Cultivating vegetables the Jyapu way

Cultivating vegetables the Jyapu way

THE JYAPU farmers use their own farming techniques, fertilisers and pesticides. And, though they have no formal training in genetics or plant breeding, they maximise yields.

The process begins with digging and turning the soil. The land is ploughed with a crooked hoe called a ku. If the soil is too moist, the field is allowed to dry for a day or two and the clods are broken and pulverised.

After pulverisation, the field is divided into sunken and raised plots. Because the soil in the region is heavy clay, vegetables such as cauliflower and cabbage that are susceptible to water logging are cultivated on the raised beds and other vegetables like spinach, garlic and onion are grown on the sunken beds. The raised beds also help to check soil erosion and preserve ground moisture during dry periods. The beds vary in width from 1 metre to 1.5 m and run along the length of the field.

After the beds are made, pebbles, weeds and previous crop residues are removed. Compost is mixed evenly before the field is readied for sowing.

For manure, the Jyapus use a mixture of black clay called kalimati, agricultural wastes and human excreta. Compost is prepared by turning over the mixture two or three times at intervals of 30 days in winter and 15-20 days in summer, until a greyish black, fine dust appears on the surface and the texture is moist. To prevent nutrient loss, the compost is covered with plastic sheets or other protective material.

Despite their small holdings, the Jyapus practice crop rotation and inter-cropping and grow a wide range of vegetables -- from potato, radish and tomato to cress and coriander. According to the farmers, when crops such as garlic, fragrant onion and coriander are mixed with crops like broad leaf mustard, pest attacks are reduced. Mixed cropping also reduces the risk of crop failure, uses moisture and nutrients more efficiently and reduces evaporation of moisture from the soil by keeping the whole field covered.

The farmers occasionally use indigenous pesticides. Tobacco leaf extract and washing soap solution are sprayed to repel small insects such as aphids. Garlic, clove extracts and kerosene are used against caterpillars, cut worms and aphids. The leaf and extracts of china berry are also used as insecticides.