Farmer’s knowledge is considered as supreme because they have perfected the act of cultivation through experience gained over decades of tolling in fields and plantations be it in low lying areas or high lands. However an incident made me rethink whether this was true or was there another side to this story.
Three decades ago when the agriculture department office in Salcete was in Margao in the Communidade building, we used to receive several applications from the farmers asking for cashew plants, since our prices were less as compared to the market. In those days we had two programmes/schemes under cashew namely ‘area expansion’, wherein new area was brought under cultivation and other ‘rejuvenation of senile plantation’ wherein old trees were cut down and new plants were planted in that area so as to maintain the plant density.
The thrust of the government was to promote cashew grafts rather than seedlings which would yield more and early. As per norms, we had a register maintained with the farmers name and location since the scheme was for a duration of a few years, and everything was recorded as data for proper analysis subsequently. If the data or records are preserved in appropriate format, the task of scientists becomes easy to pin point the root cause of any anomaly and also to take necessary remedial measures to safeguard its reoccurrence.
Scanning process
On scrutinising the applications from the farmers from hilly areas like Verna, Nuvem, Raia and Loutolim in Salcete where the farmers used to plant cashew trees, I realised that they were taking the same number of plants every year, but their area remained the same and no new areas or survey numbers were mentioned for planting while submitting their applications to us. Realising that something on the ground was incorrect as it appeared to be on paper, we went to verify these areas for the planting done the previous years, along with the concerned farmers who had made fresh requests for cashew plants that year.
Reality strikes
After going through the hilly areas where the plants were supposed to have been planted earlier, what we saw was only dead plants and therefore the need to replant arose every year as there was not much survival percentile.
This fact was revealing - either the farmers were wrong or we, the technical persons, may have failed to offer correct guidelines to them as should have been done normally.
Bitter truth unfolds
On making necessary enquires, it was ultimately drawn upon us that the cashew grafts were planted as seedling because the rate of purchase for this plants supplied by department was subsidised to almost half the price and we used to book adjust the cost under the scheme. The seedling can grow without much effort as they are hardy plants while a graft needs adequate care for the first two years otherwise it may die.
We had to explain to these farmers that a graft is a union of a scion and young seedling and therefore any growth below the joint has to be plucked at the base itself. If it is not removed than the scion dies an early death, rendering the below plant to survive which ultimately too dies off at a later stage.
Normally grafts are hardened in the nursery itself for over a period of six months or so but due to active buds at the leaf junction of the seedling, new shoot immergence cannot be ruled out completely.
On realising their mistake, they said that this vital knowledge was not shared at the time of purchase and hence they continued to replant every year. When explained the methodology, they expressed gratitude, as it curtailed the need to buy more plants.
Learning process
When we plant something, care must be taken to see that sufficient sunshine is available and enough space to grow. Then the plant grows into a healthy tree, and bears fruits in abundance. The produce is envisaged. Planting on hilly terrain requires a systematic approach of digging a proper pit, putting forest soil at the base, covering the base of the plant with manure and leafy matter so that moisture from the morning dews are captured, digging a half crescent trench above this planted area for the water to percolate down thereby reaching the root zone and lastly checking on the growth once in a while to remove any new shoots that are seen below the joint of a graft planted.
As the saying goes, the watch and ward will deliver if we walk the extra mile together.
(The writer, former Deputy Director of Agriculture, manages 'Kamat Securities' and 'Agri-Horti Consultancy Services')