Dimapur, September 29 (MExN): ATMA Dimapur Niuland Block conducted training and demonstrations at Toshiho village on September 28.
Resource person Sentibenla, ATM, Niuland Block spoke on ‘organic farming’ and said that basic organic farming comprises of five categories i.e. green manures, crop rotation organic manures, biopesticides and biofertilizers. It improves the soil physical and chemical properties and the quality of plant products are better and more aromatic.
Imlitemsu, Supervisor, Mushroom Development Centre, State Horticulture Nursery demonstrated on ‘Oyster Mushroom Cultivation.’ He performed step by step procedures that included boiling of paddy straws, layering under polybags, spreading of spawns, etc. He also explained about its marketing prospects and said that it is spreading fast as an important income generating activity in almost all parts of the state.
Longshithung, AFA, Department of Agriculture spoke on ‘Biological methods of pest control (Tricho cards).’ He said that Trichogramma chilonis and Trichogramma Japonicus were mostly used in the paddy field. Tricho-cards have pasted onto them eggs of a surrogate host infested with Trichogramma larvae, which release pests that tackle other pests like leaf roller worms or stem borer worms, which are common threats in paddy fields. The pests that emerge from the eggs on the card, after doing their job, either move on or die without enough food, thus creating no further threat for the crop. Each tricho card contains about 20,000 parasitized eggs and requires around three to five cards in one hectare.
The programme was chaired by Demalu Hasnusa, BTM, Niuland block and 150 trichocards and mushroom spawns were distributed to the farmers and SHG members.
