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Govardhan Eco Village


Newsletter January 2011
Vol 2, Issuse 1

Dedicated to His Divine Grace, A. C. Bhaktivedanta


Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acharya of the
International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Address: Govardhan Eco Village, At. Galtare, Post


Hamrapur, Taluka Wada, District Thane, Maharastra,
India – 421303.
Email: contactus@ecovillage.org.in
Contact No: +91 91672 04666, +91 99301 41781

Inside
Page 2 Organic Farming: Crop
Rotation Happy New Year!
Page 3 GEV Rice Plantation
Govardhan Eco Village wishes everyone a prosperous and Eco
Report 2010
friendly New Year. We begin the New Year with a new look and
Page 4 Benefits of Turmeric exciting series of articles. This year 2011 has officially been
declared by the United Nations as the International Year of
Page 5 Farm Fresh: News & Forests. This is to raise awareness and strengthen the sustainable
Events from GEV. forest management, conservation and sustainable development of
all types of forests, for the benefit of current and future
generations. Forests, which are the lifeline for over 1.6 billion
people today, are fast depleting due to massive deforestation.
Lets do our bit in saving this most precious gift of Mother Eart
Earth.

The control of the Lord is everywhere, and if the Lord is pleased, every
part of nature will be pleased… the forest will supply sufficient wood,
drugs and vegetables, and the seasonal changes will effectively help
produce fruits and flowers in profuse quantity.

- Srila Prabhupada.
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GEV Newsletter Vol 2, Issue 1

Crop Rotation
Last month the importance and scope of Organic Farming was highlighted. This month’s article
discusses one of the most important practices in Organic farming – Crop Rotation.

Crop rotation is a time tested extending over a period of 3-4 and pest control it offers. Crops
agricultural strategy that has years, the choice and of same family tend to have
been in use for centuries. Once sequence of rotation crops similar pests and pathogens. By
can find its reference in many usually depends on the nature repeatedly growing the same
ancient scriptures in Vedic of the soil, the climate, and crop, the pathogens and pests
Indian, Roman and African rainfall of that particular buildup increasing the risk of
civilizations. During the Green region. soil borne pests and diseases.
Revolution, this traditional
practice of crop rotation was Benefits of Crop Rotation: By rotating the crops and
replaced by the practice of Crop rotation has many fold changing the planting location,
monoculture or single crop benefits. Firstly, it prevents the pest cycles can be broken
cultivation where in chemical depletion in soil nutrition that
inputs are provided to the soil occurs due to repeated
for supplementing the nutrient cultivation of same crop.
loss. However the drawbacks Plants like legumes when
of monoculture farming have cultivated in rotation restore
become apparent today, the nitrogen content in the
notably from the perspective of soil, thus preventing the usage
sustainable agriculture and the of chemical based soil
risk of catastrophic crop failure. replenishing agents. This
simple technique not only
Crop rotation is a maintains soil fertility but also
systematically planned improves the yields in or limited, thus the usage of
cultivation cycle that involves comparison to land that do not dangerous chemical
growing plants of different use rotation. pesticides can be completely
taxonomic families on the avoided.
same plot of land over The second advantage of crop
sequential seasons. Usually rotation is the natural disease
Continued in Page 4
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GEV Newsletter Vol 2, Issue 1

GEV Rice
Plantation 2010
Rice, the staple diet of most of the populace in India,
is slowly losing its diversity. Owing to commercial
interests, only a few select varieties of rice are being
cultivated today leading to extinction of hundreds
of rare varieties. In an attempt to save these rice
varieties, the agriculture team in GEV has carefully
collected various native rice seeds from all over
Maharashtra and cultivated with an intention of creating a
seed bank and saving them from extinction.

Taking up this exercise during known as Elite seed selection The 15 varieties planted on a
the recent Monsoon, GEV did is briefed as follows. larger scale were cultivated
rice plantation in a larger scale over an area of 10 acres.
as compared to the previous Elite seed selection These include 13 of Garvi
years. The yield also has been The Elite seed selection in variety rice namely Zini,
quite remarkable, in spite of the done in several stages. First Govinda Bhoga, Kolapi,
irregular rains. A total number the external features of the Sidhagiri, Pusa Sugandha –
of 67 varieties of rice have been paddy are observed. Any 1121, Pusa Sugandha –
planted. These included 52 rare offshoots, weeds and 1401, Black buma,
varieties of rice planted in small pinnacles of other varieties of Telosingh, Kalagira, Maihsur
scale, specifically for research plants are removed. Then the Maileg, Kasabai, Old Kolam
purpose and another 15 of both pest and disease infected and Patani; and 2 of Halwar
Garvi and Halwar varieites in pinnacles are removed. Finally rice varieties namely Padma
large scale. The Garvi breeds Immature pinnacles are and Dangi.
are high water consuming eliminated. Then the best
varieties while the Halwar are clump is selected based on the
less water consuming. following criterion:
The plantation of the 52 rare  Number of effective
varieties of rice was done in tillers
collaboration with BAIF. These
 Clump strength
were selected for research
purpose, from a large number  Pest and disease
of varieties of paddy seeds. resistance
Using selection methods, the  Length of pinnacles
best quality of seeds would be  Filled Vs. unfilled
extracted among these 52 grain ratio
varieties. The criteria for best  Maturity of grain
seed selection, popularly  Height of plant.
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GEV Newsletter Vol 2, Issue 1

Benefits of Crop Rotation, Continued from page 2


Turmeric Weed control is also white bean
enhanced as many perennial Aster: Lettuce, artichoke
weeds are destroyed in the Solanaceous (Nightshade
process of crop rotation. Crop family): Potato, tomato,
rotation also has other pepper, eggplant
benefits like improving the
soil tilth & structure, Soil Grains and cereals: Corn,
moisture improvement, soil rice, sorghum, wheat, oat,
erosion reduction etc. barley, millet
Carrot family: Carrot, celery,
Steps in Crop Rotation: dill, parsnip, parsley
The first step in crop rotation Root crops: Cassava, sweet
Turmeric, one of the most is identifying the various potato, taro, yam, water
commonly used herb in families of crops that are to be chestnut
Indian cuisine, is a cultivated. A simple list of
Mallow family: Cotton, okra
wonder drug from Mother plant families is shown below:
The first season of planting
Nature. It contains Family Common names could be devoted to leafy
Curcumin, which can
prevent cancer and Allium: Chive, garlic, leek,
detoxifies the liver. onion, shallot
Known for its powerful Cucurbit (Gourd family):
healing capacity, this Bitter gourd, bottle gourd,
natural antiseptic and chayote, cucumber, ivy
antibacterial agent has gourd, luffa gourd, melons,
been in use for ages in pumpkins, snake gourd,
squash, wax gourd
traditional Ayurvedic
and Chinese medicine. Crucifer (Brassica): Bok choy
(petchay), broccoli, Brussels plants, the next season to
Turmeric can be
sprouts, cabbage, Chinese fruits, followed by the root
consumed as pills or in plants and then legumes.
cabbage, cauliflower, collard,
cooking by all except kale, kohlrabi, mustard, Legumes are to be grown
people having gallstones radish, turnip, watercress before grains or cereals.
or bile obstruction. Practice green manuring. At
Legume: Common beans,
black bean, broad bean first Crop rotation may seem
(Fava), clover, cowpea, tedious to plan, but by
garbanzo, hyacinth bean, carefully maintaining crop
kidney bean, Lima bean, records, it can help boost
lintel, mungbean, peanut, yields with out using
pigeon pea, pinto bean, chemicals there by creating
runner bean, snap pea, snow a sustainable organic
pea, soybean, string bean, farming practice.

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GEV Newsletter Vol 2, Issue 1

Farm Fresh: Visit by Tridha

Last month Govardhan Eco Village hosted the


students of class III from Tridha Rudolf Steiner
School for a two-day educational visit. Based on
the famous Waldorf Education model, the Tridha
Rudolf Steiner School teaches its kids not to learn
by rote, but by real understanding by thinking,
feeling and experiencing. So set out to experience a
real village lifestyle the kids accompanied by their
two instructors visited GEV. During their visit HG
Sanat Kumar Prabhu from GEV addressed the kids
about the significance of village lifestyle and
briefed them about a few aspects of organic
farming. Later on the kids prepared a soil bed and
planted a few vegetables, getting a first hand
experience in farming. Touring the farm, they
visited all the farming zones in GEV and studied the
various organic farming practices followed here.
The kids also visited the GEV Goshala and Biogas
plant and learned about the various benefits of
cows and significance of cow protection. Also
having lots of field exercises the kids from Tridha
had a delightful learning experience at GEV.

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