Team-BHP - Calling all Team-BHP Farmers : The Farming Thread!

Hi All, I'm loving the farming discussion, very interesting and educational.

I have a question for the board, i think this would be the most appropriate place to ask...

My cousins are looking to get a tractor, they are thinking Massey Fergurson 9000 PD 50HP with rotorvator, tiller, tipper etc - their own land is small - so they will be looking to hire the tractor out as much as possible. Any objections or other models that should be considered for this purpose?

MF price is around 7.6L (Chennai) with insurance, rotovator etc

Thanks in advance :thumbs up:)

Has anyone studied how farmers of other developed countries manage farms themselves? Virtually there are no labour available and most of the time it is family who works in farm for producing from large fields. Naturally they rely on machinery of all kinds for farming. How far we are from those countries?

The acute shortage of labours are there in all regions of India. I had few acres of land in our hometown but for 3 - 4 years that land is not being cultivated due to shortage of labourers.

I have no plan to move back to my hometown but I also have strong desire to do some farming. I have some experience of farming in our hometown. We used to grow rice, maize, tur, potatoes, onion, carrot, radish and other vegetables. I also have Mango orchard in our home town with some 14 grown up trees.

In Karnataka it is not possible for us to buy the agriculture land due to various rules. We may have to move to nearby states for agricultural land if in future I want to get into farming once again.

Any farmers/part time farmers trying organic farming?

Instead of fertilizers, i am advised to use Panchagavya. I am a bit skeptical about the benefits promised-they are promising everything- increased leaf size, plant growth, yield, disease resistance, etc, etc.

Any inputs regarding the same is awaited. Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramzsys (Post 3663541)

i am advised to use Panchagavya.
.

I have a book (pdf) on Natu-eco farming by Deepak Suchade. Not sure if this book will answer your questions, but if you want I can mail it to you, or you might find a likn on google.
a small book of 50 pages. It explains the process of using cow dung, jaggery, etc etc. - if that is what panchgavya is.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramzsys (Post 3663541)

My father has implemented organic farming for last 30 years or so. The result is that our coconut/mango farm has survived diseases, water shortage etc. over this period and there are hardly any weeds in the farm. Panchagavya works!

Looking for ideas on what to grow with:
1. About half acre
2. Water available
3. Average labor input should not be high
4. Not too much investment

5. I dont want high profits either.

Something simple to grow, with a periodic yield.

Happy to do it the organic way.

Note: I have been through the vegetables & banana cultivation, so these are excluded.

Quote:

Originally Posted by condor (Post 3840667)

If you are not too bothered about making quick buck, try doing a patch of Ginger. It will need water but not a lot of it. It can live thru dry weather.

You can start consuming it in 4 months. Ideally, I would let it grow from an year and then harvest it. Just leave a bit in the soil and it will grow right back in a few months.

If you like working in the farm, then you can do half acre all by yourself without any additional labour.

Garlic and Onions can be tricky to grow.. and I don't know the weather around your place..

Quote:

Originally Posted by condor (Post 3840667)

Some horticulture products like Sapota or Mango? You'll have to wait for them to develop before you can expect good yield though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by condor (Post 3840835)

From what I have heard, Ginger has been grown in fields where paddy was grown. After a couple of seasons, the land was no longer suitable for paddy. Soil quality destroyed.

Location is near Bangalore

Saar please plant some mango trees and leave them if you havent done it. :) Will give you a good time during april and you can ripen them naturally. We have lots of mango trees and believe me, not a single place sells such sweet mangos compared to what we get. The trees were planted by my grandfather and till date we can never forget the gift he has left us with.

You can both enjoy the fruit and also sell if there is excess. I dont think Mango is so demanding WRT care and it will yield in a few years time. Plant good raspuri and badami variety. Tough to find naturally ripened and at the same time sweet tasting mangoes these days. I can patch you up with some resources for the saplings if you want.

Thanks, guys.

Quote:

Originally Posted by addyhemmige (Post 3840868)

Some horticulture products like Sapota or Mango? .

Having tread the vegetable growing & marketing route, I am wary of going close to that market. I have seen the efforts needed to sell the veggies, and banana at the buying points.

Mango' is always an option, and can be done in parallel. There is space for that, and will do it.

@Audioholic, being from North Karntaka, the liking for Alphonso's is more :)

My idea is to start small to develop the flow. I cant give too much time right now, and will be using some help at this tim. I am looking to develop the small start into something more substantial over the next few years. Hence the query in my earlier post.

Any pointers on where in Bangalore one can get a simple, inexpensive leaf shredder for use in a home garden ?
Idea is to use it to shred the leaves falling from trees in the garden and then use that for composting, again nothing fancy but just a pile/pit in the corner of the garden.

Quote:

Originally Posted by condor (Post 3840667)

Condor: Like a bhpian suggested earlier i would recommend going the organic route for mango and other fruit trees. I would recommend Pineapple and timber trees as a sidecrop. You could do dairy or goat on the same plot if you have a person to manage it.

Do not go with either banana and ginger. Banana does not give a good price when ready to harvest and ginger kills the soil as the folks who lease land usually overdo the pesticides.

There is a chap in rajastan who was from canada but came back to india to start a goat farm. Pretty impressive videos of his.

After a really long time i got harvest season on our farm. Sharing some pictures of our paddy and coffee harvest. Let me know if you have any queries.

Maddy