In this area, one can attend a brief session pertaining to subjects related with cultivation. Children are also encouraged to try out various farming techniques with their own hands. Here, the following operations are included:

 Field Preparations      Sowing / Transplantation      Manuring      Irrigation      Weeding / Hoeing  Mulching      Plant Protection      Harvesting.



Touching only the basics, we move step by step, to take up the general terms and tips, related to farming. The information imparted is quite short, simple and interesting for visitors of most ages. In fact, the lecture could even urge the listeners to learn more about Nature!

Field Preparation
Objects: (1) To make soil loose and porous. (2) To aerate the soil. (3) To maintain proper soil temperature. (4) To control the weeds. (5) To remove the stubbles. (6) To break hard pan of soil. (7) To destroy the insect and pests. (8) To improve soil fertility.

Criteria, or points to be considered while preparing different types of seed-beds.

(1) Shallow or deep rooted crops. (2) Size of seed — small or big size. (3) Season — Kharif, Rabi, Summer. (4) Soil type — deep black, medium light. (5) Type of forming — Irrigated or rain-fed. (6) Infection of weed — whether weed infections are more or less. (7) Seed-bed — various tillage operations like ploughing, clodding, crushing, harrowing, leveling, compacting etc., are necessary for preparing a good seed-bed. Should resist soil erosion. Different crops require different seed-beds e.g.: bajra, rahi, tobacco requires fine tilth soil-bed, while groundnut requires looseness of surface for proper development of pods. Sorghum needs a firm and compact seed-bed for proper root development. Sugarcane occupies the land for more than a year, hence the seed-bed should be prepared after deep ploughing and proper clod crushing, to provide proper drainage and aeration.

Application, or sufficient amount of well-rotten compost is added along with some inorganic fertilizers, if any.

After field preparation, seeds can be sown directly in the field by dibbler, or bullock drawn or tractor drawn, implement. Also ridges and furrows can be prepared if seedlings have to be transplanted. In case of flower seeds, the seeds should be first dried in the sun for one day and then sowed in the container, or in the raised beds. Spraying of fungicide should be done immediately after sowing the seeds. The depth of sowing in case of flower seeds is ½ inch.
Seed Treatment:
Seed treatment is done before sowing the seeds. Seed treatment is done to control diseases, earlyness in germination, increasing nitrogen fixation in leguminous plant, protection against insect and pest, protection from white ants. In case of cotton, seeds should be soaked in water for 3-4 hours. The diseased and light seeds float on the surface of water, and these should be discarded. Some seeds have hard seed-coat. Due to hard seed-coat, the seeds do not germinate. Hence keeping the seed in water for overnight helps to loosen the seed-coat. Also mud and cow-dung is mixed properly and rubbed against the cotton seed to remove the fuss. To avoid the soil borne disease, the seed should be treated with mercurial compounds. To prevent the seeds from white ants, Gamma BHC powder can be used.

Transplanting:
When seedlings are raised in nursery-beds, they are transplanted in the field, as in case of paddy, tobacco, vegetables. Seedlings are allowed to grow in nurseries for about 3-5 weeks, depending upon type of crop. Before the seedlings are removed for transplanting, nursery-bed is watered on the previous days of uprooting the seedlings so that the same seedlings can be taken out without damaging young roots. Usually transplanting is done late in the afternoon and the field is irrigated lightly, so that newly placed seedlings get established easily and the mortality percentage is minimum.

Manures & Fertilizers:
Application of manures and fertilizers to the soil is one of the important practices which helps in increasing the crop yield and to maintain the soil fertility. NPK are the three major elements required for the crop growth. These elements are often found to be deficient in soil and hence the same are made up for, through organic manure and fertilizers.

Manure:
It is a well decomposed refuse from stubble and barn yard, including both animal excreta and straw, or other litter including cut grass.
Organic Manure:
These are two types.
1. Bulky organic manure.     2. Concentrated organic manure.

1. Bulky - these manures are bulky in nature and supply plant nutrient in small quantities and organic manure in large quantities. e.g. Farm compost, cattle manure, green manure.

2. Concentrated - Organic in nature and containing higher percentage of major plant nutrient like NPK. These are animal, or plant originated.

Manures of plant origin (oil cakes).
Non edible oil cakes - castor-cake, cotton seed cake, mahua cake, karanj cake.
Edible oil cakes - coconut cake, linseed cake, sunflower cake, groundnut cake.

Manures of animal origin - (A) Blood meal (dried). (B) Fish meal. (C) Bone meal (Raw).

Fertilizers:
Any natural or manufactured material, dry or liquid, added to soil in order to supply one or more, plant-nutrients.

A. Straight fertilizers - only one major plant-nutrient.
B. Compound or complex fertilizers.
C. Fertilizers mixture - two or more fertilizers mixed together to supply two or more elements.
Green Manuring:
Tender green twings, grass and leaves are collected from waste lands. They are spread in the field and buried. e.g. glycindia, karanj, kinjal.

Irrigation:
This is the artificial application of water to the soil for the purpose of crop production.

Reasons for watering.
1. To prevent wilting     2. To reduce evaporation at the leaf.     3. To dissolve the salts present in the soil.
4. To maintain humid atmosphere.

Methods of Irrigation.
1. Surface - border, check basin ring, furrows.     2. Sub-surface.     3. Sprinklers.     4. Drip.

Irrigation should be done either early in the morning, or at the evening hours to avoid evaporation.

Mulching:
Mulching is the process where natural, or man-made ground covers are placed near the roots above the ground to control erosion, weed suppression and low temperatures. In summer mulching helps in reducing the surface evaporation, hence reducing the water requirement. In winter, mulches are done to keep plants warm with woodash, straw, shredded leaves, woodchips. Foils, glass wool, black plastic, rubber tyres are artificial mulches.

Weeding:
Weeds are undesireable for plant growth and should be removed regularly, either by mechanical aid or by hand. Weeds harbour insects and pests. They also suck up the fertility of soil. They cause itching to humans and cattle.

Plant Protection
Various methods have to be adopted so that plants can thrive. Spraying and dusting with pesticides and fungicides on a specific time-table is useful. Keeping all areas clean is also useful. Purchasing healthy plants always pays in the long run. Getting to the exact root of the disease is very essential. Insect control is very important, too. Use rubber gloves while spraying. Cover nose and face with a mask for certain sprays. Wear full-sleeved shirt and long pants and gumboots, if possible. Do not eat or drink while spraying. Do not allow children, or pets in the garden during spraying and sometimes even after spraying. Wash hands, face and other exposed parts such as limbs after spraying.
Pruning
Why do we need to prune?
1. To keep the plant to a desired size.
2. To maintain the desired shape and habit.
3. To remove dead, weak, unhealthy and uncrowded growth.
4. To improve flowering.
5. To improve fruiting.
6. To improve foliage and stems.

Harvesting
The operation of harvesting may be accomplished manually or with the help of machine, depending on the height of the plants and proportion of maturity of fruits for the operation. Fruits for commercial use are mostly harvested at almost mature stage. In mango, an improvised harvestor (Jhela) developed by Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, is very useful to pick the mango fruit.