Dear followers of Project Jatropha,I am pleased to report that the seedlings from the Phase I farmers are growing very well. The farmers have been growing the seedlings as a hedge crop, in bunds (which are small plots), on wasteland, or with tobacco (intercropping). We also noted that the plants that had been irrigated were significantly larger than those that had just been rain-fed. In fact, the tallest irrigated plants were around 4 feet tall and were bearing several clumps of fruit whereas the tallest rain-fed plants were only 2-3 feet tall and had no flowers, let alone fruits. In addition, the plants that had been fertilized with manure were larger than those that had not been fertilized. Both of these cases illustrate that although Jatropha curcas can survive and grow in harsh conditions without irrigation and fertilizers, the use of both cultivation methods greatly increases the plant's growth. Mr. Abignan Gurukar, a Research Officer at Labland Biotechs, told us that a good supply of water is essential for the first year of the seedlings' lives if the farmers wish to maximize the plants' producitivity. For Jatropha curcas to be grown by these small farmers on an economically viable scale, it is necessary to cultivate the plants, especially in the beginning of their lives when they need the most care. Only then can Project Jatropha truly be able to offer poverty alleviation for the farmers in our project.
Sincerely,
Adarsha
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You very correct. Mr Abignan Gurukar can futher assist your project by informing your members of simple pest control and pruning techniques, ways to improve water management and to advise your groups at a later date (when the plants are more mature) about applications that can promote improved branching, flowering and fruit setting. Introducing Bee-keeping is also a very positive practice for the promotion of quality productive Jatropha stands.
ReplyDeleteTo CKWR,
ReplyDeleteWe will be learning about the agronomic practices of Jatropha cultivation, including pruning, pest management and irrigation techniques in our ourse at Labland Biotechs.
In addition, several farmers have received a week's worth of comprehensive training regarding the agronomic practices of Jatropha, which includes learning how and when to prune, how often to irrigate, when to use fungicides and pesticides, etc.
I'm curious as to why bee-keeping helps produce quality Jatropha seeds; please elaborate on that point.
Sincerely,
Adarsha
Hi Adarsha,
ReplyDeleteHow does the tobacco intercropping works? Please explain. If I know correctly tobacco is not an annual crop right?
A
Dear Alex,
ReplyDeleteTobacco is actually an annual crop. It lasts for approximately 4 months (from seedling to harvesting). Then, it must be replanted the following year. The tobacco intercropping in the context of Project Jatropha is done by planting Jatropha seedlings between rows of tobacco. The Jatropha seedlings only shade the tobacco plants when they are very small; as the tobacco plants mature, their leaves grow much wider and the shade created by the Jatropha plants ceases to be an issue.
Sincerely,
Adarsha