Sustainable Agriculture: Tree Crops under Rainfed Conditions
Rainfed horticulture
AF
is very strongly popularizing the concept of Tree Crops (rainfed horticulture)
particularly with rainfed farmers, as the tree crops are less prone to drought.
However tree crops have a long gestation period of about 5 to 7 years and need
some initial watering. AF advocated that every rainfed farmer should have at
least 30% of each farmer’s land under various rainfed tree crops. The idea is
when annual crops failed the tree crops will provide some assured income to the
farmers. Farmers after seeing the dry land horticulture demonstration plots
organized by AF, got motivated. Farmers have accessed fruit plants supplied on
subsidy by RDT and from horticulture department. Farmers preferred hardy fruit
plants like mango, sapota and amla(goose berry) under fruit tree crops. 772
farmers, have grown fruit tree crops in 309 ha of dry land. Of them 218 farmers
belongs to SC/ST communities.
AF- Ecology Centre itself does not provide any incentives for tree crops. It educates and enables farmers and SMGs to access the horticulture programs being implemented by RDT and Government.
Farm Forestry.
AF Ecology Centre is promoting Farm Forestry on the field borders and field
bunds in order to produce(a) bio-mass for farm composting(b) fodder trees to
produce green fodder in summer months and also(c) fruit trees like custard
apple. The farm forestry is promoted by direct seed dibbling in the months of
June and July when the rainy season sets in. Generally when the rains are normal
the survival of plants is very good. The survival is monitored by field staff,
and gap filling is done during the rainy season. Last year the survival is found
to be ranging from 40% to 80%. The varieties of plants chosen are pongamea,
glyricidia, neem, custard apple etc. This method of seed dibbling is the most
inexpensive and best suited to Anantapur agro-climatic conditions. 5958 farmers
planted saplings in their 12086 ha of farm land Farmers contribution in the form
of kind Rs.180/ and the remaining Rs.200/ borne by organization. 7633 farmers
have dibbled seed in their 16,317 ha of farm landThe cost of seed dibbling comes
to Rs.20/ ha the total amount is paid by AF.
