Farmers in south Haryana benefit from Israel inputs to increase yield

Talking to The Indian Express,Dr Avri Bar Zur,Counsellor International Cooperation (Science and Agriculture) said a few days ago the Israeli citrus experts visited Mangiana. “We spent two days with the citrus farmers Raman Godara and Sandeep Lamba. This is the second visit by the same experts to these farms. The farmers are very progressive,and are adopting our suggestions,” he said.

Raman Godara,owner of the Godara Farms,owns a 65-acre orchard,with 40 acres for kinnow and 25 acres for malta. He said while his family has been into horticulture for decades,he had got valuable inputs from the extension experts on irrigation.

“In January,my farm was chosen for research and extension training. Based on the temperature and precipitation rate in the region from January to June,the Israelis have given me the exact schedule of irrigation for these months. This is proving to be very helpful,and I am sharing this information with other farmers who keep visiting my farm for more knowledge,” said Godara.

A simple method of ensuring better tree health is the ‘door and window pruning’ introduced by the Israelis. Godara said the trees in which he undertook the new method of pruning,air and light circulation is better,and spraying is more penetrative too,leading to better tree health.

“We undertook this pruning after harvesting this year,in January and February. We will come to know more of the benefits of this method at the time of harvesting next year,” he said.

Godara also spoke of a new method called girdling,to retain more flowers on the tree.

Sandeep Lamba,who is now deeply involved with the kinnow plantation on his 36 acres of kinnow and malta orchards,said the Israelis have given him a new perspective on farming. “Without their intervention,we would have not realised the importance of adopting a very scientific approach towards farming,” said Lamba.

A highly valuable Israeli input,said Lamba,was the knowledge of when and how to use the products and at what temperature. “With the help of the extension experts,I am undertaking various methods of treatment for the ailing trees on my orchard. In one year,we will be able to determine that to which treatment does a tree respond best,and spread this knowledge among other farmers in the area,” he said.