One of the key objectives of this program is to provide guidance to farmers to become self-reliant and build their inner confidence, to promote and revive organic farming and to educate farmers on water management and irrigation.

This initiative was taken in response to the increasing farmer suicides in India due to growing debts and economic uncertainties. It also educates farmers in the use of quality agricultural inputs and implements aimed at higher quality yield among others.

The Foundation is working closely together with faculties of various agricultural universities and colleges and the Government with the objective to provide best solutions to the farmers and to access available government subsidies.

Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Over 500 farmers from 100 villages in Jaipur, (Rajasthan, India) pledged to adopt natural farming techniques in their efforts to improve yield and reduce global warming. This pledge, taken on June 26, 2008, saw the close of the 'Zero budget natural farming' workshop – the first ever in the state of Rajasthan. Organized by the Art of Living, this training program is the first step of the 'Mission Green Earth' campaign as directed by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Extensive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and hybrid seeds have lead to fierce competition amongst the farmers, leading to pressures of the agricultural land and suicidal tendencies. Adoption of natural farming techniques are recommended by experts as a reliable and sustainable path to agricultural prosperity.

Art of Living's agricultural workshops teach

>  techniques of zero budget farming

>  stress-elimination practices including yoga, pranayama and meditative techniques.

These techniques have helped farmers in suicide-prone regions (like Vidarbha, Maharashtra,
India) overcome their despair and continue with their livelihood. 

The Art of Living has trained over one hundred and twenty thousand farmers in zero budget farming techniques.

The Art of Living's 'Mission Green Earth' campaign plans to plant 100 million trees in India in August 2008.  Click Here for Press Clippings.

Chemical Free Farming & Resource Management

It has commendably influenced and trained farmers to,revert to organic (chemical-free) farming, plant more trees,and adopt soil and water conservation measures. It particularly promotes the introduction of organic farming techniques, like vermi-composting and the use of natural pesticides, biofertilizers and effective micro-organisms. All of this has translated into increased crop yields and augmented incomes.

Primarily, the Art of Living:

Conducts specific training programmes for farmers on the actual use of organic pesticides, fertilizers and composting.

Encourages the use of indigenous seeds over genetically modified ones, in order to maintain natural biodiversity

Establishes co-operative seed storages, ensuring the effective collection and distribution of seeds.

In 2003, the Art of Living launched the Sri Sri Mobile Agricultural Institute (SSMAI) to widen its reach. Ever since, SSMAI has been bringing agriculture-related knowledge and information, right upto the farmers’ doorsteps, providing guidance on natural, effective practices, besides instilling selfconfidence.Promoting chemical-free farming and creating awareness amidst farmers – particularly on issues concerning biodiversity, bio-safety, the hazards of genetic engineering and the health risks of using chemical products – lie at the very core of the interventions.

The SSMAI participates in local CMYK ONE WORLD FAMILY 53 Hiver Kheda, India Maini, India festivals (‘Kisan Melas’ or Farmer Fairs), by holding interactive exhibitions on agricultural activities, organising educative film shows, and establishing vermiculture units. In addition to creating awareness, the SSMAI conducts training on organic farming, ‘Rishi Krishi’ (an ancient Vedic method of organic farming), environmental conservation methods and the optimum utilisation of natural resources, including rainwater harvesting.

Ensuring that its interventions are more comprehensive, the SSMAI also distributes improved bullockdrawing equipment, crop-protection equipment, irrigation pipelines and sprinkler sets, some of which, are subsidized by the government. One of the focus areas of the SSMAI is the extensive training of village youth leaders in the theoretical and practical aspects of organic farming, including participatory rural appraisal, soil and water conservation, agricultural implements, agricultural and horticultural crop production, dairy development, preparation of vermi-compost, bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, value addition and post-harvest technologies. The youth are thus provided with ample experience in the practical application of whatever knowledge they acquire.

Natural Water Resource Management

During the monsoons (rainy season), excess runoff water, in both, rain-fed and seasonally dry, areas, is traditionally stored in community tanks to ensure a water supply for agricultural and domestic purposes during the dry period.

However, the replenishment of this water supply also depends on the rains. So, if they fail, particularly in the event of successively poor rainy seasons, the tanks dry up. Farmers are then, increasingly forced to turn to groundwater sources for irrigation purposes as they are more reliable, and last into the dry season. This amplified use of groundwater supplies lowers the water table drastically, causing several open wells and shallow tube wells in certain areas to dry up.

The Art of Living seeks to not only create awareness amidst the rural community on the issue of water scarcity, but also teach them the means by which they may

overcome this problem, via proper rainwater harvesting and other natural water resource management methods. The improved infiltration of rainwater at the field level through counter-bund and farm pond constructions, are encouraged, instead of deeper bore wells. Surface structures such as check dams, gabion dams and earthen dams are promoted for rainwater storage as these structures also aid the re-charging of ground water levels locally, while restoring defunct tube wells. Wherever possible, this component draws on available government schemes for funding.

LAKSHMI TARU (Simarouba glauca DC), Cultivation In marginal/wastelands

LAKSHMI TARU (Simarouba glaucaDC; Common names: Simarouba, oil tree, paradise tree or aceituno) is an important tree species growing in the forests of Central America. It was first introduced by National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources in the Research Station at Amravathi, Maharashtra in 1960s.

This was brought to the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore in 1986 and systematic Research and Developmental Activities began from 1993 onwards.

Introduction

This medium sized evergreen tree begins to bear when it is 6-8 years old (3-4 years in case of grafts) and attains stability in production after another 4-5 years.  The flowering is annual, beginning in December and continuing up to following February.  The trees are polygamodioecious and only some females are heavy bearers. 

By grafting with a suitable scion in situ the sex of the plant can be transformed as desired and the productivity can be increased.  The drupelets turn black (in Kaali variety) or greenish yellow (in Gauri variety) when they are ready for harvest during April/May.

Manually harvested drupelets are depulped, washed and sun-dried (moisture about 10%) and transported at convenience for processing.

Uses

• Seeds contain 60-75% oil that can be extracted by conventional methods.

• Each well-grown tree yields 15 to 30 Kg nutlets equivalent to 2.5-5 Kg oil and about the same quantity of oilcake.  This amounts to 1000-2000 Kg oil/ha/year (400-800 Kg/acre/year) and about the same quantity of oilcake.

• The oil is largely used in the preparation of bakery products in Central America.  In India too it can be used in the manufacture of vanaspati, vegetable oil and/or margarine.

• The oil is free from bad cholesterol.  It can be also used for industrial purposes in the manufacture of BIOFUELS, soaps, detergents, lubricants, varnishes, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals etc.

• The oilcake being rich in nitrogen (8%), phosphorus (1.1%) and potash (1.2%), is good organic manure. 

• The shells can be used in the manufacture of particle board, activated charcoal or as fuel.

• The fruit pulp, rich in sugars (about 11%) can be used in the preparation of beverages.

• The pulp along with leaf litter can be economically used in the manufacture of Vermicompost (about 8 tons/ha/year or 3 tons/acre/year).

• The bark and leaves are medicinally important.

• The wood is generally insect resistant and is used in the preparation of QUALITY FURNITURE, toys, in match industry, as pulp (in paper making) and as fuel. 

Cultivation

The plants can be grown as orchards, boundary planting or as avenue trees.

At the onset of regular monsoon, the grafts or seedlings of known sex are planted with 5 m (E-W)X 4 m (N-S) spacing (500 plants/ha; 200 plants/acre), in pits 45 x 45 x 45 cm size half filled with the top soil.

Protective watering may be done by adopting SIM-FUN technique for one or two summer seasons.  Timely weeding and manure application improve the growth of saplings and advance the flowering.

Eco-Impact

This ecofriendly tree with well-developed root system and with evergreen dense canopy efficiently checks soil erosion, supports soil microbial life, and improves groundwater position.

Besides converting solar energy into biochemical energy all round the year, it checks overheating of the soil surface all through the year and particularly during summer.

Large scale planting in the wastelands facilitates wasteland reclamation, converts the accumulated atmospheric carbon dioxide into oxygen and contributes to the reduction of green house effect/global warming.

Distribution

Simarouba is established in about 200 hectares in Andhra Pradesh, 100 hectares in Maharashtra, 100 hectares in Tamil Nadu and 100 hectares in Karnataka

For a long-term strategy, cultivation of simarouba is advocated in the abundantly available marginal/wastelands to attain self-sufficiency in oils and its implementation shall be economically viable and ecologically sustainable. 

Nursery Techniques

 Cover size:  12 X 20 cm

Filling material:  Sand: 5 parts + 3 parts manure + 2 parts soil

Nutlets (Seed) requirement: One kilogram (about 1000 nutlets) per acre i.e. 2.5 kg/ha

Sowing: 

1. Four nutlets per cover; depth 1.0 cm below the soil surface.  One-kilogram nutlets are enough for about 250 nursery covers. Watering is done once in a day; proper drainage has to be ensured.

2. Seeds have short viability. So put them in poly bag for germination as you get the seed.

3. To get good germination (about 80%) freshly harvested nutlets have to be sown immediately (within a fortnight). It takes about 25-35 days for cotyledons to emerge.

4. Nursery seedlings should not be exposed to continuous rains; excess watering causes damping off disease. 

Plantation :

Field transplanting:  8-12 week old seedlings are ideal for transplanting. May be second week of July 2006.

Planting and aftercare (Cultivation Aspects)

Spacing: 5 m (East – West) X 4 m (North – South) (500 plants/ha or 200 plants/acre)

Pit size:  45 X 45 X 45 cm (1.5’x1.5’x1.5’)

Filling material: Mainly top soil .

Optional: 

If possible you can use this technique for better results

• 500 g coconut coir, straw or any leafy matter + 500 g manure

• Plant 3-4 seedlings in a pit. Seeds will be germinated after 25 days Planting may be done during monsoon.

• While planting, SIM-FUN micro-irrigation technique may be adopted, i.e. we can fix the empty bottles near base of the plants for irrigation purpose.

• In the first and second summers about 5 litres of water per plant/week may be given.

• Trenches and basins prepared regularly facilitate proper rainwater harvesting.

• Lateral bud pruning is done till the saplings grow to about three meters height so that the saplings grow tall and straight; it also facilitates easy movement in the field.

• Timely weeding and manure application improve the growth.

• After 5-6 years, high yielders are identified and they are retained; the low yielders are cut and the wood is marketed to earn money.

• Regular manure application improves the yield.

• By top working and crown grafting in situ with the scions of high yielders the low yielders can be successfully transformed into high yielders.

• The final population is maintained 200/acre (500/ha)

• Crops of that area may be grown as intercrops till the canopy covers the open space. Afterwards also shade loving crops or fodder crops may be grown as intercrops to get additional income and to prevent weed growth. Pruning of unwanted and criss-cross branches helps better fruit setting.

• The fruit lets are gathered, depulped, washed, dried and may be stored in gunny bags up to one year before sending for oil extraction

• The oil is extracted in the existing oil mills following conventional methods

Note:

When Laksmi Taru is small plant below height of 2 feet  Goat or other animal can eat.So please take care of the plants in nursery itself till it grows to two feet .

So the security needs may not be required .If we are going for protection net around the plants will cost Rs. 20 , that much investment will be so expensive.

It is advised that to wait for plantation till seedlings grows to two feet height .

After that it will not happen or no animal can eat the plant

To know more about the tree, you can visit these links:

http://www.rain-tree.com/simaruba.htm

http://www.plantcreations.com/Simarouba%20glauca.htm