I am a newbie to farming world. I am trying to grow organic on one acre land . I need a self sustainable plan from scratch. My soil is black cotton soil. All experienced organic farmers please help as there is very less literature on economics of organic farming.
What is your plan?
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Dear Basavaraj Sir.
We welcome you, to our Farmnest Forum.
To get good advices, in Organic Farming, please give all details of your Area, Land, Water facilities, What type of crops you are interested, your Plans as asked by our Senior Member Sri Padmanabhan Sir , time spending at your land etc, better with any photographs/videos of your land.
Most of our Experienced Members will give their advice, answers to you
g.p.rao, farmer
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Thank you for taking intrest to help me out.
Sir I am planning to grow millets and maize and vegetables. Water is from a river source but i will be using drip irrigation The size is 263 ft north& south and 185 ft east& west.
Sir also i am planning to grow trees at the border , trees like neem jamun jackfruit and peepal. I also intend to make a cowshed and biogas out side the farm just adjacent at the east. I wish to spend atleast 2 hours at the farm.
Dear Basavaraj Sir,
very happy, for your decision of doing Organic farming in your Land. Presently, our lands are very poor in Organic Carbon content, because of the Green Revolution during '60s, due to heavy/abnormal usage of Inorganic Fertilizers.
Hence, when you start farming, first, I advise you to spread 5 to 10 tons of well decomposed Bio Enriched FYM ( per acre ), along with 250 kgs of Neem cake, 500 kgs of Vermicompost, and grow Sun Hemp crop first, in your Land @ 30 kilo seed per acre, and at the beginning of the Flowering stage (at around 50 to 60 days age ), cut the crop and plough it, Till the crop in your land. It increases the Organic Carbon content in your land soil, besides increases the porosity of the Black cotton soil.
Growing Vegetables (Very nice to grow vegetables if you can spare 2 hours a day), Millets, Maize along with Jamun, Jack fruit, trees are a good decision and when you need take advice from our Farmnest Forum.
One by one you ask the details of your farming, and our Farmnest Forum, Experienced senior Members, will clear and gives its Timely advice.
All the best to you sir.
g.p.rao, farmer
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Thank you for your response. Till now ,in the past six months I had spread decomposed waste of cottonseed and oil cake of around 10 tons which I acquired from a nearby by factory.Would this be sufficient or should I add more biomass like cattle waste. Now I have to plough and rotavate. Is this the correct method. Please correct if necessary.
Dear Basavaraj Sir,
Fine. you also collect and spread Bio Enriched FYM (decomposed cattle waste), Neem Cake and Vermicompost also, plough it and rotavate it in to your soil.
Also, Purchase 2 Bottles of OWDC, (minimum Ord qty is 2 bottles each at Rs 150/- + transport), created by Dr Krishan Chandra, and mix content of one bottle full in 200 liters of your water along with 2 kilos of Jaggery, and rotate with a stick in clockwise direction, morning and evening for 4 to 6 days. It will be ready and that water, 180 liters, you can spread on your land. (Or you can keep these 200 liters in 10 plastic cans of 200 ltrs@20 liters in each and add 2 kgs of jaggery and 180 liters of water) keep the balance liquid of that plastic drum and again you can add 200 liters water with 2 kilos jaggery. you can prepare any number of times, and any quantity in your land. it is giving good results. Please remember, every time you have to add 20 liters of prepared OWDC, + 2 kgs jaggery and 180 liters of your water.
If you want you can contact Himagiri Green Herbal, on 9811624448. (The manufacturers of OWDC as stated by Dr Krishan Chandra, Ex Director of NCOF).
Then you plough and rotovate your soil. Then either after a good rain and/or water flooding your soil/water sprinkle your soil, at correct wetness ( padhunu), again plough your land soil, do seed Sun hemp (janumu) and sprinkle water regularly with sprinklers.
once the Sun hemp crop starts flowering, cut the crop, spread as it is and rotovate your soil.
hope, this is ok for you and when in need of any clarification, please ask our Forum
g.p.rao, farmer
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Thanks for the response. Will surely update on my farm and wish all happy farming.
Very tedious añd highly expensive
You have gone the costly way of improving the soil. The simple and cheapest way compared to other methods is to grow multi species of crops (20 kilos per acre) and wait for 50-60 days and plough and rotate.
This is very cost effective.
Details available in the net or check my blog
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