DCFRN Hints

By P. Ravikumar, Agricultural Consultant, Tamil Nadu, India

Coconut trees are often affected by rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros) and red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus furruginens). Do you know there is an easy method to control these insects? In our area, farmers use common salt (NaCl) or neem to drive out the insects. They put a handful of salt or some neem cake at the point where the branches join the tree trunk. The salt or neem cake repels the pests so the pest attack will be considerably reduced.

By Joseph Gandi, Yengema Secondary School, Yengema Town, Sierra Leone

In our area, farmers scare birds by using a bamboo cane. They split half of the piece of bamboo lengthwise (from up to down). The cane is put in the ground at a place in the field where birds are a problem to crops. A long string is tied to one half of the split cane. On pulling and releasing the string, the two split halves come together to produce a gun sound which scares the birds away.

Adapted from an article by Wang Zhenjiang, Scientech Documentation Centre, CAAS, China

Earthworms improve farm and garden soils. As they burrow into the soil, they make little tunnels which help aerate the soil, keep it loose, break up hardpans, and create fertile channels for plant roots. Earthworms eat soil and small bits of organic matter, mix these together inside their bodies, and then leave waste that is full of nutrients near the surface of the soil.

Since the earthworms can make a great contribution to improving farm and garden soil, farmers can grow better crops by making sure there are lots of earthworms in the soil.

How can you find out if earthworms are working for you? First, check the earthworm population in your farm or garden. Dig out a square of earth, 30 centimetres x 30 centimetres x 18 centimetres (12 inches by 12 inches by 7 inches) deep. If there are at least 10 earthworms in this sample, we consider this population is large enough to be a significant factor in improving soil structure. If, however, only one or two worms are found, then we consider this population insignificant, and it is a good idea to add organic matter to the soil so that the worm population will increase. There are lots of things you can do to add organic matter to the soil such as using compost, mulch, animal manure, and green manure.

With a good population of earthworms in the soil, the farmer or gardener will find that the soil is more fertile and the crops more plentiful.