Eco-friendly and Land Use of Policy Issues on Floriculture in J&k

Agricultural Production has entered new era of competitive-low-cost production oriented enterprise. The cost-benefit ratio decide the mode of Farming. Global marketing needs some charges at base level. Farmers have to be cost conscious and need new strategies of mixing various farming option like Agriculture, Horticulture, Livestock husbandry and Floriculture activities. A new model for incorporating all these fields in a co-friendly mode is discussed.

Agricultural research and development in current millinium has assumed global prospective. Our farm productive strategies revolve around new themes as :

More economic Agri-Production farming rather than increased production.

More sustainable and eco-friendly Farming rather than what was chemical warfare Farming of yester years.

Eco-friendly land use. This advocates mixed farming ,

i.e a combine of :

and allied farming sectors. Farming akin to land and agro-climatic conditions. Farming with limited pressures on water, land and environment of the area. This is why floriculture is important.

Needs:

Appropriate mixed technology in tune with natural resources. An agricultural mission for efficient Resource management, bridging gap between current farm yield and potential Farm yield. Use of bio-technology and bio-informatics for identification of economically viable cropping options and combinations. We should talk of Eco-conducive-germplasm-base instead of high productive - germplasm, uncompetable to our natural resources.

Economic Farming means cost effective use of

Soil, Water resources, Without air/water pollution

It would sustain productivity of natural resources, crop rotation and integrated use of plant nutrients, may too be accommodated in cropping ventures. The chemical fertilizers are to be replaced by use of agricultural waste materials, Plant residues, Dal weeds, left out materials, post harvest wastes, green manure, rainy season weeds or abundant vegetation, green weeds, city drains, human excreta, animal manure, forest wastes, agriculture left out substances, bio-mass, bio-fertilizers, stall wastes & even pigeon beats etc.

Nutrient cycling system has to be evolved by Analysis of each agro-climatic zone lands. The integrated nutrient management system, has to be evolved.

A new, refined, Govt-agri policy is needed. New Institution support system, excellent marketing networks are to be proposed. For efficient land use we must wed traditional wisdom with improved technology, farmers training and profitable endproducts. This would plead for:

Use of information technology to increase profits from overall farming; cropping, animal aquaculture etc. Analysis of available data on processing, production and its documentation for use in project preparation, policy formulation is a basic necessity. A new sensitive laboratory facility is envisioned for input and output quality assessment.

Agriculture of today does not mean more production at environment cost but efficient and economic production, within environmental safeguards.

Our 65% population employment base is agriculture & its allied sectors like livestock etc. The needs are:

Food and environment security

Employment generation

Economic and asthelic taste.

We are in a phase of cultural and economic transit. This transformation Process brings,

New livelihood options,

New production & utilization system

Changed life styles & cultural habits

I do not know how many of us know about USDA’s national Arboretum of Washington DC A 444 acre arboretum now has dropped pesticide use by 75% during 1992-96. They call it new land scope pest Management (NL PM).

It was simple spot spraying i.e spray right where it is needed, i.e on diseased twig or branch or plant and only if it is needed.

This shift from blanket spraying to selected sprays saved 75% of pesticide cost, other saving were through reduced labour cost and eco-risk factors. We need safe equipments and labour health monitoring and analysis of data.

Another area which need attention is use of less toxic pesticides. We call them bio-rational pesticides. They reduced cost by 12-32% and consists of Horticulture oils insecticidal soaps ,insect growth regulators and predators.

Planning for less use of chemical pesticides is called landscapes integrated pest management. LIPM is different from IPM as garden has more plants by species. Their age, health-differs from monocrops like paddy or maize etc.

In a landscape garden, small-hundreds of plant species exists compared to single species, many plants in corn farm or paddy farm. Here in landscape 1 PM thrushold is aesthetic not economic. It is personnel and lovable flowers who need care. The hobby keeper pain thrushold is involved here yield or economic is on bottom line.

Here longevity of problem is a concern and consideration like off season disease, cull plants are to be considered. Here livelihood gardens are not involved like nursery owners. Therefore, more vigilant system is to be used like

Scouting, Consultants, Use of predators--- 20-50 mites, Or eggs

Few examples

Conifers have less pest problem but more management is needed through Scouting pruning, Removal, Replacement or Oil sprays release of predatory mites. New floriculture introductions like Bonsai have Low-to-non-existant threshold because they live under stress so more vulnerable to pest damage. Now other important aspects like medicinal plants need technological refinement and improvement. We have some species needing improvement like patris (Aconilum heterophyllen), Bazer bharg Hyocyamus negar, Kambai (Solanim nigrum), Datura (straminium spp.), Kahzaban – (Arenebia benthami), Bunafsha- (viola indica), Nunposh -(vodovata), Thethvan- (artemisia maritime), A.absinthuim Handh (Taraxacum afficinale), Koth (S.lappa) (Rhizoma) insect repeller , Isbandth (Peganim harmale), Kawdach (berberis lycuim cholera), wan wangun purgative (rhizone). Nunar (Portulaca oleraca) Lissa (chenopoduim botrys), sotsal (malva neglecta) sazaposh (alcea rosea). Another important aspect perfumes like kuth (sansurea lappa), rhizome (Ater salix aegyptiaca) male fower essence, gogal dhup (jurinea ceratocepra) (roots), kandij (morina longi folia), kasture (pedicularis breviflia), rhizomes (cyperus rotundus), are important medicinal plants.

We talk of trainings for Information analysis, monitoring disaster, Management floods droughts. Use of remote sensing and Global positioning system is needed. We in developing countries in future will have Industrial expansion, economic security. We need improved varieties, their rapid propagation through biotechnological use.

This is where we talk now of molecular farming, using biotechnology for more transgenic flowers, commercial floriculture, modification of flower colours.

Floriculture extension needs:

Farmer’s professional envisioning

Empowerment and ownership

Assured and quick profits

What is need a kit package

Social profiling of

Problems, Area , Appropriate tools and Feed back.

We need Analysis of Life philosophy, Cosmic relationship, Cultural practices

Moral Revitalization, Caring and sharing, RRL Introduced some. New varieties of Bacopa mo "Celery" Apium spp.

More studies on Cercis siliguastrujm, Judas tree cutting is needed.ICAR Horticulture Institute has 40 hybrids hippeastrum, 35 gerbera spp, 12 orchids, 130 Gladiolus, 4 Marigold and other lilium etc.

What have we done except some preliminary work on gladiolus application of growth regulation on Rosa damascera.

We said Maximum flowering production Flower weight was more.

Fox glove NPK studies, 75 : 25: 25 kg/ha gave maximum foliage. Gladiolus 100 : 50 : 50 kg/ha, Gave better floral characters.

Skill and knowledge are to be developed and spread, for more Economic success. We need to have propriatory and patent rights of our flowers, scents and species.

We need more discoveries, writings, artistic workers, product designers.

New issues in science are:

Patent writing (Haldi /Basmati). Research needs to incorporate Farmers,

Industry, Business houses in patenting our products.

Develop data base for patent formulations.

We need replacement of top down planning with gross root planning. More farmer’s participation reduced risks losses, healthy environment.

Research in past centered on improved seeds, irrigation, chemical use. We witnessed green revolution, freedom from hunger, but harmed environment.

Extension has to be First ranking scientific persuit. Our polity should be Independent and self conscious farmers, with records of annual balances, gains and losses, risks and benefits

Challenge:

Bring self- reliant proud farmer trained & Well versed in Agri-business.

I do not profess any revolution overnight on floriculture sector in J&K but what is needed at the moment shall be gross-root and top down interaction i.e Farmer- scientist – field –farmer- interaction.

NGO – policy maker awareness which is what we have aimed by proposing training programmes in SAMETI.