CORRESPONDENCE

Cultivation in gunny sack

Sack cultivation is the practice of grow- require simple and inexpensive materials times on one single plant. Fruits are not ing vegetables, exclusively in gunny (sack, stones, soil and manure), de- recommended because they may desta- sacks instead of planting them in the creased water evaporation during periods bilize the bag. Hence the common choices ground1. Gunny sacks have been perpe- of drought, weed control is much easier, include tomatoes, onions, spinach, ama- tually used as traditional storage material plants can be transferred from one place ranth, ginger, etc. for packaging of farm produce and grains to another as per requirement of shadow Vegetables like tomato, spinach, okra, such as maize, rice, millet, sugar and or sunlight, increases crop diversification chilli, brinjal, knolkhol, radish, bottle farm inputs (e.g. chemical fertilizer). and cropping intensity, disposal of the gourd, ash gourd, ridge gourd, bitter This sustainable livelihood practice of gunny sack is easy as it is biodegradable gourd, cucumber, snake gourd and beet farming in sack involves filling the bag and environment friendly. can be planted on the top of the sack. It with soil, manure and growing plants on The nurseries play a key role in sack- is better to promote the culture of short the top soil and inside holes. Thus, the gardening projects, as the seedlings pro- rooted plants at the sides of the bag that key aspect of this farming is that it duced in the nursery are further utilized can stand upright unsupported, i.e. leafy ensures food security, good health by in sack bags. vegetables and herbs. Moreover, seedl- curbing air pollution, green ecology, in- For sack preparation, the following ings of beet, chilli, okra and sweet potato come generation and reduces vehicular steps are followed: (i) At first, the bag is can be planted on the sides of the sack. pollution and traffic of food cargo. Sus- cleaned and soaked in systemic insecti- The only limitation with sack cultivation pending olericulture in above ground cide and fungicide solutions to increase is that except the flat top of the sack, sacks leads to higher vegetable produc- its longevity. (ii) A tube is placed verti- plants are incapable of growing from tivity where constraints like unfertile or cally in the middle and filled with stones seeds at the side of the gunny sacks. This problem soil, waterlogging is regularly which will give structure to the bag and happens because a plant growing from a encountered. also help in drainage3. (iii) Around the seed may not grow through the prede- Sack cultivation can develop local stone column, soil mixed with manure termined holes and rather remain stuck food production system by creating gar- and compost is packed properly. (iv) inside the bag where, it cannot grow in dens with nutrient-rich vegetables, thus Holes are made on the sides of the bag at absence of the sunlight. Under this con- helping extremely deprived households 15 cm apart from each other. Water is dition, proper plant growth can be en- in attaining food security while also sprinkled thoroughly on top as well as on sured by transplanting seedlings into the diversifying their diet2. Growing super- the sides of the bag. (v) The seedlings side holes so that they do not face inhibi- foods like spinach and other root crops produced in the nursery are then carefully tion and are exposed to the outside envi- not only cuts grocery bills, but also in- placed in the holes of the bag at the ronment. fuses otherwise poor diets with essential sides, without damaging the roots. At the nutrients. Thus, this new sack farming top, seeds can be sown followed by 1. Hossain, E., Nurun Nabi, S. M. and allows diversifying diets and addressing sprinkling of water. The bag is watered Kaminski, A., WorldFish. Program Brief, 2015, 30. micronutrient deficiencies. daily. In addition to organic fertilizers, 2. Aiken, M. T., The Project on International Sack farming provides the opportunity chemical fertilizers such as urea, triple Peace and Security, Virginia, 2013, pp. to address the twin objectives: (i) Diver- super phosphate and muriate of potash 1–30. sifying the diet of targeted households can be used for better growth of the veg- 3. Gallaher, C. M., Mwaniki, D., Njenga, through self-production of vegetables. etables. Application doses depend on the M., Karanja, N. K. and WinklerPrins, A. (ii) The possibility for households to type of vegetable and its nutrient M., EcoHealth, 2013, 10(1), 9–20. make savings from the reduced purchase requirements, but a standard amount of 1, of vegetables induced by self-production. 15 g of urea, 20 g of TSP and 15 g of DEBARATI DATTA * 1 Besides, they become self-sufficient, re- MOP may be applied. If needed, organic A. K. GHORAI 2 ducing household food purchasing costs insecticides are used. The dead plants SOURAV GHOSH and increase income through sale of sur- and weeds are discarded from time to plus produce. Thus it is ideal for income time. Within a few weeks, the bag will 1ICAR-Central Research Institute for intensification in small plots of land. be ready for harvest depending on the Jute and Allied Fibres, Sack farming is ideal to meet land type of vegetable grown. Barrackpore 700 121, India scarcity in a sustainable way. Other ben- Root vegetables (carrots, beets, etc.) 2ICAR-Directorate of Onion and Garlic efits include: it requires less water as jute and bulbs (onions) are generally consi- Research, sacks can hold sufficient water, water dered as they have small vegetative Rajgurunagar, logging can easily be avoided/drained, growth while leafy vegetables usually Pune 410 505, India i.e. increased protection from flooding, allow for several harvests at different *e-mail: [email protected]

CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 120, NO. 10, 25 MAY 2021 1549