Dr Hannah Krujia Asangla
ACTO – Agronomy KVK Phek
Over the last decade, the growing demand for agricultural commodities has increased the incentives for farmers to increase their production. One way to expand production is by expanding cropland area. Another way to increase the production and potentially is to enhance the economic returns from farming is to intensify the use of existing cropland. Multi-cropping practices recommend a range of approaches for intensification by allowing multiple uses of a single field during a single time period such as a calendar year. This success story focuses on double cropping, which involves the harvest of two crops from the same field in a given year. A community based farmers of Yoruba village of Phek district had taken double cropping in maize and in doing so they have greatly inspired other fellow farmers of the District. In reality, no farmers has managed two harvest of maize in a year from the same cropland, however this particular community decided to attempt for double cropping in the community based farm in the year 2019 – 2020.
How farmers approached KVK and KVK Intervention - Vetatso Veswuh and his friends approached Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Phek Nagaland regarding the package and practice of Kharif and Rabi season maize production to enhance the economic returns of maize in particular for the farming community. Under the guidance of KVK Phek, the officials visited the community based farm located at Yoruba village and suggested to take up double cropping in maize as the climate and soil were suitable for maize cultivation. It is to mention that, a project on “Maize production in NEH Region for sustainable livestock production” Sponsored by ICAR- Indian Institute of Maize Research, Ludhiana. Implemented by ICAR- NRC Mithun, was being undertaken by KVK Phek.
Hence, in collaboration with the project some farmers were selected and made aware of the importance of double cropping and recommended package and practice of Quality protein maize were imparted to the farmers. Hands on demonstration both in Kharif and Rabi were done in the farmers field. The maize seeds (Quality protein maize variety HQPM 1) provided by KVK Phek, were sown in the month of April and harvested in the month of August. The local cultivar maize were affected by Fall army worm as the crops were sown early i.e., in the second fortnight of February. On the other hand, the QPM crop was not affected as precautionary measures were taken for the pest control by using neem oil and installation of Pheromone traps @ 5 nos/acre.
Outcome - From 1 hectare area of jhum field the yield recorded was 40.35. qtl/ha. After the harvest of QPM, double cropping of the same crop variety was sown in the month of October as Rabi maize. The crop performance was at par with the kharif seasoned crop. However, the yield recorded was 33.73 qtl/ha which was lower than the first crop. But the farmers got better economic returns from the second crop due to the higher off season price. The farmers have started horizontal expansion of area (45%) for double cropping in maize and other crops viz., garden pea, field pea, potato etc. in collaboration with ATMA Phek, Farmer scientist interaction were conducted to know the outcome and the impact of double cropping and also the cropping intensity.
