Man has been fighting a losing battle against crop diseases and pests chiefly because of the unique ability of pathogens and insects to gradually develop pesticide resistant breeds. As a result, the fight against pests has to be a continuous affair, marked by a constant endeavour to discover new measures to control the yield-reducing agents.
Wheat, a crop that has relatively fewer enemies compared to other kharif cereals, is particularly vulnerable to rust diseases and pernicious weeds like Phalaris minor and wild oats (Avena ludovisciana). While breeding new varieties with in-built immunity against diseases has proved to be a handy tool for combating the rust disease, weeds have continued to pose a formidable challenge to agricultural scientists.
Over the years, Phalaris minor (popularly known as Gulli Danda, Mandusi, Gehun Ka Mama, little seed canary grass, etc) has proved to be a real menace. They have caused heavy yield losses especially, in the north-western wheat belt where wheat-paddy rotation is in vogue. In fact, in some cases, the loss in potential output goes upto 60 per cent in Phalaris-infested fields. In the mid-seventies, it had struck farmlands in Punjab and Haryana in a big way and as a result the weed plants often outnumber the wheat plants in most fields. In fact, the epidemic scale infestation has recurred a number of times since then.
Physical control of Phalaris minor and wild oats through hoeing and uprooting is difficult as both these weeds have a striking resemblance with the wheat plant and are difficult to distinguish through visual observation in the early stages of growth. One has to look beneath the leaf sheath to spot out the weed.
Therefore, the only effective method for controlling these weeds is through chemicals or weedicides. So far, Isoproturon chemical has been very effective in killing these weeds. But over the past five years, even Isoproturon has lost its effectiveness, as Phalaris minor has developed resistance against this pesticide.
Under these circumstances, the recent introduction of a new selective herbicide called Leader by the multinational company, Monsanto, is a welcome development. Essentially, a sulfonyl urea, Leader is said to be effective in controlling many of the broad-leaved weeds in wheat by inhibiting the production of Acetolactase synthase enzyme in plants. Field tests have revealed that it can kill weeds when sprayed between 25 and 45 days after sowing; the best results are obtained between 30 to 45 days. While the early planted, and even some of the timely sown, wheat crop have passed that stage, the late sown crop, which occupies a sizeable area this year, can surely benefit from this environment-friendly new generation herbicide.
Besides Phalaris and wild oats, Leader is supposed to be effective against weeds like While and Yellow Senji (Melilotus alba and M Indica), wild mustard (Sinapasis arvensis) and a few other varieties of weed.
Poor mans cow
Goat is frowned upon by most environmentalists. They believe that these highly agile animals have a habit of nibbling at the growing tips of plants, thereby, destroying vegetation and aggravating soil erosion. However, not many livestock experts subscribe to this view. They argue, goats have several special attributes that make it a valuable animal both for the poor and the landless, and small farmers. Goats have the ability to make use of low quality roughage and browsing material normally not used by other species of ruminants; they have high reproductive efficiency coupled with small size and simple housing requirements; they are also more resistant against diseases. Goats milk is known to possess certain medicinal properties. Apart from this there is sustained demand for its products like meat, skin and pashmina (hair).
The earlier notion that organised goat rearing or goatry is economically unviable has now been dispelled, thanks to the improved technology being developed by the Central Institute for Research on Goats (CIRG) at Makhdoom, near Mathura. CIRG is the worlds only full-fledged research institute devoted exclusively to this animal. It has done considerable work in goat genetics and breeding, nutrition, management, physiology, reproduction, health and product technology.
The institutes pioneering work has helped commercialise goatry as a profitable venture. In fact, goatry can be very useful for owners of uneven and relatively poor land, on which only grass and other vegetation like trees and shrubs grow. The CIRG has prepared a project report on setting up a modern goat farm over a 10 hectare piece of land.
Starting with 200 adult goats, the farm would require an initial investment of Rs 3 lakhs. The returns start coming in from the second year. The net returns (taking into account all expenditure, including interest and loan payments) is estimated to be around Rs 570 per goat in the second year, Rs 737 in the third year, Rs 915 in the fourth year and Rs 1,107 in the fifth year, making for an average net return of Rs 2,754 per goat in five years. (These calculations are based on an assum-ed sale price of Rs 800 per healthy one-year old animal and Rs 600 per culled animal). The institute also conducts training program-mes in commercial goatry twice a year, in February and October.
Goatry experts believe that goat farming has a very good future. With the gradual reduction and deterioration of pasture lands and an anticipated hike in the price of goat meat because of the increasing gap in demand and supply, more and more farmers would be attracted towards this form of animal rearing.
