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The thing to think of while gardening is to start small. A little plant layer, around 25 or 30 feet square is perfect, is good enough room for just about 30 plants. These will give you an opportunity to try out your green thumb and whenever you get that you enjoy your garden you may be all of the time expand and step-up your plantings.

The succeeding thing you’ll prefer to do is decide a site. Gardening must be set in an area that gets at least six hours of sunlight. Try and remain away from big trees that will take your plants water and foods, and at least three feet from any fencings or buildings. In hot climates it’s a good idea to select a place that will have shade from a part of the intense afternoon sunlight. It’s possible to get a healthy garden with even ten to twelve hours of sunlight, for more details visit to www.101-save-money.com but the type of plants must be adjustable. As soil may always be improved, a place with fine soil is an advantageous. Avoid areas that have rough soil, steep slopes, or areas where water stands.

Now comes the entertaining part: start digging. Gardening isn’t a fair hobby; you’re going to have to get some dirt under your nails. First move out the rocks, dust, and any grass and weeds then dig the place up about one foot deep. Level up the dirt and add compost or minerals if necessary. If your soil is too acidic, add lime; if it is too sandy, for more details visit to www.art-of-astrology.com add peat moss. Plants will expand in neutral to acidic soil with a little added fertilizer.

If you purchase seeds then plant them according to the guidance’s. If choosing plants, pick out ones with green, healthy looking leaves and stems and healthy roots. Arrange the smaller plants towards the front of the layer and larger ones in the back. The key to a successful starting in gardening is planting at the right time. Make certain and wait until the frosts are over before planting. If you are planting seeds the packet will normally tell you exactly when you can plant them to achieve maximum growth.

Once you’ve begun and entered gardening, making sure your plants get enough water is essential to their growth. Hand watering works well if you only have a few plants. Other alternatives include sprinklers or sprinkler hoses. Irrigating is more effective during the cooler parts of the day. The type of plant will depend on how Greater water is needed, but most require about an inch per week. During the hottest periods plants will be need irrigating about three times per week.

One of the most helpful things to add to a garden is mulch or compost. Only a few inches of organic mulch will improve fertility and help the soil hold moisture. Wood chips, grass clippings, leaves, manure, and pine needles are all things that can be used as mulch. 

LEOP HALL
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/inclusive-guidance-to-gardening-683259.html

Lots of people are concerned a lot while it comes to caring for their plants. When talking regarding house plants, there is no requiring worrying. There are just a few things you require to think about.

1. Watering Overwatering kills nearly all houseplants. Looks can be deceptive, so to observe if your soil is dry sufficient to water, try the finger test. Put in your index finger up to the primary joint into the soil. If the soil is damp, do not water it.

2. Feeding Foliage plants more frequently than not have high nitrogen wants, while flowering plant, K2O is wanted. Slow release fertilizers can be mixed with the compost. Though, certain plants similar to cacti and orchids require particular fertilizer. Feed plants through their most active growth era.

3. Lighting Plants similar to Sanseveria and Aspidistra need no sun. They can be placed away from a window. Spider plants require semi-shade. You can put plants similar to these close to a window that does or does not get sunlight. Check the label to observe what your plant requirements.

4. Temperature Houseplants can survive in cool or warm temperatures, but drastic fluctuations of temperature may not be good quality for them. One thing that most plants cannot survive is gas heating. If you have a plant that likes warm circumstances, do not put it close to an air conditioner in the summer.

5. Humidity some houseplants need a humid environment. One tip to maximize humidity is to put the pot inside a larger pot and fill in the gaps with stones or compost to keep in the moisture. Grouping plants jointly frequently creates a microclimate that they will benefit from. If you desire, you can spray them with water once or two times a day depending on the temperature.

6. Re-potting some plants need re-potting for optimum growth but there are others that resent having their roots disturbed. Or their roots system may be small sufficient that they do not need re-potting. One way to check if your plant wants re-potting is to turn it upside down. Tap the pot to release the plant and make sure its roots. If roots are all you observe, then re-pot. From time to time the roots will come out of the pot. You should also cut them off or re-pot the plant.

You just require having a little care for your plants and in turn, you will reap the benefits. Indoor plants not only add to the beauty of your decoration, but also provide much pleasure to the inside gardener.

getallabout
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/troublefree-tips-on-gardening-718063.html

As more and more attention is given to the environment and the steps we can take to protect it, homeowners strong in numbers continue to do their fair share. The recycling of glass, paper, aluminum, and plastic continues to be on the rise in homes across the country; and now, families are even turning to ways to make their homes “green” – using solar power, natural fibers, energy saving light bulbs, and water reducing faucets. There has even been attention given to the upkeep of the suburban lawn, as homeowners make an effort to practice only organic lawn care.

Organic lawn care is any practice that nurtures a lawn within the guidelines of that which is good for the environment. In essence, this means the elimination of chemical weed killers and pesticides. Practicing organic lawn care simply means the avoidance of any chemical product that can in any way harm the environment – including animal life.

Instead, those interested in organic lawn care can use organic fertilizer – found in most home and garden stores – mixed with compost for an environmentally friendly lawn; use mulch in landscaped areas; and use only herbal pest repellants when necessary.

When mowing your lawn, organic lawn care stipulates the leaving of grass clippings directly on the lawn where they can break into compost and regenerate the soil. You may even want to think about limiting the size of your lawn, thus conserving a tremendous amount of water.

When choosing plants for landscaping, choose those plants indigenous to your area, thus reducing the amount of water and fertilizer they will need.

A visit to your local home and garden store will yield an enormous amount of information about organic lawn care, including what products are acceptable to use and what alternatives there are to rid your lawn of weeds, rodents, and other undesirables that won’t compromise the environment.

Or, you can find quite a bit of reading material at your local library or bookstore that offers tips on maintaining a green home including the implementation of organic lawn care. The Internet can also be a comprehensive resource on organic lawn care and the steps you can take to keep your property within environmental guidelines.

Michelle Bery
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/the-practice-of-organic-lawn-care-144008.html

Is your Bonsai tree starting to look a little bit tired? Perhaps you received your Bonsai as a gift or maybe you bought it from a garden centre? The point is, unless you correctly look after your miniature tree then things can go wrong, and all too quickly!

If your Bonsai tree is starting to look past it’s best there are certain things you can do to give it a new lease of life.

It’s a good idea to think about re-potting your Bonsai tree every couple of years or so, and early spring is an ideal time to do this. You will need some good quality potting compost with a mix of grit or sand to help drainage.

Also consider trimming the roots if your Bonsai tree looks really confined and compacted down there. The roots maybe getting too big for the pot, so a quick root haircut can often work wonders. You will obviously need to remove the old soil first to expose the roots. An ideal tool to help you do this is a humble ice-lolly stick.

Like any tree a Bonsai tree is most suited to its natural habitat, and therefore should be outdoors. If your Bonsai tree is located somewhere inside your house, try moving it outside for a while and see if it recovers.

Don’t be afraid to move your Bonsai tree outside during the winter months either. Most trees are dormant at this time and well adjusted to the cold. Just make sure that you pick a well sheltered spot, and ensure that the compost doesn’t freeze.

When it comes to watering your Bonsai tree you need to keep the soil moist all of the time. Never let your tree dry out and never let it get waterlogged. Trapped water will likely rot the root system and kill your Bonsai tree quicker than anything else. Therefore you need to make sure your Bonsai pot or container has enough holes to allow adequate drainage.

Bonsai trees need pruning, so if yours is getting too big, simply cutting the top off will stop it getting any taller. Just make sure you use a sharp pair of scissors or secateurs as you don’t want to cause any infection. Also, this will cause your Bonsai tree to grow new branches and therefore will appear wider and fuller. When pruning branches, always cut back to a bud, any new branch will then follow that route…

Godrob
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/how-to-revive-a-bonsai-tree-140385.html

A gardening enthusiast can get all the equipment and paraphernalia that they would need for their garden at the Home Depot store in the gardening section. All kinds of machinery for gardening like rakes and pruners,
shovels, clippers, and shears are available here in the gardening section of the Home Depot Store. One can also
get seeds, plants and plant products, fertilisers, pest control products and any other fancy stuff for your
garden. You can get yourself stuff to do a good landscaping job, watering equipment, and decorations for your
garden at this store. Gardening tips and books on gardening are also available here.

Tips on planting
According to the expert tips of the Home Depot, it is better to plant flowers on a day when the sky is overcast and it may rain instead of on a warm sunny day. The rain will do the plants a lot of good. So it is better to
plant the new plants for the year and the perennial plants before the last frost date for he season. Perennials should be planted during the early fall in the North, and during the late fall in the South.

How to choose your new plants
It will help to be careful while choosing your new plants. do not buy plants that are wilted and discolored
and with spindly stems, but select those that have a healthy foliage and with short and sturdy stems and only a
few flowers to start with. To repot it you will have to knock the old pot off and then disentangle the roots
before you plant them in the soil. this way the roots will spread out better. It is also better to pinch all the flowers and buds off so that the plant can use all its energy in developing firm and healthy roots instead of putting all its nutrients into the flowers in the beginning. This way you will get a better crop of flowers later.

How to prepare a flower bed
Mix at least one inch of organic matter into a flower bed that has been prepared with a spade. Every year, to
improve the soil you should add some organic matter or rotted manure, compost, pear moss and sphagnum to it.
Another different method is to cover the top of the flower bed with a compost layer of at least 2 inches. For
plants that have to be planted annually you should loosen the soil up to a depth of 12 inches and for perennials to a depth of 18 inches. After this smoothen out the ground with a rake and then plant the plants at the same level in the soil as they were in the pot.

After you have planted the potted plants in the soil, add between one to three inches of organic mulch like
pine needles, bark, grass clippings or wood chip mulch. This covering will conserve the moisture, prevent any
diseases and also prevent the growth of weeds.

You can get a lot of information and guidance on pruning a hedge, starting a lawn, and planting trees in the
Home Depot gardening. There are guides for buying planters, pond pumps, hoses and valves too.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/home-depot-gardening-your-one-stop-shop-for-gardening-tools-753699.html

The first step in creating a beautiful lawn from seed is to remove any weeds or old grass from the area to be seeded. This may be done by hand when the weeds are still alive, or you can spray the weeds and wait for them to die.

Next you will need to ammend the soil, unless you have soil that contains a lot of organic matter. This is the most time consuming and labor intensive part but it is very important. I like to add compost or manure and till in with the existing soil until the top four to six inches becomes lose and easy to work. The goal is about fifty percent compost to fifty percent soil. This seems like a lot of work, but it will pay off big time in the end. Having enough organic matter in the soil will help it to retain moisture, and will keep it from getting too compacted. The result is a lawn that is lower maintenance and looks good for years and years.

Now that the soil is well mixed it’s time to rake it out smooth. I like to use a three foot rake for this part but a normal garden rake will work fine. Try to get any rocks larger than about the size of a nickle, and rake them out of the lawn area. Keep raking untill the area is as smooth as possible. You can use a two-by-four to screed across the soil to make it flat if it helps you.

Now that the area is as flat as you can possibly get it apply starter fertilizer according to the instructions.

Now if the soil is dry, it is best to apply enough water that the moisture seeps well into the ground. Just avoid puddles.

Time for the seed. I like to apply the seed fairly heavy so that the ground is almost covered. This will ensure that the new lawn comes in nice and thick.

If you have access to a lawn roller, roll the seeded area to press the seed firmly against the soil.

Next is an important step that many people skip. You need to cover the seed with a light layer of fine mulch or sawdust to keep it moist. This also keeps the seed from blowing away, and keeps the birds out to some degree.

The last step is very important to fast success. DO NOT LET IT DRY OUT. It’s a good idea to get a timer that will spray every few minutes all day. If the seed drys out after it germinates it will die and your lawn will not look very good. I try to explain this to people, but they don’t understand how important it is.

Usually there will be a few spots that don’t come in very thick. This is normal and easy to fix. Just sprinkle some seed on the thin areas and cover with mulch very lightly and keep it moist untill it has grown in.

When the lawn starts to get thick, you can start to cut back on watering, just keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get to dry. It will take a couple of months before the lawn has enough of a root system to survive drying out much. This is where the compost plays a big role. It gives you a larger margin of error.

You may notice a lot of weeds that have sprouted with the grass seed. If there are a lot of them you can spray them when the lawn is mature enough. Apply spray according to the label. If you only have a few weeds, just pull them by hand

Steve Herbert
http://www.articlesbase.com/landscaping-articles/grow-a-beautiful-lawn-from-seed-730952.html

ORGANIC SOIL FERTILITY MANAGEMENT FOR ENHANCED PADDY PRODUCTION AND REVENUE GENERATION WITH LESS COST AS ACHIEVED IN SOME MODEL PADDY FIELDS IN ORISSA

A.K. Panigrahix1, T.R. Sahoox2, H.S. Beherax3 and N.K. Swainx4

ABSTRACT:

Green revolution was introduced in the country in the early sixties to meet the demand of food and add cereal cultivation in the Rabi. The aftermath of this revolution is alarmingly disastrous. The humus devoid soil has lost its water holding ability, pests have acquired tremendous resistance against pesticides. Indian paddy fields are adding roughly about 37.8 metric tonnes of methane, a green house gas, into the atmosphere. Food and underground water contaminated with pesticides.

The environmental deteriorations, food and water contaminations demand a paradigm shift from chemical to organic agriculture. With the growing demand of food, diminishing arable land holdings and exodus of the agrarian communities from villages to towns abandoning agriculture, only organic farming will not suffice. The new technique conceived is known as sustainable agriculture, where soil fertility, crop yield and pest management are taken care of together with the environmental protection. This method of agriculture is in harmony with the nature. The article examines three ex situ experiments where the above mentioned issues are examined along with the cost benefit ratio and throws light in making agriculture sustainable.

INTRODUCTION

More than six decades ago,Sir Albert Howard explained the nature of soil fertility in his famous book, “An agricultural Testament” as under. The nature of soil fertility can be understood only when it is considered in relation to Nature’s round. To study soil fertility we have to know the natural working system and to adopt methods of investigation in strict relation to such a subject. We must look at soil fertility as we would study a business where the profit and loss account must be taken along with the balance sheet, the standing of the concern, and the method of management. We have to consider the wood, not the individual tree. So it is with soil fertility. According to him, a fertile soil is one which has humus in abundance. If the soil is deficient in humus, the volume of pore space is reduced, the aeration of the soil is impeded, there is insufficient organic matter for the soil population, the soil machinary runs down, the supply of oxygen, water and dissolved salts needed by the root hairs is reduced, the synthesis of carbohydrates and proteins in the green leaf proceeds at a lower tempo; growth is affected.

CHEMICAL AGRICULTURE, Impact Analysis;

Then came the war and the war ended sooner than expected, resulting in stock piling of war surplus exploxive related materials, mostly compounds of nitrogen and phosphorus. Global approach to agriculture modified in the event of population growth and developments in material and biological sciences. New seeds were developed and introduced to enhance food production which soon became popular in populous countries like India, China, South East Asian Countries and Japan. War surplus chemicals were converted into compounds called artificial chemical fertilizers. The seeds, popularly called “Green revolution seeds” or “Miracle seeds”, were developed to consume these synthetic artificial chemical fertilizers with water and

produce more food. Thus, monoculture came into being at the expense of agro biodiversity and resources like water diminished.

Four decades into the green revolution in India, the situation is pathetic; soil in general has become humus deficient, excessively hard and bears no pores for holding air and moisture. This soil no longer harbours the beneficial microbes but the pathogens and pest eggs, requiring excessive use of synthetic pesticides. The impacts of these agro chemicals, the artificial chemical fertilizers and synthetic pesticides are well observable. No data have been published by any the Indian agencies like the US Environment Protection Agency (USEPA). The USEPA revealed in 1991 that the projected estimate of methane emission from the Indian paddy fields amounted to 37.8 metric tonnes per year, thus accusing the Indian paddy cultivators in adding to the global green house gas accumulation as methane is also considered as a green house gas. Consequently in Indian more emphasis is now attached to shift to non conventional agriculture and keep paddy cultivation limited to 47 percent of the total arable land. Use of artificial chemical fertilizers especially N- fertilizers always invite the agricultural pests and applications of pesticides, especially synthetic pesticides. The disastrous consequences of the use of these synthetic pesticides over several decades are now clearly observable. There is a rise of pesticides resistance in the pest species and diseases causing microbes at the expense of the beneficial organisms like the beneficial insects (honey bee) and scavenging birds (vultures). Reports of crop failure are also linked to the changes in natural status of the soil. Reports of methane emission are obviously owing to excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers like Urea. Reports of occurance of agricultural pesticides in underground water (bottled water and soft drinks) are certainly due to their excessive applications and non degradations. There are reports of people in villages dying after consuming water from shallow tube wells in Orissa (Chakulia, Balasore, 2005).

HYPOTHESIS

It was thus felt essential to find a solution to both, enhance crop yield through enhanced soil fertility organically without further degrading its status and keep the pathogens and pests at bay through the use of natural pest repellants, botanical pesticides and employing biological pest control methods. But the most important one is, following Sir Howard, to bring out a balance sheet of profit- loss, making cultivation a profitable enterprise so that uncalled for future situations like resource retirement, contract farming and above all exodus of the agrarian communities from villages to cities are successfully thwarted. In India, agriculture is a million year old enterprise and has changed Sir Howard from being an western expert to an oriental expert. The population is growing alarmingly but arable land is diminishing. The farmers are committing suicides owing crop failures. There ought to be a shift in approach to the whole practice of agriculture at the moment. The modern agriculture should be made sustainable, i.e., in harmony with the nature. With the foregone objectives set in mind the authors experimented with the principal crop of Orissa, i.e. paddy cultivation, both in Kharif and Rabi.Methodology of approach, application, observation and cost benefit ratio of three such ex situ experiments, one of Rabi and the two others of Kharif are furnished below.

Material Method and Observations:

Experiment-1 : Rabi 2003 -04

Farmer’s name and address – Sri Surendra Nath Patra, Vill- Dharampur, Fulwar Kasba, Balasore, Orissa.

Soil type – Deltaic alluvial

Crop type- Paddy (HYV)- Lalat (ORS-26-2014-4) known qualities – Duration: 125-130 days.

Grain type: Medium * Slender, Grain yield/hectare: 40 quintals (as on record)

Experimental Unit Area: 1 Acre

Source of seed : Farmers own saved (OS)

SL No.. Activities associated Control Rs Chemical Rs. Organic Rs

1. Seed cost OS 0.00 OS 0.00 OS 0.00

2. Seed bed preparation 2HL 100.00 2HL 100.00 2HL 100.00

1BL 80.00 1BL 80.00 1BL 80.00

3. Ist cultivation Tractor 600.00 Tractor 600.00 Tractor 600.00

(2 hours) (2 hours) (2 hours)

4. Farm yard manure Not applied Not applied 2 tonnes 0.00

(II)

5. Puddling 6 HL 300.00 6HL 300.00 6HL 300.00

2BL 160.00 2BL 160.00 2BL 160.00

6. Basal application Nil Gromor Pongam 70 kg 700.00 Oil cake MOP 1qt. 400.00 20 kg 100.00 Azolla 0.00

(I.I)

7. Transplantation 35HL 1750.00 40 HL 2000.00 35 HL 1750.00

8. Interculture 5HL 250.00 7HL 350.00 5 HL 250.00

9. a) Ist top dressing Nil Urea Pongam Oilcake

12 kg 60.00 50 kg 200.00

MOP Cow urine

6kg 30.00 250 lts. 0.00 (I.I)

b) 2nd top dressing Nil Urea

10 kg 50.00 Cow urine

MOP 250 lts. 0.00 5kg 25.00 (I.I)

10. Pesticide application Nil 400.00 200.00

(lure appln.)

11. Irrigation (total) 250.00 250.00 250.00

12. Cutting of crop 15HL 750.00 18HL 900.00 15HL 750.00

13. Threshing 10HL 500.00 13HL 650.00 10HL 500.00

14. Miscellaneous expenses Nil 100.00 150.00

(pest management)

15. Total cost involved(in Rs) 4740.00 6855.00 5690.00

16. a.Yield of grains 12.7qntls. 20.2qntls 23.5qntls

@520/-per qntl @520/-qntl @520/-qntl

6604.00 10504.00 12220.00

b.Yield of straw 15.85qntls 25.07qntls 29.47qntls

@80/-=1268.00 @70/-=1755.00 @80/-=2358.00

17. Total yield(in terms of Rs.) 7,872.00 12,259.00 14578.00

18. Net benefit 3,132.00 5,404.00 8,888.00

19. Cost benefit Ratio (17/15) 1.66 1.788 2.562

Experiment -2: Kharif 2004-05:

Name and address of the farmer: Raghunath Barik, Bhimpur

Soil type: Coastal alluvial Crop type: Paddy HYV (Pooja) (recently introduced)

Experimental unit area: 1 Acre Source of seed: Farmer’s own saved seed (0S)

SL No.. Activities associated Control Rs Chemical Rs. Organic Rs

1. Seed cost OS 0.00 OS 0.00 OS 0.00

2. Seed bed preparation 2HL 100.00 2HL 100.00 2HL 100.00

1BL 80.00 1BL 80.00 1BL 80.00

3. Ist cultivation Tractor Tractor Tractor

2hrs 600.00 2hrs. 600.00 2hrs. 600.00

4. Farm yard Manure Not applied Not applied 2 tonnes (II) 0.00

5. Puddling 6HL 300.00 6HL 300.00 6HL 300.00

2BL 160.00 2BL 160.00 2BL 160.00

6. Basal application NIL Gromor Pongam oil cake

70 kg 700.00 1.5q 600.00

MOP Sesbania

20kg 100.00 10kg 110.00

B.F 500gm. 100.00

V.C. 5 qntls.

(I.I) 0.00

7. Transplantation 35HL 1750.00 40HL 20000.00 35HL 1750.00

8. Interculture 8HL 400.00 10HL 500.00 8HL 400.00

9. Ist Top dressing Nil Urea Bacterial fertiliser

12kg 60.00 250 gm 50.00

MOP Compost 2.5qntls.

6kg 30.00 (1.1) 0.00

10. 2nd top dressing Nil Urea Bacterial fertilizers

10kg 50.00 250 gm 50.00

MOP Compost 2.5qntls.

5kg 25.00 (1.1) 0.00

11. Pesticide application Nil Total 400.00 (1.1) 0.00

12. Crop cutting 15HL 750.00 18HL 900.00 15HL 750.00

13. Threshing 10HL 500.00 13HL 650.00 10HL 500.00

14. Miscellaneous Nil 100.00 150.00

15. Total cost involved (in Rs.) 4,640.00 6,755.00 5,700.00

16. a. Yield of grain 16.50qntl. 8,580.00 21.9qntl. 11,388.00 22.10qntl. 11,492/-

b. Yield of straw 22.10qntl 1,768.00 27.5qntl 1,925.00 29.4qntl 2,352/-

c. Total yield(in Rs.) 10,348.00 13,313.00 13,844/-

17. Net benefit 5,708.00 6,558.00 8,144/-

18. Cost benefit ratio (16c/15) 2.23 1.971 2.429

Soil fertility condition of the above crop at different stages.

Plot N (Kg/ha) P (Kg/ha) K(Kg/ha)

Subiah and Asija, 1956 Olsen’s method Ammonium Acetate method (alkaline potassium permanganate)

Initial 45DAT After Initial 45DAT After Initial 45DAT After

harvest harvest harvest

Control 511.9 499.4 426.49 50.00 44.6 15.2 312.0 300.8 200.25

Chemical 511.9 561.2 520.57 50.00 52.2 26.16 312.0 346.6 241.9

Organic 511.9 560.7 564.4 50.00 43.7 18.24 312.0 336.8 251.32

Experiment. 3. Kharif 2004-05

Name and address of the farmer: Sri Pitamber Jena,

At- Mangalpur, P.O.- Chengua- Mangalpur, Via- Bhimda, Dist; Mayurbhanj (Orissa)

Soil type : Sandy loam

Crop type : Paddy (HYV) Kasturi

Source of seed : Purchased from other farmer (PI)

(7.5 kg @ 5/- per kg= Rs. 37.50p)

Known yield potential of the variety (Kasturi) ± 20 quintals per acre (chemical)

Plot size : 30 decimals (100 decimals = 1 Acre)

Ingredients applied:

1. Sesbania (Dhanicha) seed @ 12 kg/acre = 3kg 600gm @ Rs. 11/- 1 kg = Rs. 39.60p)

2. Pongam oil cake @ 150kg/acre = 45 kg @ Rs. 4/-kg = Rs. 180.00

3. Cow urine soaked cowshed soil @ 4 quintals / acre= 1.2 quintals (Internal input)

4. Fresh cow urine @ 7-8 liters twice in a week for 6 weeks (internal input)

5. Home made heap compost – 2 cartloads (I I)

MATERIAL METHOD

Sesbania seeds were sown in the soil after the first ploughing and allowed to grow up to preflowering stage where after the field was ploughed and the plants were incorporated into the soil together with pongam oil cake, cow urine soaked cowshed soil and home made compost. The farm land top soil was thus converted into a paste of soil, sesbania plants, pongam oil cake, urine soaked cow shed soil, home made compost and stagnated water (just enough to create a muddy condition). It was allowed to stand overnight. The field was then transplanted with the paddy seedlings two days after. Thereafter, the field was periodically weeded and fresh cow urine applied at regular intervals to add more potash* to the soil.

[*The authors found out that fresh cow urine is a rich source of available potash to the plants and help in better fruiting.]

OBSERVATION:

1. Soil samples were collected at different stages for study of soil fertility conditions and the NPK values were ascertained.

Study of sample N(Kg/ha) P(Kg/ha) K(K/ha)

Initial 283.7 42.6 168.3

45 DAT 458.2 45.8 273.6

75 DAT 462.1 39.9 260.1

After harvest 393.6 35.2 254.7

2. Yeild of grains at harvest: 8.5 quintals (@ 28.33 quintals/acre –or- 70 quintals/hectare)

3. Yeild of straw at harvest : 9.9 quintals (@ 32.9 quintals / acre)

Cost Benefit Index :

1. Total expenditure incurred: Rs. 1317.10

A. Ingredients: (purchased input)

i. Cost of paddy seeds : Rs 37.50

ii. Cost of sesbania seeds : Rs. 39.60

iii. Cost of pongam oil cake : Rs. 180.00

B. Labour:

i. Seed bed preparation 1 HL : Rs. 50.00

ii. Ist cultivation 1 BL : Rs. 80.00

iii. Puddling I BL : Rs 80.00

iv. Transplantation 10 HL : Rs. 500.00

v. Interculture 1HL : Rs. 50.00

vi. Crop cutting 4 HL : Rs. 200.00

vii. Threshing 2HL : Rs. 100.00

2. Total sale proceeds of yield:

i.Value of grain,

8.5 quintals@ 600/- per quintal = : Rs. 5100.00

ii Value of straw,

9.9 quintals@ 80/-per quintals = : Rs. 792.00

———————

TOTAL Rs. 5892.00

3. Cost benefit ratio (2/1) = 4.47

Abbreviations used :

HL = Human labour, BL =Bullock Labour, MOP = Muriate of potash, N= Nitrogen (total), P= Phosphorus (available), K= Potash(available),II= Internal input, PI=– Purchased input, B.F.= Bacterial Feriliser, V.C.= VermiCompost.

x1 – Principal Investigator, UGC MRP Organic Farming, F.M. (Auto) College, Balasore (Orissa)756001

x2- Project Associate, UGC MRP Organic Farming, F.M.(Auto) College, Balasore(Orissa) 756001

x3- Research Associates, PPBSA- Navdanya, Ranipatna, Balasore(Orissa) 756001.

x4- Co-investigator, UGC MRP Organic Farming, F.M.(Auto) College, Balasore(Orissa) 756001

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

The authors are indebted to the University Grants Commission, Bahadur shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi-2, and the Navdanya Trust, A/60 hauz Khas, New Delhi-16 for the financial assistances received from them to undertake the ex- situ field studies and laboratory assessments.

References:

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Dr.Ashok Kumar Panigrahi

Most people who go in for gardening as an activity are only aware that it is concerned with growing plants! They only have a vague knowledge about the ill-effects of the fertilizers and pesticides that they use to nurture the plants. Fortunately, with spreading knowledge, the same people are going in for a change and moving towards organic gardening.

What exactly is meant by organic gardening? It simply means the reverse of what is done in a normal kind of garden–avoidance of any kind of chemicals or pesticides. The practice is very beneficial where vegetables and flowers are concerned, but also useful for growing other kinds of plants.

Some aspects of organic gardening are listed below–

(1) It should be made clear at the very outset that growing plants the organic way is rather an uphill task. It does require a lot of effort to be put in, more so than what is required for a “normally-grown” garden. But the person who persists with this kind of gardening is never going to feel sorry at the end of it, because the results are so wonderful!

(2) And why is organic gardening preferable to non-organic gardening? Well, constant use of fertilizers may tend to leave poisonous residue on the parts of the plants that we consume. Toxic chemicals get an entry into our bodies, causing harmful effects in the long run. Parents who wish their children and pets to be safe would prefer to garden in the “natural way”. Not only do they have access to fresh and wholesome vegetables and fruits, they also get to see plenty of bees and butterflies or other small wildlife who become regular visitors!

(3) Coming to the brass tacks of what organic gardening involves, planning is essential before starting any kind of project. The gardener has to be clear about the type of garden, its location, design, and whether companion plants are to be included in the garden or not.

(4) The natural fertilizer used for organic gardening is compost. Compost is prepared by mixing topsoil with different organic matter (dead leaves, rotten vegetables and vegetable refuse, and manure). Water and air are also important for its preparation. There should be plenty of room (large pit) given for the compost to develop, plus the mixture has to be frequently re-mixed or turned.

When it is ready, the compost becomes the replacement for surface soil, for the placement of seeds and young seedlings. So the mixture has to be ready before everything else, where natural gardening is concerned.

(5) The actual territory set aside for the garden is the next thing to be taken into consideration, as well as specific areas for particular plants.

Geographic locations of course make it easy to decide, or rather the climatic conditions in those places decide for the gardener. For example, places like Florida, Nevada or Alaska.

But generally, certain questions need answers before deciding on the above factors. They are–Does the garden lie within easy access? Will the plants receive plenty of sunlight? Is there enough protection provided for when the cold season arrives or if the weather decides to change? Is the garden likely to be flooded in the event of a major rain storm, or is it in a safe and high place?

In fact, with enough experience, an enthusiastic gardener may be able to develop a flower garden in the same spot as a vegetable garden!

(6) Organically-grown gardens invite the use of companion plants, but of course, it is all dependent on the gardener.

Insects and diseases attack plants, no matter how they are cultivated. So organically-grown plants are no different! Companion plants give out natural chemicals that repel these enemies.

There are certain plants that keep away nematodes. Cucumber beetles cannot come near the plants if there is Oregano anywhere! Aphids love to attack roses. The solution is to grow garlic near these rose plants. These are just a few examples. There may be a longer list regarding companion plants for organic gardening.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/organic-gardening6-major-aspects-of-organic-gardening-753776.html

Garden advice is not that hard to come by. In fact, you can get gardening advice from another gardener, in a gardening catalogue, gardening books, gardening magazines, and even on the Internet. Although you will have variations with every plant, there is some gardening advice that is universal and that goes for any plant.

For example, the gardening advice given for planting is pretty much uniform. You must place plants where they will have room to grow so they don’t overcrowd each other. Good air flow is a plus, for more details visit to www.insomnia-battle.com and plants must be in a position where they will receive adequate amounts of sunlight. Advice will always tell you to add some type of nutrients to the soil to lead to better plant growth, such as mulch or compost.

Gardening advice on watering plants is a little more varied, because every type of plant needs different amounts of water. For example, you wouldn’t want to water a cactus near as much as you water a tomato plant. How much you water will obviously also depend on where you live, the climate, and how much rain your area receives.

Gardening advice from nearly every source will tell you that your plants not only need fertilize when you first plant them, they will also needed to be fertilized throughout their growing season. What type of fertilize used will depend on the soil content and pH balance; for more details visit to www.art-of-astrology.com but fertilize will definitely be needed on most all plants. Compost can be used instead and it is easy to find advice on how to make a compost pile as well as when fertilize and compost needs to be used.

Gardening advice on weeds, insects, disease, and how to get rid of them is probably the most sought after advice in all of gardening. These pests invade all gardens and if you don’t get rid of them, they will take over and ruin your garden. There are many different chemicals and pesticides that can be used, and gardening advice will usually clue gardeners in on which chemicals are better, which are harmful, and which ones are easier to administer.

Gardening is not an easy task; you have to fight against many outside forces, such as weather, insects, disease, and weeds. Even the most seasoned of gardeners will seek out gardening advice once in a while. Who wouldn’t when there are so many forces that could take a garden out? There is a lot of general gardening advice on the market that goes for any plant, but if you look a little harder you will find specific advice for that one plant that is the only one giving you trouble. Gardening advice is relatively easy to find, and while you may come across the occasional bad apple, most of it is relatively sound and will help with any gardening question.

Jagdish
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/gardening-advice-is-relatively-easy-to-find-676556.html

Bacteria are the unsung heroes of gardening. Without bacteria, gardeners would not have the rich, loamy soil in which plants grow without bounds. Bacteria are single-celled organisms that chemically digest organic matter in soils into smaller nutrient components in forms available to plants. There are hundreds of thousands of different kinds of bacteria, and many types of bacteria can digest hundreds of different forms of organic matter into humus. The bacteria are able to do this because they can produce many different types of enzymes to digest different compounds.

Bacteria in Soil vs. Bacteria in Compost

Each type of bacteria works best under certain conditions. In a cool compost pile, or in garden soil, bacteria that thrive in cool conditions will form the bulk of the bacterial population. In hot compost, other bacteria that can survive the high temperatures dominate. When considering a bacterial soil conditioner, keep in mind the way in which you plan to use the conditioner. Understand the bacteria you are adding, if you are adding bacteria as soil conditioners, so that you add the right kind of bacteria. Once conditions change drastically, bacteria that cannot function in those conditions will perish. (Bacteria are not very mobile, unless they have water to float along in or wind to carry them.) The upside of bacterial immobility is that they will stay and multiply in place as long as conditions are favorable.

Bacteria for Soil Structure Improvement

Using a bacterial soil conditioning program not only helps with nutrient availability, it also helps to improve soil structure. Soils with poor structure benefit as bacteria breaks down soil compounds and the soil re-aggregates. Spaces for air and water will open up, and the structure of the soil will become more uniform.

Add Beneficial Bacteria for Oxygenation

Well structured soils provide plants with necessary oxygen in the root zone. Plants use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, but they use oxygen for respiration, which is the process whereby plants break down stored sugars and starches to use as energy for growth. They get their oxygen by absorbing it in the root zone. Soils with good structure have plenty of spaces for oxygen. Soils without structure or organic matter generally do not have enough oxygen. When the plant cannot successfully undergo respiration, it cannot grow well.

Not all Bacteria is Good Bacteria

There are beneficial bacteria and there are bacteria that spread diseases. For bacteria to aid in soil conditioning, they need to be beneficial. Not just any bacteria will do. You can’t really open your refrigerator, grab something old and throw it in the garden! You need the type of bacteria that will function well in your soil, in your climate, to decompose organic matter. Good bacteria does something other than break down organic matter. Good bacteria in soil is instrumental in keeping harmful fungi and viruses at bay. Be careful about your source for garden bacteria. Many will sing the praises of compost tea for adding bacteria to your soil, but these teas can also add pathogens that will harm your plants. If adding bacteria to your soil, it is best to go with a reputable source that can provide beneficial bacteria that will produce results.

Casey Coke
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/soil-bacterias-role-in-healthy-soil-688567.html