ASIM AGRICULTURE

FARM

SUBMITTED:

TO;

Sir SALEEM EIJAZ

BY;

Rao Umair Ali (BS 3rd year)

DEPARTMENT

OF

AGRICULTURE AND AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEMENT

FIELD TRIP REPORT 2010

UNIVERSITY OF KARACHI

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all I would like thanks to the only Sustainer, the only Creature and the only God the ALLAH Subhana Hou Wa’ta aala.I owe a great many thanks to those people who helped and supported me during the writing of this Report. My deepest thanks to my honorable and highly respectable teacher, Sir Saleem Eijaz, this report is utterly cause by his effort to bring into light my potential to making it. I express my thanks to the honorable Chairman, Prof. Dr. Saleem Shahzad for extending his support. My deep sense of gratitude to Hadi Bux Laghari (Technical Manager), Asim Agriculture Farm for his support and guidance. I would also thank my Institution and my faculty members without whom this report would have been a distant reality. I also extend my heartfelt thanks to all my family member, and well wishers.

Preface

This report encompasses to describe the overview of one of the Agriculture Farm Field Trip. In preparation of this Report I have tried my best to provide all possible information about the Asim Agriculture Farm. In brief and in comprehensive form. I have also tried my best to use simple and easy words and language.

I expect that this report will be such comprehensive that this will extend knowledge of all students concerning Agriculture and interested to go on Field Trip.

Sr. no Contents Page no.

01 Definition of Agriculture Farm 5

02 Introduction to AAF 5

03 Farm utilities 5 - 7

04 Products; mango, banana, wheat, etc. 8 - 10

05 Mango. 8

06 Banana. 9

07 Chili. 10

08 Projects 10 - 11

09 Uses of I.T on farm 11

10 Aims and Objectives 11

11 Achievement 11

12 Conclusion 12

Definition of Agriculture Farm:

The term agriculture represents the science, art of science, and the business of cultivating soil, producing crops, and raising livestock; farming. So we can define the agriculture farm like that, “the any tract of land where agricultural practices have been occurring, under the management of a tenant or the owner.”

Introduction to Asim Agriculture Farm:

Asim Agricultural Farm is located 50 Km eastward from Hyderabad near Tando SoomroTaluka, Tando Allah yar, province of Sindh, Pakistan. In this farm the rest house is just front of main entrance. Rest house is especially reserved for the agriculture scientists, agriculture students, farmers and visiting guests.

Land division of this farm is on three basis; family land, lease land and family member land (belonging land). The area covers by these lands are the family Land is on 430 acres, lease land is 103 acres and 170 acres land belongs to one of the family member which is under supervision.

The labor colony is also developing which comprises of 6 blocks and in each block 50 residential quarters, lavatories, dairy farm, public park & street lights.

FARM UTILITIES:

The farm utilities and practices performing are absolutely meeting the highly efficient way and procedures. The techniques and the technologies which are performing on this farm are as follow:

BENEFICIAL MICROORGANISM TECHNOLOGY:In this they are performing two practices;

1. Organic Composts.

2. Fermentor Pits.

IPM AND BIOLOGICAL CONTROL: IPM and Biological Control (Mango, banana, Chilies, Onion etc).

INTERCROPPING TECHNIQUES: Asim Agriculture Farm has been doing some successful intercropping techniques since many years, which includes sugarcane with onion, chilies with banana.

SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT: Organic Manures, Green manures, Waste Recycling and Composting are being in practice since many years for sustainable growth of land.

WATER CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGY:Water Conservation Technology, Laser leveling, Lined watercourses, addition of more and more organic matter, rain gun, Quemisoy1 (water absorbing soil additive), mulching etc. are in place to conserve water.

SOIL ANALYSIS: Soil Analysis is crucial in order to maintain the fertility of soil and cost benefit ratio. This practice helps growers to be accurate in nutrient applications both Major and Micro-nutrients. This should be done in every year.

BBTV MANAGEMENT: In December 1988, BBTV disease was reported from Thatta District at Gorabari and MirpurSakro. It received public attention in month of April 1989 when disease damaged more than 70% of the banana crop in that area. Now this disease has spread throughout Sindh with height intensity. A single vector transmits BBTV the banana black aphid, Pentalonia nigronervosa. A complete control of the aphid (vector) and proper removal of diseased mats is the most important factors for disease management. The first step in disease management is effective disease aphid control. We have been able to find for the first time in Pakistan the harboring host plants of the black aphid that are all monocot grasses in which it passes some generations out of 30 generations from the months of September to end of the April. For controlling the aphid instead of using herbicides to kill the grasses, we introduced here the composting and use of organic mulches with banana leaves and chopped banana pseudostems. Mulching has many benefits such as, it suppress weed growth, retain moisture in the soil by reducing surface evaporation, insulate soils from extremes of temperatures and improve soil structure by adding organic matter. (organic mulches only), increase nutrient content of the soil and encourage the growth of beneficial fungi, such as Mycorrhizae, earthworms etc. we are using less hazardous eco-fields to locate bunchy top infected plants, spraying them with kerosene oil followed by cutting and burning have been advocated as in Australia (Dale, 1987) and at Asim Agriculture Farm Tando Allah yar Sindh. Consequently, we still have the same banana crop

since 1994, whereas other banana fields of Sindh province are being razed each year.

COMPOSTING AND MULCHING IN MANGOES: It almost brings the tillage practices at zero within mango orchard and under the canopy. By initiating this technique what one can say? The forest ecology right back in mango orchards.

RESEARCH WORK ON THE MANGO ORCHARDS: In Pakistan Mango orchards suffers from several diseases at all stages of its life cycle. All the parts of the plant, namely, trunk, branch, twig, leaf, petiole, flower and fruit are attacked by a number of pathogens including fungi, bacteria, algae etc. They cause several kinds of rot, die back, anthracnose, scab, necrosis, blotch, spots, mildew, etc. Some of these diseases like die back, quick decline, mango melody, anthracnose, and powdery mildew are of great economic importance as they cause heavy losses in mango production. Mango orchards are dying in Sindh due to above-mentioned diseases/disorders. We are also doing some research work on the mango orchards regarding the identification and proper management of the diseases such as, sanitation, pruning, chemical control etc. Mango growers of Sindh are receiving field trips through R&D at Asim Agriculture Farm about diseases and its management, prevention is better than cure. The ultimate solution against all deadly plant pathogens and this is what we are propagating to mango growers.

MANGO EXPORT: In the year 2005, we sold 70% of our mango fruit to the exporters and 30% to the local market. In this year, we are preparing to export our mango through refer container. The basic infrastructure is being made to export our fruit and vegetables that include metallic road, packaging house, skilled labor etc. We are hoping for the positive outcome in near future.

TRAINING'S, FIELD DAYS AND WORKSHOP FACILITIES: We have been organizing and arranging training's, field days and workshop facilities for the mango and banana growers of Sindh and planning the same for the students of Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam, by doing this the students would get used with the existing farming systems of Sindh and the problems and in the end they would be able to receive their internship certificates. In order to achieve this goal Asim Agriculture Farm is planning to provide some facilities for the growers and students. For example Hostels etc.

PRODUCTS:

They are producing five major different crops. I am also defining the some of these crops which we visited in the farm.

1. Mango.

2. Banana.

3. Wheat.

4. Onion.

5. Chili.

6. Sugarcane.

Mango:

They produce best quality mangoes and also export it. Mango Orchards were located on a large piece of land. The orchards were 25 years old and need a lot of care when the environmental conditions are unfavorable.

They are using only healthy seeds, seedlings and plants are used for planting and budding or grafting. Inter cropping, mix cropping, cover cropping and or multiple cropping in or in the surrounding of mango orchards is avoided so that the similar possible pathogens of the sown crop and mango (both) may not be multiplied and spread in orchards.

Irrigation and fertilization of mango:

Irrigation is done as per requirement, but not subject to the availability. Avoid high doses of nitrogen fertilizers, and apply proper and balanced fertilizers, on the basis of soil type, age and need of the tree. Proper sanitation of orchards and pruning of trees (eradication of disease causing organisms through removing and burning of diseased plants or plant parts) is done which helps to reduce the infection and growth, development and further spread of the disease causing

fungus or so. Easily available broad spectrum fungicides were used, in combination with insecticides at proper dose.

Banana:

They are culturing the tissue cultured banana. They also have two different varieties of bananas. Out of the two varieties one was Pakistani and the other one was an Indian variety. Pakistan variety had large lush green leaves which were healthy due to the proper care and management of the farm. Indian variety was taller as compared to Pakistani variety, its yield was quiet good and it takes 2 – 3 months to get fully prepared. It was the first time that Indian variety of banana was being cultivated on their farm.

Pests and diseases on banana field and their control:

Aphids and bunchy top of bananas are the pest and disease that occur on their farm, and it is detected by the black lines formed on the botton parts of the big green leaves, they control these pests by using trichoderma cards and by destroying immediately any Musaceae plant which is infected with Bunchy top and Banana aphid infesting such a Musaceae plant.

They also burn the residues of the banana and form ash, which is rich in potassium and helps to fulfill the potassium requirement of the banana plant and helps it to grow better.

Outcome from banana crop:

The one acre cultivated land of banana is generating 5 lacs per season.

Chili:

Field operator Rehmat said the chilies, which could reach more than 16cm long and turn from dark green to red when mature. He further said that we are using the top variety hybrid seeds he didn’t tell us name of varieties, and they are earning very well from chili crop.

PROJECTS:

They are working with many government and private projects.

On-Farm Experiments On Sap Burn Management:

Sap-burn management is an important aspect of fruit quality improvement and many efforts had been made to manage this problem. Mr. Hadi Bux Laghari has done marvellous work in this context. He has performed experiments with different concentration of chemicals with different varieties.

Mango Quality Improvement Workshop:The first practical activity of the project, "Harvesting, Desapping, Grading and Packing of Mango for Quality Improvement" was held at Asim Agriculture Farms, Tando Soomro on May 31, 2007. A range of participants from different channels of the mango supply chains participated in the workshop. The message of the workshop was delivered to the participants through their practical participation in all the activities. All the postharvest activities of mango including harvesting, desapping, drying, grading and packing were demonstrated to workshop participants. The workshop was highly appraised by the participants and the need for such workshops on frequent basis was noted.

ASLP Mango Supply Chain Management Project:Asim Agriculture Farm (AAF) provides the 'Mango Pack House' facility (to Iftikhar Ahmed and Co). On 1st of June, 2007 the project team visited AAF to observe the pack house operations and help prepare the first trial consignment of the project to Singapore.

Information Technology on Farm:

Database and Backup Servers are provided to maintain the Database System of Asim Agriculture Farm. Both Machines are heavy duty performance in order to provide information (Farm Reports) from head office to chamber of Managing Director.

Multimedia is also provided to present an Agriculture Information. Whenever the delegates, progressive growers, farm staff etc are visiting Asim Agriculture Farm.

Aim and Objectives:

They are working along International level and doing the best agriculture practices to promote their products globally. They are focusing the living standards of the people which are associated with them and trying to facilitate with all basic needs and improving their sanitary standards.

Achievement:

Sindh first mango orchard “Asim Farm gets Global GAP certification.”

The Asim Agriculture Farm has become the first mango orchard of Sindh which acquired the GlobalGAP (Formerly Europe Gap), and third at national level after Tareen Farm and JDW Farm of Punjab with the technical help of the Pakistan Horticulture Development and Export Board (PHDEB).

Acquisition of GlobalGAP certification is the correct initiative on the part of exporters to address above-referred challenges. The Asim Agriculture Farm believes that there is substantial potential for export of Pak mangoes to the European market and, therefore, wants to acquire GlobalGAP certification on its 50 hectors land allocated for mango production.

Conclusion:

In the end, I would conclude that, by the visit of Asim Agriculture Farm I got much practical experience and built knowledge of concepts and principles of the farming systems as managed ecosystems. I critically analyses the information presented on the key agricultural resource management issues like pesticide usage, GM crops, water management on Asim Agriculture Farm which were meeting the International level of farming and presented a ‘triple bottom line’ (environmental, economic and social) analysis of the management practices.