Sustainable Agriculture

One of the important achievements of VK-NARDEP in the field of sustainable agriculture is the realization of inter-connectivity between the different sub-systems in agro-eco system through effective cost-effective eco-technology. Thus backyard Azolla cultivation in silpauline sheet is a technology that VK-NARDEP has disseminated among lakhs of marginal dairy farmers. Apart from being an effective bio-feed that reduces feed expenditure and increases quality and quantity of milk yield, Azolla is also used as nitrogen fixing bio-fetilizer in paddy fields. Azolla also functions as weed suppressant. VK-NARDEP conducts training on Azolla-backyard cultivation technology for marginal and small farmers every month at Kanyakumari. Azolla cultuivation is also linked with two tier vermicompost. In this method Azolla bed becomes protection for earthworms from sunshine and predatory birds. Farming communities have also fed Azolla to earthworm in vermicompost pits. VK-NARDEP has also revived and standardized many traditional liquid bio-fertililzers, bio-pesticides and organic growth promoters.

VK-NARDEP has also produced extension literature for the promotion of these bio-products in the rural areas. These pamphlets are produced in Tamil with good illustrations.VK-NARDEP also promotes field bio-diversity by encouraging inter-cropping and mixed cropping.It also revives the cultivation of traditional local rice varities which are often lost due to germplasm erosion as a result of HYV