean. A country needsto have at least 33% land under forest cover. But as perthe latest estimates, forest cover in India is below 20%.Hence, planting and protecting the trees gains greatsignificance.

Hasiru Habba, the green festivalBAIF, after putting in three decades in the extension andimplementation of tree based development programmessuch as watershed development, agro forestry, agri-horti-forestry etc., has reached to a conclusion that planting oftrees has to be made part and parcel of the farmingcommunities and general public. The culture of plantingtrees with community participation is to be blended intotheir life styles in such a way that, it should become afestival like other festivals in the villages and towns.

In order to popularize tree plantation on a large scaleinvolving rural communities, BAIF Institute forSustainable Livelihoods and Development-Karnataka, has been popularizing Hasiru Habba-Green festival, since 2001, in all its project locations.It is an effort to give religious touch and recognitionto the planting of trees by involving people of allsections in the village - religious heads, politicians,social workers, government departments etc. LateSri Sri Balagangadharanath Swamiji ofAdichunchanagiri math, late Sri. Sri.Siddalingeshwar Swamiji of Tontadarya math,Dambal, local MLAs, environmentalists and politicalleaders have participated in the events organized andmotivated the community on the importance ofplanting and protection of trees. Other NGOs, farmer

organizations, self help groups and village levelorganizations have replicated the concept.

Usually during June-July months, a date for hasiruhabbais fixed in consultation with the community. Projectparticipants from nearby villages, school children,people’s representatives and religious heads are invitedto participate in the event. Transport of seedlings, seedsof fast growing plants, pit excavation in the selected landand other arrangements will be ensured on the previousday. The community gathers in the morning, goes to theplantation area in a procession, performs pooja to theseedlings and takes the Hasiruhabba oath (see box 1),before planting the seedlings.

Diverse species and their impactPlanting neem trees around the school premises andeducational institutions will help in prevention of diseases.Planting of Anthocephalus sps (Kadamba), Bilwara andAlbezia lebbek in towns and cities will help in controllingair pollution. Planting of Michelia, Millingtoria sps(Akash mallige) and Nyctyanthse sps (Parijatha) plants

Box 1: The Hasiruhabba oath

“Trees are an integral part of agriculture. We, the villagers, in thename of village Goddess, hereby take an oath that we will celebrateHasiruhabba in our village every year, plant and protect as manytrees as possible with community participation. We will also involveall family members, relatives, friends and neighbouring villagers inthis Habba”.

Inaugurating Hasiruhabba at Mylanahalli villagein Karnataka.

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around the garbage heaps and drainagelines have the capacity to mask the badodour coming out in such places. Thespecies such as Ficus religiosa, Ficusglomerata, Ficus bengalensis etc., canbe planted in parks and temple premisesas these plants have the capacity to cleanthe air. A study conducted by theBanaras Hindu University suggests togo for planting of species likeCaesalpinia sappan, Dalbergia sissu,Psidium guava and Albazia lebbek intowns and cities as these are air pollutiontolerant species.

Live hedge fences help in carbonsequestration and thus act as mitigationagainst climate change. Live hedgefence around the orchards and fieldboundaries can be established by planting cuttings ofGlyricidia, Erythrina, Lantana etc., in rainy season. Alsoseeds of fast growing species like Sesbania, Subabul andGlyricidia can be drilled along the boundary. These willget established soon. From the second year onwards, fencestarts providing large quantity of biomass which can beused for making compost. Over a period of time, nativespecies start growing all along the fence.

The plants like Glyricidia, Subabul, Erythrina andSesbania grandiflora are fast growing species and canbe established through direct seed dibbling during rainyseason. These will cater to the fodder needs as well asbiomass that can be incorporated into the soil. Farmersneed seeds and motivation to adopt this low cost practice.

The Government of Karnataka is also promoting biofuelspecies in private lands and government lands throughKarnataka State Biofuel Development Board. The speciessuch as Pongamia, Simaruba, Jatropha, Madhuca etc.,have been provided to the farmers through Hasiru Honnuand Baradu bangara project. Farmers can be motivatedto plant these species all along the field bunds and in theuncultivable lands. Apart from seed production, there willbe lot of biomass and leaf litter. This can be convertedinto compost and applied to the field so as to reduceapplication of chemicals and fertilisers in the climatechange context.

Wider outreachTree plantation need to be promoted in common lands,school premises, temple premises, fallow lands, roadsideplantations, etc., Planting trees needs to be imbibed as aculture and not be enforced. This requires strongcommunity mobilization. In villages, involving self helpgroups, youth clubs, school children will go a long wayin sustaining plantation activities. Farmers in dry landsneed to be supported to take up agro forestry and treebased farming systems. Depending on the availability ofspace, at least one or two plants can be planted in thebackyards. Planting at least 200 to 300 trees per acreshould be made mandatory for availing benefits of anygovernment schemes. Ultimately, it is the trees that aregoing to sequester carbon from the atmosphere and helpin mitigating climate change effects.

M N KulkarniAddl. Chief Programme ExecutiveBAIF,Koneru Lakshmaiah Street,Mogalarajpuram,Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.E-mail: [email protected]

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Communities planting trees during Hasiruhabba



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Indian agriculture is facing big challenges in terms ofdepleting soil organic matter, imbalance in fertilizeruse, emerging multi-nutrient deficiencies particularly

of secondary and micronutrients, declining nutrient useefficiency, negative soil nutrient balance, etc. As all theseproblems can be well linked with fertilizer application insoil, the issues becomes more stringent when farmers paydouble prices for these energy related inputs, viz., fueland fertilizers. It’s high time to change our productionplans with new energy conservation methods substitutingthe existing energy intensive and costly productionsystem.

The increasing demand of qualitative and varietal foodsby the consumer society demands energy production.Utilisation of that energy in a judicious manner forsustainable management of resources is a big challengein the future. The depleting resources warrant farmingcommunities to adopt alternative strategies to enhancethe input use efficiency as well as the environmentalquality.

Deepranjan Sarkar, Sonam Singh,Ardith Sankar and Amitava Rakshit

Bio-primed plantsThe future of food andnutrition security

Meeting the food demands along with nutritional security, withoutexploiting the natural resources is the biggest challenge that we arefacing today. It is necessary to adopt alternative strategies that enhanceresource use efficiency, without damaging the environmental quality.


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Procedure for Seedling bio-priming

Seed washing with Tap water to remove the chemicals

Sterilization with 0.1 % HgCl2

Wash three times with Autoclaved water

Soak for 1-2 hours in fresh Autoclaved water

Seed sown in tray and kept for germination

Seedlings picked when there are 5-6 leaves

Soil washing

Root dipping in liquid culture mixed with CMC

Kept for 5 hours

Transplanting


Adaptability of microbes to thrive indifferent environments has attractedscientists to introduce microbialintervention in the agriculturalprocesses. Bio-priming has thepotential to fulfil many objectives ofthe modern production system withthe use of beneficial microorganismsin an eco-friendly manner.

The techniqueBio-priming is a technique ofbiological seed treatment combininga variety of physiological andbiological aspects related to seed andplant growth promotion together inone process (Fig 1). A controlled seed hydration is carriedfollowing beneficial microbial seed inoculation underwarm and humid conditions. Microbial coating of seedsis done by taking eligible species of fungi and bacteriasuch as Trichoderma, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Rhizobium,Azospirillum, Glomus, Azotobacter, Agrobacterium, etc.During seed imbibition, partial germination is allowedwhich triggers numerous physiological and biochemicalprocesses (cell repairment, metabolism of reserves, DNArepairment, protein synthesis, ROS detoxification) inseeds, and before the emergence of plumule and radicle,the water treatment is terminated.

Bio-priming is an advanced seed treatment process in thisera to empower the plants function effectively in all

conditions. The bio-innovative system will work asgrowth enhancer, disease controller, and qualitymaintainer along with increased production. Theperformance of bio-primed seeds is noticed under diverseagroecological systems because of rapid germination,uniform seedling emergence, reduced seed dormancy,improved nutrient uptake, and greater tolerance toenvironmental stresses (pests and diseases).

Field experimentFarmers of Indo-Gangetic Plains of Uttar Pradesh areinvolved in seed bio-priming before sowing for numerouscrop species including rice, wheat, maize, and pulses.However, seedling bio-priming is recommended for

Non-primed plants (RDF @ 120:60:60)

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Primed plants[75% RDF (90:45:45) + T. harzianum + P. fluorescens]


Fig 1: Mechanisms of bio-priming mediated processes in agroecosystems


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vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, or brinjal). A highnutrient requiring crop (N:P2O5:K2O @ 120:60:60kg ha-1),viz., red cabbage was selected for bio-priming. Healthyseedlings were transplanted in 4 × 2 m2 plots at a spacingof 50 cm × 50 cm. Three priming agents (Trichodermaharzianum, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Bacillussubtilis) singly and in combination were used with 75%recommended dose of fertilizers (NPK). Fieldexperiments were conducted at Vegetable Research Farm,Banaras Hindu University during rabi seasons of 2016and 2017.

ResultsBio-priming enhanced the nutrient uptake of red cabbagecrop both in terms of macronutrient (N, P and K) andmicronutrient (Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu). Based on the nutrientcontent (N, P and K), combined application ofT.harzianum and P.fluorescens resulted in highest N%,whereas combined application of P.fluorescens andB. subtilis resulted in highest P% and K% (Table 1).Microbial consortium performed better than single speciespriming. However, dual consortium surpassed tripleconsortium. Economical yield and energy use efficiencywas higher in bio-primed treatments. These might be dueto increased microbial activity in soil releasing enzymes,hormones and organic acids. The growth of primed plantswas higher than non-primed plants. Rhizosphericinteractions due to bio-priming have modulated the rootarchitecture of crop, mobilized nutrients and improvedthe nutrient use efficiency. Strategic nutrient managementhas expedited the process of mineral element acquisitionby plants from the soil.

ConclusionGrowing concerns among public aboutthoughtful health hazards (bothenvironment and human) urge therequirement of eco-friendly, economical,and sustainable agriculture. Bio-primingis a simple tool that can be adopted evenby small farmers. These sort ofinterventions besides reducing the levelof fertilizer application will also improvethe nutrient use efficiency of crops. Also,the use of agrochemicals is uneconomicalleading to ecological disruptions. Pre-treatment of seeds with microbial agents

has enormous potential in modern times. Selective useof microbes for specific purposes can further yield in highresults. Bio-priming must therefore be integrated in tothe existing technology of integrated nutrient managementto achieve sustainable yields in agriculture.

Deepranjan Sarkar, Sonam Singh, Ardith Sankarand Amitava RakshitInstitute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras HinduUniversity,Varanasi-221005, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaE-mail: [email protected]


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Table 1: Effect of bio-priming and NPK fertilisation on nutritional quality ofred cabbage (mean of 2 years)Treatment N (%) P (%) K (%)Absolute control N:P2O5:K2O @ 0:0:0 kg ha-1 1.30 0.23 2.31RDF of N:P2O5:K2O @ 120:60:60 kg ha-1 2.19 0.31 2.5775% RDF + Trichoderma harzianum 2.00 0.32 2.6175% RDF + Pseudomonasfluorescens 1.99 0.35 2.6275% RDF + Bacillussubtilis 1.88 0.33 2.6575% RDF + T.harzianum + P.fluorescens 2.22 0.35 2.7175% RDF + P. fluorescens + B. subtilis 2.03 0.37 2.8475% RDF + T.harzianum+ B. subtilis 2.14 0.33 2.7775% RDF + T.harzianum + P.fluorescens + B. subtilis 1.98 0.31 2.67


Kailash Murthy’s experiment with natural farming stands out as amodel for every small and marginal farmer in the country.

No fertilisers, nopesticidesThis Karnataka farmer usesonly solar energy

Ecology can survive without economics buteconomics can’t survive without ecology. M KKailash Murthy had learnt this the hard way. A

banker-turned-farmer in Doddinduvadi village ofChamarajanagar district has turned a farmland of 22 acresinto a mini forest in one of the most drought-prone regionsin the state. At a time when states like Punjab are callingfor reducing use of pesticide and chemical fertilisers,Murthy’s experiment with natural farming stands out asa model for every small and marginal farmer in thecountry.

Murthy began practising chemical farming in 1984.Within a span of four years, he realised the ill-effects ofbiodiversity loss. Soil fertility started depleting and plantsstarted demanding more water and fertilisers.

“Farmers must understand that pests are naturaloccurrences. Left alone, the crops develop a resistanceto them. Merely spraying crops with pesticides will notput a check on pests. Initially, it may seem to work, butin the long run the pests become immune. That’s whathappened to me in the initial years,” says Murthy. “Pestsin my farms developed resistance to all pesticides andthe plants started demanding more NPK, urea, potash andwater,” says Murthy.

The BeginningInspired from Masanobu Fukuoka, a pioneer in naturalfarming in Japan, Murthy switched to natural farming in1988. Almost 30 years have passed since then and Murthyhasn’t ever used chemical fertilisers or pesticides. Eventoday, he follows no-tilling and no-weeding approach.“For cultivation, I don’t even use organic manure likepanchagavya and jeevamrita. I am only usingphotosynthesis,” he says, while substantiating his claimof practicing zero-input farming.

His farm now has a total of about 3069 trees, includingbeetle nut, mango, banana, val beans, papaya and a widenumber of herbs.

If Murthy is not using pesticides, how is he tackling pests?“It is elementary science that teaches us how plantproduces its own food and develops resistance for pests.Moreover, nature will never allow one species to rule theworld,” answers Murthy. Explaining the benefits of cropdiversity, he adds, “When you grow different types ofvegetables, plants and fruits, each crop becomes lesssusceptible to pests because the latter will have morenatural enemies to check their growth,” says Murthy,while referring to a phase of his life when he identified 25



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trees that are harmful for banana cultivation andintroduced “enemy trees” to kill those trees so that bananaplantation can thrive.

In his banana plantation, the banana canopy covers thearea underneath, and in the process, protects, promotesand supports soil microbes. The organic matter falls frombanana-supporting plants, which becomes food for themicrobes. Moreover, water evaporation is avoidedbecause the surface of the soil is covered. Thus, soilmoisture is retained.

Murthy has also established the Academy of NaturalFarming near Kollegal taluk with the sole objective ofbringing awareness about ill-effects of fertilisers andbenefits of going back to natural farming. He, along withProf M D Nanjundaswamy, is working towardspopularising zero-input farming in and around Karnatakaby showing people how natural farming helps fightingclimate change and maintaining genetic stock. He is alsoperhaps the only one in the country to run a solar-poweredfood processing plant near his farm.

Straight from the scientists’ mouthFew years back, he invited experts from agriculturaluniversities and research centres across the country tostudy his farm and identify its merits and demerits. Theyfound the plants healthy with no visible symptoms of anydeficiency or disease. M N Ramesh of University ofAgriculture Science, Bangalore, acknowledged that allthe horticultural plants in Murthy’s farm are free frompests, bearing lots of healthy fruits and nuts.

More than 138 species of herbs and trees, belonging to28 families, are growing in harmony like a forestecosystem by using only sunlight. According to the

If you kill biodiversity with“deadly inputs”, you arepracticing ‘agri-criminology’

Inspired from Masanobu Fukuoka, a pioneer in natural farming in Japan, Murthy switched to natural farming in 1988.

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scientists who studied his farm, a thick layer (about 9inches) of leaf litter produced by the weeds and fallingleaves and twigs from the tree species is very efficientfor mulching and preventing soil erosion. Moreover, theweeds and fallen leaves go through natural recycling bysoil organisms like earthworms, insects and fungi foundin the soil.

Rainwater trickles down to the roots and recharges groundwater aquifer. Carbon sequestration, according to experts’estimate, is about 1085 tonnes annually by trees species.According to the soil analysis by Dr N Nandini, Readerand Principal Investigator, Department of EnvironmentalScience, Bangalore University, samples from his landshowed that the soil has high NPK (nitrogen, phosphorusand potassium) content apart from adequate quantity ofmicronutrients like nickel, zinc, iron, copper andmagnesium.

Over 300 horticulture trees and timber trees in his farmprevent raindrops from directly falling and checking soilerosion.

But, is his farm insulated from impact of climatechange?“You see, a mango tree is an indicator of changing climate.From flowering to pollination and maturation of fruit,every transition used to be predictable in the past. Weknew that mango trees will start flowering from mid-January and we will harvest fruits by May. But this year,the flowering took place in December. Moreover, a mangotree needs moderate temperature to grow. For the last fewyears, I have been noticing long spell of excess heat,which burns the flowers. Climate change is making it

increasingly difficult for farmers to predict the fruit’slifecycle.’

While talking to him, one can realise that he is not justconcerned about his mango trees, but also the microbesand insects dependent on mango trees. “You can imaginewhat these tiny creatures have to go through to adapt tothese changes. They have to undergo a complete lifecyclechange to survive and help the next generation grow,” herues.

“We don’t get health security from super specialtyhospitals, but from the food diversity. That’s why, allthese years, I have studied organisms under the groundand understood their ability to supply nutrient to soil.”

Adopting natural farming becomes relevant in presenttimes because marginal farmers are increasingly lookingto reduce their input cost and is not incurring any lossbut making profit all these years.

This article was originally published in Down toEarth. You can find the link at:https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/agriculture/this-karnataka-farmer-hasn-t-used-fertilisers-pesticides-for-three-decades-now-57443

Types of bacteria found in Murthy’s farm and their benefitsBacteria BenefitsBacilli fixes nitrogen and brings about organic

matter decomposition and heavy metaltransformation

Mucor brings about nitrogen transformation,organic matter decomposition andbiodegradation of hydrocarbon in theenvironment

Bacillus brings about phosphate solubilisationArthobacter sp brings about organic matter

decomposition of soilPseudomonas fixes N2, C, P, S

The organic matter falling from banana-supportingplants becomes food for the microbes.

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Every living being needs food to eat, water to drinkand air to breath. There is no exemption for this

natural law. Of course, sun light and space are alsonecessary for a healthy life. But these two items are justtaken for granted.

Plants provide the humanity with food. They are centralfor the rainfall we receive and very important for purifyingthe air we breathe. Only when the plant is healthy, canwe get healthy food. Also, plants absorb the carbon-di-oxide from the atmosphere to prepare glucose and releaseoxygen, which is so basic for the survival of other livingbeings. As such, all the basic needs of a living being aresupplied by plants only. Not only food, water and air,plants provide economic, environmental and ecologicalsupport too.

One thing we have to remember is, that the most valuablething in our life is SOUL. Nothing is more valuable thanthis. To protect the soul, we need a healthy body. To gaina healthy body, we need good and nutritious food. Wecan get good food, only from plants. Though meat andfish could be other forms of food, yet the primary link inthe food chain is plant or its products. So it is clear thatwithout plants, no food is available for any living being.

Mr. Masanobu Fukuoka, the father of Natural Farming,from whom I took training on Natural Farming, used tosay “I don’t believe that rain comes from sky or sea. Itcomes from TREES only. So, we have to understand, thatwater is also given / brought by plants only.”

In my farm, I have five tier system of well placed andwell spaced plants, to utilise the natural resources to themaximum. Coconut is the major crop. Below this, I havearecanut, cocoa, nutmeg, bread fruit and some medicinalplants like aloevera, pepper etc. It is carefully planted sothat no one plant suffers from lack of sun light. The farmis a Natural Farm, and so, all the plants support each otherand give better yield. The problems of water utilization,weed control, pest management are all solved withoutany difficulty. From my experience I understood that theright choice in mixed plants guarantee the growth and

Farmer ’s Diary

Plant is everything for life on the planetmultiplication of predators also, in addition to thedevelopment of healthy soil.

The extent of my farm is 50 acres. And in all the 50 acres,mixed cropping pattern is followed. Value addition ofagricultural produce is done to get more income frommy farm. Women in this farm are engaged throughoutthe year, as they have some work to do daily. If it is amono crop or seasonal crop, there will be big intervalsoften.

Society is benefited, by effective micro climate createdin this area. The temperature inside my farm is reducedto a great level, because of the dense population ofdifferent plants and trees and also with live fencing. Theeffect of micro climate is such that my Solar Dryer, whichI use to dry coconut, cocoa, pepper etc., has rendereduseless owing to cool temperature within the farm. Whilemy farmer friend uses the solar dryer all through the year,I am able to use it only in hot summer and not in otherseasons.

The congenial micro climate in the farm helps fastermultiplication of microbes and earthworms. It alsonurtures good and beneficial relationship between plants,pests and pathogens. The expenditure for the pest anddisease control is minimum, which increases the netincome of this farm.

“Turn to Nature, otherwise, you will be turned”, saidMasanobu Fukuoka many decades ago, which applies tothe present even more than before.

Madhu RamakrishnanSanthosh Farms, Pollachi 642 114E-mail: [email protected]: 63828 36063 and 94424 16543


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IN THE NEWS

China and India help make planet leafier

By Sophie Lewis, August 9, 2019 / 6:30 PM / CBS News

In just one day, more than a million people in Indiaplanted 220 million trees. It’s all thanks to a government

campaign to combat climate change and improve theenvironment, according to The Associated Press.

The trees were planted in the country’s most populousstate, AP reports. The saplings were all planted by 5 p.m.Friday in northern Uttar Pradesh, which has a populationof more than 200 million people.

Forest official Bivhas Ranjan said students, law makers,officials and other residents planted dozens of species ofsaplings along roads, railroad tracks and in forests. Thegoals are to increase forest cover and absorb carbondioxide from the atmosphere.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath tweeted a plea to youngpeople to “save Mother Earth” and improve theenvironment for future generations. “We set the target of220 million because Uttar Pradesh is home to 220 millionpeople,” he said.

“The whole process is online,” state governmentspokesman Awanish Awasthi said. “The pits are geo-tagged and the saplings carry a QR code. So we can recordhow many saplings are planted and where.”

India has pledged to have trees cover at least one-third ofits land area, but its efforts are complicated by itspopulation and rapid industrialization.

According to a recent study, scientists say planting atrillion trees globally could be the single most effectiveway to fight climate change. Since trees absorb carbondioxide, which contributes to global warming,a worldwide planting initiative could remove a substantialportion of heat-trapping emissions from the atmosphere.

But rather than adding trees, in many parts of the world,they’re being cut down on a massive scale. Deforestationis a major concern in the Amazon, where acres ofrainforests are being cut down every day to make roomfor agriculture.

So while reforestation may be the best solution, haltingdeforestation and reducing animal agriculture would alsoprovide immediate benefits.

Source:https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-india-plants-220-million-trees-in-a-single-day-to-save-the-planet/

India plants 220 million trees in a single day

By Roger Harrabin BBC environment analyst

China and India, two of the world’s biggest polluters,are making it leafier - for now, a report says.

The greening effect stems mainly from ambitioustree-planting in China and intensive farming in bothcountries. There are now more than 2 million sq miles ofextra leaf area per year, compared with the early 2000s –a 5% increase. Extra foliage helps slows climate change,but researchers warn this will be offset by risingtemperatures.

What exactly is happening?Satellite data from the US space agency NASA showsthat over the last two decades there has been an increasein leaf area on plants and trees equivalent to the areacovered by all the Amazon rainforests. The greening wasfirst detected in the mid-1990s.

Scientists first assumed plants were being fertilised bythe extra CO2 in the atmosphere and boosted by a warmer,wetter climate. But they didn’t know whether changes infarming and forestry were contributing to the changes.Thanks to a NASA instrument called Modis, which is 29



30

Nitish Sharma, Tribune News Service, Ambala, December 1

The burning of crop residue has been a major issue inthe region and different measures, including

incentive, fine and legal action, are being taken by thegovernment to stop farmers from burning stubble. Butscientists of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tepla, have managedto persuade farmers to sow wheat on nearly 500 hectaresin Tepla, Racheri, Rattanheri, Sapeda and Samlehrivillages in Ambala without removing and burning thepaddy residue.

The first trial was done last year on 200 acres and aftergetting success, more farmers have started showinginterest in Ambala. The scientists had made some changesin the Happy Seeder (new-generation planters) to sowwheat in the residue.The scientists, during their study,found that the nutrients in the residue may reduce fertiliserrequirement, weed density was less, crop lodging did not

occur in the crop residue management plots during thelast irrigation and farmers harvested qualitative grainyield.

Guru Prem Grover, Subject Matter Specialist (Soil andWater Management), said, “Residue burning is a fast andcheap option for farmers to clear their fields. Thechallenge is to change the mindset of farmers as they don’twant to change their conventional methods of farming.

“We have been organising visits of farmers at thedemonstration plots and to the plots of farmers who havesown wheat without removing the residue. They are beingtold that the cost of cultivation can be reduced by adoptingnewer methods and that it can also save water by 20-25per cent,” he added.

The scientists claim the burning of residue also results inthe loss of plant nutrients and organic carbon of the soil,deteriorating the soil health.

orbiting the Earth on two satellites, they can now see thatboth are clearly playing a direct part, too.

Why are China and India in the lead?China’s contribution to the global greening trend comesin large part (42%) from programmes to conserve andexpand forests. The policies were developed to reducethe effects of soil erosion, air pollution and climatechange. Another 32% of the greening there – and 82% ofthe greening in India – comes from intensive cultivationof food crops, thanks to fertilisers and irrigation.

Production of grains, vegetables, fruits and other cropshas increased by 35% to 40% since 2000, so both nationscan feed their large populations.

The future of the greening trend may change dependingon numerous factors. For example, India may run shortof groundwater irrigation.

On the global picture, scientists recently warned that CO2in the atmosphere could reach record levels this year as aresult of heating in the tropical Pacific which is likely toreduce CO2 uptake in plants.

Does this affect predictions of climate change?Rama Nemani, from NASA’s Ames Research Center, aco-author of the work said: “Now that we know direct

human influence is a key driver of the greening Earth,we need to factor this into our climate models.

“This will help scientists make better predictions aboutthe behaviour of different Earth systems, which will helpcountries make better decisions about how and when totake action.” The scientist who first spotted the warmingtrend, Prof Ranga Myneni from Boston University,reiterated a previous warning to BBC News that the extratree growth would not compensate for global warming,rising sea levels, melting glaciers, ocean acidification,the loss of Arctic sea ice, and the prediction of more severetropical storms.

But it’s acknowledged that although carbon uptake fromplants was factored in to Intergovernmental Panel onClimate Change (IPCC) models, it remains one of themain sources of uncertainty in future climate forecasts.

The research comes as a UK-based think tank IPPRwarned that governments should not focus narrowly onany single environmental problem, but recognise the slewof environmental issues facing the world, including theloss of soil which is already reducing fertility in manyareas.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47210849

Ambala farmers skip burning, sow wheat on paddy residue


30


About 70 per cent quantity of fertiliser remains in theresidue. Mixing the residue back into the soil decreasesthe requirement of fertiliser for the next crop.

to eradicate once they have established themselves andmanaging them is time consuming and expensive.

Qu Dongyu also urged for prompt action, pointing outthat much still needs to be done to ensure plant health.

“On this International Year and throughout this Decadeof Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals,let us dedicate the necessary resources and increase ourcommitment to plant health. Let us act for people andplanet,” said António Guterres, UN Secretary-General ina message read out at the event.

The following ministers also spoke at the event: EdwardCenteno Gadea, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock,Nicaragua; Andrew Doyle, Minister of State at theDepartment of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Ireland;Jaana Husu-Kallio, Permanent Secretary of the Ministryof Agriculture and Forestry, Finland; and TamaraFinkelstein, Permanent Secretary of Department forEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK.

In his opening remarks, the FAO Director-General QuDongyu commended the Government of Finland fortaking the lead in proposing a year dedicated to planthealth and coordinating efforts to have the year declared.

Source: http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1253551/icode/

2 December 2019, Rome

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) todaylaunched the United Nations’ International Year of

Plant Health (IYPH) for 2020, which aims to raise globalawareness on how protecting plant health can help endhunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment, andboost economic development.

Plants make up 80 percent of the food we eat, and produce98 percent of the oxygen we breathe. Yet, they are underconstant and increasing threat from pests and diseases.Every year, up to 40 percent of global food crops are lostto plant pests and diseases. This leads to annualagricultural trade losses of over $220 billion, leavesmillions of people facing hunger, and severely damagesagriculture – the primary income source for poor ruralcommunities. This is why policies and actions to promoteplant health are fundamental for reaching the SustainableDevelopment Goals.

“Plants provide the core basis for life on Earth and theyare the single most important pillar of human nutrition.But healthy plants are not something that we can take forgranted,” said FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu wholaunched the Year on the sidelines of the UN agency’sCouncil meeting.

Climate change and human activities are alteringecosystems, reducing biodiversity and creating conditionswhere pests can thrive. At the same time, internationaltravel and trade has tripled in volume in the last decadeand can quickly spread pests and diseases around theworld causing great damage to native plants and theenvironment.

“As with human or animal health, prevention in planthealth is better than cure,” stressed the FAO chief.

Protecting plants from pests and diseases is far more costeffective than dealing with full-blown plant healthemergencies. Plant pests and diseases are often impossible

FAO launches 2020 as the UN’s International Year of Plant Health

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/ambala-farmers-skip-burning-sow-wheat-on-paddy-residue/868954.html



32

NEW BOOKSClimate Change and Crop ProductionFoundations for Agroecosystem Resilience, 1st EditionNoureddine Benkeblia (Ed.), 2019, CRC Press, 206 p., £43.39, ISBN: 9780367895921

Presenting an overview of agroecology within the framework of climate change, this booklooks at the impact of our changing climate on crop production and agroecosystems,reporting on how plants will cope with these changes, and how we can mitigate thesenegative impacts to ensure food production for the growing population. It explores theways that farmers can confront the challenges of climate change, with contributed chaptersfrom around the world demonstrating the different challenges associated with differingclimates. Examples are provided of the approaches being taken right now to expand theecological, physiological, morphological, and productive potential of a range of crop types.

Giving readers a greater understanding of the mechanisms of plant resilience to climatechange, this book provides new insights into improving the productivity of an individualcrop species as well as bringing resistance and resiliency to the entire agroecosystem. Itoffers a strong foundation for changing research and education programs so that they buildthe resistance and resilience that will be needed for the uncertain climate future ahead.

Food Security Policy, Evaluation and Impact Assessment1st EditionSheryl. L. Hendriks (Ed.), 2019, Routledge, 240 p., £36.99, ISBN: 9781138497092

This book offers an essential, comprehensive, yet accessible reference of contemporaryfood security discourse and guides readers through the steps required for food securityanalysis.

Food insecurity is a major obstacle to development and achievement of the SustainableDevelopment Goals. It is a complex issue that cuts across traditional sectors in governmentand disciplines in academia.

Understanding how multiple elements cause and influence food security is essential forpolicymakers, practitioners and scholars. This book demonstrates how evaluation canintegrate the four elements of food security (availability, access, nutrition and resilience)and offers practical tools for policy and programme impact assessment to support evidence-based planning.

Biological DiversityBalancing Interests Through Adaptive Collaborative Management, 1st EditionLouise E. Buck, Charles C. Geisler, John Schelhas, Eva Wollenberg (Eds.), 2019, CRCPress, 504 p., £54.99, ISBN: 9780367455224

We live in a world of wide pendulum swings regarding management policies for protectedareas, particularly as they affect the involvement of local people in management. Suchswings can be polarizing and halt on-the-ground progress. There is a need to find ways toprotect biodiversity while creating common ground and building management capacitythrough shared experiences. Diverse groups need to cooperate to manage forests in waysthat are flexible and can incorporate feedback.

The book addresses the problem of how to balance local, national, and global interests inpreserving the earth’s biological diversity with competing interests in the use andexploitation of these natural resources. This innovative book examines the potential ofadaptive collaborative management (ACM) in reconciling a protected area’s competingdemands for biodiversity conservation, local livelihood support, and broader-based regionaldevelopment. It clarifies ACM’s emerging characteristics and assesses its suitability for avariety of protected area situations.


32


SOURCESPeople-Plant RelationshipsSetting Research Priorities, 1st EditionRaymond P Poincelot and Joel Flagler, 2019, CRC Press, 466 p., £38.49ISBN: 9780367449582

Presenting the latest research on cross-cultural people-plant relationships, this volumeconveys the psychological, physiological, and social responses to plants and the significantrole these responses play in improved physical and mental health. With chapters writtenby field experts, it identifies research priorities and methodologies and outlines the stepsfor developing a research agenda to aid horticulturalists in their work with social scientiststo gain a better understanding of people-plant relationships. This resource covers a widearray of topics including home horticulture and Lyme disease, indoor plants and pollutionreduction, and plants and therapy.

Farmers and Plant BreedingCurrent Approaches and Perspectives, 1st EditionOla Tveitereid Westengen, Tone Winge (Eds.), 2019, Routledge, 332 p., £120.00ISBN: 9781138580428

Plant breeding is essential to food production, climate-change adaptation and sustainabledevelopment. This book brings together experienced practitioners and researchers involvedin collaborative breeding programmes across a diversity of crops and agro-ecologies aroundthe world. Case studies include collaborative sorghum and pearl millet breeding for water-stressed environments in West Africa, participatory rice breeding for intensive rice farmingin the Mekong Delta, and evolutionary participatory quinoa breeding for organic agriculturein North America. While outlining the challenges, the volume also highlights the positiveimpacts, such as yield increases, farmers’ empowerment in the innovation and developmentprocesses, contributions to maintenance of crop genetic diversity and adaptation to climatechange. This collection offers a range of perspectives on enabling conditions for farmer–breeder collaboration in plant breeding in relation to biodiversity agreements such as thePlant Treaty, trade agreements and related intellectual property rights (IPR) regimes, andnational seed policies and laws.

Connecting Indian Wisdom and Western SciencePlant Usage for Nutrition and Health, 1st EditionLuisella Verotta, Maria Pia Macchi, Padma Venkatasubramanian (Eds.), 2019, CRC Press,470 p., £54.99, ISBN: 9780367377700

A truly integrated collection of research, Connecting Indian Wisdom and Western Science:Plant Usage for Nutrition and Health compares Ayurvedic and Western conceptions ofwellness, healthy lifestyle, and diet. It includes approximately 40 selected monographson fruits, vegetables, spices, nuts, and seeds, complete with Ayurvedic and traditionaluses as nutritional ingredients.

The book focuses on how plants can be employed as both aliments and adjuvants, able toimprove health and the quality of life. It does so by comparing the Indian Ayurvedictradition with the Mediterranean diet. Chapters written largely by Indian authors trace theearly history of Ayurveda and the basic principles and dietetics of the Ayurveda, Siddha,and Unani systems of medicine. Chapters written by western scientists and nutritionistsdiscuss the global focus on nutrients, nutraceuticals, and, importantly, the Mediterraneandiet.

Building on this foundation, the book opens what will, no doubt, be a long and continuingjourney of mutual exchange and dialogue. The authors create an integrated perspectivefor understanding India’s health traditions through the lens of modern science. 33



34

Supriya Patil

Growing trees,strengtheninglivelihoods,protectingenvironmentGrow-Trees.com, a social enterprise is providing a cost-effectiveservice to individuals and companies globally to enable planting oftrees. Through its web enabled services, the organization is givingevery person an opportunity to do his/her bit in protecting theenvironment.

The rural communities in Indiahave long lived in deprivation.They not only lack the basic

amenities to survive but they also findit challenging to make ends meetwithout access to resources like water,food and regular income. Most ofthese communities reside in regionswith low soil fertility, minimalemployment opportunities andpolluted water bodies.

Grow-Trees.com, a social enterprise,with an aim to uplift the socio-economic conditions of the rural andtribal communities promoted tree


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Rural communities are involved in various activitiesduring the plantation process


plantation initiatives across India in 2010. The goal is toreconnect these community members to the basics of life.

In the last 10 years, the organisation has expanded to 20states across India, namely, Odisha, West Bengal,Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka,Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh,Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu,Sikkim, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Puducherry, andPunjab. The recent afforestation project in CheranganiHills, Kenya has taken it on to the global level.

The processGrow-Trees, with the help of its Project coordinators,planting partners and environmental researchers, selectscommunity lands in need of reforestation and/orafforestation and initiates plantation activities. The treesare planted only on public lands to ensure maximumbenefit being provided to the inhabitants of the region.

Awareness drives are organized to involve the ruralcommunities in the plantation process. Meetings are heldat the village level educating the Panchayat and thecommunity members about the benefits of the trees,

important measures to keep in mind for their upkeep andthe plantation process. During these meetings, it is madesure that the value from the trees is conveyed to thecommunity members. Community members are sensitizedabout the value of trees which keeps them away fromoverexploiting the land or using it for grazing purposes.

The tree species planted are chosen after long researchand consultation with experts and the communitymembers, based on the latter’s needs. Often, plants speciesthat hold ethnic, ayurvedic as well as economic value tothe local rural communities are planted to preserve thelocal biodiversity. Based on the features of the soil, rainpatterns in the region and economic, medicinal and socialneeds of the rural communities and the wildlife, thesuitable tree species are sourced and bred in localnurseries. For eg., mangroves are planted in the peripheryof Sundarbans National Park, West Bengal as a measuretowards disaster management from the impendingcyclones that frequently hit the Bay of Bengal. In recentstudies, it has also been highlighted that due to the shieldof trees in and around the Sundarbans National Park,massive damages from natural calamities have beenprevented in Kolkata.

In order to achieve higher survival rate, saplings are firstraised in the nurseries and then transported to theplantation sites upon maturity. The rural communitiesare involved in various activities during the plantationprocess, i.e., raising saplings in the nursery, transportingof saplings to the plantation site, site clearance and pit-digging, plantation of saplings and watering the field etc.This has generated employment to the tribal-ruralcommunities, especially for women on a daily-wage basis.

Since the trees belong to the community, they are thesole recipients of all the socio-economic benefits fromOver 4.5 million trees havebeen planted across 20states of India, generatingapproximately 370,000workdays of employmentfor the rural communities.

Box 1: Story of Mrs.DeviThe project has brought a significant change in life of 35 years oldMrs Devi, belonging to the Irula tribal community of Villupuram, whohas three sons to look after in her family. Earlier, working as a daylabourer with about 13 hours of rigorous work, she could neitherspare any time to look after her family nor contribute to her children’shealth, education or wellbeing.

After being engaged and employed as a nursery worker for theplantation project, Mrs. Devi feels dignified to work in anorganizational atmosphere, and is now also able to contribute toher children’s education, health and is living a fulfilled life with herfamily. Her work is also looked-up by many others in her community.

Box 2: Greet with Trees®Grow-Trees.com offers a unique Greet with Trees® feature, whereinindividuals can plant a tree online and greet their loved ones with aneTreeCertificate®. Via its Plant Monthly, Greet Anytime!®Subscription, Grow-Trees.com is attempting to imbibe the habit oftree plantation in every household of India. These eTreeCertificates®can be used to gift family and friends on birthdays, festivals,anniversaries and other special occasions. Each tree that you plantwith them, provides for the sustenance of the rural communities.This is their attempt of re-greening the country and providing equalopportunities to every citizen of India. 35



36Follow us on: @LeisaIndiawww.facebook.com/Leisaindiamag

those trees. Communities decide whether theyneed to consume or market the harvest fromfruit trees and the NTFPs (Non-Timber ForestProduce) in the local markets. Once mature,the NTFPs also provide sustainable sourcesof income to the members throughout theirlives.

Results and impactGifted to the nation on the World EnvironmentDay of 2010, this organisation has planted over4.5 million trees across 20 states of India,generating approximately 370,000 workdaysof employment for the rural communities.

They have aided in generating alternativesources of income by inculcating ruralemployment during the plantation process and byproviding non-timber forest produce that can be utilisedfor both consumption and sales. “Even when my sonshave left us, these trees will stay with me, forever, to takecare of me and my wife in our old age”, shares one of themembers involved in the plantation.

Through their projects, Grow-Trees have succeeded inproviding water to the deserted villages of Rajasthan andGujarat. For instance, in the region of our plantation sitenear Sariska Tiger Reserve, the water table has come to40ft as opposed to 400 ft, the latter being the depth at thetime of initiating the plantation project. Over 400,000trees have been planted in the region in the last 4 years,benefitting not only the rural communities, but alsoimproving the tiger habitats.

Affecting lakhs of lives positively, Grow-Trees has alwaysensured to generate maximum impact through its projects.

By initiating large scale tree plantation initiatives in theunimaginable parts of the country, it has reached out tothose who have often been ignored widely. They are alsoexploring ways to increase incomes for rural communitiesfrom allied activities.

Supriya PatilG3, Scheherazade Building,Colaba, Maharashtra – 400005E-mail: [email protected]

www.leisaindia.org

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Wishing all our readers a

Happy New Year 2020

Raising tree saplings has generated lot of employmentfor women

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