Pulses cultivation needs attention
INDIAN diet primarily consists of cereals and pulses. According to a recent finding, proteins and protective foods are not available to the average Indian. If every one is given a balance diet there will be a shortage of 27 per cent of foodgrains and 50 per cent of pulses, besides huge deficiency of fruits, vegetables, oil, fats, milk, etc. The rate of improvement in the case of protein rich pulses leaves much to be desired.

Why honey granulates
HONEY is a sweet viscid material produced by the bees out of nectar obtained from plant nectaries, chiefly floral, and is composed largely of a mixture of the two sugars, glucose (grape sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar) dissolved in about 17 per cent of water.

Guidelines for orchardists
THE Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry has recommended the following cultural operations to be followed by orchardists in Himachal Pradesh in February.

• Farm operations for February

Draft paper on agricultural scene
By P.P.S. Gill

A draft strategic action plan for development — 2020, got prepared by the Union Ministry of Agriculture, is now available with the state governments for study and discussion. This has been documented by the B.V. Rao Centre for Sustainable Food Security, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Taramani (Chennai).

The document reflects the “perspective for the national agriculture policy” of New Delhi. “Agriculture in the service of the nation” is theme of the draft.

Before suggesting the strategic action plan for development, the draft paper summarises the agricultural scene in India after Independence and focuses on the fact that “political priority has to be given to agriculture”. It quotes Dr M.S. Swaminathan, who emphasises that while the government (in New Delhi) did take concerted steps to meet the minimum needs of the population for food, it, however, tended to overlook the potential to utilise agriculture as an “engine for economic growth and job creation”.

Even the rural credit system has been blamed for imbalances — a policy deficiency — which requires a fresh initiative. In fact, sample field studies in different parts of the country showed that the institutional credit system has further raised the demand for informal credit.

The draft also speaks of the need to reconsider the policy on subsidies. This was important because as a consequence of these, under pricing of inputs is a major cause of indiscriminate and wasteful use of these inputs, raising the cost of production and contributing to degradation of land, pollution of water resources and over exploitation of ground water. The main agricultural inputs, water, electricity, fertiliser and credit, are all being supplied to farmers at prices which do not cover the cost incurred in providing them. Policies to arrest and reverse the runaway increases in these losses are therefore necessary.

The draft also refers to the need of policy initiative in the field of trade policy, reconsideration of subsidies, both as an economic policy and as a requirement of WTO obligations, and the need for a self-regulatory system in place of a market support policy as at present.

The strategic action plan throws light on and stresses the need for “growth” entailing sustainable development, ensuring not just food but even nutrient security and avoidance of profligacy in farm practices to avoid ecological imbalance. There has to be a proper mix of “geonomics and molecular, information technology and ecotechnology” to improve productivity. In sum, need for “integrated natural resource management”.

The second is extension, followed by democratic decentralisation, reduction in regional imbalances and ensuring equity; land use policy to ensure ecological balance and area specific cropping without ignoring socio-political and socio-economic parameters; globalisation and commercialisation through existing and new institutions for providing financial and technological support; food quality and safety by setting up institutions to ensure phytosanitary conditions, grading, standardisation and management systems approach etc.

In fact, both globalisation and commercialisation will be dominant motif in the new millennium. For this huge funds would be needed for post-harvest and process industry. The draft points out that, for instance, in order to achieve the envisaged growth rate of 4.5 per cent in agriculture and allied sector during the Ninth Plan period, 1997-2002, the working group has estimated the credit support required from institutional sources (banks) at Rs 2,29,750 crore. Of this Rs 80,350 crore would be for medium and long-term credit and the remaining Rs 1,49,400 crore for meeting short-term credit requirements.

The study suggest that this was the right time for an agricultural commission to go into the question of delivery of credit system and the need for new institutions for the delivery systems, now that agriculture is a commercial proposition with good export potential and to suggest reforms. The reforms should imply considerable balancing of conflicting interests. Only a higher growth path which is based on the growth of the agricultural sector and that too on small, marginal and other resources — poor farmers and in backward and dry land areas would be consistent with the achievements of these objectives”.

The study is just one aspect of the need for stepping up agricultural productivity. The government is seized of the need for remodelling the agriculture administration and academics as well to prepare personnel who could fit in the private sector as resource personnel.

Restructuring the entire agricultural and allied fields being taught at present in the universities is also suggested. With rapid urbanisation agriculture would be required to play key functions in sustaining the urban infrastructure. For that forward and backward linkages for rural area development with equal distribution of social and economic justice was required. Even rural infrastructure itself shall have to be strengthened and expanded in the light of growth being envisaged in the new millennium because from sowing to processing India has to treat the world as one compact market in which its producers (who are consumers as well) must get proper benefits including from exports.

A look at the crop and climatic zones shows the potential to exploit some areas, particularly the North-East, while ensuring a better deal to the already developed areas life Punjab and Haryana. The real service to the nation by agriculture will be wholesome only if an integrated approach and diversified cropping is done in a cost-effective manner.

Pulses cultivation needs attention
By Suraj Bhan Dahiya

INDIAN diet primarily consists of cereals and pulses. According to a recent finding, proteins and protective foods are not available to the average Indian. If every one is given a balance diet there will be a shortage of 27 per cent of foodgrains and 50 per cent of pulses, besides huge deficiency of fruits, vegetables, oil, fats, milk, etc. The rate of improvement in the case of protein rich pulses leaves much to be desired.

On the contrary, over the years the availability of pulses in India is declining from 64 gm per capita per day in 1951-56 to less than 40 gm today as against the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s recommendation of 80 gm. If we take into account the total protein nutrition derived from other protein sources such as foodgrains, milk, egg, fish, meat, etc. then 50 mg per capita per day requirement of pulses may be the realistic target. As a result of inadequate protein consumption, a majority of our working force is lethargic and sluggish. It is estimated that the country’s population will touch about 135 crore by 2020 A.D. The country would then need some 30.3 million tonnes of pulses as a minimum essential for a healthy active life.

The total area under pulses remained virtually stagnant (22-24 million hectares) with almost stable production (12-14 million tonnes) over the past four decades. The stagnation was due largely to lack of any breakthrough in yields, crippling their competitiveness vis-a-vis alternative crops for acreage. Because of low yield, pulses have been pushed more and more towards marginal and low productivity lands. Pulses are energy rich crops but are cultivated largely under energy starvation conditions. More than 78 per cent of the area under pulses is still rainfed.

During the eighties, when India is set to be the major global player in the 21st century, the pulses were mandated in the oilseed technology missing. Though the mission has lost much of its vitality some improvement in the productivity after the release of dozens of improved varieties of pulses has, however, been noticed during the past couple of years. The production has gone up from 14.24 million tonnes in 1996-97 to 15.90 million tonnes in 1998-99.

A little impetus is needed in pulses production now. There is good scope for expansion of area under pulses in various cropping systems where production can be increased both by horizontal and vertical expansions. With the new technology developed at least-12-13 million hectares can be added which will help in increasing pulses production by 5-6 million tonnes.

Pulses have secondary status in the farming system. Farmers generally grow pulses on sub-marginal lands, mainly for their own needs. Interpreted in terms of future needs, the minimum goal of nutrition implies that for every 10 million increase in population, India would have to increase the pulses by 60 per cent. Above all, more and more people the worldover are switching over to vegetarian diet, the demand of pulses from India would go up appreciably in future. Pulses are also important in livestock feeding. The potential for the use of pulse legumes as well as forage legumes in maintaining soil fertility is also great in the county. Attention is, therefore, necessary for their improvement and a substantial increase in their production.

Last year when India’s agricultural exports showed generally decline trend — down by 9.5 per cent in the first half of 1999 those of pulses looked up firmly clocking a whopping 56 per cent rise in dollar terms. Apparently pulses export from India has managed to strengthen its position in the international.

Quite rightly, India has an edge over other pulses producing countries in terms of both capacity as well as quality of pulses’ processing. This would make it possible to import raw pulses also for re-export after processing and with value addition even if domestic output and demand are evenly matched. Such strategies are very commonly adopted by the leading nations and if India is to attain world power status it has to follow this art of trade.

Why honey granulates
By Y.S. Chandel and Arun Kumar

HONEY is a sweet viscid material produced by the bees out of nectar obtained from plant nectaries, chiefly floral, and is composed largely of a mixture of the two sugars, glucose (grape sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar) dissolved in about 17 per cent of water. It also contains small amounts of sucrose (cane sugar), mineral matters, vitamins, proteins, enzymes, etc. Most of the extracted honey varieties solidify like ghee during winters and such solidified honey is said to be granulated. Granulation is an undesirable property of honey as it makes the honey difficult to handle. Moreover, the consumers consider the granulated honey as adulterated one but this is a wrong belief. Therefore, it is of interest to know why honey granulates.

Most of the honey varieties are supersaturated with respect to glucose at ordinary temperature and a part of this sugar tends to separate out in the form of crystals under certain conditions. Glucose particles are pure white in colour, that is why honey becomes lighter in colour (compared to its liquid state) as granulation progresses. Honey granulation mainly depends on two factors — its composition and storage condition. Honey composition in turn depends upon from where the nectar is collected by the bees. In various honey varieties, glucose and fructose contents have wide difference. Glucose quantity varies from 22 to 41 per cent and that of fructose ranges from 27 to 44 per cent. If fructose is to glucose ratio is less than one i.e. proportion of glucose is more than fructose, such honey will certainly granulate. Toria and sarson honey is in this category. The honey in which fructose is more than glucose, such honey either granulates late or does not granulate. The tendency of granulation is generally more in the honey where fructose/glucose ratio is 1 to 1.2 (exception is jamun honey where this ratio is 1:1. The honey with fructose/glucose ratio of 1:3 or more than this granulates very late.

This ratio of glucose to water also gives indication about the tendency of granulation. If this ratio is less than 1:7, honey will not granulate. At glucose/water ratio of 2:1 or more, the honey will granulate rapidly. However, the honey having a moisture content above 18 per cent increases the risk of fermentation.

The temperature at which honey is stored is important as far as granulation is concerned. The temperature of 10 to 160 C is most favourable for granulation. The temperature below 100 C slows down the granulation process. Honey stored at 10 C or lower remains liquid. Granulated honey restores to liquid state above 270 C.

Besides honey composition and storage conditions as described before, the presence of foreign particles such as pollen grains, wax suspended particles, dirt particles and air bubbles also serve as nuclei for granulation. Pollen is brought by the bees from the flowers along with nectar. Other particles contaminate honey during honey extraction. The presence of glucose particles in the old honey storage containers also serve as nuclei for granulation.

To delay or avoids granulation, the commercial agencies process honey which involves heating of honey at 77° C for four to five minutes and filtering it to remove all particles that might act as nuclei for granulation. The honey is then cooled rapidly to about 57° C, immediately bottled and capped. The heating destroys the yeast cells which ferment honey and also destroys crystal nuclei of glucose which are invisible to the naked eyes. On the other hand, heating affects honey quality as the enzymes are destroyed and the honey looses its aroma and flavour. Hence the consumers should develop the habit to honey in granulated form. In some countries consumers like the granulated honey more as compared to liquid honey and granulation is even done artificially. Such is known as “ cream honey” which has the texture like butter. To make this cream honey, about 5 per cent honey of smaller particles is mixed as starter and after some time the entire lot of the container granulates.

For bringing the granulated honey to liquid state, the honey container can be kept in warm water or hot sun to restore the liquid state.

Guidelines for orchardists
By Atul Kumbhkarni

THE Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry has recommended the following cultural operations to be followed by orchardists in Himachal Pradesh in February:

Deciduous fruit trees:

— In sub-temperate and temperate high hills, apply farmyard manure and inorganic fertilisers (phosphatic and potash) to the plants after melting of snow if these are not applied earlier.

— In the mid-hill region, complete the pome (apple,pear), stone fruit (peach, apricot, plum and almond) and kiwi plantation work.

— In the wet temperate high hills and dry temperate regions, which are covered with snow, procure and store materials for plantation after melting of the snow.

— In the mid-hill region, apply half dose of nitrogenous fertilisers in pear @ 1.4 kg per basin in trees ageing 10 years or more.

— Remove the snow from the tree branches.

— Complete training and pruning work, especially in peach and almond trees, before 20 days of flowering.

— Initiate the grafting work in pome fruit, cherry and walnut.

— In sub-temperate mid-hills, spray Hindustan Petroleum oil @ 2.01 litres per 100 litres of water at silver tip to pink bud stage for the control of sanjose scale in apple.

— For the management of wooly aphid and peach leaf curl in peach, almond and plum, spray methyl dematon (Metasystox 25 EC) a 100 ml per 100 litres of water or Dimethoate (Rogor 30 EC) a 100 ml per 100 litres of water or phosomidon @ 35 ml per 100 litres of water in combination with carbendazim or 50 gm Bavistin per 100 liters of water or copper oxychloride @ 300 gm per 100 litres of water.

— In stone fruits, for checking the bacterial canker, spray streptocycline @ 10 gm per 100 litres of water.

— In the lower and mid-hills cuttings of grapes having three to four buds. Each stick should be planted at a distance of 15 cm in nursery. Three-fourths of the cutting should remain above the ground and one-fourth immersed in the soil. The cutting may be treated with 5000 PPM Indole Butyric Acid (IBA) for effective rooting.

Ever green fruit trees:

— Apply farmyard manure and inorganic fertilisers (super phosphate) potash, if these have not been already applied.

— Give first application of half dose of nitrogenous fertilisers to the tree basing of mango citrus fruit and litchi trees as follows

Mango (bearing year) : 1 kg of CAN and 1 kg of potash per tree basin.

Mango (non-bearing year): 0.5 kg CAN and 1 kg potash per tree basin.

Litchi: 1.25 kg CAN per tree basin.

Citrus fruit: 1.5 kg CAN per tree basin.

Loquat: 1.6 kg of CAN per tree basin.

— Remove and destroy the dried, diseased, and insect and pest-infested tree branches. Keep the tree basin free of weeds.

Farm operations for February

Wheat:

— What sown during December needs second irrigation. In light-textured soil, third dose of nitrogen may be applied through 27 kg urea per acre after the second irrigation.

— Wheat plants affected with flag smut, especially in Hoshiarpur district, should be rogued out and burnt to reduce the inoculum potential for next year.

Oil seed crops:

— To save the oilseed crops from frost damage, irrigation may be applied at the time of flowering.

— In case severe incidence of mustard aphid is noticed then spray the crop with 400 ml Metasystox 25 EC/Rogor 30 EC/Thiodan 35 EC/Ekalux 25 EC/Anthio 25 EC/Malathion 50 EC or 600 ml of Darsban/Coroban 20 EC or 60-100 ml Dimecron/Cildon/Phosolic 65 SL in 125 litres of water per acre. This spray must be carried out in the afternoon when the pollinators are less active.

— To check alternaria blight on raya pods, the crop may be sprayed with 250 g/acre Blitox 50 WP or Indofil M-45 in 100 litres of water.

— In taramira, check aphid by spraying 200 ml of Rogor 30 EC/250 ml of Metasystox 25 EC in 100 litres of water per acre.

Sunflower:

— Sowing of sunflower should be completed at the earliest as delayed sowing causes reduction in yield and give preference to early maturing hybrids like NSFH-592, GKSFH-2002. Under such situations transplanting of one-month-old seedlings of sunflower hybrids give better yield than seeding during this month. Late sown crop also matures late and delays the sowing of the succeeding crop. Sow the crop in rows 60 cm apart with plant to plant spacing of 30 cm. The sunflower performs better when planted on southern side of east-west ridges. Place the seed about 6-8 cm below the ridge top. Apply irrigation to ridge sown crop 2-3 days after sowing. Take care that water level in the ridges remains well below the seed placement line.

— Treat the seed with Thiram @ 2g/kg of seed before sowing. Two kg seed is sufficient for sowing one acre.

— Apply 50 kg of urea and 75 kg of single superphosphate at the time of sowing. Also drill 20 kg muriate of potash on soils testing low in potassium.

— Cut worm damage in sunflower can be prevented by applying 2 litres of Chlorpyriphos 20 EC after mixing with 10 kg of soil at the time of sowing in the field crop sown on ridges is also found to be less attacked by this pest.

Pulses:

— Lentil crop may be irrigated for getting better returns.

— Gram caterpillars feed on leaves, flowers and pods. To check them, spray one litre of Thiodan or 100 ml sumicidin/Fenlik Agrofen 20 EC or 160 ml Decis 2.6 EC or 60 ml Cymbush 25 EC in 100 litres of water.

Sugarcane:

— Start sowing of sugarcane from the second fortnight of this month, use recommended varieties i.e. CoJ-86, CoJ-83, CoP-211, CoJ-64 (early maturing), CoJ-82, CoJ-84 for mid season and Co-1148 (late maturing variety).

— The seed selected for planting should be free from red rot, wilt, smut, ratoonstunting and grassy shoot diseases. Disinfect cane setts in 0.5 per cent (500g in 100 litres of water) Agallol (3 per cent) or 0.25 per cent (250 g in 100 litres of water) solution of Aretan (6 per cent) or Bagallol (6 per cent).

— To check the attack of termite and early shoot borer to the germinated crops. Sprinkle 2 litres of Lindane 20 EC diluted in 500 litres of water or apply 7.5 kg granules of Sevidol 4:4G per acre on cane setts in furrows at the time of sowing.

— Application of Atrataf 50 EP (Atrazine), Tafazine 50 EP (Simazine)/Sencor 70 WP (Metribuzin) or Hexuron 80 WP (Diuron) @ 800 g/acre as pre-emergence application provide effective control of annual grasses and broadleaf weeds.

— Sugarcane may be planted after applying 65 kg of urea per acre. Apply one-third N (30 kg of N or 65 kg of urea/acre) at the end of March to the autumn crops.

— Progressive Farming, PAU