Scaling Sustainable Farming - GRE Clinic

Farming & Soil
1

Clinic 2

GRE Clinic : Scaling Sustainable Farming Practices for Smallholder Farmers

Date: 24th April 2025

Objective:

The clinic aimed to explore sustainable farming practices suited for smallholder farmers and facilitate direct knowledge exchange between grassroots organizations and domain experts.

Experts:

  • Dr. Sunil Kumar Pandey (Trust Community Livelihoods - TCL)

  • Ravindranath Shukla (Trust Community Livelihoods - TCL)

  • Rajesh Agarwal (Ibtada)

  • Narender Chaudhury (Ibtada)

Participating Organizations:

  • PRO Rural Society (Arunachal Pradesh)

  • Shakti Organisation (Odisha)

  • Partners in Village Transformation (Pavitra)

Participants from Pavitra:

  • Raghunath Achari (Livestock)

  • Ajay Kumar Meena

  • Ashutosh Pal (Agri Livelihoods)

  • Laxmi Priya Nayak (Health sector)

Participants from Shakti Organisation:

  • Vikram Panwar

  • Solman

  • Dhabaleswar Bag

Participants from PRO Rural Society:

  • Pfokho John

  • Vikhuli Achumi

Key Discussions and Responses:

1. Scaling Farm Mechanization for Smallholders

Query: How can smallholder farmers access farm mechanization? (Ashutosh Pal)
Response:

  • Dr. S.K. Pandey recommended promoting Agri Entrepreneurs and Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) to rent farm equipment affordably.

2. Marketing of Farm Produce

Query: How can smallholders improve market linkages for their produce?
Response:

  • Dr. S.K. Pandey emphasized leveraging Agri Entrepreneurs and FPCs for collective marketing efforts.

3. Challenges in Jhum Cultivation and Mechanization

Query: How can mechanization be adapted for Jhum cultivation on steep slopes? (Pfokho John)
Response:

  • Ravindranath Shukla explained that heavy mechanization is unnecessary.

  • Small tools suited to local conditions can be used, and modifications to these tools can enhance their efficiency.

4. Promoting Climate-Resilient Farming

Query: How can smallholder farmers make their farming more climate-resilient? (Vikram Panwar)
Response:

  • Rajesh Agarwal suggested:

    • Adopting multiple cropping, minimum tillage, and spot mulching.

    • Building farm ponds for rainwater harvesting.

    • Shifting towards orchard plantations for stable, long-term income.

    • Use low-cost pot irrigation systems (Matka Paddhati) instead of drip irrigation.

  • Ashutosh Pal recommended cultivating area-specific millets and pulses using natural farming methods.

  • Dr. S.K. Pandey stressed on increasing soil organic carbon for water retention.

5. Use of Plastic Bottles in Pot Irrigation

Query: Can plastic bottles substitute pots for irrigation in Matka Paddhati? (Ashutosh Pal)
Response:

  • Rajesh Agarwal advised against using plastic bottles, citing soil health concerns.

  • If unavoidable, bottles should be filled frequently and used carefully, but pots are strongly preferred.

6. Managing Termites in Mulched Farms

Query: How to manage termite problems caused by mulching? (Ashutosh Pal)
Response:

  • Rajesh Agarwal recommended using neem-based solutions like neem oil and leaf extracts, and breaking termite colonies to prevent regrowth.

  • Dr. S.K. Pandey suggested Metarhizium anisopliae bio-fungus with cow dung or cow urine mixtures for natural termite control.

7. Suggested Crops and Models for Small Farmers

Query: What crops and interventions are suitable for smallholders? (Vikram Panwar)
Response:

  • Rajesh Agarwal proposed:

    • Maize and Bajra as rainfed crops.

    • Cultivating pulses like Green Gram, Black Gram, Pigeon Pea.

    • Promoting mixed cropping for soil health and climate resilience.

    • Setting up gravity-fed irrigation systems for vegetable cultivation.

    • Promote fruit crops like Ber (Bael), Guava, and Gooseberry with an estimated plantation density of 125–150 plants per acre.

  • Dr. S.K. Pandey recommended choosing drought-resistant varieties like Groundnut.

8. Fellowship Model Availability

Query: Is there a fellowship model available for field interventions? (Vikram Panwar)
Response:

  • (No specific response recorded)

Closing Remarks:

Rajesh Agarwal highlighted the importance of geographical specificity in designing farming interventions.
Knowledge seekers must provide detailed information about their regional practices and conditions to enable more customized and actionable advice.

Key Takeaways:

  • Farm mechanization and market access for smallholders require collective models like FPCs.

  • Natural and climate-resilient farming practices are crucial for sustainability.

  • Local innovations and traditional ecological knowledge play a significant role in rural transformation.

  • Playbooks and hands-on guidance are effective in bridging the gap between knowledge and field action.