Evaluation of cowdung liquid manure and fresh cowdung slurry

In rainy season, I had applied cowdung slurry to cowpea,brinjal and ladys finger and found excellent results. I just wanted to evaluate fermented cowdng slurry with fresh cowdung slurry.

So I am planting some ladys finger and rice plants and will apply fresh cowdung slurry and fermented cowdung slurry once in a week and will see which shows better results.

Fermented cowdung slurry was prepared by filling a drum with 150 litre water and putting around 10Kgs of fresh cowdung and 5 handfuls of horse gram powder, 4-5 bananas and a handful soil. This was fermeted for 2 days.

19-December-2016

Fermented cowdung slurry being prepared....

11-January-2017

The one with stick was applied with fermented cowdung liquid and other one with fresh cowdung slurry.

Two plants on the right side is applied with fermented cowdung liquid and other two was applied with cowdung slurry

Could not complete these experiments due to various reasons...majorly because of water shortage, watering was delayed...

Berceem clover evaluation

I was trying to grow a cover crop for the coconut area, which grows and reseeds every year. Some people said, Berceem clover is a good choice, so got some seeds from a friend. I just it put in kitchen garden, it readily germinated, even though growth is not very good..some pictures will follow...

19-December-2016

It has been 3 weeks since I put them...

23-January-2017

One or two white flowers have appeared, the one on the left is a weed flower. It looks to me, this may grow better in rainy season in this climate? I have saved some seeds to experiment, but anyway they have to germinate and come along with pre-monsoon showers.

Could not see any seeds formed...overall not sure about if it will grow well in this hot climate, anyway will try it with monsoon season once again.

Happy Hill Rice - 2016 December

To keep the continuity of seeds, I am cultivating Happy Hill Rice on this season. Couple of years back, I lost all the seeds after keeping it for an year. This time, I am trying a few seeds in ground and some seeds in a grow bag.

19-December-2016

A few seeds were put along with Arachis pintoi, but only three germinated..

23-January-2017

Farm - December 2016

This year monsoon was very bad, it is about 50% less. By december it has become very dry and it gives a summer feeling. I stopped cutting any grass, except path ways.

Pureria is established well over here...this area gets frequent watering also.

Newly made, banana circle...

Pureria is slowly establishing here...

This area is very dry...already some coco saplings are dying...

Received a good rain ...after the rain...farm looks greener..

Peanut,finger millet and sesame - 2nd crop season 2016

This year south-west monsoon was very bad...so not trying rice farming, thought of trying some thing which needs less water..Trying out peanut, finger millet and sesame...no experience with these, so just trying ...

Straw from previous rice crop was completely spread and then got a tractor with rotovator attachment and tilled it.

8-Oct-2016

23-Oct-2016
Some peanuts which I had put it initially started germinating and growing...Made a channel using sharp tool and then put seeds and then using the tool with tooths, closed the channel. But it was time consuming and lot of effort, so finally broadcasted the seeds and then using the tooth tool put some mud here and there.

4-Dec-2016

Along with sesame and finger millet, lot of rice seedlings also came up...retained all of them as it is...

8-Jan-2017

Sesame came up in some places, germination was not uniform, mostly since I didn't till after sowing, lot of seeds were taken by ants or didn't germinate.

Rice is struggling...

Touchme not came up in some places and they formed a cover....they are nitrogen fixing type, but it looks to be an indication that fertility is not good.

Finger millet also is very weak...and not uniform

In sesame, the plants which came up is doing well...

23-January-2017

Finger millet..very weak plants, some harvest is there.....

Starting no-till on a weed free field

Have been experimenting with no-till on a field. Since complete rotation for an year and right crops are not working, wanted to do no-till on a weedy field. In Fukuoka's case he had a complete rotation in place and there will be overlap between crops, like after rice, barley/wheat would be starting. But practically if there is a break in the circle, not sure how he was handling it. For e.g, due to some reason he could not sow wheat at the stage of the harvesting rice...

Anyway in my case, I am doing no-till, but uses Honda brush cutter and scythe for cutting weeds. While experimenting I found that if long grass is cut and kept aside by using Scythe and then field is cleared with Honda brush cutter then field is relatively weed free. At this time, we can sow the crop and then cover it by using cut grass with immediate irrigation or if it rains, well and good.

Another option to control the weeds to next level, after cutting and clearing using brush cutter, irrigate the field and allow the weeds to germinate and then once again clear using brush cutter using string. Using string, we can complete the task of clearing the field when the weeds are small..this way all the surface weeds would have exhausted and we get a weed free field to start with.

Backyard cultivation

I don't stay in my natural farm, so have been staying in the rented house. A few months back, I moved to a new house and this place is around 0.2 acres. So started some backyard cultivation for vegetables, with cow at home, vegetaables are growing very well now. So thought of blogging this part of cultivation also.

I just apply cowdung slurry continuously to all the crops. Raised beds are made with mulching so that effort is reduced drastically. Right now I have ladys finger, brinjal, tomato, chilly, tapioca, taro, bitter guard etc...Some are in the initial stages....Cowdung and mulching does magic, crops grow very well...

Lady's finger and couple of maze plants

2-Oct-2016

Spinach coming up on raised bed, the one below was growing well in the start of the rainy season, the current growth is not so good.

This spinach had come up on its own around the house, just put them in the raised bed, it grows reasonably well.

3-Oct-2016

Tomato plants in fruiting stage....it looks like, they don't need much water, but in rainy season, they don't grow well

new seedling getting ready for transplantation...lady's finger,pumpkin, tomato etc...

In one area, since there was not enough space for raised beds, made some heaps after putting some organic matter and cowdung over top of it.

Taro...

Tapioca....

8-Jan-2017

There are plenty of seeds from each plant...collecting and storing them for future use and distribution...

Cow at home

I had two cows in the farm and the traditional one was brought to home recently since looking after them became difficult after they gave birth. It was excitement at home to receive them, since this is the first time we are having cow/calf at home. We were not well prepared, since shed was having problems, sides were open, ground had no slope, no place for them to feed the grass/hay...

Slowly all of these problems got solved..Finally milking was a problem, since she does not allow and just kicks, some times sideways. I was scared how to handle it...finally put a bamboo pole and then tied her one leg and my wife calmed her by holding and I could milk..Suddenly we had lot of cowdung at home..instead of piling it, thought of using it completely so that premises will remain clean. Made slurry by mixing water and applied to all the vegetables ..and they are growing quite nicely...Initially almost daily I put the cowdung slurry, later reduced the frequency. People say, the microbes in the cowdung makes the land fertile, anyway the effect is magical. Here are some photos..

9-Sept-2016

She was scared of us even after 3 years at the farm, but our interactions were limited. When she came home, it continued, she will move back when we approach her, slowly it changed. Now she is at ease with us, when others come, she will move near to us. She has been named 'Ammini' and her boy is named 'Appu'.

He is quite strong, has to be very careful when we are near him, he just pushes with his head. Once he jumped a fence of 4.5 feet height without any issues. He is bubbling with energy. We can not handle him longer, so ready to donate him to some one free of charges, provided they take care of him.

22-Feb-2017

He was sent to an orphanage called Abhayam, they will take care of it.