Aloe Vera Plant Growing & Usage Tips

When Buying:

This plant usually grows slowly inside a house–purchase a large, more mature one if possible. If a young one is your only option, you can still use it for first aid treatments but know it will take a few years to get large.

Young aloe is potent enough to use for first aid treatments, but the more mature one offers a stronger potency, strength does increase with age.

General Care:

• It can be grown indoors or outdoors, but will turn brown in harsh sunlight so choose a location in indirect light.
• Will freeze, make sure to protect it during frost dangers. Not suitable for wintering over in cold weather zones.
• Will thrive outside better than inside, but definitely makes a good indoor houseplant.
• Use well-drained sandy potting soil, a good quality commercial mix with extra perlite, granite grit, or coarse sand are added is recommended. Cacti and succulent mixes may also be used. Source: Wikipedia.

Watering:

• This is a succulent, don’t overwater.
• Allow the soil to become fairly dry before watering. Lightly water during winter months since the drying out will be slower.
• If potting, make sure there is a drainage hole so the water can drain easily.

Repotting:

• When it is rootbound, it will be top heavy and will send out more new shoots or pups, repot.
• Remove new shoots when they are 3 to 4 inches high and replant in their own pots. If you don’t, they will suck life from the mother plant. Signs of this happening: The mother will get bright green and spread its leaves horizontally rather than vertically.
• Water the pups well when repotting then don’t water again for about 3 weeks, forcing the new roots to get strong and seek water. They may turn grey or brown initially, this is normal. These make great gifts so give freely!

Symptoms Of Poor Care:

• Leaves lie flat instead of upright: usually because of insufficient light.
• Leaves are thin and curled: it’s not being watered enough and is using up its own liquid.
• Leaves are brown: too much direct sunlight.
• Very slow growth: High alkaline soil or water; too damp for too long; not enough light; too much fertilizer.

Removing Leaves:

Harvest leaves as you need, the wound is quickly sealed and healed. The leaf will not grow back, choose those closest to the ground as they are the most mature and most potent. 

How To Cut A Leaf:

• Cut away with a sharp knife.
• Trim the thorny edges from the severed leaf, then slice across its width. The inner transparent, gooey gel is ready to be applied directly to the afflicted area. Use generously, it will be absorbed by the skin within several minutes.
• After the gel from the first layer of ruptured cells has run dry, scratch the surface with a clean knife to rupture more cells, releasing more juice. This can be continued until there is nothing but green skin left.

How Long Will A Cut Leaf Last:

• Wrap partially used leaves in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate, it will last for days.

To Consume:

• The colorless pulp is tasteless, but first rinse off the bitter yellow sap. Peel the green skin from the pulp, then rinse off the sap with cool water.

Source – More complete notes & tips can be found in the booklet:

The Ancient Egyptian Medicine Plant Aloe Vera Hand Book

Author: Max B. Skousen

Aloe Vera Research Institute (1982)

Starting a Small Flock of Chickens

I have been giving the following article—an overview of our approach to flock management—as the handout for my poultry seminars for several years. 

I am now writing a replacement which will address the same issues, but will emphasize five areas: Pasturing the flock (using electronet fencing), “putting the flock to work” in various homestead endeavors, deep litter for best management of manure in the poultry house, using natural mothers for incubating and brooding new stock, and feeding issues. I will eventually post the new version on the site. ~February 2007

Getting Started

Chickens are the easiest of all livestock to raise. Their needs for feed and shelter are easily met. The eggs and meat you can get from a home flock will be superior to anything you can buy. And a flock of chickens is an endless source of fascination for the whole family. Give them a try!

Choosing a Breed

If your main interest in chickens is egg production, you might choose one of the Mediterranean class breeds - Leghorns, Golden or Silver Campines, Buttercups, Hamburgs, Blue Andalusians, Minorcas, etc. These breeds tend to be somewhat smaller and lighter in weight, as they put more of their resources into egg production rather than larger frames and greater muscle mass. They usually lay white eggs. Some of these breeds can a bit high-strung.

Meat breeds are typified by the Cornish Cross, a very fast-growing hybrid with a broad, plump breast, easy to dress out. These birds can be ready for slaughter at seven or eight weeks. (If slaughtered at 12-14 weeks they produce excellent roasters.) Because they grow so fast, they are not as vigorous or resilient as others, and easily expire from episodes of sudden stress. [Some breeders in the "pastured poultry" movement are trying to breed new broiler crosses especially for production on pasture that are considerably more robust than the Cornish Cross. Typically, such birds require a little longer grow-out than the Cornish; but exhibit better vigor, none of the leg and heart problems of the Cornish, yet dress out with the sort of plump, broad breast the market has come to expect.]

Many people prefer a compromise between the meat and the egg "specialists": The dual-purpose breeds, which lay well (usually brown shelled eggs) and grow fast enough to serve well as table fowl (though they are not as broad breasted as the meat-production hybrids). Birds of this type are ready for slaughter at about 12 or 13 weeks of age. They are usually more gentle and easy-going than the Mediterranean group. Among these breeds are New Hampshire and Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons, Brahmas, Cochins, Wyandottes, and Ameraucanas (which lay pastel-tinted eggs).

Usually the discussion of breed choice ends here. However, I urge you to consider also the historic breeds, such as the five-toed Dorkings, which originated in Rome before the time of Julius Caesar. While not as productive as modern breeds, the historic breeds have other virtues to recommend them. For example, Old English Games may not be ready for slaughter until five months old and may lay only 200 eggs a year - but they can virtually feed themselves if given enough space to forage; the hens are devoted and fiercely protective mothers; and their meat was once the standard against which all other table fowl were judged.

Sources for Stock

Just-hatched chicks can be sent through the mail. Many people turn first to one of the mega-hatcheries such as Murray McMurray. They feature large selections and illustrated catalogs. My own preference is to seek out smaller, family owned regional hatcheries, which I have found may provide more personalized service and superior stock.

You can get both chicks and started stock from the local farmers co-op, though the choice of breeds is very limited. You can also connect with local enthusiasts who have stock to sell through classified ads or a publication such as the Valley Trader.

Finally, of course, you can breed your own. This may not be a realistic option if you're just starting out. But at some time in the future, you may find that it is quite a thrill to "hatch your own." You might try your luck with an artificial incubator. Or, if you're lucky enough to have a broody hen, you can just "let mama do it."

Brooding

If you start with day-old stock, you will have to be a surrogate mama to your baby chicks. Set up an enclosed brooder which is free from drafts and protected from rodents, cats, etc.; and which contains an absorbent litter such as wood shavings and a source of heat such as a 250-watt lamp or two. The waterer should be designed so that the chicks cannot wade into it and get wet. Temperature should be maintained so that the chicks are neither huddling under the heat source, nor huddling in a corner as far as possible from the heat. If they are scooting around the brooder like a bunch of little water bugs, all is well. Frequent monitoring of the brooder is the key to success.

Of course, if you have a mother hen who is raising your new chicks, you don't have to worry about any of this. When it comes to raising baby chickens, a mother hen is a lot smarter than you.

Housing

Housing for chickens can be extremely simple. If you already have an existing shed or outbuilding, it can probably be modified to serve quite nicely. The fundamental requirements are that the birds be protected from the wind or heavy drafts; and that they be completely dry. Chickens have a strong instinct to roost; so will be more content if furnished with some structure on which to roost.

It is important not to overcrowd your birds. Allow a minimum of three square feet per bird, up to an ideal five square feet or more. Of course, if the flock has constant access to the outside, they will do fine with less space in their "sleeping quarters" inside.

If you plan to build a new structure in which to house your birds, I strongly recommend that you keep an earth floor in the building, and cover it with a thick layer of high-carbon litter such as oak leaves, wood shavings, etc. (I do not think straw is a good litter material over earth floor, as it can support the growth of molds which can be a respiratory problem for the birds.) The constant scratching of the chickens incorporates the droppings into the litter, preventing the typical "caking" of manure which results in foul odors, flies, and possible buildup of pathogens. The constant mixing of the manure with the high-carbon litter results in a decomposition process similar to that in a compost pile. The billions of microorganisms driving this decomposition actually produce Vitamins K and B12, various natural antibiotics, and other immune-enhancing substances which the chickens ingest while scratching for and eating tiny critters in the litter. A study in the Ohio state university system in the 1920's demonstrated that chickens could obtain 100% of their protein from a mature 12-inch litter. You can periodically (say once a year) remove the litter and use it as compost without further processing.

If you have to use an existing building with a wood floor, that's okay. Here, too, you should lay down a thick layer of dry, high-carbon litter. (In this case, where the litter remains dry, a straw litter is okay.) Your poultry house will be far more pleasant for you and more healthful for the chickens. When you remove a mix of litter and manure from a structure with a wooden floor, you should compost it before adding it to the garden.

Whenever you notice a strong odor of ammonia, especially upon opening the poultry house in the morning, it is time either to clean out the litter, or add another layer of high-carbon material.

Joel Salatin has observed that, if allowed five square feet per bird, the chickens will continually turn in all manure laid down. At four square feet, there will be some "capping" of manure (accumulation of an impervious layer the birds cannot incorporate), especially under the roosts. At three square feet, there can be capping over all or most of the litter. If you find that the manure is building up in this way, simply use a spading fork to turn over the capped areas in clumps. The chickens will then be able to break up the clumps and work them into the litter.

Whatever shelter you give your birds should protect them from wind and sharp drafts; but at the same time should allow for adequate ventilation. I installed solid outer doors and inner frame doors with wire mesh. This configuration allows me to open up the house completely to air flow, while still keeping the birds confined and protected when desired. Also, the birds are able to sun themselves in the direct sunlight coming through the mesh doors and windows at various times during the day.

Please note that, if their shelter is tight and dry, chickens are very cold hardy. It is not necessary to provide artificial heat; and it could be detrimental to do so. [Occasionally single-comb cocks will get some frostbite on combs or wattles. If this becomes a serious problem, you could keep breeds with rose or pea combs instead.]

You will of course design your housing with predator protection (especially at night) in mind. But don't anticipate threats like dogs, raccoons, and foxes only - a least weasel can get through any opening large enough for a rat! (I once lost 19 young chickens to a least weasel!) And speaking of rats: Remember that they can be a serious threat to chicks. Half-inch hardware cloth is a great thing!

Feeding

Commercial poultry feed contains products from rendering plants, reprocessed deep-frying oil, feather meal, and other low quality ingredients which can be quite stale by the time it is fed. For these reasons I prefer to grind my own feed every few days, using certified organic ingredients I buy from Countryside Natural Products near Staunton. Making your own feed may not be a realistic option for you. Countryside also offers premixed versions of the feeds I make, in 50-lb. bags. Fortunately, they are now delivering once a month into the Northern Virginia area. Call them at 888-699-7088 for more information about products and deliveries, or visit Countryside Natural Products.

However, if local commercial feed is the only realistic alternative for you, by all means use it. If your birds have access to pasture, your eggs and dressed poultry will still be superior to any you can buy. If you do use commercial feeds, keep a couple of precautions in mind. Chickens are appropriately fed different mixes at different stages of growth, varying especially with regard to proportions of protein and of minerals, particularly calcium. It is important to feed your birds appropriate to their stage of growth. However, you should strictly avoid feeding chicks a chick formula containing antibiotics. Feeding such medications as a steady part of the diet is completely unnecessary in a small batch of chicks not stressed by crowding such as yours; and excessive use of antibiotics in our food supply has serious long-term implications for both animal and human health. If you cannot get an antibiotic-free starter mix (such as Countryside's), I suggest starting your chicks on the next stage formula ("grower mix" or "pullet developer") instead, perhaps supplementing with a little fish meal to boost the protein.

When using commercial feeds, you can also add a little kelp (dried seaweed) meal, an excellent natural all-round mineral supplement.

Whatever you feed, always make sure your birds have daily access to some green forage. When they are confined to the winter housing, you can dig dandelion and yellow dock up by the roots and throw them to the flock - the tops stay green much longer than other forage plants, and they are very palatable and highly nutritious to poultry. If you have a greenhouse, set aside a little space for greens (assorted grains, mustards, kale, rape, and other cold-hardy greens are good candidates) for the birds. Or sprout some of those same seeds and expose them to sunlight long enough for them to green up, then toss them to the flock. Remember, you don't need to feed a lot of green forage - even small amounts are highly beneficial.

You should also feed the flock grit (small bits of stone and gravel, which they need for grinding their feed in the gizzard) and, in the case of layers, crushed oyster shell as a calcium supplement. These amendments are not so important for birds on pasture, since they are able to pick up what they need on their own. I usually offer them anyway, since it is easy to do so and they are cheap; but they should always be provided (free-choice) to birds confined to the winter housing. Grit and shell are available at any farm co-op or feed supply.

Watering

Chickens must have fresh water available at all times. Waterers come in a number of designs. Choose a type which minimizes the surface area exposed, so the water will remain as clean and litter-free as possible. Placing it above floor level on a stand will also help minimize contamination with litter. Guard against wet spots under or around the waterer. (Pathogens are more likely to grow in wet than in dry litter.) If wet spots do develop, use a spading fork to scatter the wet material so it can dry as the chickens work it into the rest of the litter.

I recommend some form of automated watering, which saves a significant amount of time and effort even in a small flock. There are various designs of vacuum-flow and float-activated waterers. The most sanitary of all watering systems is the nipple waterer.

Of course, watering becomes a greater challenge during freezing winter weather. If electricity is available in the poultry house, there are various heating devices that can be used. Carrying the waterer into the basement at night is also an option.

Eggs

Be sure to provide sufficient nest boxes (maybe one for each seven to nine hens or so) positioned above floor level; keep them lined with plenty of clean straw; and collect eggs frequently. All these measures help keep the eggs clean and unbroken, and reduce the likelihood of egg eating, a bad habit which - once established - is difficult to break.

I prefer not to wash eggs if they come perfectly clean from the nest. (They actually keep better if not washed.) If they have even the slightest trace of litter or - yes, occasionally - poop, I wash them with a half and half solution of water and vinegar, which dissolves the smear and has a sanitizing effect.

Fresh eggs do not need to be refrigerated if eaten within a few days. Just set them out of direct sunlight where it is not too warm. (Remember, in nature the mother bird doesn't refrigerate her eggs. They remain perfectly viable for up to two weeks as she day by day assembles her clutch before starting incubation.)

©Unless otherwise noted, all material on this site, both text and photos, is copyright by Harvey and Ellen Ussery, 2005 to the present. Individuals may copy and circulate it freely under the following conditions: This site www.TheModernHomestead.US must be attributed as the source; any material copied must include this copyright notice; and no charge may be made if you pass copies on to others, other than the actual costs of copying, if any. No material on this site may be published in any print or electronic media, whether or not for profit, without written permission of Harvey or Ellen Ussery.

DISCLAIMER: Information offered on this website is based on decades of research and practical experience. However, we are not trained professionals in any health, environmental, or other field. We therefore do not offer the contents of this website as advice or recommendation for any specific practice; nor will we be responsible for the consequences of the application of any information or ideas presented on this site. ~Harvey and Ellen Ussery

A former white collar employee harvests success from turmeric

M. J. Prabu

About 17 tonnes of fresh turmeric was harvested from an acre

Mr. Muhammed Busthani, from Koduvally in Kozhikode district of Kerala, does not claim to be an experienced farmer, but a casual chat with him can make one realise that the man’s knowledge in the subject is quite deep rooted.

His interest, particularly in turmeric, is surprising when he asserts: “Among all crops turmeric is the least affected by pests and infestations.”

NO CLUE

On return to his home town after leaving a private sector job in New Delhi, Mr. Busthani was planning to venture into business.

But he was totally clueless on where to start. His friends floated many ideas, but he was all the more confused.

It was a meeting with an expert at the Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode, and an old acquaintance, which helped him to realize that agriculture was his next calling.

In February 2011, he, along with his five friends, attended a three-day seminar and technology showcasing conducted at the Institute under the aegis of National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) of ICAR.

That was a turning point in the life of Mr. Busthani and his friends.

“After attending various sessions in the seminar and hearing the success stories of farmer participants, we decided to grow turmeric,” he recalls.

Initially, they booked one tonne of seeds of Prathibha turmeric variety from a farmer delegate in the seminar. The friends formed a trust and took one acre land on lease at Sultan Bathery, Wayanad, and thus Bucca Farms was born.

From that one acre plot the team harvested around 17 tonnes of fresh turmeric in January 2012.

“We dried about 100 kg of Prathibha turmeric and powdered it for domestic use. After that, the home made dishes were all in a different taste. When my wife pointed out the superiority of turmeric powder, I thought of cultivating it on commercial scale,” he recalls.

EXPLORING OPTIONS

He took the appreciation seriously and explored the opinions of the neighbouring housewives — a sort of survey study.

All the neighbours who used Prathibha turmeric for cooking endorsed the ‘magic’ of Prathibha turmeric powder.

This year, the friends leased out around 18 acres of land at Pazhayangadi near Vellamunda in Wayanad district of Kerala and the entire area was planted with the remaining Parthiba seeds.

Today, Bucca Farms may be the largest farm growing a single variety of turmeric in Kerala. The farmers adopt the production packages recommended by IISR.

The operations including the fertilizer applications are targeted to get a yield of 320 tonnes. IISR scientists’ team has developed specific fertilizer recommendations to obtain a fixed yield from a unit area of land, known as ‘targeted yield’.

As the crop is showing good health and uniform growth, the farmers are expecting a yield somewhere near the targeted levels.

TONNES PER HECTARE

“Maturing in 225 days under rainfed conditions, Prathibha gives an average yield of 39.12 tonnes per hectare. Relatively higher levels of curcumin (6.25per cent), oleoresin (16.2per cent) and essential oil (6.2 per cent) make this variety a hot choice for industrial, medicinal, and culinary purposes.

“The variety is proven to give 6 to 7 per cent of curcumin under Kerala conditions,” says Dr. B Sasikumar, Principal Scientist of the institute who developed it more than 10 years back.

“The Prathibha variety, which was released in the year 1996, has proved to be more adaptable to different states of India like Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab etc, owing to its better phenotypic plasticity and other favourable conditions,” says Dr. M Anandaraj, Director, Indian Institute of Spices Research.

With his two years of experience of turmeric cultivation, Mr. Busthani is now aware of the problems of farming in the state — labour shortage and high labour costs.

REMEDY

And he has a remedy too for this malady — farm mechanization. In fact, one of the major labour requirements for turmeric in the state is for bed-making for planting. With the help of local skilled workers, he converted a tractor mounted disc plough into a bed maker.

“Though the topography of the area was undulating; we could make uniform beds for planting turmeric in the entire 18 acres land using the bed-maker. It helped us to save about 300 labourers’ work,” he adds.

The farmer is also contemplating going in for available modern techniques in other farm operations so as to bring down the cost of production.

“We are working on a tractor mountable device to harvest the crop in the coming season,” he adds.

He was also one of the farmers identified for scientific cultivation of ginger (varada) under the institutes’ NAIP project on multi-enterprise farming models to address the agrarian crisis of Wayanad, Kerala in 2011.

For more details contact Mr. Muhamed Busthani, Thotathil House, Elettil PO, Koduvally, Kozhikode, Mob: 09946041946.

Growing Tomatoes in Growbags – Hydroponic way

Whenever I see a commercial greenhouse or farm, I always get this feeling..”why can’t we grow plants like they do?”. The moment this thought comes in, you start paying attention to details. You try to do everything the right way and see if you can perfect the art.
My goal (more like a wish) right from the beginning is always to reduce the gap between commercial and home gardening in terms of  yield.  In some cases I was able to come little closer but in some I failed.
In this post, I will write about growing tomatoes in grow bags. Grow bags are lay flat bags filled with potting mix. Unlike containers, they don’t provide depth but they give enough room for the roots to explore. In this experiment I used grow bags made of coco peat. They don’t contain any nutrient in it and hence its our duty to provide all the nutrients the plants need.
It all starts from the seed. This time, I had some seeds of tomato from IndoAmerican seeds. A variety called INDAM Naveen. I have already grown this variety and was impressed with the productivity.
The seeds were sown thickly in a small  pot and once they showed a true leaf, they were moved into a Pro tray.
Two weeks later they looked like this.
6/2/2010


Now this is a typical grow bag. Its ~3 feet long and contains compressed cocopeat slab in it.  Its ideal for growing 3-4 plants per bag.


In my case, I wanted to grow 3 tomato plants in this and hence made markings like below. Cut the bag on the lines made so that when you open the flips, you get a square hole cut out.


Next is to run water through it. Easiest is to use a pipe/hose tube. Let it soak and as it soaks, it expands as well. You can see the grow bag growing. Give it some time. Once its done, you will have fully expanded grow bag thats ready to take plants in.
Once expanded, these grow bags will look like this below. To transplant, I took juice boxes cut them into three and used them to hold the plant when they are small. Kinda made it look like Rockwool cubes .
Now comes the drainage part. Carefully make a slit 0.5-1 inch above the bottom surface of the grow bag at 2 or 3 places on the sides. As it is covered on most of the sides water loss through medium is very less. The seedlings that were in the pro tray were transplanted 3 per bag.
17/2/2010

You can also see that I have lined the bench with black polythene sheet. This is to collect all the drainage water at one place. There is a slope provided to the bench, so all the drainage flow to the lowest point, where the reservoir is kept
Alright, Now comes the interesting part. How do we water this thing?. Though it can be hand watered ( which I did for first couple of weeks), it can become very difficult as the opening is very small and needs lot of patience to water it. So obviously the next step was to install a drip system and automate it. Thats lot stuff mentioned in a single line right?. we will munch bite at a a time.
So here it is after 10 days time. The stake wires tied out nice and you can also see the spaghetti drip wires. These wires deliver the nutrient water to the plants.
28/2/2010

Dripping in action.

Another shot of the tomatoes on 11/3/2010

Tomatoes already started to form.


Setting up Automated Drip System:
Now comes the interesting part. Setting up the automated drip system.  In Grow bag systems the nutrient is generally not recycled. But I didnt have the bandwidth to waste the nutrients. So I thought I would re use the drainage as well.
Things necessary for a automated drip system are :

• A submersible pump.
• Programmable timer
• Reservoir
• Drip tubes(Usually 12mm)
• Spaghetti tubes
• Tee joints & End caps.

Submersible Pump:
This pumps are available in SJP Road in Bangalore( Road parallel to SP Road).This is from a company called Tullu. Costs about INR400-500 and there are cheaper chinese counterpart for INR 200 or so. It pumps water at about 400-500 litres per hour to height of 4 feet. It varies with pump to pump. Needs 240 V AC to operate.


Programmable Timer:
It took really long time to get this piece of hardware in Bangalore. Myself and my friend Anil Hande were searching and searching. It comes as a bare bone timer and we need to do some more work before it gets usable.


Like I said, the timer has just leads for connections and is not very user friendly.  Below is the my version of the completed timer box. I got some help from Anil to get the wiring in place. You
can check out his version and more information on its wiring Anil’s Album

I have programmed in such a way that it operates for 15 minutes every 3 hours.

Reservoir: Here is my reservoir. Ok ..Not very nice looking but then who cares as long it is cheap. Another peace I picked up from local plastic recycle shop. The drained water pours in via the black poly sheet. Next to it you can spot the drip tube connected to Pump going out of the reservoir.

Here are some small accessories that you will need to setup a drip system.
They are called joints. On the top left, is simply joint, next is Tee joint and the one below is Tap joint. You can use them where ever you feel they are needed. There is also Elbow joint in case your drip tube needs to bend, I havent shown them in the pic. They cost INR 1 each. Available in SJP Road.

This is called Spaghetti tube. This tube is used to take the nutrient from the main drip tube to all the plants. You have to connect this tube to the one that brings the nutrients from the reservoir. To connect this you need a small connector which is pictured below this pic.


This connector is a small piece one side of which goes into the main 12mm drip tube and the other end goes into the spaghetti . Costs very cheap.

This small piece is nothing but a poker to make even sized holes for the connector to go into the main drip pipe.  Handle with care. Its very sharp.

The pump pushes water from one side of the tube, the other side has to be closed to that the dripping happens on all the spaghettis connected to it. Use an endcap like below. You can either use an end cap or use a tap joint and simply close it .

OR

This is how it looks when the whole thing is in place, alive and pumping!


The tomatoes are growing like crazy and they have already hit the roof. I am pictured below to just show how short I am  .

Courtesy - geekgardener, on April 18th, 2010

Grow bags are an ideal way to grow vegetables ..
http://www.technoexports.com/?page_id=347

See application form on Page No 48 : http://www.keralaagriculture.gov.in/pdf/wi_39.pdf

Back to natural farming

Anitha Pailoor

Agriculture

B N Nandish, a farmer in Shikaripura taluk’s Churchigundi, has developed his own farming practices based on five basic fundamentals – soil, sunlight, aeration, water and food. Inspired by Masanobu Fukuoka’s ‘One Straw Revolution,’ Nandish took to natural farming, and hasn’t looked back ever since, writes Anitha Pailoor
Rudramuni is a relieved man. Over the past two years, he hasn’t had to wait in a long queue to buy fertiliser. He allows the farm to shape up on its own, a lesson learnt from his fellow farmer Nandish of Churchigundi village in Shikaripura taluk. They have lowered pesticide input by 70 per cent over the last couple of years, according to records maintained by Nandish. Nandish’s agriculture is anchored on five basic principles  - maintain live soil, allow appropriate sunlight and good aeration, then focus on water and food.

He feels that most farmers’ problems are rooted in the fact that they concentrate on water and fertiliser, that too feeding an excess of it, and overlook the other three components. As farmers in the village discover the logic behind Nandish’s farming, they have been shifting to a farming practice that requires low external input and is sustainable.
Nandish discontinued his studies after his Pre-University and took charge of his 15-acre paddy field in 1998. In the beginning, he had a one-point agenda, to enhance the productivity of the farm. He continued chemical farming practised by his parents focusing on ‘clean cultivation.’ Irrational use of pesticides and fertilisers enhanced the yield occasionally, but there was a rise in the cost of cultivation, pests and diseases. Consequent crop failures made him rethink about the sustainability of the practice.

It was a newspaper review on natural farmer Masanobu Fukuoka’s ‘One Straw Revolution’ that changed his life. A voracious reader, he soon studied Fukuoka’s three books and other books on organic farming. Fukuoka’s thoughts and experiments in farming influenced him to experiment along the same lines. Ever since, observing and experimenting have become two important tools in his farming.

During the transformation from chemical to organic farming, he introduced various legume varieties in the farm. Nandish adopted Fukuoka’s experiments that are suitable for local agro-climatic conditions. His experiments with legumes and paddy varieties have taken him to hundreds of seed conservers, particularly farmers. He also makes it a point to participate in workshops and seminars on sustainable farming practices. He visited research stations in his quest for carrying out nature-friendly farming.  
Green manuring enriches soil
Over the last one decade, Nandish is known among farmers as a legume farmer. His farm has a range of legumes that maintain the fertility of the soil. He knows that a field requires local plant diversity like wild weeds, shrubs, trees and herbs along with legumes.
He feels that diversity and biomass of the weeds indicate soil fertility. Cover crops help build a balanced ecosystem and develop the right kind of micro-climate for the plants. Cover crops, especially the leguminous ones, restrict the growth of weeds. There are over 100 green manure species in his paddy and areca farm, including some perennials.
About 20 species are used in the paddy field for green manuring during pre-cultivation and post-cultivation periods. The crops include sunhemp (drought resistant), daincha (withstands water logging), horsegram (good biomass, fodder), velvet beans (high nitrogen fixing, good biomass), niger, cocks comb and fodder cowpea.

Every new technology or method that has been introduced has something to offer. After the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method was introduced, Nandish reduced water logging in his paddy field to one month. Every cropping pattern has pests and diseases and multiplies under favourable conditions. Nandish says that even his crops are prone to pest problems and diseases, but the situation has never gone out of control. In a bio-diversity rich farm, a balance is maintained in the eco-system. The harvest also turns out to be above average. His farming system has reduced the labour dependency by 70 per cent. He prefers fine rice varieties suitable for the region. Though he keeps changing the varieties, he has been growing black basmati over the last eight years in one patch.
Rice is sold in the organic market.
Apart from paddy, he has five acres of horticulture plantation. Arecanut, banana, green gram, black gram, turmeric, ginger, coconut and cocoa are other crops. Eighty -dd species in this farm provide food, fodder, timber, fuel-wood, natural dyes and check wind, act as live fence, pest repellents, trap plants etc as they enrich the soil. At the same time, he warns that vigorous growing of perennial creepers like pueraria, mucuna and mimosa invisa have to be avoided in the farm. Green manure has lowered his reliance on external inputs for his farm. Water is the only input, for which he is dependent on outside source.

Though he has a bore well that yielded water at 30 feet depth, he doesn’t want to overuse it. He waits for water to be released from a local dam for paddy cultivation.

Understand your farm
Before executing a farming practice or introducing a new crop, Nandish carefully studies it from different angles. He feels that legumes helped him maintain the yield when he shifted from chemical to organic. An authority in legume culture, he has collected seeds from different sources.

Tuber crops are also an important component in his areca farm. Constant observation has revealed that each and every plant in nature has something to contribute, and that we should explore it. He suggests that November to February is the right time to collect wild seeds.

In the recent past, he has also learnt that seeds brought by pests, birds, animals have very good germination and grow with vigour than those that are sown manually. He recalls an instance of parrots thinning the seed bed in his paddy nurseries.

Twenty five kilograms of paddy seeds per acre is the norm in the region. Every time hundreds of parrots would attack the paddy sprouts and about 75 per cent of the seedlings would be destroyed. One year, Nandish decided to plant the same amount of seedlings that the parrots had left unattacked. He had made another bed with 75 kg of paddy seedlings ready as an alternative. To everyone’s surprise, the seedlings were in surplus and the yield was good. Nandish analyses this saying that, “the parrots showed us the right amount of seeds needed. We feel that dense planting gives good yield. But it is not true. Now I have reduced the seeds to five kilos per acre.”
Original Post Here

Get Rid of Mites in Chickens naturaly

By Morgon Luvall Newquist

eHow Contributor

Chickens are often affected by mites.

Mites are a common problem with chickens. Dealing with a mite infestation is something most chicken owners face at some point. The key to getting rid of an infestation is to clean and treat the chicken coop rather than the birds. There are many commercial pesticides on the market for dealing with mites, but there are also several natural ways to kill the infestation and keep it from reoccurring.

Clean the Coop

Cleaning out the coop is the first step in getting rid of mites. Mites live in bedding, food dishes, and corners or cracks in the coop. If you don't clean and treat the coop, the chickens continue to catch mites from the environment. Muck out feces, and throw out all the bedding. Discard food and water, and clean the dishes with a mixture of vinegar and water. It's also effective to power wash the inside of the chicken boxes and the coop to clear out any mites and their eggs.

Neem Seed Oil

Neem seed oil, which is available at most gardening centers, kills mites by disturbing their life cycle. Neem oil is natural, and comes from the seeds of an evergreen tree. Using a sprayer, mist a mixture of neem seed oil and water onto chickens and their boxes. Neem is powerful, so use 2 tbsp. of neem oil per 1 gallon of water to create the spray.

Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is a special type of dirt that is full of sharp edges that pierce and kill small pests like mites. It is harmless to humans and animals, and doesn't contain any pesticides or chemicals. Spread the diatomaceous earth around the coop and then vacuum or sweep it up. Also rub the earth into the feathers of infested chickens to kill the mites.

Various Oils and Herbs

A number of herbal insecticides are used on chickens, including tea tree oil, citronella, garlic, soybean oil, peppermint, lemongrass, eucalyptus and cedar wood oils. Chickens are bathed with soap containing these oils, or treated with a spray containing the oils mixed with water. The oils are very concentrated, so the sprays contain only 1 to 2 percent oil. The feet and legs of chickens are rubbed with soybean oil, linseed oil or any type of vegetable oil to help with scaly mites.

Vaseline

Vaseline is also used to treat scaly leg mites. Spread Vaseline onto the chicken's legs and feet. The jelly suffocates the mites and soothes the aggravated skin. Vaseline is spread into corners and cracks as a sort of sealant to suffocate live mites, and keep new ones from entering the chicken coop.

Herbal Deterrents

Once the mites have been killed, there are several natural ways to try and keep them from returning. The same herbal sprays made to kill the mites are used on the birds and their bedding to keep mites away. Eucalyptus or lemongrass leaves are crushed and placed in the chickens' normal bedding. Another herbal deterrent is crushed garlic in the chickens' drinking water; mites do not like the scent or taste of garlic.

Organic farming :: Manures

MANURES

Manures are plant and animal wastes that are used as sources of plant nutrients. They release nutrients after their decomposition. The art of collecting and using wastes from animal, human and vegetable sources for improving crop productivity is as old as agriculture. Manures are the organic materials derived from animal, human and plant residues which contain plant nutrients in complex organic forms. Naturally occurring or synthetic chemicals containing plant nutrients are called fertilizers. Manures with low nutrient, content per unit quantity have longer residual effect besides improving soil physical properties compared to fertilizer with high nutrient content. Major sources of manures are:

1. Cattle shed wastes-dung, urine and slurry from biogas plants
2. Human habitation wastes-night soil, human urine, town refuse, sewage, sludge and sullage
3. Poultry Jitter, droppings of sheep and goat
4. Slaughterhouse wastes-bone meal, meat meal, blood meal, horn and hoof meal, Fish wastes
5. Byproducts of agro industries-oil cakes, bagasse and press mud, fruit and vegetable processing wastes etc
6. Crop wastes-sugarcane trash, stubbles and other related material
7. Water hyacinth, weeds and tank silt, and
8. Green manure crops and green leaf manuring material

Manures can also be grouped, into bulky organic manures and concentrated organic manures based on concentration of the nutrients.

Bulky organic manures

Bulky organic manures contain small percentage of nutrients and they are applied in large quantities. Farmyard manure (FYM), compost and green-manure are the most important and widely used bulky organic manures. Use of bulky organic manures has several advantages:
(1) They supply plant nutrients including micronutrients
(2)They improve soil physical properties like structure, water holding capacity etc.,
(3) They increase the availability of nutrients
(4) Carbon dioxide released during decomposition acts as a CO2 fertilizer and
(5) Plant parasitic nematodes and fungi are controlled to some extent by altering the balance of microorganisms in the soil.

Farmyard manure

Farmyard manure refers to the decomposed mixture of dung and urine of farm animals along with litter and left over material from roughages or fodder fed to the cattle. On an average well decomposed farmyard manure contains 0.5 per cent N, 0.2 per cent P2O5and .0.5 per cent K2O.The present method of preparing farmyard manure by the farmers is defective. Urine, which is wasted, contains one per cent nitrogen and 1.35 per cent potassium. Nitrogen present in urine is mostly in the form of urea which is subjected to volatilization losses. Even during storage, nutrients are lost due to leaching and volatilization. However, it is practically impossible to avoid losses altogether, but can be reduced by following improved method of preparation of farmyard manure. Trenches of size 6 m to 7.5 m length, 1.5 m to 2.0 m width and 1.0 m deep are dug.

All available litter and refuse is mixed with soil and spread in the shed so as to absorb urine. The next morning, urine soaked refuse along with dung is collected and placed in the trench. A section of the trench from one end should be taken up for filling with daily collection. When the section is filled up to a height of 45 cm to 60 cm above the ground level, the top of the heap is made into a dome and plastered with cow dung earth slurry. The process is continued and when the first trench is completely filled, second trench is prepared.

The manure becomes ready for use in about four to five months after plastering. If urine is not collected in the bedding, it can be collected along with washings of the cattle shed in a cemented pit from which it is later added to the farmyard manure pit. Chemical preservatives can also be used to reduce losses and enrich farmyard manure. The commonly used chemicals are gypsum and superphosphate. Gypsum is spread in the cattle shed which absorbs urine and prevents volatilization loss of urea present in the urine and also adds calcium and sulphur. Superphosphate also acts similarly in reducing losses and also increases phosphorus content.

Partially rotten farmyard manure has to be applied three to four weeks before sowing while well rotten manure can be applied immediately before sowing. Generally 10 to 20 t/ha is applied, but more than 20 t/ha is applied to fodder grasses and vegetables. In such cases farmyard manure should be applied at least 15 days in advance to avoid immobilization of nitrogen. The existing practice of leaving manure in small heaps scattered in the field for a very long period leads toloss of nutrients. These losses can be reduced by spreading the manure and incorporating by ploughing immediately after application.

Vegetable crops like potato, tomato, sweet-potato, carrot, raddish, onion etc., respond well to the farmyard manure. The other responsive crops are sugarcane, rice, napier grass and orchard crops like oranges, banana, mango and plantation crop like coconut.

The entire amount of nutrients present in farmyard manure is not available immediately. About 30 per cent of nitrogen, 60 to 70 per cent of phosphorus and 70 per cent of potassium are available to the first crop.

      Farm yard manure

Sheep and Goat Manure

The droppings of sheep and goats contain higher nutrients than farmyard manure and compost. On an average, the manure contains 3 per cent N, 1 per cent P2O5 and 2 per cent K2O.It is applied to the field in two ways. The sweeping of sheep or goat sheds are placed in pits for decomposition and it is applied later to the field. The nutrients present in the urine are wasted in this method. The second method is sheep penning, wherein sheep and goats are kept overnight in the field and urine and fecal matter added to the soil is incorporated to a shallow depth by working blade harrow or cultivator or cultivator.

Poultry Manure

The excreta of birds ferment very quickly. If left exposed, 50 percent of its nitrogen is lost within 30 days. Poultry manure contains higher nitrogen and phosphorus compared to other bulky organic manures. The average nutrient content is 3.03 per cent N; 2.63 per cent P2O5 and 1.4 per cent K2O.

Concentrated organic manures

Concentrated organic manures have higher nutrient content than bulky organic manure. The important concentrated organic manures are oilcakes, blood meal, fish manure etc. These are also known as organic nitrogen fertilizer. Before their organic nitrogen is used by the crops, it is converted through bacterial action into readily usable ammoniacal nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen. These organic fertilizers are, therefore, relatively slow acting, but they supply available nitrogen for a longer period.

Oil cakes

After oil is extracted from oilseeds, the remaining solid portion is dried as cake which can, be used as manure. The oil cakes are of two types:

1. Edible oil cakes which can be safely fed to livestock; e.g.: Groundnut cake, Coconut cake etc., and
2. Non edible oil cakes which are not fit for feeding livestock; e.g.: Castor cake, Neem cake, Mahua cake etc.,
Both edible and non-edible oil cakes can be used as manures. However, edible oil cakes are fed to cattle and non-edible oil cakes are used as manures especially for horticultural crops. Nutrients present in oil cakes, after mineralization, are made available to crops 7 to 10 days after application. Oilcakes need to be well powdered before application for even distribution and quicker decomposition.

The average nutrient content of different oil-cakes is presented in the following table.

Average nutrient content of oil cakes

Oil-cakes	Nutrient content (%)
	N	P2O5	K2O
Non edible oil-cakes
Castor cake	4.3	1.8	1.3
Cotton seed cake (undecorticated)	3.9	1.8	1.6
Karanj cake	3.9	0.9	1.2
Mahua cake	2.5	0.8	1.2
Safflower cake (undecorticated)	4.9	1.4	1.2
Edible oil-cakes
Coconut cake	3.0	1.9	1.8
Cotton seed cake (decorticated)	6.4	2.9	2.2
Groundnut cake	7.3	1.5	1.3
Linseed cake	4.9	1.4	1.3
Niger cake	4.7	1.8	1.3
Rape seed cake	5.2	1.8	1.2
Safflower cake (decorticated)	7.9	2.2	1.9
Sesamum cake	6.2	2.0	1.2

Other Concentrated Organic Manures

Blood meal when dried and powdered can be used as manure. The meat of dead animals is dried and converted into meat meal which is a good source of nitrogen.  Average nutrient content of animal based concentrated organic manures is given as follows.

Average nutrient content of animal based concentrated organic manures

Organic manures	Nutrient content (%)
	N	P2O5	K2O
Blood meal	10 - 12	1 - 2	1.0
Meat meal	10.5	2.5	0.5
Fish meal	4 - 10	3 - 9	0.3 - 1.5
Horn and Hoof meal	13	-	-
Raw bone meal	3 - 4	20 - 25	-
Steamed bone meal	1 - 2	25 - 30	-

Source

1. Reddy, S.R.2005. Principles of Agronomy. Kalyani Publisher, Ludhiana.
2. http://swastikbone.com/images/products/large/bonegrist.jpg
3. http://swastikbone.com/images/products/large/horns.jpg
4. http://swastikbone.com/images/products/large/hoofs.jpg
5. http://swastikbone.com/images/products/large/crushedbone.jpg
6. http://swastikbone.com/images/products/large/Bone-Meal.jpg
7. http://www.komitkompost.co.uk/images/pile321241.jpg
8. http://www.idrc.ca/openebooks/337-9/f0026-03.jpg

Season and Varieties :: Rice

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) 

 

Season and Varieties

District/Season	Month		Varieties
1. Kanchipuram/Tiruvallur
Sornavari	(April -May)		ADT 36, IR 36, IR 50, ADT 37, ASD 16, ASD 17, IR 64, ASD 18,  ADT 42,  MDU 5, ASD 20, ADT43, CO 47, TRY (R)2*, ADT (R) 45,  ADTRH 1, ADT (R) 47
Samba	(Aug)		IR 20, White Ponni, CO 43, ADT 40, PY 4,  ADT 39, TRY 1, ASD 19, ADT(R) 44, CORH 2
Late Samba	(Sep - Oct)		IR 20, White Ponni, ADT 39, CO 43, TRY 1, ADT (R)46, CORH 2
Navarai	(Dec -Jan)		ADT 36,  ADT 37, ASD 16, IR 64, ASD 18, ADT 42, ADT 43 MDU 5, ASD 20
Dry	(July - Aug)		PMK 2, MDU 5, TKM 11,  PMK (R) 3, TKM (R) 12
Semi-dry	(July - Aug)		IR 20, TKM 10, PMK 2, MDU 5, TKM 11, TKM (R) 12, PMK (R) 3
2. Vellore/Tiruvannamalai
Sornavari	(April-May)		IR 64, ADT 36, IR 50, ADT 37, ASD 16, ASD 17, ASD 18, ADT 42,  MDU 5, ASD 20, ADT 43, CO 47, ADT (R) 45, ADT RH1, ADT (R) 47
Samba	(Aug)		Ponmani, ADT 40, Bhavani, IR 20, White Ponni, CO 43, Paiyur 1, PY 4, CO 45, TRY 1, ASD 19, CORH 2
Navarai	(Dec -Jan)		ADT 36, IR 20,  ADT 39, CO 43, IR 64, ASD 16, ASD 18, ADT 42, MDU 5, CO 47, ASD 20, TRY (R)2*
3. Cuddalore/ Villupuram
Sornavari	(April -May)		ADT 36, IR 50, ASD 16, IR 64, ASD 18, ADT 42, MDU 5, ASD 20, ADT 43, CO 47,  ADT (R) 45, TRY (R)2*, ADTRH 1, ADT (R) 47
Samba	(Aug)		IR 20, White Ponni, CO 43, Ponmani, PY 4, ADT 38,  TRY 1, ASD 19, ADT (R) 44, CORH 2
Navarai	(Dec-Jan)		ADT 36, IR 20, IR 36, IR 64, ADT 39, ASD 16, ASD 18, ADT 42, MDU 5, ASD 20, TRY (R)2*
4. Tiruchirappalli/Karur/Perambalur
Kuruvai	(Jun -Jul)		ADT 36, IR 50, IR 64, ASD 16, ADT 37, ASD 18, ADT 42, MDU 5, ADT 43, CO 47, ADT (R) 45 (except Karur), TRY (R)2*, ADTRH 1, ADT (R) 47
Samba	(Aug)		IR 20,  White Ponni, CO 43,  ADT 40,  Ponmani, TRY 1, ASD 19,  ADT (R) 44
Late Samba / Thaladi	(Sep -Oct)		IR20, WhitePonni, ADT39, CO43, TRY1, ASD19, ADT(R)46,
Navarai	(Dec-Jan)		ADT 36, IR 64, ASD 16, ASD 18, ADT 42, MDU 5, ASD 20, TRY (R)2*
5. Thanjavur/Nagapattinam/Tiruvarur
Kuruvai	(Jun -Jul)		ADT 36,  IR 50, IR 64, ADT 37, ASD 16, ASD 18, ADT 42, MDU 5, ADT 43, ADT (R) 45, TRY (R) 2*, ADTRH 1, ADT (R) 47, ,ADT (R) 48
Samba	(Aug)		IR 20, White Ponni, CO 43, Ponmani, ADT 38, TRY 1, ASD 19, ADT (R) 44, CORH 2
Late Samba / Thaladi	(Sep -Oct)		ADT 38, IR 20, CO 43, Ponmani, ADT 39,  TRY 1, ASD 19,  ADT (R)46,
Navarai (Kullankar)	(Dec-Jan)		ADT 36, ADT 37, IR 64, ASD 16, ASD 18, ADT 42, MDU 5, ASD 20, TRY (R)2*
6. Pudukottai
Kuruvai	(Jun -Jul)		ADT 36,  IR 50, IR 64, ASD 16, ADT 42, MDU 5, ASD 20, ADT 43, ADT (R) 45, TRY (R) 2*, ADTRH 1, ADT (R) 47
Samba	(Aug)		IR 20, White Ponni, CO 43, Ponmani,  TRY 1, ASD 19, ADT (R) 44, CORH 2
Late Samba/Thaladi	(Sep - Oct)		IR 20, ADT 38, ADT 39, TRY 1, ASD 19, CO 43,  ADT (R)46
Dry	(Jul -Aug)		ADT 36,  PMK 2, TKM 10, TKM (R) 12, PMK (R) 3
Semi-dry	(Jul -Aug)		ADT 36,  PMK 2, TKM 10, TKM (R) 12, PMK (R) 3
7. Madurai/Dindigul/Theni
Kar	(May - Jun)		ADT 36,  IR 50, IR 36, IR 64, ADT 37, ASD 16, ASD 18, ADT 42, MDU 5, ASD 20, ADT 43, CO 47, ADT (R) 45 (Dindigul only), TRY (R) 2*,  ADTRH 1, ADT (R) 47
Samba	(Aug)		IR 20, White Ponni, CO 42, CO 43, ADT 38, ADT 40,  MDU 4, TRY 1, ASD 19,  ADT (R) 44, CORH 2
Late Samba/Thaladi	(Sep - Oct)		IR 20, White Ponni, MDU 3, ADT 39,  MDU 4, CO 43, ASD 19, TRY 1,  ADT (R)46
Navarai	(Dec -Jan)		IR 64, ADT 36, ADT 37, ASD 16, ASD 18, ADT 42, MDU 5, ASD 20, TRY (R) 2*
Semi-dry	(Jul -Aug)		PMK 2, TKM 10, MDU 5, TKM (R) 12, PMK (R) 3
8. Ramanathapuram
Samba	(Aug)		IR 20, White Ponni, CO 43, MDU 3,  ASD 19, TRY 1, ADT (R) 44, CORH 2
Rainfed & Semidry	(Jul -Aug)		ASD 17, ADT 36, PMK 2, MDU 5, TKM (R) 12, PMK (R) 3
9. Virudhunagar
Samba	(Sep-Oct)		CO 43, TRY 1, IR 20, ADT (R)46, ADT 39, CORH 2
Dry	(Jul -Aug)		ADT 36,  PMK 2, MDU 5, TKM (R) 12, PMK (R) 3
10. Sivaganga
Semi-dry	(Jul –Aug)		ADT 36, IR 36, ADT 39, PMK 2, MDU 5, TKM (R) 12, PMK (R) 3
11. Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi
Early Kar	(Apr - May)		IR 50, ADT 36, IR 64, ADT 42, ADT 43, ADT 45, CO 47, ADT (R) 47
Kar	(May -Jun)		ASD 16, ASD 17, ASD 18, ADT 42, ADT 43, CO 47, ADT (R) 45, TRY (R) 2*, ADTRH 1, ADT (R) 47
Late Samba/Thaladi	(Sep - Oct)	White Ponni, IR 20, ADT 39, ASD 19, TRY 1, ADT (R)46, CORH 2
Pishanam/Late Pishanam	(Sep-Oct.)	ASD 18, ASD 16, ASD 19, CO 43, TRY 1, ADT (R)46
Semi Dry	(July- Aug)	MDU 5, ADT 36, TKM (R) 12, PMK (R) 3
12. Kanyakumari
Kar	(May –Jun)	ADT 36, IR 50, IR 64, ASD 16, ASD 17, ASD 18, ADT 42, MDU 5, ASD 20, ADT 43, ADT 45, CO 47, ADTRH 1, ADT (R) 47
Pishanam / Late Samba / Thaladi	(Sep – Oct)	White Ponni, IR 20, Ponmani, CO 43, TRY 1, TPS 2, TPS 3, ADT (R) 44, ADT 39,  ASD 18, ASD 19, MDU 5,  ADT (R) 46
Semi-dry	(Jul – Aug)	ADT 36,  ASD 17, PMK 2, TKM (R) 12, PMK (R) 3
13. Salem, Namakkal
Kar	(May - Jun)	IR 50, ADT 36,IR 64, ADT 37, ASD 16, ASD18, ADT 42, MDU 5, ASD 20, ADT 43, CO 47, ADT (R) 45, TRY (R)2*,  ADTRH 1, ADT (R) 47
Samba	(Aug)	IR 20, White Ponni, Bhavani, CO 43,  MDU 4, TRY 1, ASD 19, ADT (R) 44
Navarai	(Dec - Jan)	IR 20,  ADT 36,  IR 64,  ASD 18,  ASD 19, ADT 42, MDU 5, ASD 20, TRY (R)2*
14. Dharmapuri/ Krishnagiri
Kar	(May -Jun)	IR 50, IR 64, ASD 16, Bhavani, IR 20, White Ponni, CO 43, ASD 18, MDU 4, ASD 19, PAIYUR 1, ADT 42, TRY 1, MDU 5, ASD 20, ADT 43, CO 47, ADTRH 1, TRY (R)2*, ADT (R) 47
Navarai	(Dec- Jan)	IR 64, ADT 37, ASD 16, ADT 36, ASD 18, ADT 42, MDU 5, ASD 20, TRY (R)2*
Samba/Late Samba	(Aug - Oct)	TRY 1, Bhavani, IR 20, White Ponni, CO 43, MDU 4, ASD 19, ADT (R) 44, ADT (R) 46
15. Coimbatore
Kar	(May - Jun)	IR 50, ADT 36, ASD 16, IR 64, ASD 18, ADT 42, MDU 5, ASD 20, ADT 43, CO 47, ADT (R) 45, TRY (R)2*, ADTRH 1, ADT (R) 47
Samba	(Aug)	IR 20, CO 43, White Ponni, ADT 39,  MDU 4, TRY 1, ASD 19,  Bhavani,  ADT(R) 44, CORH 2
Late Samba/Thaladi	(Sep - Oct)	IR 20, ADT 39,   ADT(R) 46, CORH 2
Navarai	(Dec -Jan)	IR 20, ADT 36, IR 64, ASD 16, ASD 18, TRY1, MDU 5, ASD 20, TRY (R) 2*
16. Erode
Kar	(May - Jun)	IR 50, ASD 16, IR 64, ADT 36, ASD 18, ADT 42, MDU 5, ASD 20, ADT 43, CO, 47, ADT (R) 45,  TRY (R)2*, ADTRH 1, ADT (R) 47
Samba	(Aug)	IR 20, Bhavani, CO 43, White Ponni, ADT 39, TRY 1, CO 46, ADT (R) 44
Late Samba	(Sep - Oct)	IR 20, White Ponni, ADT 39,  CO 43, TRY 1, CO 46, ADT (R) 46, CORH 2
Navarai	(Dec – Jan)	IR 20,  ADT 36, IR 64, ASD 16, ASD 18, ADT 42, MDU 5, ASD 20
17. The Nilgiris
Samba	(Jul -Aug)	IR 20, CO 43, TRY 1, ADT (R) 44

* suitable for salt affected soils
Note of Caution of the varieties: IR 50 and ADT43 are recommended for Kar, Sornavari and Kuruvai seasons and should not be grown during cold weather period. ASD19 and White Ponni are also susceptible to blast and care should be taken on plant protection measures.

Rice Seasons of Tamil Nadu

Month of sowing	Season	Duration (Days)	Districts
Dec - Jan	Navarai	< 120	Tiruvallur, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Tiruchirapalli, Perambalur, Karur, Nagapattinam, Madurai, Theni, Salem, Namakkal, Dindigul, Dharmapuri, Coimbatore,Erode and Pudukkottai.
Apr - May	Sornavari	<120	Tiruvallur, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Namakkal, Dharmapuri
Apr - May May - June	Early Kar Kar	<120	Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Thoothukudi, Erode, Coimbatore, Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri.
June - July	Kuruvai	<120	Tiruchirapalli, Perambalur, Karur, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai, Erode
July - Aug.	Early Samba	130 to 135	Tiruvallur, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Salem, Namakkal, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Madurai, Theni, Ramanathapuram, Dharmapuri, Coimbatore, Erode, Pudukkottai, The Nilgiris
August	Samba	130 - 135 and >150	All districts
Sep - Oct	Late Samba Thaladi/Pishanam	130 - 135	Tiruvallur, Madurai, Theni, Coimbatore, Erode
Sep -Oct	Late Pishanam	130 - 135	Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli , Thoothukudi
Oct - Nov	Late Thaladi	115 -120	Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Tiruchirapalli, Perambalur, Karur

Hybrid seed production Techniques (ADTRH 1 and CORH 2)

Staggered sowing
Sowing Time (Western zone)
Dec – Jan

Courtesy : TNAU.ac.in