ICA Japan - India 1997

Appropriate Technology at Demonstration Farm
Pune, India

March 1998
Implemented by: ICA Pune, India; ICA Japan and local people

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Environmental Education and Agroforestry

Malegaon cluster, located three hours west of Pune, Maharashtra State, is seven tribal villages of 3200 people isolated from regular traffic and communication. When ICA India began this project in 1989, even drinking water was in short supply. The situation has gradually improved through water systems construction and dairy and agriculture development. With their survival needs relieved, the villagers began to turn their attention to agroforestry and environmental education projects.
In 1995 and 1996, we began accelerating environmental education impact by constructing an Environmental Education Center, and we began 50 hectares of afforestation and agroforestry. In 1997, we began adding residential rooms to the training center and building a nursery and greenhouse.
Villagers are eagerly participating, and have become teachers in environmental conservation and community development. They are helping expand the project to seven additional forgotten villages. Our next step is to furnish the training center with chairs, tables, kitchenware, beds, library materials and audio-visual equipment, and to provide environmental education and materials in the new villages.

1. In front of the Environment Education Center (EEC) are from left: Mukesh Taksande (ICA Pune), Ruri Kitadai, Akihiko Nishimura, Kenichi Koakutsu, Vital family and Takalkar family (Center care taker) and Jadhav Shankar (ICA Pune).

Environment Education Center and Surrounding Area

2. A complete shot of the EEC, which is the activity base for this project. There are guest rooms, seminar rooms, a conference room, bathrooms, office and dining room.

3. The EEC is located 30km northwest of Pune. At the bottom left is the EEC. Running across the photo is the Mumbai - Pune highway. At the top right is a man-made lake.

4. The bazaar at Talegaon which is 1.5km from the EEC. In Talegaon is a train station, bus stop, colleges, banks and a crowded Sunday market.

Sterilizing the Compost

5. Piling soil 30cm high. It is possible to sterilize by solar energy if the soil temperature is kept higher than 70 ??for a week.

6. Sealing the compost with a plastic cover. Due to lack of moisture and the low nighttime temperature the lower 15cm did not reach 70??, but stayed around 50 ??.

Cutting Grass

7. Cutting grass for compost and preparing to terrace the land by tractor. Nishimura (on the right) is bundling dry grass.

8. Cut grass was stored for making compost. The pile became 4m around and and 3m high.

Making Compost

9. Piling dry grass and cow dung in alternate layers, and watering 5 buckets for each layer.

10. Finished it is 2m x 2m x 2m. After watering sufficiently, and completely turning turning over the pile once, it will become usefull compost after 1~2 month.

Preparing Seedling Soil

11. After sieving with a 7~8mm seive, seedling soil is prepared by mixing fully ripe compost and soil 1:1. From the left : Kitadai, Koakutsu.

12. After dampening the soil, it is put into the seedling bag.

13. The Cashewnuts have germinated. The gemination rate was about 95%.

Cultivating Vegetables and Flowers

14. We divided a 5 x 10 m section into quarters, half with compost and fertilizer and half with?@only fertilizer for growth comparison of both vegetables and flowers.

15. Sowing seeds after moistening.

16. Most of the beans germinated 5 days after sowing, and daily watering.

Improving Agroforestry

17. We advised over the loss of multipurpose trees and fruit trees to drought and to cattle. At center is a Eucalyptus.

18. Collecting soil for soil test is difficult because it is just before the hottest season, so the soil is very hard.

19. Farming tools, plastic covers and stick-type thermometers were some of the items we purchased.

Expanding the Nursery

20. Presently it is 9.0 x 11.2 m nursery. On the left is spinach using drip irrigation, divided into compost plus fertilizer and only fertilizer section. The inner part is for tree and vegetable seeding.

21. Welding of iron pipes for expanding the nursery.

22. Constructing the iron pipe for 9.0 x 9.6 m new nursery. We will add a mist sprinkler and cover the roof and walls with black cheese-cloth.

Creating The Demonstration Farm

23. Preparing land by tractor for beans, vegetables, and agroforestry (multipurpose trees and fruit trees). The cultivated land is about 3000 m.

24. Preparing land by tractor for beans, vegetables, and agroforestry (multipurpose trees and fruit trees). The cultivated land is about 3000 m.

25. Purchasing a solar cooker made in India is a good example to stimulate thinking about natural energy and environmental systems.

Making Vermiculture

26. This is vermiculture powder.

27. Adding 1 kg vermiculture powder to 100~200 kg compost will cause prompt fermentation. It will require watering and mixing .

28. From the left, Takalkar and Virnak, who are the live-in caretakers of the nursery.

Area Development in the Future

29. Kambuli village is located 25 km south of the EEC in the Mulushi cluster. There is a river near the village which is used for agriculture irrigation. We have a new agroforestory development plan for the other side of the lake.

30. Shizuyo Sato (in the center in cap) is participating in a village development meeting at a Hindu temple in Cambial village.

31. Wayne Ellsworth (on the right in cap) is inspecting and researching in the village.