Innovative methods pay rich dividends

Kurnool: Farmers in Kurnool district are adopting different techniques to get rich yields from their crops. Two farmers, one from Talamudipi and the other from Pedda Tekuru village by covering their pomegranate crops with different colours of sarees are reaping unbelievable results. These two farmers are a standing inspiration to several other farmers in adopting different modes of protecting their crops.

Thota Rama Chandra Reddy of Talamudipi village under Nandikotkur constituency has first started this kind of cultivation in his 30 acres of land. With this kind of technique he is reaping incredible crop yields. After knowing the incredible yields reaped by Rama Chandra Reddy another farmer Maheshwara Reddy of Pedda Tekur village under Panyam constituency implemented the same kind of technique in his 40 acres of land.

He has cultivated pomegranate crop in his 40 acres of land situated adjacent to National Highway. Out of his 40 acres he has covered the 20 acre crop with sarees of different colors and the remaining 20 acres he covered the fruits with news papers.
Maheshwara Reddy purchased 10000 sarees by expending Rs.1.20 lakh with which he covered 20 acres of crop and purchased another 15 quintals of news papers to cover another twenty acres of crops. He said that this is one of the best techniques he has ever adopted.

To the best of our knowledge we all know that the plant saplings are reared under the shades of green houses so that the green houses would protect the plants from the sourcing heat and will help grow in a healthy manner. Later the grown up saplings would be planted in the open fields and left exposed to sunlight and other atmosphere. After continuous care the plants use to bear fruits.

To protect the fruits from spots and other diseases the farmer Thota Rama Chandra Reddy thought of plan to cover the crop with sarees. It may seem to be a strange one but Reddy’s innovative mind has proved to be the best. With him, he had two more brothers who migrated to faraway places and settled by doing business after facing huge losses in farming.

Reddy without following the footsteps of his brothers, stayed at his home town Talamudipi and thought of cultivating horticulture crops. So he contacted some of his relatives staying at Bengaluru sought their help to extend information about the cultivation and market of pomegranate.

With the guidance of his relatives, Reddy visited Karnataka and Maharashtra where the crop is being raised in high scale. He contacted with the farmers of Karnataka and Maharashtra and took their advice and after returning to his hometown, implemented the same technique and is reaping amazing results.

Rama Chandra Reddy speaking to The Hans India said “I was in great despair after facing huge losses from the crops raised in 30 acres”. At one stage, I thought of abandoning the farming by doing some business as my brothers were doing but my unending interest in agriculture forced me to take up the horticulture farming, he said.

On the advice of my family friends and relatives, I had toured the places suggested and studies the techniques and market strategy and I decided to cultivate the pomegranate crop in my 30 acres land, he added.To get qualitative variety of pomegranate saplings,

I went to Bhuvanagiri in Nalgonda district and purchased the saplings sufficient to plant in 30 acres. About two and half years ago, I had purchased 450 saplings to plant in one acre by investing Rs.13500, he stated.After planting the saplings I had taken utmost care in rearing them. When the plants had grown to 4 to 5 feet, plants began bearing flowers. At that time to protect the flowers from falling down and also from the searing heat, I had purchased 5800 used sarees from Kurnool as well as from Hyderabad at Rs.15 per saree, he said.

With the purchased sarees, the entire pomegranate trees have been covered. By covering the sarees, the plant could be protected from the sourcing heat and the fruits don’t bear spots. And the fruits which don’t bear spots have good market value. Around 14 acres crops have been covered stated Reddy.

So far in these two and half years I had invested Rs.2.50 lakh per acre and had reaped one yield of 3 to 4 tons per acre and the other yield is ready at hands length and is expected to 10 to 12 tons said Rama Chandra Reddy.

V Narendra Kumar