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Inaugural Session
Speakers:
• Ms. Swarnambigai, Manager – Projects, ICCOA
• Dr. Vanaja Ramprasad, Managing Trustee, GREEN Foundation
• Dr. CSP Patil, Executive Director, GREEN Foundation
• Dr. Ravindra Kulkarni, Director Technical, GREEN Foundation |
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Day 1 - Session 2
Collecting Participants’ expectations
Facilitators: GREEN Foundation Team
Following the inaugural session, participants were divided into four groups to discuss and collect their learning expectations. After the presentations, the organisers explained that they would track them to ensure that most requests would be dealt with during the programme.
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Day 1 - Session 3
Overview of Organic Agriculture:
Speaker: Ms. Shylaja, Translator: Mr. Ningappa Kakol
Ms. Shylaja, formerly with a Certifying Agency, began by defining organic agriculture as a system that incorporates traditional wisdom and knowledge with science and technology and design.. |
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Day 1 - Session 4
Understanding organic farming
Speakers: Mr. Santosh Kaulagi, Organic Farmer, Melkote, Mandya Dist. Karnataka
Mr. Santosh Kaulagi’s session was meant to provoke the participants into thinking of how the current global thinking about life and living is organised and what effects it had on people’s lives – especially in agriculture. He began by speaking of agriculture in India from a historical perspective. |
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Day 1 - Session 5
Biodiversity
Speakers:
Mr. Santosh Kaulagi
The speaker began by recounting the history of life on earth. The earth is 460 crore years old. If we compressed this time into 46 years, human being emerged only 4 hours ago. Industrial revolution is barely a minute old. In that one minute thousands of species have been wiped out, human population itself has increased from 126 crores to 675 crores..
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Day 2 - Session 1
Seed treatment
Facilitator: Mr. Ningappa Kakol, Deputy Director Technical, GREEN Foundation
Mr. Ningappa Kakol began with a recap of the previous day. The practical session on seed treatment began with a brainstorming on why seeds are treated. The facilitator first explained seed treatment for the following crops:
Some of the above treatments were demonstrated. |
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Day 2 - Session 2
Seed storage methods
Facilitator: Mr. Ningappa Kakol
The facilitator explained that seed storage methods differ widely in the country. Some of the methods that are simple were explained and demonstrated.
Storage methods for different crops :
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Day 2 - Session 3
Soil Nutrient Management
Facilitator: Mr. Srikanth, AME, Bangalore
Mr. Srikanth narrated how he faced an existential crisis while working for a seed company in Bangalore. Coming from a farming family in Sagar, he found it difficult to accept conventional farming methods and started a small experiment at work. |
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Day 2 - Session 4
Practical Session on Composting and Raised Bed in Kitchen Gardens
Facilitator: Ningappa Kakol and Dr. Ravindra Kulkarni with GF Team
All the participants took part in a demonstration of composting using farm organic wastes and cowdung slurry. The method was explained and demonstrated. The facilitators also explained raised
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Day 3
Practical Session continued: Raised bed nurseries
Facilitator: Ningappa Kakol and Dr. Ravindra Kulkarni with GF Team
The facilitators demonstrated the preparation and management of raised bed plots for vegetable growing. One plot was a circular permaculture design and another was a conventional rectangular one. Participants took part in incorporation of the green manure plants which were planted a.. |
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Day 3 - Session 1
Pest and Disease management in Organic Farming
Speaker: Dr. A Daniel Anand Raj, CCD, Madurai
Translator: Ningappa Kakol
According to Dr. Daniel, speaking of pests and diseases was not very appropriate in organic farming. Instead he preferred to enable participants to understand the nature of energy flows and nutrient cycles on earth.
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Day 3 - Session 2
One Acre Concept for Organic Farming and Securing Livelihoods
Speaker: Dr. Rudraradhya, JSS
During his days in the University of Agricultural Sciences, as a manager of a large farm, Dr. Rudraradhya was once told that all his research contributions (into plant breeding) was not of much use to the small farmer. He took this as a challenge and developed one acre in the University Farm..
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Day 4 - Session 1
Harvesting Methods, Post Harvest Activities – value addition, packing and storage
Speaker: Udaya Kumar, GM, Spencer’s
Mr. Udaya Kumar is the pioneer in fruit and vegetable marketing in organised retail in India. He recounted a particular experience that opened his eyes to the challenges of marketing farm produce. He had sold 970 kg of chillies for Rs. 1.9 a kg in the market one morning but had forgotten to set aside one kilo for his home. He rushed to a vegetable vendor in Kushalnagar and found that in retail it.. |
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Day 4 - Session 2
Certification for Organic Farming and Participatory Guarantee System
Speakers: Ms. Shylaja and Ningappa Kakol
Ms. Shylaja’s session introduced participants to the need for certification in organic farming and the processes and standards that apply for certification. The role of APEDA in setting up guidelines and approving the agencies that can certify products was explained. Participants’ questions on the advantages and disadvantages of certification, the minimum number of years for conversion for annual crops and tree crops,... |
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Day 4 - Session 3
Practical sessions on preparing fermented extracts and solutions
Facilitators: Mr. Ningappa Kakol and GREEN Foundation Team
A hands-on demonstration of preparing various solutions for nutrient and pest management was conducted. The following solutions were prepared:
1.Activated Effective Microorganisms (AEM)
2.Poochimarundu
3.Fermented Plant Extracts (FPE)
4.Panchagavya
5.Jeevamruta |
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Day 5
Biodynamic Farming
Facilitator: Mahesh Melvin, Biodynamic farmer and trainer, Nilgiris
Mr. Mahesh Melvin started out as a trainer in biodynamic agriculture and later became a farmer. The session introduced participants to the history and origins of biodynamic farming in Europe and India (the work of Dr. Rudolf Steiner) and the new understanding the approach brings to farming. |
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Day 5
Conclusion and Valedictory
Members Present: Dr. Vanaja Ramprasad, Ms. Swarnambigai, Dr. CSP Patil, and the GREEN Foundation Team
The five day training programme concluded with a participants submitting written feedback on the programme. |
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