ATMA Dimapur Niuland Block conduct activities

Dimapur, May 13 (MExN): ATMA Dimapur (Niuland Block) organized demonstration programme at Niuland Town on May 11 where Resource person Nitoshe Kinimi, Team Member, Nagaland Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM), Dimapur explained on the topic of “Bee-Keeping and Honey Production Techniques”.   He said that Beekeeping is regarded as a poor person’s activity, unworthy of investment and support and in many developing countries beekeepers lack assistance and the services that they need. It has various advantages like requires no landownership, low investment, less time consuming, produces honey & by-products, provides medicines & maintains biodiversity. Since 80% of the area is covered with vegetation and agriculture being the backbone of Nagaland he encouraged all the farmers and SHGs to take up the activity as it increases crop production by acting as pollinating agent.   Later, Francis Kikon, Project Assistant, (NBHM) demonstrated on “Handling of scientific Beekeeping tools and equipments” and showed equipments like boxes, extractor, bee veil, etc and how to locate and use it in various farms.   On May 12, at Yeveto village Resource person Longshithung Odyuo, AFA, Dept. of Agriculture spoke on the topic “Rubber Plantation Management Techniques”. The interested farmers who were new to rubber farming were imparted knowledge on proper selection of site, nursery raising and proper selection of polythene, land preparation, planting, managing, tapping and processing. He said that RRIM 600 variety is mostly suitable in Dimapur areas in terms of temperature, humidity and rainfall and pits should be dug and filled with organic matter and rock phosphate and planted in the middle providing mulch and shade. Intercropping can be done in rubber plantations with turmeric, ginger, vegetables, etc which generates good revenue. He further mentioned that the main pests in rubber plantation are Cockchafer grub, termites, mites which can be controlled by chlorpyriphos mixed in water.

  Later, James Kikon, SMS (Soil Sc), KVK ICAR, Jharnapani illustrated on the topic of “Soil Health Management in Context to climate change” He said that most of the soils in the North Eastern region are highly degenerated due to shifting cultivation and heavy nutrient removal by thatch grass and that soil chemical imbalances can be addressed through application of chemical amendments such as lime and fertilizer. He mentioned that main constraints in promoting balanced use of fertilizers include inadequate and ill equipped soil testing facilities, neglect of organic manures, inadequate extension system, wide gap in dissemination of knowledge between research institutions, soil testing laboratories and the extension machinery, and lack of awareness among farmers about benefits of balanced fertilization.