2023 - Drought

This year summer was very harsh, didn't receive summer rains and temperature touched 40 degree. I had stopped watering all together and farming was just rain fed. Last two years since there was enough summer rains, didn't have any issue. But this year coconut trees and cocoa trees started wilting. I lost one coconut tree completely as of now, few trees are badly affected. It would take 3-4 years for these trees to recover fully.

Could see that few coconut trees which were surrounded by mango and jackfruit trees were doing relatively well. The shade provided by the evergreen trees were quite effective in fighting the summer. At the end of the rainy season, I had cut and mulched grass, mexican sunflower and super napier grass at the base of the tree, but that alone didn't help.

While going through one video of Panos Mainkis, natural farmer from Greece, he mentions about the need of evergreen trees to shade the farm. So at this point, thinking of growing mango trees and jack fruit trees around the coconut tree along with mexican sunflower,super napier grass and also banana plants. Also decided that mexican sunflower and super napier grass will be cut only twice, may be in July and September, after that they will be allowed to grow so that there will be shade.

Another approach to fight the drought is to use the cover crop Mucuna Bractecta which grows very fast 10-15 cm per day and also within 6-9 months, would fill the entire field. It withstands summer and would provide a green cover even at the summer, this should allow the coconut trees to fight the summer. But issues with this is that they have to be cut and controlled frequently and also it is not eatable for cattle, if eaten may endanger their life. So planning to try this out in one area of the farm.

07-06-23

Since rain is delayed, loosing more coconut trees, lost 3 of them as of now. Feel like going for Mucuna solution, even though it is a hard decision.