Home gardens contribution to ‘green revolution’
Dr. Richard Thornton Smith and Nelson Nagasinghe
It is encouraging to note that the aftermath of the civil war has
received good responses on the need for the development of food crops in
the newly opened up land mass of the North. We understand that there are
predictions of creating a possible ‘green revolution’ in those areas. A
‘green revolution’ devoid of a chemical agriculture revolution is
undoubtedly encouraging in the context of the Country’s foreign exchange
constraints even if we disregard the environmental disasters the so
called green revolution has brought in since sixties.
While the appropriate methodology should be followed through a proper
dialogue in respect of possible large farmlands it should not be
forgotten even the North consisted of many a home gardens which were
exemplary. These gardens of course, went beyond the confines of home
plots what we generally tend to talk about, but means of bringing the
sustenance for many.
Foliage - pleasing sight to the eye. File photo |
There is a general sense we are heading into very difficult times as
regards living costs, especially those relating to food and power. There
are of course ways of saving on the consumption of domestic energy and
to some extent on travel-related costs but for many of us it is
difficult to imagine how we can do much to save on the cost of food. In
fact, for city dwellers without gardens worthy of the name there is no
escape from the cost of retail foods.
Vegetable fields
It is a matter of common observation that unlike the uniformity of
paddy lands and vegetable fields, in the case of home gardens one
frequently finds a diversity of plants. This home garden has
traditionally been the province of women who have thus been responsible
for introducing children to plants and their insect life. It is here
that one is likely to find plants driven to virtual extinction
elsewhere.
This diversity was a feature of most agriculture before the advent of
Western farming practices and the introduction of hybrid cultivars in
this island. But diversity is not a sign of unproductiveness - just the
opposite. Wherever you see wild vegetation - tropical forest for example
- you see much evidence of diversity and production but you see little
or no evidence of pests.
It is time then for us to learn from the past rather than emulate the
aberration which has occurred in the last 60 years under chemicals. It
has been repeatedly shown that when plants are grown in combination
rather than as single crops the total production is higher - sometimes
by as much as three times - and that this effect is the greater, the
poorer the soils.
The success of such a system is based on the efficiency with which
environmental resources are utilized and the benefits for plant health
and pest prevention which arise from mixing crops.
A recent study has also shown that when yields from organic and
chemical farm systems are compared, organic systems in temperate regions
perform almost as well as with the use of chemicals and better in drier
conditions. However, in tropical countries where temperatures are high
and soils are of poorer quality the organic system invariably
outperforms chemicals.
What is organics about?
All plant production is, of course, organic so this term is used to
distinguish the method from that which uses chemicals. The organic
system uses no synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides or weedicides
and uses composted organic materials and green manures for building soil
fertility as well as organic materials fermented to form liquids for
application to leaves. Therefore if you want to adopt the practices
above to best effect you must make compost and if possible also liquid
organic fertilizer which will be found very valuable as a short-term
tonic for plants. Full directions for the organic system are available
in a newly published book (Smith, 2007 - Centre for Sustainable Farming
and Energy @ Rs400 + postage).
Pest control in organics is found on creating as much diversity as
possible both of crop plants and indigenous wild plants. When necessary,
a variety of traditional and well-proven natural materials are used for
insect control such as neem or garlic extract.
Intensive raised garden beds
So in a small space - say 2-10 perches - we can achieve surprisingly
good production employing the above principles. But there is more. By
constructing garden beds in a particular way, productive use of a small
garden can be extended into seasons when rains are scarce. First, the
topsoil is excavated to a depth of at least 30 cm and a layer of organic
matter including fresh green leafy material from leguminous trees,
garden weeds or wild sunflower together with dried leaves or paddy straw
or coir dust. This should be placed to a depth of at least 15 cm and
trodden in.
Irrigation water
A beautifully maintained garden. Courtesy: Google photo |
The soil excavated is now returned onto this material - subsoil then
topsoil - to create a raised planting surface. The sides of the bed can
be supported if necessary by coconut husks, stones or wood to prevent
erosion of the soil surface. The dimensions of the bed should be 1-1.5 m
wide and about 3 m long. It should be possible for the smaller members
of the family to easily reach the middle of the bed from each side.
Select a combination of vegetable plants or seedlings, with low-growing
plants at the edges and taller plants like tomatoes or brinjols in the
middle. Introduce a handful of mature compost beneath individual
transplants and add compost under any area to be sown with seed. Never
put compost on the surface! Make a surface pattern for the distribution
of irrigation water when required. The organic matter at depth will
decompose to allow absorption of much moisture which is available under
dry conditions while giving plants access to a deeper soil than would
otherwise be the case.
According to circumstances, many such beds can be introduced across
the garden area within a few seasons. In many instances it may be the
woman who is in charge of the actual vegetable growing but we visualize
the construction work with mammoty as primarily a man’s job and a noble
gesture towards helping the family increase its potential food
production.
Gardens with beds of this kind have been established in many parts of
Sri Lanka including notably tsunami-affected areas, where they are based
on coastal beach sands. Within a year or so they have become
sufficiently productive to support a family’s needs for certain
vegetables while producing a surplus for sale. Neighbours, on learning
that the vegetables have been produced without harmful chemicals, have
been very pleased to purchase as much as they can. This is exactly the
sort of development which the present government is trying to encourage.
When a garden area is small or soil is too poor, then plants are
often grown in pots, tubs, troughs or old tyres. This is particularly
appropriate where only concrete surfaces are available. The rule must be
that where space is restricted, try to build upwards or alternatively
allow plants to hang downwards! Many will be familiar with the
traditional pole frame system on which snake gourds and other favourites
are grown. This is an example of maximizing space, for under a tropical
sun plants can be successfully grown in the relatively shady area
underneath. Similarly, hanging baskets can be arranged around a vertical
pole or post. Window boxes are perhaps the last resort for those without
a garden altogether.
When considering which crop plants to select, choose indigenous
varieties if possible, for these will be more nutritious and will resist
pest and disease problems better than introduced varieties.
One further essential is to save rainwater as this is so much more
beneficial to plants than water from a piped supply or even from wells.
Water as infrequently as possible to encourage good plant rooting. This
will also help preserve more organic matter in the soil. And when
watering, do so in the evening rather than in the heat of the day.
These are simple measures that people in Sri Lanka are generally
aware of but it is necessary refresh their ‘will’ to contribute, that is
why it is necessary for continuing awareness creation. In this respect
it is proud to note the two State owned electronic media organizations,
the Rupavahini and ITN are providing exemplary services not only to the
Home gardeners but also to the agriculturalists in general through
programs like Rividina Arunella etc. Now it is high time to think of a
telecast of Tamil medium too, since this would be very important in the
present context of the resettlement of the IDPs in the Northern Province
in order to keep them in the necessary sustainable agricultural
perspective before they revert to the practices of chemical agriculture.
Both the writers of this article having experiences in their respective
countries, UK and Sri Lanka could vouch for the desirability of this
type of media services through their joint experiences in Sri Lanka
during the past twelve years.
Family health
Although an important aspect of home food production is to raise a
certain level of self-sufficiency - even income generation in some
circumstances - an equally important aspect when working with organic
methods is the health benefit. Organically grown fruit and vegetables
will not contain harmful residues of chemicals. They are most often
described as tasting superior to chemically grown produce and they keep
fresh for longer - often considerably longer. This raises an important
question - why should two equally fresh products differ so markedly?
Techniques now exist to demonstrate that organic food has higher levels
of certain essential minerals and micronutrients. It also contains
higher levels of formative energies which are possessed by all living
things and which we need our carbohydrates and proteins to contain. It
will generally be found that the higher the level of these vital
energies the less actual bulk of food we require in order to be
satisfied. It is therefore necessary to say that what is important to us
is the quality rather than the quantity of food that we eat. Therefore
the individual home gardener producing in the way described need not be
discouraged by the thought that they only produce a little of their
total food needs. In fact they make a disproportionate contribution to
their family’s health, eventually saving on the costs of visits to the
pharmacy or perhaps the cost of hospital treatment. Such a benefit is
rarely considered when debating whether to stop using chemicals.
Future agriculture and the economy of Sri Lanka
We should first look at the economic factors which dominate life in
Sri Lanka. For a start, the world price of petroleum-based products from
diesel to fertilizers has recently shot up. This, in turn, impacts on
the cost of electricity through major dependency on oil for its
generation. At the same time world food surpluses have virtually been
eliminated. Economies, notably that of China, are growing at such a rate
that demand for grain and meat products is pushing up world prices.
Mineral resources and the cost of steel have all been affected by this
process. This all impacts on the economy of Sri Lanka which is heavily
dependant on imports. Other factors need to be considered too. Over
recent years we have been importing increasing amounts of food products
from India and other neighbours whose costs of production are well below
those in Sri Lanka.
Rural life
This may be the ultimate price we pay for a high level of literacy
which educates youngsters away from rural life. However, uneconomic
agricultural activity has led to a deterioration of rural productive
capacity in this island and to further loss of production of some
important indigenous food plants. Another dimension of this problem is
reflected in the increasing consumption of bread by Sri Lankans in
recent years which has undoubtedly lessened dependence on paddy. While
this has undoubtedly made wealthy countries wealthier it has had dietary
repercussions to add to the narrowing of the diet caused by the Green
Revolution. These recent changes have undoubtedly reinforced, if not
triggered, an upsurge of diabetes and other illnesses of the endocrine
system.
Again, the distortion of our economy by the conflict situation and by
a migrant worker culture has led to an erosion of values and sense of
purpose within rural society. One needs no persuasion about this when
observing drunkenness or looking at vast tracts of under productive
coconut or of abandoned paddy lands. It is little wonder that the price
of coconuts and paddy is so high! There are yet further problems. There
is a growing perception that those in positions to contribute their
knowledge to agricultural advancement, those in universities and
government research institutes, are generally only maintaining their own
prestige and largely failing the country through totally inadequate
mechanisms of extension and technology transfer. In short we get very
bad value for all the knowledge that exists here while a continuing
export of the country’s best talent remains a national tragedy. Even
provincial agriculture extensionists in the majority of cases do little
more than act as brokers for the sale of chemicals irrespective of
whether such a course will be economically viable.
Safeguarding the environment
The tragedy is that those in positions best able to help
agriculturalists have become totally divorced from reality as regards
safeguarding the environment while, despite a thriving export market in
organic products, they remain years behind the knowledge in other
countries regarding organic-ecological farming.
What is needed is a fully connected series of government policies
which address rural life and its productive capacity, for without such a
program the future for the cities of Sri Lanka - in the absence of
greatly increased industrial activity - will be bleak. Overcrowding,
unemployment, crime, poor sanitation, disease and an escalation of
conflict will be inevitable. Such a program must address the balance
between rural and urban living which Sri Lanka can reasonably sustain.
It is our contention that a greatly increased role for organic
agriculture will form part of this package of measures. These measures
should involve incentives for conversion of larger estate-managed farms
to organic - these could be operated by the corporate sector. They would
involve increasing the herds of cattle and buffalo to provide manures
but also form the basis of an expanded dairy industry possibly with non-
mono cultural energy plantations to make energy development also an
integral part for which Sri Lanka should work hard. Compost would be
made available at subsidized cost to small farmers while the politically
motivated and ultimately unsustainable cost of the fertilizer subsidy
would be progressively reduced over a ten-year period.
Sustainable energy
Together with emphasis on an environmental approach to landscape,
sustainable energy should be expanded from short-rotation timber. The
green matter produced would be a valuable input to the making of
composts for organic farming. This would be an excellent model for
integrated land use that could be adopted as a model with the new
agriculture/ livestock development initiatives with IDPs in the North.
A movement away from the use of synthetic chemicals in agriculture
would be a huge step towards solving the problem of water pollution
across the island, the greater part of which is caused by agrochemicals.
Fertilizer efficiency in the tropics is an alarming 30 percent,
underlining the fact that chemical agriculture always was a transfer of
an inappropriate technology as far as Sri Lankan soils were concerned.
The loss of at least one third of all nitrate fertilizer into the ground
is one reason why so many here suffer from kidney disorder. The use of
synthetic pesticides and herbicides also contributes to health problems
in society and, together with urea, these are a major cause of soil
impoverishment. All these products have to be imported and on top of
this is a government subsidy for those polluting the island! The health
benefits arising from reduced dependence on chemicals could be enormous,
thus saving vast amounts of money now diverted into healthcare - vast
amounts too on importation of drugs. Here, government is keen to uphold
traditional practices but seems powerless to stem the tide of Western
costly allopathic treatment which addresses the symptoms rather than the
cause.
Chemical industry
For the chemical industry this does not mean a collapse in markets
overnight but it does mean a different future and a different kind of
business model. Up to now the multinationals have enjoyed an almost
perfect model based on other people’s dependency for their products -
from fertilizers and pesticides to seeds. Indeed, it is a common
perception among farmers that more fertilizer and pesticide is required
in order to achieve a satisfactory yield and the SL Economic Review 2003
reported that by 2000 compared with the mid 1970s, twice the amount of
fertilizer was being used to produce each tonne of paddy.
From the commercial exploitative model, the multinationals must now
begin to engage in a socially-responsible, participatory model where
environmental concerns and the well-being of the local population is
seen to be in their own best interests. We all share the planet and if
we so foul our nest and poison our citizens then there is no future for
commercial activity. It is time to realize that the high water mark of
corporate control has now passed.
(Dr.Richard Thornton Smith of ex-University of Leeds UK and an
inspector of organic certification and has more than 12 years of
experience in working with the farming sector in Sri Lanka; has authored
the farming manual on Sri Lankan practices ‘Organic Farming- Sustaining
Earth and People’. Nelson Nagasinghe a Chartered Accountant in practise
has been working in the Sustainable Farming and Energy sectors. Both
could be reached on: [email protected]) |