CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION

Author – Srinivas Abhilash

3 Mins Read

Do you long for the joy of gardening or farming, but feel overwhelmed by setbacks, limited space, or lack of experience? Maybe you’ve already tried your hand at it, but struggle with finding land, managing water, choosing crops, or securing reliable labor. Whatever your hurdle, you’re not alone.

Gardening and farming should be sources of fulfillment, not frustration. Yet, in today’s world, they can feel like demanding jobs with infinite micro-management and uncertainty.

But take a breath! Managed Farmlands offers a tailor-made solution to these challenges. It’s more than just a space, it’s a haven of comfort, convenience, safety, and rewarding agricultural experiences.

Join us as we explore why embracing the concept of Managed Farmlands could be the perfect step toward achieving your gardening and farming dreams, regardless of scale.

In the past, joint families and robust communities eased the farming burden. However, in today’s nuclear family setup and scarcity of farm labor, urbanites face immense stress in solitary farming endeavors, hindering the joy that farming and large-scale gardening should ideally bring.

The need to decentralize and democratize farming on a larger scale is evident. Encouraging numerous individuals to contribute in smaller quantities across spread-out spaces would benefit everyone involved.

Managed Farmlands make farming easier. They save money, help share work, and make it more enjoyable. These places are great for city folks starting farming. They solve worries about getting land, workers, or looking after it. They make farming fun without the hard parts. Want to know more? Let’s uncover and find out together.

1. Professional Management: Managed farmlands are under the supervision of skilled agricultural professionals who oversee the entire spectrum of farming operations, from planting to harvesting. This encompasses comprehensive management involving pest control, land, water management, etc. Their expertise guarantees meticulous care for your farm and plantations, encompassing crucial tasks such as regular pest management, fertigation, nutrient management, mulching, and various other essential agricultural practices.
2. Hassle-Free Farming: For busy individuals seeking a farming outlet, managed farmlands offer a convenient solution by eliminating the necessity for constant supervision. Even during adverse weather conditions like heavy rain or extreme drought, a team of farm experts remains on-site to diligently oversee and safeguard your plantations. Daily, timely care is provided to all the plantations on your farmland, ensuring their well-being. With this arrangement, you can savor the rewards of farming without having to dedicate extensive time and effort.
3. Learning Opportunity: Even if you’re not a seasoned farmer, managed farmlands provide a learning platform. Engage with experts, understand various agricultural techniques, and witness firsthand the farming process. 
4. Access to Technology: These farms frequently integrate modern technologies like advanced sensors, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. These innovative methods optimize productivity and anticipate changing weather patterns, ensuring that your farming experience is effective, efficient, and fruitful.
5. Diverse Crop Choices: Managed farmlands provide a diverse range of crops and plants available for cultivation, including options like agro and food forests, medicinal plants, fruits and veggies, extensive timber plantations, and more. Explore your agricultural interests by cultivating your preferred produce or experimenting with new crops on these farms.
6. Community Engagement: Numerous managed farmland projects actively promote community among participants. By engaging with like-minded individuals, you have the opportunity to share knowledge, experiences, and expertise, fostering a supportive farming network. Being part of such a community not only enhances your farming endeavors but also contributes to bolstering social connections and mental well-being. It’s an environment where collaboration and shared interests create a nurturing and fulfilling farming experience.
7. Environmental Sustainability: Adopt sustainable farming practices without solely shouldering the implementation burden. By capitalizing on economies of scale, you can slash monthly maintenance expenses. These farms prioritize eco-friendly methods such as organic farming, permaculture, and regenerative farming. They aim to enhance soil quality, boost the groundwater table, and curtail soil erosion. These practices foster biodiversity, effectively contributing to the farm’s sustainable maintenance. 
8. Safety and Security:  Investing in managed farmlands assures safety and security through expert management that actively mitigates risks associated with theft, pests, and natural calamities. The deployment of CCTV cameras, well-maintained roads, solar street lights, and sturdy boundary walls and fencing effectively protects and supervises your property and crops. This ensures an uninterrupted safe and secure environment throughout the year, every hour, day or night.
9. Financial Returns:  Apart from convenience, managed farmlands offer potential financial gains through long-term land appreciation. You can enjoy the yields without the daily responsibilities of farming, alongside reaping tax benefits. This overall financial advantage underscores the value of investing in these farmlands.
10. Peaceful Retreat: Escape the urban hustle to serene farmlands. Experience the joy of nature, unwind in green spaces, and relish the calming effects of agricultural surroundings.

Conclusion

Managed farmlands offer an extraordinary opportunity for urban gardening and farming enthusiasts, providing a hassle-free yet deeply fulfilling experience. These lands act as a bridge, accommodating both beginners and experienced enthusiasts, catering to your farming passion amidst urban constraints. 

Reflect on the multitude of benefits these managed farmlands provide, paving the way for your farming aspirations to flourish effortlessly. The earlier you invest, the more advantageous it becomes – not only with lower prices but also the potential for substantial land price appreciation and crop yield. 

Don’t hesitate; act now and invest in Managed Farmlands and watch your future prosper—both tangibly and intangibly. Your journey towards sustainable farming and financial prosperity starts here. 

Author: Ruchi Renavikar | Nihal Anand

India’s highly variable climate, extremities of temperature and rainfall (eg. drought & flood), led to numerous innovations in water management techniques since the Indus valley civilisation. As a result of this, wells, pumps, irrigation systems, water storage systems and innovative, regional water harvesting techniques, developed over time. Even ancient Indian literature points towards an intuitive understanding of nature and its natural processes. Some traditional methods of rainwater harvesting such as, johads & Kunds (Rajasthan), kuls (Himachal Pradesh), bamboo drip irrigation systems (Meghalaya), Zabo (Nagaland), Eri (Tamil Nadu), Surangam (Karnataka), Ahar pynes (Bihar) are used even today. These traditional systems were intricately designed based on the climatic conditions, soil type and land elevation to harvest maximum rainwater during the heavy monsoons witnessed in India.

The continuous evolution of technology and Ai based models that support decision making have now set water management in agriculture on a new trajectory. Although one can never completely replace or mimic natural ecosystems, Ai in water management helps in understanding and analysing when a plant is stressed due to either scarce or excess water supply. Both these conditions are detrimental and fatal to plants if not corrected immediately. Ai models are programmed to assess the optimum level of water required for a plant based on a nexus of interrelated factors such as: plant type, species, climatic data, temperature, soil moisture, soil type and the irrigation system as well. With the advent of automated irrigation systems, human error of approximation can also be eliminated when coupled with Ai models.

How does irrigation automation help in saving water?

When linked to the soil moisture sensors, the automated irrigation systems can be programmed to sense the area’s dryness and irrigate the land. This can help save water in the following ways:

• It will irrigate the land only when the plant is thirsty.
• It will avoid excess irrigation by stopping the water flow as soon as the sensor gives an ideal reading. Leaching of soil nutrients is a frequent, undesirable occurrence that results due to excessive moisture in the soil, something that can be easily avoided by such smart irrigation systems.
• Different soil types might be present in the same piece of land, each with a different water requirement. Manually irrigating these zones without over-irrigating or under-irrigating is a logistical nightmare. A smart irrigation device will take into consideration the soil retention capacity of each of the soil types, and customize its water flow so as to keep the moisture content ideal.

What are the benefits of smart water management systems?

• As mentioned above, smart irrigation can help save water, time, and costs, by bringing down manual labour through automation
• Irrigation motors can be switched on and off with the push of a button, sitting miles away; they can also be used with either run time or water flow as a variables
• Soil dryness and Leaching can be brought down to a bare minimum by the soil moisture sensors recognizing the water requirement of the plant

What are the best methods to harvest water and make it sustainable for both farm operations and the environment?

• Rainwater harvesting systems (RWHs)
  The most traditional form of rainwater harvesting, rainwater is captured on roof catchments and stored in groundwater reservoirs. The use of this rainwater can be intermittent, such as for irrigation during dry spells, or for the entire year for domestic uses. India’s primary source of freshwater is not actually rivers but the annual monsoons that feed the rivers. Therefore harnessing rainfall during this season is critical and anyone with a farming background will be familiar with this. Rainfall naturally seeps into the soil and fills the ground water table. The rainwater stored in the ground can be extracted using borewells.
• Flood water harvesting (FWH)
  In this additional form of rainwater harvesting, flood water is abstracted during the peak rainy season and stored in an underground tank that can later be used for irrigating the farm when water is scarce during the dry season..
• Microcatchments
  Microcatchments are designed to collect water from runoffs in a small catchment area. They are constructed in such a way that the runoff water infiltrates the soil and collects in the root zone, supplying water directly to the plants. On a larger scale, these microcatchments can lead to significant groundwater recharge.

According to the United Nations, 40% of the worlds’ population lives in areas of moderate to high water stress. However, this stress is not evenly distributed around the world. States like India, Mexico, USA and China rank among the fastest consumers of ground water sources. Agriculture in India, accounts of 90% of total groundwater use due to high levels of extraction and poor irrigation systems. We are using our groundwater faster than it can be replenished and therefore it is crucial that we put back the water that we are not using. Maintaining a balance in the groundwater table is essential to the functioning of natural ecosystems. The Gaia Hypothesis for example, embodies the same. The Gaia hypothesis is a greek concept for mother earth that suggests that “the Earth is a living organism with a complex feedback system that seeks an optimal balance in its physical and chemical environment”. Today, we may be able to achieve ground water balance through Ai supported machine learning systems. In essence natural systems are characterised by negative feedback loops and therefore are self-limiting in any scenario, however human controlled resource systems have positive feedback loops which are self-reinforcing. For example, ground-water extraction leads to more productivity on land and this leads to higher produce output which further leads to more groundwater extraction. Ai can allow us to create negative feedback loops that limit the over-use of groundwater in India.

With Ai, smart farmers are realising it is no longer necessary to uniformly apply fertilizers, pesticides and water across the farms. Instead, many farmers are realising that applying the minimum required quantity of nutrients and water is not only sufficient but beneficial for plant growth. Farms and agricultural industries are expected to run very differently than before. Advancements in technologies such as Ai, remote sensing, field sensors, drones, machines and information technology will make agriculture more profitable, efficient and environmentally conscious than ever before.

References

Tietenberg, T. & Lewis, L., 2012. Environmental & Natural Resource Economics. 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

Nair, K. S., 2004. Role of water in the development of civilisation in India- A review on ancient literature, traditional practices and beliefs. The basis of civilisation – water science, Issue 286, pp. 1660-166.

Dhawan, V., 2017. Water and agriculture in India. Background paper for South Asia expert panel during the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture, s.l.: Teri, German Agribusiness Alliance, German Asia-Pacific Business Association.

Microsoft, 2021. News Microsoft. [Online]  Available at: https://news.microsoft.com/europe/features/how-ai-and-satellite-data-are-helping-farmers-waste-less-water/ [Accessed 2nd March 2021].

Author: Ruchi Renavikar | Nihal Anand

Drylands typically face severe water scarcity and commonly have scanty and dry vegetation. They cover 41% of the earth’s land surface and house an estimated 2 billion people (FAO, 2019). While drylands are adaptable to climatic variability and water stress, they are also vulnerable to degradation by anthropogenic activities such as deforestation, urbanization, and unsustainable agricultural practices (tilling, intensive farming, fertilizer & pesticide abuse, etc). These practices disrupt the nutrient cycles, increase soil salinity, and destroy important soil microfauna (bacteria).

Agroforestry on the other hand, is a sustainable land management system, where trees are integrated with crops on the same plot of land. The trees planted reduce surface water runoff and soil erosion while facilitating an increase in biodiversity, surface and groundwater levels, and soil fertility. Our agroforestry model is further supported by a ‘Systems thinking’ approach, where we account for all ecosystems (soil, water, air) over several years when managing farmland. We have transformed once drylands into biodiverse forested green havens through our regenerative agricultural practices.

One of the key reasons behind Hosachiguru success is the integration of technology with traditional farming practices. There are sensors installed all across farms, which give real time data about soil moisture, soil temperature, rainfall, leaf wetness etc. This data helps determine the corrective and regenerative processes that must take place on the farm. For example, soil moisture sensors allow our AI systems to give our ground team regular irrigation advisory. All farms are secured with fencing and 24 hr security & CCTV cameras. Hosachiguru farms have harvested data and infrastructure to maximize the potential of farmlands by taking informed decisions.

Transformation Story 1

Eco-habitat 

This 20 acres project aims at promoting community supported agriculture managed by the Hosachiguru agronomy team. Acquired in 2017, Hosachiguru has been successfully managing this Teak & Sandalwood plantation complemented with scattered fruit trees. Ecological re-design, rainwater harvesting and the creation of forests were the main principles at this site. The site prior to acquisition was barren with a very alkaline soil pH, unfit for any type of cultivation. Several organic soil corrective measures such as addition of organic carbon (through mulching), farm yard manure (FYM), green manuring etc, were employed to improve the nutrient content, stabilise the pH and increase water retention capacity. Today we have a total of 4000 trees managed at this project with more to come.

In addition to this, we have a cattle shed, composting unit, vegetable garden and a farmstay retreat for customers to experience a life surrounded by nature. The transformation at Eco-habitat has been phenomenal and can be witnessed by scheduling a site visit as well.

Transformation story 2

EOS 

Started in 2014, EOS has a variety of timber and fruit trees which include Teak, Sandalwood, Mahogany, Mango and Pomegranate. This 45 acre project has a total of 14,000 trees managed by Hosachiguru. The lush green timber & food forests were once a dryland that was devoid of any green cover. The soil was a distribution of uneven gravel, sand and red-soil. Today, it has been transformed into a uniform soil system with highly fertile soil.

Prior to acquisition, this land was also exposed to intensive agriculture, where land was exploited with over-use to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Residues of which could still be observed back in 2014. We have come a long way in reviving the natural ecosystems at EOS and also evolved in design thinking, when planning and managing farmland.

Specific corrective practices were undertaken at EOS over a 6 year period, which included:

Really transforming landscapes can often be an arduous task. Despite widespread awareness of the nature and extent of multiple impacts of repeated land-use changes, there remains limited understanding of how these impacts affect trade-offs among ecosystem services and their beneficiaries across spatial scales.

Transforming landscapes takes years and happens in phases. One of the best ways to secure the land from degradation is afforestation, the impacts of which can directly be witnessed by increasing ground water levels, soil humus, soil water holding capacity, and nutrients. Often we forget that aspects of the environment are interdependent and have either a positive or negative feedback onto each other. However the direction of the feedback loop is one that can easily be controlled by operators.

Although it appears otherwise, there is plenty of water on earth. The primary issues are quality and uneven spatiotemporal distribution that make it inaccessible. But, the most fundamental of all issues is not the scarcity of water, but weak water management practices. Managing a life resource requires adequate knowledge of watershed hydrology and implementation of best practices, in order to harness naturally available water during the Indian monsoon.

What is a watershed? 

A watershed is an area of land that ‘sheds’ or drains surface water into a waterbody. Every water body has a watershed. A watershed can be any area of land that receives rainfall and supplies water to river systems. A watershed can be an urban city, industrial area, pristine forests or even agricultural land. One watershed is separated from another by a natural boundary, known as a water divide or ridge line.

Watersheds can drain rainfall into rivers, streams, ponds, lakes etc. Such small bodies of water, join large river systems and ultimately flow out into the sea. In the soil, water moves in response to gravity, when it is not responding to tension gradients. Delineating a watershed allows the understanding of the drainage basin, catchment area and flow direction of the water. Water is first received in the catchment area and later flows along the land to form an intricate stream network.

Not all the water that is received on land flows into a stream. Some is lost by evaporation and some seeps below the soil surface to form groundwater aquifers or pools. India has been long criticised, for its staggeringly high rates of groundwater extraction. 90% of groundwater extracted in India is utilised for agricultural irrigation. Roughly, 80% of India’s 1.35 crore citizens, depend on groundwater for both drinking and irrigation. The increased use of groundwater has been supported by supply driven policies, providing farmers with free/heavily subsidised grid electricity and pumps. Thus, ignoring the natural water systems and the cascading ill-effects of over-exploitation.

But, why haven’t we run out of water yet? This is because India receives plenty of water, but it is unevenly distributed. While some villages in Maharashtra such as Vidarbha have annual droughts and the highest farmer suicide rates, others in Odisha and north-east have annual floods. Another reason is that India sees flash floods or high amount of rainfall in a short period of time and then almost no rain for the rest of the year. Therefore, it is critical that water is harvested during the monsoons.

Watershed Management Practices:

Watershed Management is the planned manipulation of one or more parts of the drainage network to either create a desired change or maintain a desired condition of the water source. Typical watershed development projects include the following activities.

• Water Conservation
• Soil Enhancement & Conservation
• Livestock Management
• Agricultural Practices
• Plantation & Afforestation
• Mobilisation of community contribution and indigenous knowledge
• Capacity building and institutional development

The quality of a watershed directly decides, the quality of the water system that flows within and out of it. Therefore, watershed development activities mentioned above, are crucial in ensuring the quality and sustainability of water bodies in a watershed.

What is Hosachiguru doing in watershed management?

At Hosachiguru farms, we mobilise local communities of farmers and their indigenous knowledge base, to support our agronomy teams. We are taking a step forward in bridging the science and practice gap, by incorporating good practices of indigenous farming, while implementing supportive scientific methods to enhance our soils. We have enriched several barren and fallow lands to become nutrient dense, with high microbial activity. Our plantations are deployed with precision sensors that allow us to monitor real-time data and take informed decisions at the drop of a hat. Using micro-weather forecast we manage our farm’s water intake in accordance with rainfall and conserve water, not only with rainwater harvesting tanks but also by ensuring that it seeps into the ground. Excess water in the soil is drained out and re-directed to recharge groundwater aquifers. This ensures a sustainable water table for the entire year for all our neighbouring communities.

Agroforestry is a low-cost method of integrated land management where trees are cultivated along with cash crops. Cultivating trees in combination with crops and cattle is an ancient traditional practice across South-east Asia. In India, the practice of growing sacred trees scattered across farms is an age-old practice. Most efforts in agroforestry have been focused on the biophysical benefits of enhancing the environment. Hosachiguru farms revive agroforestry by spotlighting both its biophysical and socio-economic benefits to the community.

A 2017 report by the World Wildlife Fund and the Planning Commission of India, projected a severe shortage of timber supply in India from both domestic and international sources by 2020. Moreover, India is the third largest importer of illegally logged timber (after China and Vietnam), contributing to 9.4% of the total illegal timber import in the world (Gan, et al., 2016). With fertile land, tropical climate, and appropriate irrigation techniques, agroforestry can promote an ‘Atmanirbhar’ Indian timber supply chain, reducing the requirement for timber imports while supporting local economies of scale. Annually, India consumes an estimated 69 million cum* of timber (Shrivastava & Saxena, 2017). To cater to the rising demand of timber and forest produce, India needs to make sustainable use of its underutilised and unproductive wastelands by developing them into cultivable agroforest systems. Agroforestry will not only improve the productivity of timber in India but will also protect forests from deterioration by anthropogenic factors, such as illegal logging, encroachment and climate change.

Agroforestry model works on the principle of interaction between two systems (forests and agriculture) and the effect of one on the other. Agroforestry can be broadly classified into two types:

Simultaneous systems, where trees and crops are grown together in distinct spatial arrangements. Eg: Trees on cropland or trees intercropped with seasonal crops.

1. Sequential systems, where trees and crops are grown in rotation. Eg: crop harvest followed by tree harvests (grown alternately).

Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) is an internationally popular mechanism that encourages landowners or farmers to plant trees on their agricultural land. PES is a scheme employed by several international governments to increase green cover. It is a market-based approach to improve environmental management of agricultural lands that provides monetary compensation to land stewards for ecosystem conservation. (Milder, et al., 2010). In essence it is a scheme that pays ‘cash for conservation’. Most PES budgets are a drain on government resources and funds. Latin American countries like Costa Rica, Brazil & Ecuador have seen great success with PES, alleviating poverty and expanding green cover (UNDP, 2020). At Hosachiguru, we have developed a holistic approach that is fundamentally aligned with the motivation behind PES, but we support an increase in green cover which is highly profitable and triggers a cascade of socio-economic benefits for the whole community.

Biophysical Benefits of Agro forestry

The controlled interaction between the forest and agriculture systems creates conditions that are mutually favourable. The benefits from these interactions include:

• Improved Soil Fertility: Chemical soil fertility is improved as the agroforestry model increases the bioavailability of essential nutrients in the soil. Physical and Biological fertility is improved as the soil structure and water holding capacity increases.

Chemical Soil Fertility

Source: Adapted from Rao, et. al., 1998

• Reduced levels of Soil Erosion: Strong & deep-rooted trees bind soil, increase its porosity, store soil moisture and reduce run-off and leaching.
• Increased Nutrient Cycling of organic matter and nutrients (N, P, K, Ca)
• Higher Crop Yields: As a result of increased nutrient availability, crop yield is higher
• Induces Favourable Micro-climate conditions: Tree canopies provide shade, reduced soil and air temperature and intercept and re-distribute rainfall (Rao, et al., 1998).
• Reduced Competition: Agroforestry induces sharing of growth resources such as light, water and soil nutrients.
• Increased soil microbial biodiversity: Micro-flora and fauna populations increase along with rhizobial microbes that help in nitrogen fixing.
• Watershed protection: Agroforestry model ensures higher soil water retention capacity and increases the water table by refilling aquifers.

Hosachiguru’s agroforestry model is managed and operated by our agronomy experts who carefully select trees and crops that are complementary rather than competitive.  The deep-root system of trees creates little to no interference with the shallow root systems of crops and therefore the agroforestry model in itself favours polyculture of different species.

Socio-economic Benefits of Agroforestry

The National Agricultural Policy (2000) notes that ‘Agriculture has become a relatively unrewarding profession due to generally unfavourable price regime and low value addition’, which has caused a spike in migration to urban centres in India. Hosachiguru, makes agriculture an enticing opportunity and creates value addition through the revival of agroforestry. The large scale of operations lowers the set-up cost, as we cross-leverage resources between several projects, improving resource efficiency. Cross-leveraging of resources also allows our operations to function in the most environmentally sustainable manner.

Hosachiguru agro-farms also support local economies by creating jobs for marginalised rural communities and building a supply chain of product delivery (timber, fruits, vegetables, crops). Socio-economic conditions of the rural populations have seen a positive impact from our operations. The biophysical benefits of agroforestry significantly reduce the chances of crop failure. The primary advantage of agroforestry is the economic benefits it provides.

Agroforests as Carbon Sinks: Agroforestry systems have been identified as high potential carbon sinks and have the capacity to drastically alter local climate. Their ability to sequester carbon, positions them to be a critical climate change mitigation strategy for India. It has been found that in tropical regions, small scale argo-farms can sequester (capture) 1.5-3.5 MgCha^-1yr^-1(Roshetko, et al., 2007). Not only do they capture atmospheric carbon, they also store carbon in the accumulated biomass from leaf litter in soil humus. Agroforestry essentially offsets the carbon footprint of operating a community scale managed farmland. In the future, the majority of carbon sequestration will happen through agroforests as much of the available arable land in India is being cultivated.

Green Gold: As economies across the world are coping with the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, timber is outshining even the traditional gold and silver values. Previously, considered as a low-income investment, timber today has almost doubled in its value. The new work-from-home lifestyle has skyrocketed furniture sales as we redesign our home offices. Timber is a time-tested sustainable asset that has witnessed, a value growth rate higher than gold during the pandemic. Cultivating timber or ‘Green Gold’ has been native to the Indian-subcontinent. However, as timber resources are dwindling, future projections reveal that timber assets will support additional wealth creation opportunities.
https://youtu.be/FwVylHLf63g

The Green India Mission, under its 2008 National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) aims to restore 6Mha** of degraded forest land (Government of India, 2008; Pandve, H T., 2009). Agriculture and food production have been identified as the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather fluctuations. NAPCC has recommended ‘agroforestry’ as a mechanism to develop climate resilient crops. Hosachiguru is pioneering the revival of agroforestry, creating a unique opportunity for our customers to support India’s green economy while reaping the benefits of sustainable agriculture.

*cum: cubic metres

**Mha- Million Hectares

References

Gan, J. et al., 2016. Chapter 3: Quantifying Illegal Logging and Related Timber Trade. In: D. Kleinschmit, S. Mansourian, C. Wildburger & A. Purret, eds. Illegal Logging and related timber trade- Dimensions, Drivers, Impacts and rResponses.. s.l.:IUFRO World Series 35, pp. 37-60.

Shrivastava , S. & Saxena, A. K., 2017. Wood is Good: But is India doing enough to meet its present and future needs?, s.l.: Centre for Science and Environment.

Rao, M. R., Nair, P. K. R. & Ong, C. K., 1998. Biophysical interactions in tropical agroforestry systems. Agroforestry Systems, Volume 38, pp. 3-50.

Roshetko, J. M., Lasco, R. D. & Angeles, M. S. D., 2007. Small holder agroforestry systems for carbon storage. Mitigation and adaptation strategies for Global change, Volume 12, pp. 219-242.

Puri, S. & Nair, P. K. R., 2004. Agroforestry research for development in India: 25 years of experience of a national program. Agroforestry Systems, Volume 61, pp. 437-452.

Milder, J. C., Scherr, S. J. & Bracer, C., 2010. Trends and Future Potential of Payment for Ecosystem Services to Alleviate Rural Poverty in Developing Countries. Ecology and Society, 15(2), pp. 1-19.

UNDP, 2020. Financing solutions for Sustainable Development. [Online]
Available at: https://www.sdfinance.undp.org/content/sdfinance/en/home/solutions/payments-for-ecosystem-services.html#mst-5
[Accessed 6 August 2020].

Pandve, H. T., 2009. India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change. Indian Journal of Occupational Environmental Medicine, 13(1), pp. 17-19.

Government of India, 2008. National Action Plan on Climate Change, New Delhi: Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change.

Sustainable Water Management in Agriculture

Water is considered to be the most important resource for sustainable farming development worldwide. The fresh water supplies are already being diverted from agriculture to meet the rising demand of domestic and industrial use. The sustainable use of irrigation water must be greatly focused for farming in arid areas. India has already started witnessing water scarcity, which will only get worse going forward. To address this issue, Ashok J, Co Founder and Chairman of Hosachiguru, an agriculture expert shares his ideas and techniques to the improvement of water management in farms.

According to Ashok, the golden rule to efficient water management is Reduce-Recycle-Reuse at all stages of farming activities. Some of them may be used concurrently or separately. Read on to find out what Ashok says on efficient water management.

1. Plant density & Diversity: Optimize the distance between rows of primary plants and varieties of the saplings you plant. It is important to incorporate “companion plants” that complement each other. This will help to rationalize the water demand.

“Optimizing density of Primary Plants and incorporation of companion plants that are suitable for local conditions help us manage water demand better.”

2. Wonder Gel: Both in basal dose and in initial soil application incorporate small dose of Hydrogels. During Basal Dose add up to 20 grams / plant and at every Soil Application add 5 grams / plant (or less). This will help hold water and fertilizers for longer duration in the root zone and can reduce water application by 20% and fertilizer application by 10%.

“In semiarid regions, like our farm locations, use of hydrogels shown good benefits in moisture retention and reduced transplanting stress”

Hydrogels are available from different companies starting from UPL, Coromandel, etc

3. Magic Pits: In every 5 rows of primary plants, dig pits of 1 ft X 3 ft X 2 Ft (depth) at 20 ft interval and dump cut weeds into these pits. Add Hydrogel and activated BioChar into them. Grow cover crops regularly.

“These Magic Pits help in multiple ways as given below:

• These pits will help divert and store rainwater
• Work as soaking pits and improve ground water
• Help locally compost agriculture waste
• Will work as “go-to” zone for root systems nearby to uptake nutrients and moisture.”

4. Early morning or evening irrigation: Ensure that you have suitable pump and power source to irrigate when the ambient temperatures are low. As temperatures are relatively lower, it helps in moisture retention for longer hours before evaporation starts due to sun – You save water!

“In principle irrigating when sun is absent will help conserve water and retain moisture longer time.”

This can be automated using time based pump irrigation systems. A lot of start ups are focusing on Sim controller based pumps that help in semi automation of irrigation. Please verify past installations to ensure good functioning of the same.

5. Bore Well recharge: For each bore well create a collection pit of 5ft x 5 ft x 10 ft (depth) size. Add holes to the bore pipe. Fill from the bottom as follows: 3 ft bigger stones, 3 ft 10 mm jelly, 1 ft 5 mm jelly, two layers of insect / mosquito net, ½ ft of coarse sand. Divert rainwater to these pits. Water will soak and filter in to the bore well. Just doing this alone can ensure the borewell never goes dry. Over a period of time the earth below becomes a great source of storage.

6. Rainwater collection pond: Farm ponds can be set up in lowest area within the Farm. Divert rainwater within and outside the farm into this RWH tank. A diversion pit can be used to collect silt from the running water. The water from this pond can be diverted into nearby bore wells to enhance ground water.

“Very important to capture rain water as it is pure and renewable source. It is our duty to put back rain water in to the ground”

7. Summer miracles: In semiarid regions the solar intensity is very high in summer days. Using specific sprays available in the market that create a protective layer on the leaf, thereby reducing perspiration. Depending on summer intensity, take sprays of “Summer Miracle” one or 2 times.

“Observed use of Summer Miracle, worked wonders for the plants even in harsh conditions”

8. Pulse Irrigation: Instead of continuously irrigating for 1 to 2 hours for the same plot, shift irrigation from one block to another every 10 to 15 min. This will help in water spread and improve retention in the soil. There are controllers and valves available in the market for shift irrigation between blocks. Depending on slope of the farm land, you have to use “non-drip” or “Pressure compensated” drippers for uniform application.

9. Twin Line Low Discharge Inline Drip Irrigation: Go for drip irrigation and choose low discharge inline drips & two parallel lines – 1 LPH with 30 cm (to 50 cm) spacing X 2 lines. This will ensure maximum coverage of surface area for a given pump discharge and will minimize the leeching. As more area is covered by drip irrigation, the soil fertility improves and subsequently increases humus development in soil. More Humus in the soil means more moisture holding and eventually results in water saving.

“Effective way to reduce water demand and improve soil fertility”

Hosachiguru applies the above techniques in managing its farmlands and as an organization we have seen merit in applying above methods to implement water conservation with increased output. Based on crop, age of plants, soil condition and other factors, we alter the priorities and apply methods selectively to give our clients an opportunity to increase produce.

We as an organization believe that learning is a continuous process and are always on the lookout for more methods to improve water conservation in our farms.

Please do write to us at connect@hosachiguru.com for any suggestions / feedback.