Summer - 2016

Summer is hot and temperature is at 40 degree and no summer rain yet. Neighboring district Trichur received good rain and it is still raining from morning there. Open well is almost dried and pond used for irrigation is also in the same state.

Some views...

Earth worm castings...it is there throughout where cows does not graze...

Rice field with horse gram grown after paddy harvest...field is mulched with straw, but does not cover the whole field densily

Papayas stopped yielding...but still there are some fruits left

Only some water is left...5 families collect drinking water from this well.. Some small fishes are there and one king fisher is constantly behind them...

Termites are attacking healthy trees also..but no harm done..

Termites do a good job...

Banana circle...

Tapioca growing on Hugelkulture beds..they survive without any water...

Effect of summer heat..some plants just fall down

Termites

Hugel beds opened up during tapioca harvesting...

It is mango season...

Some more banana circles....

Water does not reach here, no grass seen

Meeting a farmer who cultivates traditional rice varieties

Today met a farmer named M.P.Paul from Ottappalam who cultivates 14 or so traditional rice varieties on 5 acre farm. Now a days since labor cost is increased, he does all the work by himself. He has tractor, planter,tiller etc..all machineries needed for rice cultivation.

Chettiadi variety is grown by him and for the last 3 years, he just ploughs the field and seeds from pervious crop germinates and he gets decent yield, about 1000kgs from 1 acre. He says, the cost of cultivation is minimum for this. It competes with grass well and he does not do any manuring. Maximum tillers of this variety is about 140 and since it grows thick, it does not fall. He started Chettiadi, since one particular area of the farm more stagnant water and other varieties could not tollerate this. Straw is completely returned to the soil.

Some other varieties can be seen in the photos...more about his farming, once I make a visit to his farm.

30-October-2016
Had a brief chat with Paul over phone and one interesting information which he gave was that, after south-west monsoon, we should not cut any grass since it allows to condense water, in the winter time. This is quite a big amount of water which will be useful. According to him, my area is good for many crops including potatoe, beet root etc...