The Neem leaves and fruits are crushed and pounded with water and the decoction is taken

and sprayed / applied on plants to drive away the insect pests. The Neem Cake (The remaining part of fruit after it is crushed to expel the oil / Whole Neem Fruit Powder) is used as an organic manure for soil application in agricultural fields / orchards as a source of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium & many other micro and trace elements. Neem Cake is also used as soil application for control of many soil pests like root grubs, nematodes, fungal & bacterial diseases. Neem EC Formulations Aza 0.03% EC as explained earlier is made from CPNKO and is good as repellant. This is good formulation for control of soft bodied insects like aphids, jassids, thrips, white flies etc. It also repells adult moths so that egg laying is deterred. Aza 0.15% EC and other higher concentrations are used as Insecticide because the larvae (caterpillars) get killed by anti feedant action. Aza formulations are stable for a period of one year from the date of formulation and minimum Aza content will be as per the label claim. The manufacturers generally load some higher levels of Aza in the formulations so that the minimum claimed potency is maintained even at the end of shelf life.

Classic 3%EC
Common Name Appearance Smell Composition : : : : Azadirachtin 0.30% EC Bown Liquid 3,000 PPM Tox package available for Registration

MASS COMPOSITION Regd in Central Insecticides Board, Govt of India CONSTITUENT Azadirachtin (a.i) Content mass/mass Inactive ingredients (Solvents, Emulsifier) BIOLOGICAL COMPOSITION CONSTITUENT Azadiarchtin COUNT 3,000 PPM W/W % 0.30% q.s FUNCTION Active Inactive

Pathogens - Salmonella - Shigella - E.Coli STABILITY PACKING USES TARGET CROPS : : : :

Nil Nil Nil MARGOSOM is stable for a period of 24 months. MARGOSOM is packed in HDPE containers. The Containers are packed in Corrugated Fluted Board Cartons. For control of Thrips, Jassids, White Flies, Aphids, chewing pests like Helicoverpa, Spodoptera, Leaf folder, Stem borer, Fruit borer etc (Spray @ 2 ml/lt of water) Cotton, Chillies, Tea, Cardamom, Roses, Vegetables, Oil seeds, Pulses.

Economics of Using Neem Cake As A Manure (Fertilizer) Neem cake has a higher nutrient content (7.7% total) compared to what is commonly found in farmyard manures (1.2% total). However, its nutrient content is much lower than what is found in most chemical fertilizers. Thus, at the current costs of fertilizers and neem cake in India and elsewhere, it will not make any economic sense to use neem cake primarily as a fertilizer nutrient. However, when it is used for controlling nematodes and other soil borne organisms (as is done by growers of cardamom, vegetables, etc., as discussed above), the product's 'fertilizing' value - and the fact that it contains more than one nutrient - as additional advantage. Several studies have also shown that the nitrification inhibition properties of neem cake help to increase the efficiency of urea when this fertilizer is coated with neem cake. Yield increases of between 5-20% have been reported (Prasad et. al., 1993). Meliantriol and salannin act as powerful antifeedants. Nimbin as well as nimbidin (another neem component) have antiviral property Technical & financial support to farmers for soil survey, crop selection, seed selection, organic seed production, sharing, organic input production, irrigation & other allied areas.

If not cattle, goats also provide low-cost organic inputs

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Mr. V.S. Arunachalam of Erode district in Tamil Nadu Getting a good yield is never an easy task for farmers, especially in the present circumstances, when they have to battle rising prices of chemical pesticides and fertilizer shortage. Farmers are ready to try any alternative means that promise a reduction in input cost, and at the same time offer a bountiful harvest. Organic practices seem to fit the slot very well. Several farmers across the country are turning to organic methods for cultivation as they are convinced that organic inputs can be prepared by them personally and are cost and pest effective. Attotam Goats are commonly found in all the villages. The milk, dung and urine of a goat have the same value as those of a cow, and the manure made from the goats milk and waste is called attottam, explains Dr. Nammalvar. According to Mr. V.S. Arunachalam, who is responsible for developing attottam, this is among the best plant growth promoters for crops such as paddy, vegetables, cotton, chilli, groundnut, sesame, and flowering plants. It stimulates plant growth, stops withering of leaves and fruit buds, and improves the smell, taste and weight of the produce. Aattottam is made by taking about 5kg of fresh goats dung, 3 litres of goats urine, 1.5 kg of either soya or groundnut cake or green gram or black gram (after grinding), and soaking them in water overnight.The next day about 2 litres of milk (goats milk), curd, coconut water, toddy and sugarcane juice each, and about a dozen ripe bananas (any banana variety) are added to it. Toddy substitute Toddy can also be substituted with about 50 gms of yeast dissolved in 2 litres of warm water and sugarcane juice can be substituted by adding 1 kg of jaggery dissolved in 2 litres of water. All the ingredients should then be mixed together in a plastic drum and left under shade for about two weeks (14 days), after which the mix can be used. Stir the solution It is advisable to stir the solution about 50 times in a clockwise and anticlockwise direction each, once during the day and again in the evening. The mouth of the plastic drum should be covered with a thin cotton cloth to prevent insects and worms from laying eggs on the surface of the solution. The shelf life of the solution is about six months, (provided it is stirred twice everyday in the manner explained above.) If the solution becomes too thick to stir over time, water or tender coconut water can be added to dilute it. For an acre For an acre about two litres of attottam diluted in about 100 litres of water should be sprayed on the crops. Before pouring the solution into the hand sprayer, it should be filtered properly so the spraying holes do not get blocked. For good results, spray before flowering and fruit setting. Contact details: Mr. V.S. Arunachalam, Elunkathir pannai, Kulavikaradu, P.Vellalapalayam PO, Gobichettaipalayam Taluk, Erode:.638476, email: elunkathir@gmail.com, mobile: 9443346323 and 9487546323.

Effective strategy to overcome land, water degradation

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The farmer, Mr. Subbaian of A.G. Pudur village, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu seen processing the crop. Water and soil are the two basic components for successful agricultural practices. If the soil and water are clean and free from pollution, then getting a good yield is easy. But for Mr. R. Subbaian, of Kanakkan Thottam in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu both the soil and water in his field were polluted due to the chemical waste seepage from the nearby dyeing factories in Coimbatore into the Noyyal river which runs across his village. Waste water seepage The soil and the water in and around the village had been spoilt due to the waste seepage and several farmers had sold their lands and had moved into the cities. But with a determination to succeed and a sentimental attachment to his ancestral property, Mr. Subbaian went about hunting for information as to what crops grow well in his land. I was told that Alfalfa (called as Kudhirai masal in Tamil) will grow well in these types of soil and I decided to cultivate it, he said. Multiple cropping With a view to increasing farm income he had also taken up multiple cropping. In his 10 acre farm he has planted coconut in 3 acres, curry leaves in 2 acres, alfalfa in 2 acres and tender coconuts in the remaining 3 acres. He has also planted arecanut as an intercrop in his coconut garden. Multiple cropping system is ideal for farmers as it is an effective method of derisking the income loss for farmers. In case one crop fails, farmers need not worry but can easily tide over the financial crunch through income from the other crops. In fact much of the crop loss and farmers suicides happen only in areas where there is monocropping. Can you ever show me an instance of failure in multi-cropping? he asks. The crops are mainly grown organically as chemical farming had proved to be a failure for him. Though I was doing chemical based agriculture nearly a decade back, all that was left from it was only debts which accumulated to nearly Rs. 30 lakh. In addition, the chemicals polluted the soil and water which were spoilt further due to the chemical seepage from the mills, he said. Planting details Explaining the planting details, Mr. Subbaian said, About 15 kgs of seeds are required for an acre and the seeds should be planted on raised beds and watered. The first harvest can be done in 50-60 days of sowing and thereafter the subsequent harvests can be done once every 25 days. In one year about 15 harvests can be done, according to him. From an acre about three tonnes of Alfalfa can be harvested, and at present it is being sold at the rate of Rs. 3.50 per kg. With a expenditure of about Rs. 50,000, I have earned a gross income of about Rs,1,40,000. After deducting the expenses I have been able to make a profit of Rs, 90,000 in one year, he said. Processing unit He sells the harvested crops to several dairy farmers in and around the area and has also set up his own processing unit where the harvested crop is processed and sent to several horse stables in Coonoor, Udhagamandalam and Bangalore. At present, more than 300 acres in and around Coimbatore district have come under this crop. Contract farming As I require nearly 20 tonnes of the produce every month, I have also encouraged the neighbouring farmers to grow this crop and I buy the harvested produce from them, process it, and send it to the customers, he said. In about seven years, Subbaian has been able to pay back his debts.

Contact details : Mr. R. Subbaian at 4/5-A, Kanakkan thottam, A.G. Pudur (P.O), Irugur (via), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu: 641-103, mobile: 0936-3228039, phone:0422-2627072.

Innovative approach to improve Amla yield

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The farmer-scientist Mr. Antonysamy admiring the uniform-sized nelli fruits borne in bunches. AN INNOVATIVE approach to improve the yield and performance of amla (Indian gooseberry or nelli in Tamil) has been attempted by a farmer-scientist, Mr. V. Antonysamy of Chintamani, Puliangudi in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. His field experiment to graft the improved varieties of amla such as NA7 and Kanchan on locally collected rootstocks and then top-work the grafts with local varieties of proven performance have paid rich dividends. "My main objective was to make the selected local varieties of nelli high yielding and to make them bear uniform sized fruits all through the year. Again, the short-stature trees lend themselves to high density planting and easy harvesting," explained Mr. Antonysamy, a committed organic farmer. He did not have any formal training in horticulture, but guided by intuition and a strong conviction he began his experiments. His keen observation and meticulous record keeping helped him succeed in this venture never attempted before. Mr. Antonysamy planted indigenous varieties of nelli and grafted improved varieties such as NA7 and Kanchan. He planted them closely at an espacement of 4 m x 5 m to accommodate about 500 trees in a hectare. When the plants established well, he top-worked them with selected indigenous varieties of proven yields. His experiment proved successful, and the trees started yielding two years after top-working. On an average each tree is yielding about 60 kg in a year, according to him. He applied liberal quantities of compost, farmyard manure, sheep manure and tank silt as basal dressing. The quantity of the organic manure should be gradually increased to meet the growing demands of yielding trees, according to him. He used Panchakavya, fish ensilage and an organic insect repellent, a concoction of plant leaves soaked in cow's urine for over a week, regularly to keep his trees in good health. "Spraying the trees with these organic extracts will improve the plant growth, eliminates flower and marble shedding and enhances the fruit size and quality," pointed out Mr. Antonysamy. The spraying starts in October and following a cycle of three rounds of spray, it is repeated till December. The fruiting begins in November and lasts till March. "If we have a good monsoon, we will have overlapping flushes, and will have harvests all round the year," he said. He has set up a self-designed drip system to supply 32 litres of water for four hours daily to each tree. It is particularly useful in peak summer, according to him. The cost of cultivation of amla using this novel technique and with an ingeniously designed drip system worked out to Rs. 50,000 per hectare.

The trees started bearing from the third year of planting, and the fruits were sold at Rs. 12 per kg in the local market. "I would have earned more if there was any premium price for the organically grown nelli. All the trees yielded well, and the uniform-sized fruits were of good quality and taste," said Mr. Antonysamy.

Indigenious techniques to boost acid lime

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The acid lime responded well to drip irrigation and the organic package of nutrition and plant protection. ACID LIME is a profitable crop, and it can be made more promising by adopting some ingenious techniques, according to a farmer-scientist Mr. V. Antonysamy of Chintamani, Puliangudi in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. He has worked on this crop for well over two decades, and has successfully developed an organic package for getting higher yields from acid lime. "I selected hardy and drought-tolerant wild varieties for the rootstock, and grafted scions of high quality plants of proven performance. A spacing of 7 m by 5 m is adopted, and all the plantings are done following a east-west orientation to harness the full potential of solar incidence," explained Mr. Antonysamy. The seeds of wild varieties of acid lime, collected from the neighbouring forests, were sown in polythene packets, and when the seedlings were about a year old, the scions from the chosen parents were grafted on then. After conditioning the grafts in the fields, they were planted in the main fields in pits of 60 cm by 60 cm by 60cm. Liberal quantities of organic manure were added to fill the pits. Ideal planting times are February and September. About 260 to 270 plants will be required to cover a hectare. The progressive farmer has designed his own drip system to deliver 4 litres of water per day per plant in the initial stages of establishment. The water delivery is gradually increased to 30 litres a day as the crop reaches peak yielding from the fifth year of planting. It should go to 100 litres a day during peak summer, according to him. He planted country onion and Giant African marigold around each plant to repel nematodes and other foliar pests. There were no intercrops, and the fields were weeded regularly. He used organic pest repellents once a fortnight followed by a spray of fish ensilage and cow's urine to promote plant growth. He added about 7 kg compost per plant every six months in the initial stages of crop growth, and it was gradually increased to 10 kg per tree from the second year onwards. The crop began to yield from the third year of planting, and initially an average of only 20 fruits were got from each tree. From the fourth year, each tree yielded 100 fruits on an average. From the seventh year, each tree produced about 2000 fruits a year. There was fruiting all round the year in his farm and peak yields were got in April-May and August-September, when there were premium prices in the market. "I have trained my trees to synchronized bearing to get the best market price," he said. The cost of cultivation of acid lime worked out to Rs. 37,500 per hectare in the first year, and cost for maintenance in the second and subsequent years would be about Rs. 15,000 per hectare. The trees can be kept in good stead for about 25 years. The market price for the fruits varied from Rs. 200 per 1000 fruits in peak season and Rs. 500 in the off-season, according to Mr. Antonysamy.