ITANAGAR, Mar 26: A training-cum-Farmers–Scientist interaction programme, organized by ICAR Basar under Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) was successfully conducted at Nyorak village today.
Conducted on the theme ‘Promotion of Nutrition Garden in Tribal Communities for Nutritional Security and Livelihood Improvement’, the programme was attended by 20 practising farmers, with active participation from women farmers.
Co-ordinator of the programme, Dr Patu K Zeliang Senior Scientist, GPB, explained key aspects of nutrition garden establishment, including site selection, preparation of crop calendar, soil preparation, and scientific crop management practices.
The Sr scientist also highlighted the importance of crop diversification, year-round vegetable cultivation, and integration of fruits and leafy vegetables to address nutritional deficiencies in tribal areas. She advised farmers to utilize family labour and household organic waste for preparing organic nutrients, making nutrition gardening cost-effective and easy to manage. She also encouraged farmers to sell surplus produce in nearby markets such as Aalo and Basar to generate additional income.
Resource person, Dr Sanjay Kumar Pandey, Senior Scientist (Agonomy), discussed the preparation of Jeevamrit and explained its application in vegetable crops, fruit trees, and cereal crops to enhance soil microbial activity and improve soil health. He also advised farmers to practise crop rotation to maintain soil fertility and reduce pest and disease incidence.
To support the farmers in adopting nutrition gardening practices, essential inputs and tools including shade nets, watering cans, kharif vegetable seeds, irrigation pipes, and weighing balances were distributed to them.
The programme concluded with an interactive session where farmers shared their experiences and expressed their commitment to adopting nutrition gardening for improving both nutritional security and household livelihood.