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Honey bee publish details |
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CLUSTER |
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Cotton Need Not Kill: Selected Sustainable Practices from Back Issues |
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Better Germination of Cotton
Water soaked seeds are treated by the soil collected from the termite burrow, for better germination of cotton
seeds. Some cotton growing farmers of the arid Banaskantha district immerse the seeds in kerosene oil before sowing.
(Honey Bee, 2(1):17, 1991.).(Vill:Kalasar, Tal:Surendranagar, Dist:Surendranagar comm: Narsinhbhai S. Sakaria)
Cultural Method
Farmers grow few rows of okra (Ablemoschus esculentus Moench) around the cotton field. Cotton is more susceptible to insect pest like spotted ball worms (Farlas Vitella F.), Spodoptera litura, Hellothis armigera, pink ball worm (Platyedra gossypiella Saund), etc. Farmers believe that these pests prefer okra plant over cotton and attack them first. Pest is controlled by simply eradicating/destroying the okra plants attacked by insects and pests.
(Honey Bee, 2(1):15, 1991). (Lagharabhai Rathod, Kudhda,Tal-Chotila, Surendranagar: comm: Narsinbhai S. Sakariya)
This practice has widely diffused in certain parts of the country such as Jalgaon in Maharashtra but ironically in Vidharbha region, where farmers’ suicides continue to take place, practices like these have still not diffused, thanks to the indifference of the state towards the affordable, low cost or no cost solution to the pest problem -Ed.
Caterpillars in Cotton
The latex of ‘Akada’ (Calotropis gigantea L.) when diluted with 15 parts water and sprayed on the crop, effectively controls the caterpillars within three days. Caterpillar infestation can severely damage a cotton crop. The new growth after treatment is also free from infestation.
(Honey Bee, 3(3&4):17, 1992.).(Bhanjibhai Jani, Vill:Khagiyali, Tal:Sihor, Dist:Bhavnagar, Bhavnagar: comm: Dhandhalya
Bhargav K.)
Whitefly control in cotton
‘Arali’ (Nerium oleander L.) seeds are pulverized, and
then soaked in water overnight and filtered. This filtrate is diluted in water and sprayed in cotton fields. This
practice provides 70 percent control over whiteflies. Approximately ten kg of ‘arali’ seeds are required per acre of cotton.
(Honey Bee, 5(1):15, 1994). (P. Murigesan, PO:Melakkal, Via: Thiruvadagam, Tal:Vadipatti, Madurai: comm: P.Vivekanandan(Nam Vazhi velanmai,Ed.P.Vivekanandan)
Talkidi in cotton
‘Talkidi’ a soil pest, attacks the cotton plant when plant is fully grown. It causes the plant to wither in a short time, to control ‘talkidi’ farmers take 20 to 25 kg onions in a jute bag, crush them and this bag is kept in water channels during irrigation.
(Honey Bee, 5(1):18, 1994). (Mansukhbhai Nagarbhai Mathodiya, Bhavnagar: comm: Jitendra H.Suthar, Kirit K. Patel)
Cotton stalk as cattle feed
Rainfed cotton is grown in some parts of Saurashtra. Normally cotton stalks are used as fuel. But Bhikhabhai uses it as cattle feed. How he came to do this is an interesting story. Once during a drought year, he fed small pieces of cotton stalks to one animal on an experimental basis and gave normal feeds to other animals. Much to his surprise he did not find any ill effects and animal was as healthy as normal one. Since then he started feeding cotton stalk regularly to all animals once a day. Bhikhalal believes that an inexpensive and high quality feed can be prepared by mixing molasses and salt with pieces of cotton stalk. It has good scope of being utlized as stress feed during drought years in Saurashtra region. According to chopra et al (1956), and Nadkarni (1976), cotton has galactogogue property which improves milk yield as well as fat content of milk.
(Honey Bee, 7(3):17, 1996). (Bhikhalal Prabhudas Masrani, Dist: Amreli: comm: Dilip D Koradia)
Cactus milk controls cotton aphids
Voracious reader and an enthusiastic experimenter, Kalyanbhai has always been interested in inexpensive farming. He uses 100 g milky latex of cactus (Euphorbia sp.) mixed with 15 liters water and sprays it twice a month to control aphids in cotton.
(Honey bee 21(2), 9, 2010). (Kalyanbhai Jeevrajbhai Jasani, Bhavnagar)
SC: Insecticidal property of Euphorbia antiquorum reported in De Silva et. al.(2008); J.Natn.Sci.Foundation Sri Lanka;36 (1): 15-23. Also see Honey Bee, 4(2&3):21, 1993.
Cotton shells for soil reclamation
Empty shells of the cotton are incorporated in the salt affected soil. Farmers believe that these shells absorb the salt from the soil.
(Honey Bee, 2(1):13, 1991). (Ambhavibhai Gokalbhai Dubariya, Sai, Tal- Rapar, Kutch: comm: Nanjibhai R. Makvana)
For more information see http://www.sristi.org/hbnew/sristi_library.php |
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| Volume No. |
Honey Bee 22(1) & 22(2) 25, 2011 |
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