Agriculture mean the science and practice of growing crops by the cultivation of the land.it has two words Agri and Culture. This culture is our life. This culture is our existence.
In recent times agriculture has been hit by many disasters that includes unseasonal climatic conditions and increasing earths temperature. This is leading to farmers suicides year by year. How can we survive from agriculture in such a critical situation?
For sustainable agriculture and sustainable lively hoods we have to adopt tree based agriculture farming method. Its none other than “Food Forest”.
Food Forest is a system of cultivation of trees for sustainable agriculture and sustainable living. 6 golden steps must be followed to make this successful.
Prof. Sripad A Dabolkar is a well-known famous scientist. He was done various experiments in agriculture. One of the most important research he has done is “if we harvest or utilize each and every photons energy that receives from sun light, then we can grow 22000 kilograms of food grains in once acre / year”. This is the greatest and wonderful solution that he has mentioned.
My personal opinion is that it is the most important research he has done in the farmers point of view which will bring monthly income to the farmers and nutritious food will be grown and shared by all. By adopting Dabolkar.s principal we can convert the agriculture land in to a Food Forest.
Plants makes their own food through photosynthesis process. Sunlight energy is the most important element in this process. but, sunlight energy will differ from one area to other area. And all crops are not require same amount of sunlight energy for photosynthesis process. because,
20% of the plant spices require 400 to 700 Nano meter wave length light energy. That almost 8 – 10 hours of direct sunlight requires.
20% of the plant species requires around 2 hours of direct sunlight (400 to 700 Nano meter wave length light energy) and rest of the period requires 40% to 60% of partial sunlight.
30% of the plant species requires around 5 hours of direct sunlight (400 to 700 Nano meter wave length light energy) and rest of the period requires 60% to 80% of partial sunlight.
30% of the plant species requires around 2 – 5 hours of direct sunlight (400 to 700 Nano meter wave length light energy) and rest of the period requires 60% to 80% of partial sunlight.
Now we have a question? how to select the plants combination and how to procure proper sunlight for plants requirement. This is where combination of the plants are considered a most important step.
Around 30 verities of the crops has to grow in an acre. Around 1000 plants can be accommodate. Planting around 1000 plants in an acre we have to maintain proper distance and space between two plants which act as a major role to procure proper sunlight for each plant. When the plants get the right ratio of sunlight, the efficiency of photosynthesis process efficiency will also increases. This leads to achieve 22000 kgs of yield in an acre / year.
And also with the help of 30 verities of plants + pulses + millets + vegetables and naturally grown weeds as intercrops will leads to increase the percentage of Humas and Soil Carbon in the soil.
Once Humas and Soil Carbon percentage will start increasing the microbial activity will also increases. This help us to maintain or neutralize the soil PH level naturally.
