Port Blair, Feb 23: The ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands organized the field day on “sequential cropping system for improving productivity and livelihood security” in collaboration with KVK, Port Blair at ICAR-CIARI, Garacharma experimental farm on 23.02.2024. The field day witnessed by Padma Shri Ms. Chellammal (Selected) along with 30 Farmers from South Andaman district. The program was conducted under the guidance of Dr. E.B. Chakurkar, Director, ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair. The field day was aimed to make awareness on the sequential cropping under the plantations of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and sensitize the farmers on the potential, crop combinations to enhance the productivity of the plantations.
Sequential cropping is a common feature, particularly for tropical regions, where the crop seasons are largely dictated by the main wet season and the practice wherein short term crops are planted with and eventually replaced by long term trees. Dr. I. Jaisankar, Senior Scientist ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair briefed about the sequential cropping system developed under the Andaman Padauk plantation and outcome of the last two year experiment with various combination of the vegetable, tuber and fruit crops under the plantation. The yield and economics of the cropping system, advantage of the intermittent yield obtained from the system and also cropping season were explained to the farmers.
Dr. T. Subramani, Senior Scientist & Head, NRM Division ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair explained the various agronomical practices followed for improving the yield of the vegetables and also stressed on the need for diversifying the island farming system with the multiple vegetable and fruits for increasing the farm income and employment generation of the farmers. Dr. Y. Ramakrishna, Principal Scientist & Head, KVK, South Andaman and Dr. V.Damodaran, Senior Scientist & Head, KVK, Nimbudera highlighted the scope of the cropping system in the Island and crop calendar. He further urged the farmers for utilizing the technologies available with the Institute on the sequential cropping and organic farming for successful vegetable, tuber and fruit cultivation under the existing plantations in islands.