ನಡೆದ ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯದ ಘಟನೆ

The organic farmers meeting in Bangalore was to be held on 26-1-2009.I wrote to Kalam on 20-1-09.On 23-1-09 I had an email in my box which was from C.P.C.R.I.Vittal asking me to provide root to my plot.Next day C.P.C.R.I.Vittal director Dr.Balasinha,Dr.Ravi Bhat, Dr.Mariamma were in my plot at 12 pm. They viewed my plot,confirmed that it was affected by root grub. They were visibly a little bit angry with me,their argument was I had not consulted them before.They said that I was done nothing to eradicate rootgrub. I had not done forking the land was chief among them.Even though I had applied chemicals they cant agree with me.But they offered help to me in future. I learned the scientific name of the grub,bermistry ,in short. About three days after another scientist from Bangalore G.K.V.K. Dr.A.R.V.Kumar came to my plot. I was not impressed by Scientist from Vittal. But Kumar sir explained in detail about grub problem.He made us dig the land and search for grubs. He explained the difference between several grubs.In the afternoon he gave a talk on grubs to us using his laptop.Those who present were impressed. Most importantly his views corresponded with our view in several matters. Later he asked our full cooperation in controlling the grub problem. He asked us to conduct a seminar on grub problem in near future for that I agreed. My impression was that to conduct a seminar with a scientist attending would invite participants as well as sponsors too. But to my horror it was a different story.

I WAS ANGRY WITH DR. KALAM

In the meantime I heard that Karnataka state government is organizing a organic farmers meeting in Bangalore. Apart from others Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam,former president of India participate in the meeting. I am told that Dr.Kalam is going to administer oath to farmers that they will carry organic farming. I have lost faith in organic farming. I heard about several organic farmers. In my opinion organic farming is a platform to some farmers to sell their products in exorbitant price. Several of them purchase inputs to their products from markets which need not be organic. I think that if some farmers truly believe in their oath and started to practice organic farming all of sudden they may commit suicide. I have respect for Dr.Kalam . I wanted to show the futility of organic farming . Actually I never expected a reply. My anger was that when there was no solution to my problem,either organic or inorganic, how dare these people claim that organic farming will solve farmers difficulties. Mark this, successful organic farmers always cultivates in ideal condition. But most of the farmers do not have this advantage. They have to fight with several problems. One day I searched for Dr.Kalams email address and ultimately got one. I write a letter to Kalam sir explaining my problem and asked him to do something .My request was to search for a phermone trap or identify a biological control. When I was typing massage my son asked with me what would Kalam do? I was th roughing a stone , I don't know who will read my letter. Even if Kalam sir read it I do not know whether he will do anything. But there was a chance, if and only if he took interest and asked somebody to do something , there was a remote chance of getting a solution to my problem. I said with my son that I do not expect personal reply , I will be very happy if some person somewhere took initiative to find a solution to grub problem. BUT WHAT HAPPENED IS BEYOND MY IMAGINATION .

ಮುಗಿಯದ ಗೊಂದಲ

Suggestions to eradicate the white grub problem are many. Applying laterite soil or mura mannu is one amongst them. We do not have quality laterite soil nearby. Hence we removed the soil from the pit of dead arecanut palm and refilled it with red soil which we have in the vicinity. And drenched it with chloropyriphose. My worker said at that time that if the plant failed to survive in this pit we can stop replanting . All those plants survived for only one year. The next advice was that plot must be forked and grubs be removed manually. As I got some workers from Gadag Part of the plot was forked and grubs was picked and destroyed.Everyday hundreds of grubs were collected and destroyed. The work was done in the month of September. But to my surprise instead of recovering the plot deteriorated further. Now I lost all hope. But in these periods I found that several farmers are suffering from this problem. To some I suggested the use of chloropyriphose or phorate. To my surprise atleast one of them said that he got good result with the pesticide. One thing is certain. Those pesticides which I use are recommended worldwide for grub problem. Hence medicine is correct. May be timing and methodology of application is wrong. But every where it was recommended to apply in the month of May-June or August-September. Instead of pouring the pesticide it was advised to dig some holes in the areca pit and put pesticide there. It was tried.And it took the whole months work .No improvements was noticed. In the meanwhile about 700 palm were destroyed.And my income was considerably decreased. To be frank more than the whitegrub problem comments from others was unbearable. Simply farmers were not understand why grubs attack only a few plots? While some plots shows recovery why others not? Hence we got the reputation of lazy farmers,I am not cultivating the land, grubs are everywhere because of my poor maintenance, it was problem to me, and they successfully controlled this menace. And some merchants in the guise of organic farming,try to sell their products. One such person visited our plot. I showed him part of the plot which had no problem. He immediately proclaimed that all of our problem aroused from imbalance in the nutrient supply. Solution- purchasing manure from his company. We proceeded to the grub attacked plot and explained the problem . His reaction is very simple . In the evening beetles come and sit in plants in the boundary. Stroke it and collect it.We laughed behind him because that plot did not had boundary plants. In this way several persons tried their best to sell their products to us. Everyone claiming their product was best in controlling the grub problem. I lost faith in organic products with this. I decided that it is not possible for me to retain the arecanut plants for a long time. Since I manage rubber plantation I have something to eat. Last year the income from the arecanut plot was not sufficient to pay labour charges. Some farmers say other crops like banana, cocoa can be cultivated in these plot. But in my plot both these plants wont worked. I decided to plant acacia and ordered for 5000 plants.

ಮುಂದುವರಿದ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆ ಪರಿಹಾರವೆಲ್ಲಿ

After a long time my broadband connection was reestablished. What was said by Mr. K.M.Bhat was believable at that time. He said that chloropyriphose is systemic poison. Hence whole plant become poisonous.The grubs which directly contacted the poison will die. Those which escaped direct contact will die when it eats arecanut roots.The poison will remain in the soil for about 20 years in dry weather. It may remain for 3 years in the open conditions. Hence I may have to apply poison for every 3 years. Days passed.I did not wanted to give root grub second chance to reemerge. Hence I decided and applied chloropyriphose second time in the month of May which is the right time of treatment.The price of arecanut had fallen to 40 rupees from 150 rupees at that time. But rootgrubs emerged in the monsoon period . Then I started to talk about this problem with every one. Several suggestions came forward. As grubs feed upon organic matter organic fertilizers must be avoided.Only chemical fertilizers must be applied to the plot. Grubs will die if it is submerged under water. I asked our workers to dig arecanut pits between two plants. My idea was to put organic matter in those pits. Then organic matter wont had direct contact with the plants. I put P.V.C.pipes at the end of drainage canals,so as to close it whenever necessary. I tried to submerge the plot under water in the month of August. But I could submerge only two patte or four lines of the plot.After one week when the drainage was opened we observed a few dead grubs. But the problem is that we cannot do this experiment in the whole plot. Because the plot is sandy in nature. But what I observed in summer period is disgusting. Grub problem was visible in extended area.

ಸಾರೀ, ಬ್ರಾಡ್ಬ್ಯಾಂಡ್ disconnected

Due to some technical reasons and lethargy of bsnl officials my broadband was disconnected for sometime. Even though technically I have broadband connection I couldn't open any page. Hence I am unable to write to anything. Now I am writing this using air tel mobile as modem. This is very slow and disgusting. I took almost 90 minutes to open this page. Mean while I am waiting for Dr.Kumars visit to Markanja for studying white grub problem. I am in no mood to write anymore .thank you.

ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಯ ಆರಂಭ

When I started to manage my plantation in 1995 I wanted to become an exemplary farmer in the locality. I was in the plantation throughout the day . When the irrigation period started I was in the plot in night also. I changed the sprinkler jets every hour and practically I could not sleep in night. During day time my motor pump was and is not working because of low voltage. In the year 2000 I got the result for my work in the form of yield.On an average I got 2.95 kg arecanut per plant.I was not satisfied. I wanted 3.25kg supari per plant. When I inspected the plot I found that a patch of land gave very low yield. The plot was considered as water logging area. I increased the number as well as depth of the drainage canals. Next year I got a shock. Some of the plants weakened and died. Earlier some workers showed me some grubs resembling larvae of beetles in the soil. At that time I laughed at them and assured them that it will not harm the plant . In my opinion those grubs will eat only organic dead material. In the meanwhile I heard that one of neighbor also had the same problem and he was able to manage it. I contacted him and got the phone no. of Mr. K.M.Bhat,Rallies India company's dealer. He came to the plot and showed me the symptoms of white grub attack. He assured that using chlorophiriphose will solve the problem . Even though it was a little late I can still apply the chemical. That was in the end of June month.After the treatment I did not find white grubs in the basin of arecanut plant but found it in other areas. When I asked him about this he said that chemical application was done only to the basin and not to other areas. I am fully satisfied and thought that I controlled white grub problem. THIS WAS NOT THE END OF THE PROBLEM BUT ONLY THE BEGINNING.

kALAM IS GREAT

As a president of India ,in my opinion, Kalam gave no opportunity to criticize him except in the Bihar fiasco. After retirement he is active in teaching and motivating countrymen. As a farmer I had a problem of white grub in my arecanut plantation. In the beginning Mr. K.M.Bhat of Rallies India identified the problem and asked me to apply chloropyriphose . This was in end of the June month of 2001 perhaps. Afterwords every year I applied either chloropyriphose or phorate to my field. White grub flourished and my plants started to die. At present I lost almost half of my plantation. I lost hope of retaining arecanut plantation . Suddenly somehow I thought of sending an e mail to Kalam sir . I searched for his mail address and send a mail describing my story. Within four days C.P.C.R.I.Vittals scientists visited my plot and assured all help. And in afew days A scientist from G.K.V.K.Benglore came to my house and asked pemission to do some field trials . Idont know what Kalam did , but all these things happened because of him. I lost an oportunity to criticize Kalam sir. That is why I say Kalam is great. We need leaders like him.