Major farming systems of Pakistan

Mohsin Tanveer, Asad Saeed, Dr. Ehsan Uallah, Dr. Shakeel Ahmad Anjum

Pakistan is one of most blessed country having all four kinds of seasons with plenty of natural resources. Fortunately, agriculture is backbone of this country and more that 70 % population is associated with agriculture and its products. Out of 70 %, 45 % are involved directly in different farming systems. Farming system is a systematic approach and established way of operating a piece of land with given resources. Farming systems consist of several entrepreneurships like cropping systems, poultry, dairy business, fisheries and bee keeping e.t.c . And very marvellous thing about it is, the waste product of one system can be used as input for other one. There are two dimensions lead to the adoption of any farming system:

1) Objective of a farmer: For what purpose, he is adopting this farming system like either for earning or for subsistence basis

2) Availability of resources: Adoption of any farming system depends on availability of resources like arable farming on saline soils need heavy irrigation and if there is less water availability then what benefit will farmer get.

Here are major farming systems of Pakistan

Crop cultivation farming:

Estimated area under this system is 20% of total country area and is practiced by a huge number of farmers in Sindh, Punjab and valleys of KPK and Balochistan. Capital investment is low and is mostly in the form of land, irrigation system, and farm machinery/draft animals etc. Inputs are low to medium and include quality seed, water, fertilizers and pesticides, diesel oil/electricity etc. The characteristic input is extensive use of river water for irrigating crops. Major farm crops are rice, wheat, cotton, sugarcane and maize etc. Popular rotations are Rice-wheat and Cotton-wheat etc. Minor farm crops are timber/forage trees, pulses, fodders, oil seeds and vegetables etc.

Fruit tree irrigated farming system (Orchards):

This kind of farming system is practiced by private farmers in patches of variable sizes throughout the plains of Sindh, Punjab and valleys of KPK and Balochistan. Estimated area is 0.6% of total area of the country. However excessive solar radiation, hot desiccating winds, occasional storms and frosts, low rainfall, infertile soils and lack of organic matter in soils are major environmental constraints. Capital investment is low to moderate and is in the form of high quality valuable agriculture land, irrigation system, high quality fruit plants etc. Inputs are low to medium and include quality seed and saplings of most suitable species, irrigation water, fertilizer, pesticides and protection etc. Major crops are citrus, mango, guava, dates, pome grenates, ber, japeni phal, banana, papeeta, loquat, apricot, pears, peaches, almonds, walnuts, plums, and grapes etc. Minor crops are wheat, fodders, vegetables and timber trees etc.

Timber tree irrigated farming system:

This is adopted by the state on few large patches of land scattered in the plains of Sindh and Punjab. Estimated area under cultivation is about 1%. Major crops are Dalbergia (shisham), Acacia (kiker), Prospopis (jand), Albizzia (siris), Morus, Melia (bakin), Eucalyptus (safaida), populus (poplar) and Bombax (simbal) etc. Minor crops are Leucaena (ipilipil), Zizyphus (ber), Tamarix (farash), Salvdora (van) etc . Low rainfall, high temperatures, desiccating winds, infertile soil and salinity are important environmental constraints. Degree of control over environmental stresses is negligible. Inputs are low and include irrigation water during summer only and seeds/seedlings of suitable species.

Flood irrigation ( Saliable) farming system

It is being practiced on small scale by poor farmers at subsistence level in small pockets along river banks subject to annual inundation and in mountain valleys receiving annual flash floods hill torrents (Northern Balochistan), D.G.Khan, D.I.Khan and Southern KPK. Estimated area is 1% of total area. Irregular floods, low and undependable rainfall, excessive solar radiation, hot desiccating winds, stony/gravelly/light soils, negligible organic matter in soils, infertile soils having low water/nutrient holdings capacities are major environmental constraints.

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SUMMER!!! Fruit-Watermelon

Some foods are fun to eat, and watermelon is definitely one of them.  That triangular wedge of bright red/white/green, sweet juiciness forbids us to take life too seriously and shouts, “SUMMER!!!” As if that weren’t enough, watermelon is packed full of nutrition, hydrates and is low-fat. While many of us think of watermelon as a great snack option, when you tally up its nutritive value, you might consider making this all-star a feature player in your cuisine.

Interesting Facts

Melon fruit contains a lot of water (about 95% of the fruit) also rich in vitamins and minerals, so it has many benefits for our health. From the side of water content, melons can give sense of cool and soothing effect, so it can relieve heartburn and cleanse the kidneys from the remnants of metabolism. Melons are low in calories, with just 64 calories in a 1-cup serving of honeydew balls and fewer calories in cantaloupe, casaba or watermelon balls. At the same time, melons are high in essential vitamins and minerals. They contain almost no fat or saturated fat, making them an excellent choice for snacks or a side dish.

Watermelons are an excellent source of several vitamins: vitamin A, which helps maintain eye health and is an antioxidant; vitamin C, which helps strengthen immunity, heal wounds, prevent cell damage, promote healthy teeth and gums; and vitamin B6, which helps brain function and helps convert protein to energy.

Tomatoes have been highly touted as a great source for lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps fight heart disease and several types of cancer — prostate cancer in particular.  Watermelon, however, has the highest concentrations of lycopene of any fresh fruit or vegetable.

If your little ones don’t dig into their swiss chard, lima beans or spinach — all great sources of potassium — consider offering them a serving of watermelon instead.  It is a great source of potassium, which helps muscle and nerve function, helps maintain the body’s proper electrolyte and acid-base balance, and helps lower the risk of high blood pressure.

Watermelon also contains the amino acids citrulline and arginine, which can help maintain arteries, blood flow and overall cardiovascular function.

Alone or in a fruit salad are the most common ways many of us eat watermelon. While eating the meat of the fruit is the best way to take advantage of all of its nutrients, this is one of my favorite bits of summer refreshment. I get a version of this from my local burrito truck. The key to making this great: don’t oversweeten it. With just a touch of sweetness, it’s heavenly.

Benefits of melon fruit itself has been tested to treat various types of diseases ranging from mild to chronic diseases. Melons are low in calories, with just 64 calories in a 1-cup serving of honeydew balls and fewer calories in cantaloupe, casaba or watermelon balls. At the same time, melons are high in essential vitamins and minerals. They contain almost no fat or saturated fat, making them an excellent choice for snacks or a side dish.

Melon Nutritional Values is 15.00 mg calcium; 25.00 mg phosphorus, 0.5 mg iron, 34 mg of Vitamin C; 640 mg IU Vitamin A, and 0.03 mg of Vitamin B1. Melon contains an anticoagulant called adenosine so it can stop the clotting of blood cells that can lead to stroke or heart diseases.

Melons are part of the gourd family that includes cucumbers and squashes with the difference that melons are consumed as fruits due to their much sweeter and juicy flavor. There are different types of Melons like:

• Watermelon (Tarbooz)
• Cantaloupe (Kharbooza)
• Honeydew Melon etc

Melon Health Benefits

1. Cancer Prevention

Melon fruit contains high carotenoid that this fruit can prevent cancer and reduce the risk of lung cancer. Melon fruit can prevent and kill cancer seeds that will invade our bodies. So try to eat melons, to avoid cancer.

2. Stroke and heart disease Prevention

Melon contains an anticoagulant called adenosine to stop clotting of blood cells which can lead to stroke or heart diseases. So the melons will help smooth the blood in the body so that a small risk of stroke or heart diseases incidence.

3. Good for digestion

Melons can launch a bowel movement, when we are experiencing digestive problems then eat melon to be easy and smooth bowel movement. Water content in the melon is very good for digestion. Mineral content is able to eliminate the acidity of the body need to be eliminated because it can interfere with digestion, particularly in the stomach organ.

4. Maintaining healthy skin

Melon contains collagen, the protein compounds that affect the integrity of the cell structure in all connective tissues such as skin. Collagen also serve For accelerates wound healing and maintain skin firmness. If you often eat melon means the skin will not be rough and dry.

5. Helps heal kidney disease and eczema.

Melon has a very good diuretic power so that it can help cure kidney disease and severe diseases and acute eczema. If combined with lemon, then a melon can cure gout. So a good idea to consume melons regularly once a day in the morning.

6. Boost of Energy

Most melons are contain B vitamins. B vitamins are responsible for a lot of your body's energy production (they are necessary for the body to process sugars and carbs). Hence, eating melons can give you substantial energy

7. For weight loss

Melons are ideal food for people who want to lose weight because they are low in sodium, fat-free, cholesterol free and low in calories (a whole cup of watermelon contains only 48 calories). They will also make you feel fuller because of the high water content. The natural sweetness found in melons will help you not to be tempted to grab those high calorie sweets.

Reference:

1. USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory: Melons, honeydew, raw

2. http://www.care2.com

3. http://letsgohealthy.blogspot.com

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Early Kharif season and Water Shortage

ابتدائی خریف موسم پانی کی کمی کا شکار

The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) on Friday projected a six per cent water shortage in early Kharif season and advised provinces to delay cultivation by two weeks till ice starts melting. However, there will be no water shortage in middle and late Kharif season as the country will have 10 MAF more water than the previous year.

This is the crux of a meeting of Irsa Advisory committee which met under Chairman of Irsa Asjad Imtiaz Ali to decide the availability and distribution of water for provinces during the upcoming Kharif season. Major Kharif crops are cotton, sugarcane and rice. The committee noted that the country would lose 25 per cent of total water available during because of system losses.

Irsa observed that 110 Million Acre Feet (MAF) water would be available for Kharif season, of which 23 MAF water would be lost. The committee said that in Jehlum and Chenab zones, the loss will be 10 per cent in the early Kharif season and 15 per cent in late kharif season. In the Indus zone, the water loss would be as much as 40 per cent, it noted.
It said that 67.25 MAF water would be available in canals for provinces. The body observed that the country would face 6 per cent water shortage in the early Kharif season. The committee decided that provinces would be given water according to their needs as the country would have more water than the previous season. "However, if the country faces water shortages, provinces would be taken on board to share it," the committee said. The country would have a carryover stock 11.5 MAF of water.
Later, Irsa's spokesperson Khalid Idrees Rana said that 10 MAF water would be released in Kotri downstream. He said that Punjab would get 33.6 MAF water and Sindh 30.25 MAF water for Kharif crops. "Balochistan will get 2.6 MAF whereas Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 0.8 MAF water for Kharif crops," he said. He maintained that 1.2 MAF carryover water stock was available in reservoirs. He said that major reservoirs, including Tarbela and Mangla, would be filled in August at 1,550 and 1,242 feet levels, respectively. Official said that there would be no water shortage in upcoming Kharif season starting from April 1 till September end.

Source: http://www.brecorder.com/

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What is Green Manure

Green manures are any crop high in nutriments that can be tilled back into the soil. Like all plants Green Manures capture CO2 and transforms it into sugars. Many have nitrogen fixing bacteria living around there roots which convert Nitrogen from the air to a form that plants can absorb The soil food web quickly decomposes Green Manure so the nutriments in the leaves and roots can be taken up by the next crop. Cover crops can also be inter-planted with other crops.

Benefits

Cover crops add organic material to your soil. They make the soil easier to work. Cover crops help the soil hold water and nutriment for easy absorption by plants. Many cover crops have deep root structure that improves soil aeration and when the deep roots decay improve the soil structure. The deep roots loosen the soil and mine minerals which are made available to the garden. Cover crops are cheaper than buying commercial grades of compost and soil amendments. They protect soil from compaction and erosion by softening the impact of rain. Cover crops reduce weed crops. They prevent the leaching of soil nutriments by absorbing them.

Determine your soil building goals. Is it nitrogen fixing, creating heavy biomass or breaking down compacted soil. Choose green manure crop for time of year and your soil building goals from the planting guide that follows. Mixing more than one crop together is a good idea.  Consider a strategy to under sow green manures under maturing crops.

It is best to harvest green manures right after they have started to bloom. Harvesting earlier is fine but plants will not have reached their maximum nutritional storage and bio mass. After flowering green manures become woody and after they seed and take longer to break down.

Bury them as you turn you soil or cut them off and chop them up. If you chop them up mix cover crop with the two inches of soil and treat as a mulch or use them in a side mulch. If you remove the chopped cover crop from your garden you will have missed out on its biggest benefit,

feeding your soil. Allow buried crops to decompose before planting (one to three weeks depending on crop, soil and weather.

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What is Permaculture?

PERMACULTURE

Permaculture is a broad based and holistic approach that has many applications to all aspects of life. At the heart of all sustainable design and practice however is a fundemental set of ‘core values’ or ethics (Earthcare, Peoplecare and Fairshares) and principles which remain constant whatever our situation, whether we are creating systems for town planning or trade, whether the land we care for is a windowbox or a 2000 hectare forest. As well as providing the tools to create greater sustainability within our lifestyles, home environments, gardens and on our land, permaculture is just as importantly about finding ways of mending community and rebuilding our fragmented society.

Permaculture isn’t about is having to get your head around untold facts, figures, Latin names and complicated techniques, rather it is about recognising universal patterns and principles, and learning to apply these ‘ecological truisms’ to our own gardens and life situations. We can identify the underlying forms that recur throughout the natural world and learn to understand and utilise them in designed ecologies…

’PERMACULTURE’ is a word that was originally coined in the mid seventies by two Australians, David Holmgren and Bill Mollison, to describe the design system pioneered as a response to what they, and many others globally, saw as serious challenges to the survival of all of us. Originally derived from the words ‘PERMAnent agriCULTURE’, permaculture has gone beyond it’s roots in looking at strategies to create sustainable food growing methods to become a worldwide movement encompassing all aspects of how we as human beings can live harmoniously in relation to our Earth and it’s finite resources- A PERManent CULTURE. Permaculture now probably has as many defintions as there are practitioners, but one that is particularly useful might be,

“CREATING SUSTAINABLE HUMAN HABITATS BY FOLLOWING NATURE’S PATTERNS”.

WORK WITH NATURE

Putting massive effort into attempting to ‘tame nature’, such as by damming valleys and flood plains or creating and maintaining bare soil by plough, is not only energy consuming, unsustainable and destructive, it is also unnecessary when we can meet the needs of people and the environment by working in harmony with, or even directly utilise, natural systems. Instead of using massive chemical inputs to control pests, why not encourage predators such as ladybirds and hoverflies to do our work for us? Or why not construct homes that utilise passive solar energy and wind power rather than building nuclear power stations?

It is how we look at things that makes them advantageous or not, or, as Bill Mollison once said, “You havn’t got an excess of slugs, you’ve got a duck deficiency”.

Nothing should be indispensable as it’s loss or failure can then be disastrous. If, on the other hand, every system has a back up, it can continue to function. If we give all of our land over to one crop (a monoculture) and it fails, we starve, but if we grow as wide and diverse a range of edible plants as possible (a polyculture), we still get to eat if some of them don’t make it to harvest. Similarly in our day to day lives it makes sense to learn as wide a range of skills as possible- a person who has had only one well paid but specialised job throughout their working life would be far less able to cope with being made redundant than somebody who has several smaller incomes earned from a variety of sources.

Effectively the other side of the coin… If you have learned the skills to prune apple trees, mend a computer, play the guitar, cook for a crowd, entertain children, operate a printing press, fix a downpipe, draw and paint, drive a tractor, use a word processor, install a wind generator, give a massage, juggle, run a photography workshop and build a compost bin, not only are you better able to earn a living in a variety of circumstances; YOU also become more valuable in terms of what you are able to OFFER to others…

Traditionally, ‘yield’ is thought of as quantity of material output (eg, amounts of potatoes, grain, etc) calculated against resources or effort put in, but there’s no reason why we can’t widen our definition to include information, lessons learned, experience, the health benefits of exercise and being outdoors, or even just plain fun… Within a permaculture design, we will constantly be finding new niches to utilise, new beneficial guilds, learning new techniques, trying out fresh ideas, be gathering knowledge. By comprehending and copying natural systems, we can develop techniques in order to consciously multiply such opportunities…

Unlike many contemporary cultivated gardens, nature does not neatly compartmentalise her landscapes with ornamentals growing in one place, vegetables in another and fruit trees in yet a third location. In woodland several plants such as standard and half standard trees, shrubs, climbers and ground cover occupy the same area of space, each ‘stacked’ to find it’s own requirements within it’s particular ‘level’ in the system. The Forest Garden is an attempt to replicate this ‘layering’, replacing the wild plants of the woodland with fruits, herbs, vegetables and other plants that are useful to peoplekind.

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Why Garden Organically?

Gardeners may choose organic growing techniques for several reasons. Some do so because they believe organic gardens and landscapes are better for their health and the health of their families. Others grow organically because they believe this practice is better for the environment. And some gardeners believe organic gardens are more productive and beautiful.

I grow organically for all these reasons and because, when I do so, I become part of the legacy of people who honor the health of the Earth and all its inhabitants by using growing techniques that are safe and sustainable over the long term.

Probably the main reason why many people garden organically is to provide their families with safe, wholesome food and a toxin-free environment. Many gardeners believe that organically grown foods taste better, and recent studies show that organically grown foods may have higher nutrient levels than their conventionally grown counterparts. Organic growers also steer clear of genetically modified plants, the health risks of which are still unclear.

When it comes to health and safety, pesticides pose the greatest concern in gardening. Americans use about 4.5 billion pounds of pesticides each year in yards, gardens, homes, farms, and industry, about 1 billion pounds of which are synthetic pesticides. Despite a complex system of rules, regulations, and labeling requirements, thousands of people suffer acute pesticide poison-ing each year. Like most gardeners, organic growers may occasionally need to use pesticides, but they choose them carefully, opting for the least-toxic organic sprays as a last resort — only after other control measures have failed.

Many people assume that organic means nontoxic, but that’s not really correct. Some commonly accepted organic pesticides are, strictly speaking, more toxic than some synthetic chemical pesticides. But in general, organic pesticides ,which are derived from plant, animal, and mineral sources, tend to be less toxic than synthetic chemical pesticides, which are created from petroleum and other chemical sources. More important, organic pesticides tend to break down quickly into benign substances, whereas synthetic pesticides can linger in the environment for decades.

Many of the synthetic pesticides used today belong to a group of chemical compounds called organophosphates. They’re used to control insect pests on fruits and vegetables, to combat termites, and to control fleas and ticks on pets. These chemicals work by interfering with the nervous systems of the pests. Unfortunately, organophosphates can also harm the nervous systems of animals and humans. In fact, they are chemically similar to the World War II–era chemical-warfare agent known as nerve gas. In humans, symptoms of overexposure include nausea, headache, convulsions, and (in high doses) death. Diazinon and chlorpyrifos, two recently banned pesticides discussed in the sidebar “How unsafe pesticides remain on the market,” fall into this cate-gory. Unfortunately, since diazinon and chlorpyrifos have been phased out, the use of carbaryl, an insecticide that also damages the nervous system, has increased. The EPA classifies this product as a likely human carcinogen.

Despite extensive testing by chemical companies in controlled trials, it’s hard to know exactly what pesticides will do out in the real world. Ponder these statistics: The EPA now considers 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides, and 30 percent of insecticides to be potentially carcinogenic (able to cause cancer). A study conducted by the National Cancer Institute found that farmers exposed to chemical herbicides had a six-times-greater risk of developing cancer than farmers who were not exposed. Scary stuff.

No matter what type of pesticide you’re using — organic or synthetic — you must follow label directions to the letter. Read all warnings, wear recommended protective gear, and use only as instructed. Taking these precautions isn’t just smart, it’s also the law.

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“Engine Room” Of A Plant

Every plant needs at least some light in order to grow and prosper, but the amount really varies. Mushrooms (which are actually fungi), for instance, can grow in bins in a dim basement or shed; daisies and water lilies, on the other hand, crave hot, full-on sunshine. Plenty of plants rest in the middle of these two extremes, of course. And some plants, like azaleas and daylilies, grow well enough in less-optimum light but don’t flower well in the shade. In terms of labeling, just remember that full sun usually means six or more hours per day; part-day, of course, refers to less.

You may assume that flowers drink up the light, but actually, the leaves do most of the work. Leaves are the main “Engine Room” Of A Plant. For a plant to operate, thrive, and increase in size, all plant parts (except flowers) need to play their roles in photosynthesis. Roots draw in water, but the real energy production takes place primarily in the foliage. Light helps produce the fuel.

Long hours of plentiful sunlight, with varying angles throughout the day, are important so that every leaf — even the ones lower down on the plant — gets the chance to receive light. The good news is that no matter what light conditions your yard has to offer, at least something should be able to grow there.

Sun plants and shade plants are labeled, and of course gardeners try to accommodate them. If you need plant ideas along these lines, not to worry —the plant chapters in this book have plenty of suggestions for you.

The warmth of the sun, even more than actual light, inspires flowers to unfurl. Sunlight from the east (morning light) is considered cooler, and western sun (afternoon light) can be scorching. Many plants prefer a site with some morning sun, even until midday, and late-afternoon shade. Other plants are able to endure even the hottest conditions. A plant’s tolerance, of course, varies by region. You can place the same plant in a sunnier spot in the far North than in the South.

If you have plants growing in a spot that receives a blast of late-afternoon sun, be sure to monitor their water needs closely so they don’t dry out. If you find they’re struggling, you can help them by installing something to cast a shadow, such as an arbor, or by planting a tree or large shrub in just the right spot. Even companion perennials or annuals planted nearby can cast enough shade to bring needed relief.

Here are some signs that a plant is getting too much sun:

ü Flower petals dry out.

ü Leaf edges look burnt or dried.

ü Flower color looks faded or washed out.

ü The entire plant starts to flag.

And here are signs that a plant isn’t getting enough light:

ü Growth is sparse.

ü Stems are lanky and spindly.

ü The distance between leaves, where they’re attached to the stems, is especially wide.

ü You see fewer flower buds and, thus, fewer flowers.

ü The entire plant leans toward the light sources.

Some of figuring out the proper location is trial and error — you’re aware that roses like a full day of sun, but you really want that bush to go in the nook that gets afternoon shade. Give the spot a try. If the plant’s unhappy, you can always move it to a more appropriate spot.

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To Bee or Not to Bee?

I’ve been keeping bees in my backyard since 1983, and I have a confession to make — I really love my bees. That may sound weird to you if you aren’t a beekeeper (yet!), but virtually everyone who keeps bees will tell you the same thing and speak with deep warmth about “their girls.” They impatiently await their next opportunity to visit their hives. They experience a true emotional loss when their bees don’t make it through a bad winter. Beekeepers, without a doubt, develop a special bond with their bees.

Since becoming a backyard beekeeper, I’ve grown to deeply admire the remark-able qualities of these endearing creatures. As a gardener, I’ve witnessed firsthand the dramatic contribution they provide to flowering plants of all kinds. With honey bees in my garden, its bounty has increased by leaps and bounds. And then there’s that wonderful bonus that they generously give me: a yearly harvest of sweet liquid gold.

Once you get to know more about bees’ value and remarkable social skills, you’ll fall in love with them too. They’re simply wonderful little creatures. Interacting with them is an honor and a privilege. People who love nature in its purest form will love bees and beekeeping. That being said, in this article, I help you better understand the remarkable and bountiful little honey bee by looking at its history and the value that it brings to our lives. I also discuss the benefits of beekeeping and why you should con-sider it as a hobby — or even a small business venture. This article gives you an idea of what equipment you’ll need to get started, the time you should expect to spend maintaining a healthy hive, and how deep your pockets need to be. It also discusses the optimal environmental conditions for raising bees and ends with a checklist that you can fill out to see if beekeeping is for you.

Discovering the Benefits of Beekeeping

Why has mankind been so interested in beekeeping over the centuries? I’m sure that the first motivator was honey. After all, for many years and long before cane sugar, honey was the primary sweetener in use. I’m also sure that honey remains the principal draw for many backyard beekeepers.

But the sweet reward is by no means the only reason folks are attracted to beekeeping. For a long time, agriculture has recognized the value of pollina-tion by bees. Without the bees’ help, many commercial crops would suffer serious consequences. More on that later. Even backyard beekeepers wit-ness dramatic improvements in their gardens’ yields: more and larger fruits, flowers, and vegetables. A hive or two in the garden makes a big difference in your success as a gardener. The rewards of beekeeping extend beyond honey and pollination. Bees pro-duce other products that can be harvested and put to good use, including beeswax, propolis, and royal jelly. Even the pollen they bring back to the hive can be harvested (it’s rich in protein and makes a healthy food supplement in our own diets).

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How to keep a moth orchid alive

By Adrian Higgins

To some minds, the poinsettia is cheapened by its ubiquity. But somehow that everywhere orchid — the phalaenopsis or moth orchid — always seems elegant and exotic, even when herded in the big-box store or supermarket.

Mass cloning techniques and industrial-scale propagation in places like Taiwan have kept the market well-fed with unnamed varieties — big whites, pinky purples and weird bicolors — that seem as abundant and non-seasonal as potatoes. Still, the tree-dwelling jungle plant lends grace to its surroundings, the condo lobby, the swanky restaurant or your kitchen countertop. Does anyone not like a moth orchid?

But this affection, I wager, is accompanied by an underlying anxiety that we will kill the plant through neglect or abuse. Getting the most from a moth orchid — eight weeks of bloom and repeat flowering in a few months — is not difficult but requires method. In search of the best advice, I traveled to the Floradise Orchids greenhouse of Janet Cherchuck and Stephen Shifflett in Gordonsville, Va., where the couple has been raising orchids commercially for more than 30 years. (They sell at two D.C. farmers markets, regional orchid shows and from their greenhouse 100 miles south of Washington.)

Moth orchids have light and temperature needs, but the single biggest reason they crash, said Cherchuck, is through incorrect watering: usually overwatering, sometimes underwatering, or a combination of the two. Typically, the roots begin to rot and the leaves grow limp.

Getting it right is complicated by the type of growing medium used: either a loose mix of pine bark or sphagnum peat moss. In either case, the orchid should be thoroughly watered and not watered again until nearly dry. The more densely packed moss takes longer to dry and may need watering every 10 to 14 days compared with the weekly pine bark watering, but the timing varies by light levels, warmth and humidity. Use your finger to probe about an inch into the pot to see if the surface is dry. Another way to tell: A watered pot feels heavier than one that is dry.

At a sink, run the orchid under a tap of room temperature water — neither hot nor cold — and let at least a gallon run through the drain holes to ensure complete saturation. With open-growing media in free-draining pots, “watering is about frequency, not quantity,” said Cherchuck. Feed with a weak soluble fertilizer after watering. It’s okay to get the leaves wet, but not the flowers. Finally, tip the plant to remove water from the leaf bases and crown, where the stem meets the roots.

Once the flowers have finished, you can cut to just above a node to promote a new flowering stem. This will appear in a few weeks if the plant is happy. This constant blooming, however, will stress the plant, and the subsequent blooms will be smaller and fewer. If you want to build up your orchid for long-term cultivation, cut off the flower stem and in June, place the orchid outside in a shady, sheltered spot away from direct sunlight. Continue to water and feed as the growing medium dries; don’t rely on rainfall. The required difference in day and night temperatures outside will encourage the plant to bloom after you bring it back indoors in early fall.

Small phalaenopsis varieties, with different bloodlines, can bloom more freely than large hybrids and are a good choice for apartment dwellers who have no yard for summer care.

Buying a moth orchid

Orchids can become stressed if mishandled or improperly kept. Orchids in grocery stores tend to be too cold and displayed close to produce. Nearby apples, bananas or other fruit give off ethylene gas, which causes the orchid blooms to age prematurely.

Look at the general health of the plant. Look for fleshy, live roots. The leaves should be green, turgid and the central growth stem upright. Avoid plants with yellowing tips to the flower stem or with buds that are falling off. Choose an orchid that has begun to flower, not just in bud. When stressed, the buds will be small or fail to open.

Repotting

Moth orchid roots are meant to wander out of the pot. But if the plant is potbound at the base or if the growing mix has broken down and smells musty, repot the plant. This is best done after flowering in late spring. Remove all the old mix, cut off shriveled dead roots and use fresh mix. The roots should occupy about three-quarters of the volume of the new pot — typically about an inch bigger in diameter than the old pot. Placed in a pot that is too big, the orchid will suffer root rot. If your orchid is part of a larger florist’s arrangement, wait for the plant to finish flowering and then pot it individually in a container of the correct size. Moth orchids do not grow by rhizomes and do not need to be divided like other orchids.

Bark... or moss?

Bark:

Pros-

Makes for tougher plants. Reduced risk of overwatering. Easier to see state of roots.

Cons-

Needs watering more often. Harder to tell if it is wet enough.

Moss:

Pros -

Plants grow larger. Looks attractive. Surface lightens when it dries out.

Cons-

More prone to waterlogging. Risk of compacting when repotting. Slight risk of skin disease from moss-borne fungus; wear rubber gloves.

Temperature and humidity

Typical room temperature is fine, but go no lower than 60 degrees. Raising humidity in winter is a boon to orchid and orchid grower alike, but correct watering is more important than high humidity. Misting is unnecessary and may damage the blooms.

Light

Moth orchids like bright, indirect light. Direct sunlight will turn the leaves pale green or yellowish green and stress the plant. Insufficient light will cause the upper leaves to be smaller than the ones below (they should be larger).

Watering

Forget the dainty watering can. Take the orchid to a sink and run water through the pot thoroughly. This will saturate the medium and wash out old fertilizer salts. Test dryness with your finger and learn to judge the watering need by the weight of the pot.

Source of Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/

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Social Media – A Magic Wand in Agriculture

Social Media is the craziest thing in which people of every age and every group of life are involved and actually addicted to it. Average time people spend on Social Interactive sites like Facebook and Twitter is 5-7 hours. So this time is purely dedicated for interaction with people and discussion of lot of things around.

By: Haroon Hemani (Student at Department of Agriculture & Agribusiness Management, University of Karachi)

Social Media is not just for fun but in fact it works as a magic wand by which you can do wonders. Now people are doing their businesses from social media. Now every business should have a social interactive website so that they get an instant feedback about their businesses and get the public point of view about the product they sell. Social Media is not magical just for business related issues but they are doing magic on educational and research grounds as well. So Social Media is a package where people get what they want and they can discuss their point of views and can share things of their interests as well.

When Social Media waved the Magic Wand over Agriculture, the whole concept of agriculture changed. From student to a professional farmer actually entered into a new phase of agriculture where things get better, effective and easy!

Social Media and Agriculture Students

Social media make agriculture academics simple. Students now find E-books, Handouts, Research Papers and many informative videos on farming and livestock as well. And above all they can interact with different students, teachers and professionals and can discuss their problems, give their thoughts on different issues and in addition you will be noticed by professionals too! You can also talk to people around the world and can learn about diverse agricultural systems working in different countries. Students can find internships and jobs through social media.

Making Extension work trouble-free

Extension work a very important part of agriculture sciences and management is now not so difficult as compared to previous days. Now you can easily engage with the farmers through social media and can guide and inform about new technologies and how they can work better for farmers. Farmers on other hand can ask about different diseases and management issues and find their solutions easily. Information about the time and quantity of Fertilizer and Pesticide use is now as simple as ABC. Farmers now share their experiences, problems and solutions on Facebook, twitter and even youtube and it benefits new people in this field as well as professional farmers. AgChats is the perfect example of it.

Farm Record Keeping and Management Software and Apps

Farm Recording is the key of farming and this is become very easy by Mobile apps and Farm recording software like agsquared, farmlogs and FarmPAD. Now you can manage and record each and everything on the go. These magical softwares helps you to organize your farm in seconds, so nothing to worry about because magic is in the air!

Social Media and Agribusiness

E-agribusiness is a popular term for the people related to agriculture. Agribusiness become digital nowadays. There are many companies who have their product website and they actively use social media for the marketing of  their agricultural products.

There are websites which brings importers and exporters on one platform so that consumer can find their desired products at good price.

Companies related to Agriculture technologies and machineries also work passionately on social media.

People are now selling gardening equipment through social media and they are making good money out of it.

Awareness Campaigns through Social Media

Awareness campaigns are very common on social media and you find bulk of awareness campaigns under the title of Agriculture.

Social media is doing magical things around us and actually it is helping the whole Agriculture Sector including farming and livestock. Every branch of agriculture is now connected with social media from seed to harvesting a crop and raising livestock. Social Media in fact created Agriculture a magical world where you just need a magic wand to conquer it!

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