Trap Crops

Trap crop	Main crop	Method of planting	Pest controlled
Alfalfa	Cotton	Strip intercrop	Lygus bug
Basil & marigold	Garlic	Border crop	Thrips
Castor plant	Cotton	Border crop	Heliotis sp.
Chervil	Vegetables, ornamentals	Among plants	Slugs
Chinese cabbage, mustard & radish	Cabbage	Planted in every 15 rows of cabbage	Cabbage webworm, flea hopper, mustard aphid
Beans & other legumes	Corn	Row intercrop	Leafhopper, leaf beetles, stalk borer, fall armyworm
Chick pea	Cotton	Block trap crop at  20 plants/ sq m	Heliotis sp.
Collards	Cabbage	Border crop	Diamondback moth
Corn	Cotton	Row intercrop, planted in  every 20 rows of cotton or every 10-15 m	Heliotis sp.
Cowpea	Cotton	Row intercrop in every 5 rows of cotton	Heliotis sp.
Desmodium	Corn, cowpea, millet, sorghum	Row intercrop	Stemborer, striga
Dill & lovage	Tomato	Row intercrop	Tomato hornworm
Green beans	Soybean	Row intercrop	Mexican bean beetle
Horse radish	Potato	Intercrop	Colorado potato beetle
Hot cherry pepper	Bell pepper	Border crop	Pepper maggot
Indian mustard	Cabbage	Strip intercrop in  between cabbage plots	Cabbage head caterpillar
Marigold  (French & African marigold)	Solanaceous, crucifers, legumes, cucurbits	Row/strip intercrop	Nematodes
Medick	Carrot	Strip intercrop in between carrot plots	Carrot root fly
Napier grass	Corn	Intercrop, border crop	Stemborer
Nasturtium	Cabbage	Row intercrop	Aphids flea beetle, cucumber beetle, squash vine borer
Okra	Cotton	Border crop	Flower cotton weevil
Onion & garlic	Carrot	Border crops or barrier  crops in between plots	Carrot root fly Thrips
Radish	Cabbage family	Row intercrop	Flea beetle, root maggot
Rye	Soybean	Row intercrop	Corn seedling maggot
Sesbania	Soybean	Row intercrop at a distance of 15 m apart	Stink bug
Sickle pod	Soybean	Strip intercrop	Velvet bean caterpillar, green stink bug
Soybean	Corn	Row intercrop	Heliotis sp.
Sudan grass	Corn	Intercrop, border crop	Stemborer
Sunflower	Cotton	Row intercrop in every  5 rows of cotton	Heliotis sp.
Tansy	Potato	Intercrop	Colorado potato beetle
Tobacco	Cotton	Row intercrop, planted in every 20 rows of cotton	Heliotis sp.
Tomato	Cabbage	Intercrop (tomato is planted  2 weeks ahead at the plots' borders)	Diamondback moth
Vetiver grass	Corn	Perimeter crop	Corn stalk borer

Classification of Feeds for Livestock

1.  Grains & Seeds
2.  Cakes & Meals
3.  Molasses
4.  Vegetables
5.  Grass
6.  Legumes
7.  Tree Crops
8.  Pods
9.  Azolla
10.  Hay
11.  Straw
12.  Huck
13.  Weeds
14.  By-products
15.  Green Waste

Live Fencing Plants / Trees

No	Common Name	Tamil Name
1	Acacia Concinna	Shikakai
2	Acalypha	Kuppamani
3	Agathi	Agathi
4	Aloe Vera	Sotru Katrazhai
5	Bamboo	Moongil
6	Cactus	Kalli
7	Cassia Auriculata	Avaram
8	Castor	Aamanakku
9	Casuarina	Savukku
10	Chrysopogon Zizanioides	Vettiver
11	Clerodendron	Ppeenarisanghu
12	Commiphora	Kiluvai
13	Egyptian Pea	Sithagathi
14	Five-leaved Chaste Tree	Nochhi
15	Henna	Marudhani
16	Indian Thorn Apple	Karoo Omatay
17	Karonda	Kalakai
18	Lemon	Yelumicchai
19	Malabar Nut	Adathoda
20	Manila Tamarind	Koduka Puli
21	Neem	Vembu
22	Nerium Oleander	Arali
23	Subapul	Savundal
24	Wild Jasmine	Sangam

Common adulterants of different feed ingredients

Fodder Tree Crops

Fertigation System

Primary Nutrient : 
A1.  Waste Decomposer Solution

Secondary Nutrient : 
B1.  Natural Seed Extract
B2.  Stone & Metal Extract
B3.  Vitamins Cake Extract

Micro Nutrient :  
B4.  Manure Extract
B5.  10 Leaves Extract

Foliar Nutrient Spray :  
B6.  3G Extract
B7.  Coco Milk Extract

Popular Fodder Crops for Live Stocks

1.  Grass Fodder Crops -  Guinea Grass, Super Napier
2.  Cereal Fodder Crops -  Maize (Corn), Sorghum
3.  Legume Fodder Crops -  Desmanthus, Cow Pea, Co5
4.  Tree Fodder Crops -  Agathi, Subabul, Giliricidia, Mulberry
5.  Medicinal Fodder Crops -  Neem, Drumstick

Grey Water Reuse Guidelines

GREY WATER is the recycling of bath, shower, hand basin and laundry water, which can then be used to irrigate your garden. 

By reusing bath and laundry water, we can keep their gardens looking healthy - even in times of drought. Plus, grey water also contains nutrients derived from the residues and soaps in the water, which feed and nourish the soil to produce lush plants.

Do not, however, use water waste from the kitchen sink as this contains fat content that will damage your garden.

Grey Water Systems

With any grey water system, it is important that you use “garden friendly” products and detergents that do not contain any salts, boron or bleach. If you intend on using the water to feed a vegetable garden, it is important that the system has a filter. 

Grey Water Tolerant Plants

In general, tough drought-tolerant plants will do best with grey water irrigation watering.

Generally, greywater is alkaline, so avoid using it on plants like hibiscus, ferns, ... 

Trees that flourish from grey water include banana, drumstick, ...

To help these plants thrive, occasionally flush the plants with a bit of fresh tap water to remove the residue from the greywater.

Grey Water Reuse Guidelines

We should be aware of the hygiene factors using grey water for irrigating garden. Because grey water is not fresh, we should apply the following to avoid the growth of bacteria and unpleasant odours:

•  Use the grey water within 24 hours. Storing the water any longer will result in a bad odour.

•  Minimise contact with grey water.

•  Use non-toxic cleaning agents and products where possible.

•  Do not allow your grey water to pool on the surface of the soil. Standing water will provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

•  Do not use water from the toilet.

•  Do not use laundry water if chemical detergent are used.

•  Do not allow children or pets to drink or play in grey water.

•  Do not let grey water run into the ponds

•  Do not use grey water if any person has an infectious illness. 

Solar Fencing System

Conversion Chart

Area Conversion

Electrical Wire Gauge to Sq.MM Conversion

World Green House Gas Emission in Agriculture Sector

13.5% Emission due to Agriculture Sector in the World

Solar Inverter Circuit Diagram

Components of Filteration Unit for Irrigation System

Head Control Unit	Usage
Non Return Valve	Prevents backflow
Air-Release Valve	Releases entrapped air
Vacuum Breaker Valve	Breaks vacuum in the system by sucking air from atmosphere
Hydro-Cyclone Filter	Sand separator
Media Filter	Removal of organic impurities present in water source
Screen Filter	As a control filter, effective against suspended solids
Disc Filter	As a control filter, effective against suspended solids
Fertilizer Tank	Fertilizer injection
Pressure Gauge	Check system pressure
Throttle Valve	Controlling main flow enabling fertilizer application by creating pressure differential

Vegetable & Fruit Farming Calendar

January
Vegetable :  Lettuce, Spinach, Gourds, Melons, Radish, Carrot, Onion, Tomato, Okra, Brinjal, Bean.
Fruit :  Grapes, Guava, Papaya, Pomegranate, Pineapple, Passion fruit.

February
Vegetable :  Lettuce, Spinach, Gourds, Melons, Radish, Carrot, Onion, Tomato, Okra, Brinjal, Bean.
Fruit :  Chickoo, Musk Melon, Grapes, Orange, Guava, Papaya, Pomegranate, Pineapple.

March
Vegetable :  Amaranthus, Coriander, Gourds, Beans, Melons, Spinach, Okra.
Fruit :  Water Melon, Mango, Grapes, Orange, Pineapple, Banana, Musk Melon.

April
Vegetable :  Onion, Amaranthus, Coriander, Gourds, Okra, Tomato, Chilli.
Fruit :  Water Melon, Mango, Grapes, Orange, Pineapple, Banana, Musk Melon, Jack Fruit.

May
Vegetable :  Okra, Onion, Chilli.
Fruit :  Mango, Papaya, Jamun, Water Melon, Musk Melon, Jack Fruit.

June
Vegetable :  All Gourds, Solanaeceae, Almost all vegetables.
Fruit :  Mango, Plum.

July
Vegetable :  All Gourds, Solanaeceae, Almost all vegetables.
Fruit :  Mango, Peach, Plum.

August
Vegetable :  Carrot, Cauliflower, Beans, Beet.
Fruit :  Mango, Custard Apple.

September
Vegetable :  Cauliflower, Cucumber, Onion, Peas, Spinach.
Fruit :  Guava, Papaya, Pomegranate, Custard Apple, Passion Fruit.

October
Vegetable : Brinjal, Cabbage, Capsicum, Cucumber, Beans, Peas, Spinach, Turnip.
Fruit :  Guava, Papaya, Pomegranate, Custard Apple, Passion Fruit.

November
Vegetable :  Beet, Eggplant, Cabbage, Carrot, Beans, Lettuce, Okra, Turnip.
Fruit :  Orange, Guava, Papaya, Pomegranate, Custard Apple.

December
Vegetable :  Lettuce, Pumpkin, Ash gourd, Ridge gourd, Bitter gourd, Bottle gourd, Cucumber, Chilly, Cabbage.
Fruit :  Orange, Sweet Lime, Fig, Guava, Custard Apple, Pineapple.

Commerical Medicinal Herbs

1. Aloe Vera 

Aloe vera is a high-value medicinal herb. It has several usages in the industry. Such as in cosmetics, medicine, and beverages. You can start the farming with small capital investment.

2. Amla

Amla is an important crop in India. It has high medicinal value. Amla is used in medicine and cosmetics industry. This is a tropical plant. You can grow amla in light and medium heavy soil except for purely sandy soil.

3. Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha grows well in the dry and sub-tropical region. Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan are the major grower states in India. Organically grown ashwagandha has good market potential.

4. Basil

In India, basil is known as tulsi. The plant is considered as “Queen of Herbs”. The plant has many medicinal properties. In addition, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and processed food industries are the major consumers of it. Furthermore, you can grow basil in any type of climate, including tropical and sub-tropical.

5. Brahmi

Brahmi has high medicinal value. It is one of the traditional and early age herbs in India. The plant has fleshy, oval shaped leaves 1-2cm long, from opposite along the stems. Small, tubular, five-petaled, white flowers develop in leaf terminals and can blossom over many months of the year.

6. Calendula

Calendula is easy to grow the plant. It has huge medicinal values. In addition, you can grow calendula on poor land with the partial or full sun. However, it does require regular watering. So you must be careful about the irrigation system of your calendula farm.

7. Daruharidra

Daru Haridra is an important ayurvedic medicine. It also used in juice production and in the cosmetics industry. The plant prefers light, medium and heavy soils. In addition, you can grow this plant in heavy clay and even in nutritionally poor soil.

8. Guggal

Rajasthan is in the top position in guggul farming in India. It has rich medicinal value since long back. The plant is a woody shrub with knotty, crooked, spring brown bracties. Guggal is considered as a drought aria salinity resistant plant.

9. Jatamansi

Basically, medicine, perfumery, and cosmetics industries are the major consumers of Jatamansi. Generally, Jatamansi is harvested for local use and for the trading purpose of its roots and rhizomes.

10. Jatropha

Jatropha is one of the best oilseed plants. It has medicinal properties and as well as in industrial purpose. The plant prevents soil erosion. Additionally, you can grow the crop in the wasteland, poor soil, low rainfall and drought areas.

11. Kesar

Saffron is known as Kesar. It is the most expensive spice in the world. Saffron is majorly used in culinary seasoning and to get color with taste in different food products. It has high medicinal value.

12. Lavender

Generally, lavender farming is profitable in India. Basically, you can grow lavender only in the Himalayan region, wherever it snows. Because it requires water only when first planted.

13. Lemon Grass

Basically, lemongrass is a perennial plant. Lemon grass is one of the commercially cultivated crops in India in a wide range. Apart from medicinal value, the major use in perfumery, cosmetics, soaps, detergents, and beverages.

14. Parsley

Parsley prefers a well-drained, moisture retaining soil. Additionally, parsley requires a good amount of light to grow. You must have frequently watering system in summer.

15. Patchouli

Patchouli is one of the important aromatic plants. Additionally, you can cultivate the crop for its oil. Humid climate with plenty of sunlight is suitable for this crop. The plant grows well as an intercrop in partial shade. However, you must avoid the complete shade.

16. Safed Musli

This plant has some excellent ayurvedic properties. You can grow anywhere in the country. Commercial cultivation with good crop management practice will give you wonderful profit.

17. Sarpagandha

Sarpagandha has different medicinal values. Basically, Sarpagandha is a profitable herb. The plant prefers soil with plenty of humus and rich in the nitrogenous and organic matter with good drainage. Alkaline soils are not suitable for commercial cultivation.

18. Stevia

Basically, stevia is popular as a sugar substitute. Additionally, stevia cultivation in India is profitable. It has medicinal values and also used in the cosmetics industry.

19. Vanilla

Vanilla is one of the costliest spice in the market after saffron. Additionally, Ayurveda, medicines and processed food industries are the major consumers of vanilla. However, Karnataka is in the top position in India in vanilla cultivation.

20. Yashtimadhu

The English name is Liquorice. Yastimadhuis one of the most popular medicinal herbs in India and also in abroad. The root of the plant (liquorice) contains a substance called glycyrrhizin which is 50 times sweeter than sugar.

Ayurvedic Pooja Herbs

The importance and significance of the leaves used in performing the pooja. 

21 types of leaves are offered to Lord Ganesha during the festival, and each leaf has an Ayurvedic significance.

Durva (Bermuda Grass / Arugam Pullu) :

Used a as blood purifier, keeps invisible microbes away, removes acidity, cures many skin disorders, Psoriasis, useful to remove  the troubles of the eyes due to continuous stress like computer waves.

Maca Root :  

Prevents decaying process, it is a good medicine for eye diseases, jaundice, eczema, oedema, obesity and also reduces the size of the tumour.

Aghada :  

Best medicine for cough, asthama, helps in smooth passage of urine and relieves pain.

Dorli :  

Useful in asthama and cough.

Tulsi : 

Helps avoid bacterial infection, such as cough, in fever due to cold  and cough, improves digestion, improves immunity, used in skin diseases like Psoriasis, ring worm which gives rise to itching, acts as a germicide.

Marva :  

Cures skin diseases.

Jai : 

Cures mouth pustules, very useful in healing of wounds.

Malti :  

It is used for curing skin diseases like leprosy and leucoderma, nervous diseases and abdominal related diseases.

Dhotra : 

Cures or reduces cough in the chest, reduces asthmatic attack, useful in rheumatic pain.

Vishnu Kranta : 

It is used for nervous related diseases and memory power.

Kewda : 

Used to prevent excessive bleeding during menses.

Kanher : 

Used in snake, scorpion bites and for curing of various types of fever.

Bor : 

Heat reliever, useful for relief from rheumatic diseases, soothing from burning heat due to fever and also bring down the temperature, gives relief from watering of eyes and shooting pain in eyes.

Dalimb :  

It is used for dysentery. Gives relief from bilious burning, semen enchancer, useful for dry cough, gives relief from bleeding from nose, used in conjunctivitis, a bilious reliever.

Shami : 

Prevents excessive discharge of urine, reduces body heat.  Bael or Bilva, which purifies water, is used for dysentery. Prevent loose motion, clearing of bowel, relieve griping pain, reduce the frequency of evacuation of feces, improves  function of the liver, a germicidal, removes bad odour from the body, increases the stamina and reduces excess heat from the body.

Hadga : 

Cold medicine.

Arjun : 

Supreme Medicine of heart disease. useful  for setting of bones, useful for reducing the excess fat from the body.

Pipal : 

Improves articulation of small kids, improves heavy tongue and improves mental capabilities of slow learning children, used in many medicinal preparations.

Ashok : 

Keeps womb healthy, can remove sorrowful stat of mind in post natl condition.

Bramhi : 

It is a brain tonic, for sound sleep and relieves stress.

Jaswand : 

It gives mental peace, relief from headache due to biliousness.

Identify Your Soil Type

Waste Decomposer

Priniciples of Sustainable Farming

Sustainable farming meets environmental, economic, and social objectives simultaneously. Envirnomentaly sound agriculture is nature-based rather than factory-based. Economic sustainability depends on profitable enterprises, sound financial planning, proactive marketing, and risk management.  Social sustainability results from making decisions with the farm family's and the larger community's quality of life as a value and a goal.

Sustainable agriculture depends on a whole-system approach whose overall goal is the continuing health of the land and people.  Therefore it concentrates on long term solutions to problems instead of short term treatment of symptoms.

Sustainability can be observed and measured; indicators that a farm community is achieving the three objectives of sustainability include :

Economic Sustainability :
1.  The family savings or net worth is consistently going up.
2.  The family debt is consistently going down.
3.  The farm enterprises are consistently profitable from year to year.
4.  Purchase of off-farm feed and fertiliser is decreasing.
5.  Government subsidy payments is decreasing.

Social Sustainability :
1.  The farm supports other business and families in the community.
2.  Money circulate within the local economy.
3.  The number of rural families is going up or holding steady.
4.  Young people take over their parents.
5.  College graduates return to the community after graduation.

Environmental Sustainability :
1.  There is no bare ground.
2.  Clean water flows in the farm's streams.
3.  Wildlife is abundant.
4.  Fish are prolific in steams that flow through the farm.
5.  The farm landscape is diverse in vegetation.

Biological Model of Agriculture : 
1.  Information Intensive
2.  Cyclical process
3.  Farm as Ecosystem
4.  Enterprise Integration
5.  Diversity of Plants & Animals
6.  Higher-Value Products
7.  Multiple use equipment
8.  Active Marketing

Increase Biodiversity :
Do's :
1.  Intercropping
2.  Crop Rotation
3.  Cover Crops (Mulching)
4.  Multi Species Grazing

Don'ts :
1.  Mono-cropping
2.  Tillage
3.  Herbicides
4.  Insecticides

How Do We Achieve Sustainability? 

Know Your Markets, Protect Your Profits, and Add Value to Your Products

• Diversify enterprises.
  
• Market outside the commodity supply chains and corporate vertical integra- tors.
  
• Emphasize direct marketing and pre- mium specialty markets.
  
• Consider forming a cooperative with other farmers.
  

Add value through on-farm processing. 

Holistic ManagementEvaluating a Rural EnterpriseMoving Beyond Conventional Cash CroppingEntertainment Farming and Agri-TourismDirect MarketingFarmers’ MarketsCommunity Supported AgricultureBringing Local Food to Local Institutions Selling to RestaurantsOrganic Certification and the National Organic ProgramOrganic Marketing Resources Keys to Success in Value-added Agriculture.

Build Soil Structure and Fertility

• Reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers by increasing on-farm nutrient cycling.
• Make fertilization decisions based on soil tests.
• Minimize or eliminate tillage.
• Think of the soil not only as a physical and chemical substrate but as a living entity; manage the soil organisms to preserve their healthy diversity.
• Maintain ground cover year-round by using cover crops and mulches and by leaving crop residues in the field. 

Sustainable Soil Management
Drought Resistant Soil
Nutrient Cycling in Pastures
Manures for Organic Crop Production

Overview of Cover Crops and Green Manures
Overview of Organic Crop Production 
Farm-scale Composting Resource List 
Conservation Tillage
Pursuing Conservation Tillage 
Systems for Organic Crop Production
Assessing the Pasture Soil Resource 
Alternative Soil Testing Laboratories 
Alternative Soil Amendments
Sources of Organic Fertilizers and Amendments

Protect Water Quality on and Beyond the Farm

• Use soil-building practices that increase soil organic matter and support a biologically active humus complex.
• Use soil conservation practices that reduce the potential for water runoff and erosion.
• Plant perennial crops such as forages, trees, and shrubs.
• Plant catch crops or cover crops to take up nutrients that may otherwise leach into the subsoil.
• Provide buffer areas between fields and water bodies to protect against nutrient and sediment movement into lakes and streams.
• Manage irrigation to enhance nutrient uptake and decrease nutrient leaching.
• Produce livestock in pasture-based systems.

• Nutrient Cycling in Pastures

Protecting Water Quality on Organic Farms

Protecting Riparian Areas

Managed Grazing in Riparian Areas 

Conservation Easements

Montana Irrigator’s Pocket Guide 

Constructed Wetlands

Conservation Tillage

Sustainable Soil Management

Drought Resistant Soil

Sustainable Pasture Management 

Agroforestry Overview

Manage Pests Ecologically; Use Minimal Pesticides

• Prevent pest problems by building healthy, biologically active soil; by creating habitat for beneficial organisms; and by choosing appropriate plant cultivars.
• View the farm as a component of an eco-system, and take actions to restore and enhance pest–predator balances. Understand that the mere presence of a pest does not necessarily constitute a problem; base any intervention on monitoring (crop scouting) and economic damage thresholds.
• Before intervening with a chemical, positively identify the pest species and learn about its life cycle and ecology. Implement cultural practices that alter the cropping system and surrounding habitat to make life more difficult for the pest and easier for its natural enemies.
• Use pesticides as the last resort, when biological and cultural controls have failed to keep pest populations below economically damaging levels. If you have to use chemicals, seek out the least-toxic pesticide that will control the pest.

Biointensive Integrated Pest Management
Farm scaping to Enhance Biological Control
Sustainable Management of Soil-borne Plant Diseases
Integrated Pest Management for Greenhouse Crops
Principles of Sustainable Weed Management
Integrated Parasite Management for Livestock
A Whole Farm Approach to Managing Pests

Maximize Biodiversity on the Farm

• Integrate crop and livestock production.
• Use hedge rows, insectary plants, cover crops, and water reservoirs to attract and support populations of beneficial insects, bats, and birds.
• Abandon monocropping in favor of crop rotations, intercropping, and companion planting.
• Plant a percentage of your land in trees and other perennial crops in permanent plantings or long-term rotations.
• Manage pastures to support a diverse selection of forage plants.
• Plant off-season cover crops.

Enhance Biological Control
Intercropping
Companion Planting
Converting to Perennial Crops
Sustainable Pasture Management 
Multi species Grazing
Agro Forestry

Organic Farming

“an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.” 

Organic Crop Production (Priniciples & Practices)

Priniciples

Biodiversity
Integration of Enterprises
Sustainability
Natural Plant 
Nutrition
Natural Pest Management

Practices

Crop Rotation
Green Manure
Cover Crops
Intercropping
Biocontrol
Farmscaping
Animal Manure
Composting
Natural Fertiliser
Foliar Fertiliser
Natural Pesticides 
Least Tillage 
Mulching