The Hindu : Karnataka News : Red-gram grower wins best farmer award for 2006-07

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 17, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Red-gram grower wins best farmer award for 2006-07

T.V. Sivanandan

He achieved the highest yield of 11 quintals an acre

He believes in traditional organic farming methods
He has only used organic compost to increase fertility

Chitrashekar Patil

GULBARGA: Red gram-growing progressive farmer in Tada Teganur village, in the outskirts of Gulbarga city, has won the prestigious award from the State Government for the best farmer for having the highest yield in red gram last year.

Yield

Farmer Chitrashekar Patil, who had already won the district-level progressive farmers award a few years ago, has added one more feather in his cap by winning the best farmer achieving highest yield in red gram, with an yield of 11 quintals per acre during the 2006-07 season.

Mr. Patil, who owns around 32 acres of land, is a firm believer in traditional organic farming methods. He personally tends to his crops and does not leave work to workers.

Mr. Patil, who had come up in life the hard way, told The Hindu that his belief that hard work always pays dividends had come true. Of his 32 acres, 10 acres was under irrigation and the remaining 22 were still dependent on rains for agriculture.

Traditional ways

He said that he never used chemical fertilizers in his fields, but used organic compost to increase fertility.

He seldom used chemical pesticides but used bio-pesticides to control pest menace.

Mr. Patil said that usually the yield in his fields ranged from 10 to 11 quintals an acre, but this was for the first time that he had participated in the competition organised by the State Government for different crops every year.

Scientific methods

Father of four children, Mr. Patil said the scientific methods of agriculture was the reason behind his success.

He said that at the time of sowing, he had ensured a minimum four-feet distance from each crop to prevent excessive growth. He took up the cutting of the crops after a certain height, which would ensure more number of branches in each plant.

“Thinning” of the crop would be taken up at the time of pod formation, he said.

ICPL variety

He added that like every year, this year, too, he had taken up cultivation of ICPL 8863 variety, popularly known as “Maruti”, in his lands.

He had taken up red gram in seven acres of land; in the remaining he had cultivated bengal gram, jowar and other minor pulses.

Happiness

On getting this award, Mr. Patil said, “I feel very happy; I did not expect this award.”

The award carries a cash purse of Rs. 30,000, a certificate and a citation.

World Farmer’s Day

The presentation to the farmers will be on December 23 on the occasion of World Farmers’ Day.

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