Inside Project Watch ..page 2 CIKS Talk ..page 3 Books, Videos... & Visitors Book .. page 4

April 2004 Vol.5 No.1

TRAINER’S TRAINING PROGRAMME ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems conducted a Trainer’s Training Programme on Sustainable Agriculture between 28th January and 3rd February 2004 at the field office, Singaperumal Koil. The training programme was conducted for the representatives of NGOs in Tamilnadu and was supported by the Regional Centre of CAPART based in Hyderabad. Mr. M.V. Murugappan of the Murugappa Chettiar Research Institute, and Dr. Aru. Solaiappan, Agricultural Scientist from Chenglepet inaugurated the programme by lighting the ‘Kuthuvilakku’.

The main objective of the programme was to train the participants on various aspects of Sustainable Agriculture and help them formulate fundable proposals to CAPART. Twenty three representatives from 22 NGOs participated Participants visiting the herbal nursery at Thandarai in this training programme. The participants were trained on various topics of like Vrkshayurveda, - The Traditional Plant Science, Biological Methods of Pest and Disease Management, Importance of Traditional Seed Varieties, Environment and Soil Conservation, Plants in Pest Control, Organic kitchen gardening, Pest and disease management in cotton, Cultivation and marketing of medicinal plants and Organic paddy cultivation. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Ismail of Ecoscience Research Foundation, Dr. Aru. Solaiappan, Agricultural Scientist and Mr. Suresh, Gram Mooligai Company Limited were some external resource persons in addition to the CIKS staff.

Mr. P.N.Srinivasan, Director of CAPART, spent a day with the participants. He evaluated the proposals that were prepared by the participants and discussed about the preparation of project proposals. He gave suggestions to the participants in this regard. Demonstrations on the preparation of various biopesticides and seed treament techniques were done to the participants. Equal importance was given both for theory and practical sessions.

The participants were taken to the experimental farm of CIKS at Sukkankollai where they had an opportunity to learn about different techniques of organic farming. The various composting techniques were explained to the participants practically. The participants also visited the herbal garden at Thandarai and the biopesticide unit at Venpakkam. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Ismail during his lecture CIKS News April 2004 Vol.5 No.1 CCF coordinated by Centre between 22nd - 26th March for Environment Education in the Sukkankollai farm. (CEE), New Delhi. On 26th Various aspects of integrated PROJECT WATCH February, a one day organic kitchen garden was A round-up of our activities this quarter workshop was hosted by explained to the farmers and Mid-term The programme was held on CEE, Bangalore. About 25 demonstration of preparation NGOs from 4 southern states of biopesticides was also Evaluation and 30th & 31st January in Sirkazhi and 19th & 20th February in participated in this workshop. done. The farmers visited the Training Kancheepuram. Nearly 90 CIKS made a presentation demo medicinal plant garden Our centre has been farmers were trained in these about the experience of the and the composting areas in implementing a project on programmes. The District completed project in the the farm. “Enhancing livelihood Collector Mr. Veera workshop. This was followed security of small and marginal shanmugamani, I.A.S., was the by a good discussion. Insect rearing lab at farmers”, supported by guest of honour in the Sirkazhi CAPART. The mid-term Educational programme held at Sirkazhi. CIKS is about to set up an evaluation of this project was Material on Organic He highlighted the importance insect rearing lab for its done by Mr. L. Veera- of organic farming. In the Cotton experiments at Sirkazhi. In raghavan. He visited our programme, the farmers were In connection with the this connection, Subhashini office at Kotturpuram and given an orientation to organic preparation of educational Sridhar attended a three day had discussion with our staff cotton cultivation, and the material on organic cotton, training programme on 5th, on 2nd January. On 3rd, he importance of shifting to organic Subhashini Sridhar under- 6th and 7th of March at the visited the project site and cotton cultivation was stressed. took a trip to Delhi and insect rearing lab of had an interaction with the Ten farmers have been identified Nagpur between 8th - 14th of Dr. Kumar at University of beneficiaries and field staff. from each of these groups. January. She visited the Agricultural Sciences, These farmers would be Regular training programm- National Centre for Pest Bangalore. She was trained provided with technical and Management and Indian on various aspects of insect es for the beneficiaries form material support for organic part of this project. A training Agricultural Research rearing and its related topics. cotton cultivation during the Institute and had discussion programme on “Ethno- current season. COMPAS Team at veterinary practices for cattle with the scientists. She also care”- was conducted by a visited the Vidarba Organic Egypt Trainer’s Training Farmers Association at well known veterinarian A.V. Balasubramanian was at Programme at SRD Vidarba and the Central Dr. Abdul Razak. Farmers Egypt between 14th to 27th Cotton Research Institute at from Anoor, Alavai and In connection with the March to attend the Nagpur. Venpakkam participated in consultancy provided to conference on – “Bridging FRLHT’s project on the training programmes held Workshops on Scales and Epistemologies” on 15th, 16th and 17th of ‘Development of User’s Organic Kitchen that was held as part of the – March respectively. The Package’, K. Subramanian “Millenium Ecosystem farmers were trained on and P. Murugan of CIKS Gardening Assessment” that was hosted simple techniques for curing conducted a Trainer’s Training CIKS has been implementing by Bibliotheca Alexandrina at ailments in cattle using locally Programme on 20th and 21st a project on establishing Alexandria in Egypt. As a part available plants and other of February and a follow up kitchen gardens to improve of the panel presentation by materials. workshop on 12th March at the nutritional security of the COMPAS team, Society for Rural Develop- households with support from A.V.Balasubramanian Training on ment, Dharmapuri. Nearly 50 HIVOS. In connection with presented a paper on Organic Cotton farmers participated in the this, 10 organic farmers “Traditional and Modern Cultivation workshop and shared their sangams have been formed in Sciences and Technologies in experience in organic farming. As a part of the DST 10 different villages in the : Trading New Madhurantakam block of Paradigms for Old”. He also supported project on “Organic UNDP Meeting Cotton Cultivation”, CIKS Kancheepuram district. Five attended the meeting of conducted two training CIKS had completed a one day orientation work- International coordinators programmes, one each at project under the Small grants shops were conducted for the group of the COMPAS Sirkazhi and Kancheepuram. programme of UNDP GEF- members of 5 sangams programme. CIKS News April 2004 Vol.5 No.1 CIKS TALK Seminars, Discussions, Presentations, discuss regarding the project submitted to CAPART Workshops, Fairs... COMPAS institutionalisation by the NGO, CAST. process with Mr. Vijay Padaki Visit to SARI, Melur Zoofest in Stella Maris National Workshop at of P&P Group. He met Dr. Ganeshan Balachander of K.Vijayalakshmi inaugurated Bangalore On 3rd March, K. Vijaya- Ford Foundation on 12th at lakshmi and Anand Rama- the inter-collegiate festival As a part of an Action New Delhi. chandran, our web and design “Zoofest” organised by the Research Study conducted by On 13th, he visited National consultant visited the SARI Zoology Department of Stella Ford Foundation, a National th Institute of Rural Development project of N-logue communi- Maris College on 9 January. workshop on “Conservation, at the invitation of Shri. Lalith cations at Melur. They visited Livelihood and Enterprise” was Visit of Friends of Mathur, I.A.S., Director the internet Kiosks in about 4 organised by ATREE, Lanka General of NIRD. He also had villages and had discussions Bangalore. H. Saraswathy and a meeting with Dr. Geetha with the operators and the A group of 17 NGOs from T.D. Nirmala Devi attended Patel, Dy. Gen. Manager and users. Srilanka visited our experi- this workshop on 30th & 31st Mr. Gupte, Director of Godrej mental farm at Sukkankollai on of January. They made group of companies to discuss Workshop at Thanjavur 1st January. They were given presentations on the Natural possible collaboration in a farewell on 9th of January. Resource based enterprise of On 26th March, Thanjavur Organic Farming. Multipurpose Social Service CIKS Day CIKS - Biopesticide unit, Integrated home garden and Farmers festival at Society, an NGO at Tanjore CIKS turned nine on 23rd conducted a workshop on the Arogyam scheme. Annamalai University January. To mark this occasion, organic farming. Subhashini the CIKS team visited the field Symposium at Loyola Subhashini Sridhar participated Sridhar served as a resource station at Sirkazhi and had College in the farmers festival person for this workshop and discussions on the future of conducted by Annamalai highlighted the importance of R.Sridevi and Petzy CIKS.This was followed by University on 12th February. indigenous varieties and the C.Mathuram attended a outings to various historical organic methods of pest control National symposium on “Green Symposium on Herbal places and temples in and to the farmers. around Sirkazhi. Pesticides for Insect Pest Products Management” hosted by the On 19th & 20th February, the WTO and Indian At Sarada Ashram Entomology Research Institute Botany Department of Stella Agriculture A.V.Balasubramanian of Loyola college on 5th and Maris College conducted a conducted a mid-term 6th of February. symposium and an exhibition K.Vijayalakshmi participated in evaluation of a CAPART Workshop for Team on Herbal products. A.V. a one day workshop entitled “WTO and its impact on Indian project on 11th January. This Building Balasubramanian made a was a project to demonstrate presentation on “Vrkshayur- Agriculture and Agro based a package of Rainwater A two day workshop was veda - An Introduction to Industries” held by the Indian Harvesting techniques at Sri conducted by Swami Traditional Indian Plant Institute of Directors, Chennai Ramakrishna Sarada Ashram, Someswarananda on 9th and Science”. R. Sridevi and on 27th March. She made a Ulundurpet. 10th of February. The J.C.Priya attended the presentation in the session workshop was to increase the “Biodiversity Conservation – Science Camp 2004 programmes on both days. A motivation amongst the staff of stall was also put up in the need of the hour”. A.V. Balasubramanian CIKS and to help build a good exhibition by CIKS with the delivered a lecture on team. He gave valuable publications to display our Herbal Cultivation “Indigenous Systems of suggestions to decrease stress activities. and Marketing Healthcare - An overview” on and organise work in a better 30th January for a group of 25 fashion. Arogya Jaya from our Visit to CAST biopesticide unit at Sirkazhi students and 5 teachers drawn Visit to Bangalore, from various parts of On 2nd March, K. Vijaya- attended a one month training Tamilnadu at the “Science Delhi and Hyderabad lakshmi visited Cheran- programme on “Herbal Camp 2004” organised by the A.V. Balasubramanian visited mahadevi to conduct a Cultivation, Processing and Science City, Chennai. Bangalore on 11th February to prefunding evaluation of the Marketing” in Nagapattinam. CIKS News April 2004 Vol.5 No.1

BOOKS, VIDEOS & VISITORS BOOK EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL A look at who’s been dropping in at CIKS € On 8th January, Mr. € On 19th February, Mr. D. K. THE SEED KEEPERS Rangasri, Principal, Kendriya Hari of Bharat Gyan visited us A Multimedia Presentation Vidyalaya, CLRI visited CIKS to get materials for a series of to carry out an assessment of Multimedia presentations on The Seed keepers is a self running our Institutional capability as Indian Heritage. multimedia presentation made with still part of a prefunding assessment € On 24th February, Dr. photographs and complete with being carried out by the Ramanjaneyalu and Mrs. Raji commentary and sound track. This 23 Ministry of Human Resources from Centre for World Solidarity minutes presentation summarises the Department. visited us. effort of a eight year project of CIKS € On 19th January, Mr. P. on biodiversity conservation. This would € On 1st March, Mr. Balaji and Sudhakar, Assistant Director, be a starting point for organisations Mr. Rajangam of Gandhigram CPR Environment Education involved in biodiversity conservation work. The CD is available Trust visited our biopesticide Centre visited us to seek our unit at Sirkazhi both in English and Tamil. involvement in their seminar. Price : Rs. 250/- € On 1st March, Mr. S. € On 27th January, Ms. Edith Raghavan of Govardhan van Walsum from the COMPAS ORGANIC METHODS OF PEST AND Goshala, Chennai visited us in International Office, connection with his project. DISEASE MANAGEMENT Netherlands visited us to Organic methods of Pest and Disease discuss about the Institutional € On 9th March, Ms. Naoko Management is a set of posters designed in development of the COMPAS Yakati, a Ph.D. Student from the form of a booklet, released in English, programme. school of social sciences, JNU Tamil and Hindi.The first section consists of visited us. € On 29th January, Mr. 3 posters discussing about the various pests S. Viswanathan, Chennai of € On 12th March, Dr. Channa attacking vegetables, highlighting Precision Rubber Mouldings Raju of Brahmi School, identification of important pests of vegetables Ltd., visited us to seek our help Bangalore visited us in and their control measures. The second on cultivation of medicinal connection with his plan for section of 3 posters deals with the various diseases plants. efforts of integrating gardening attacking vegetables, their identification and control and traditional agriculture with measures. The third section of four posters give general € On 30th January, Mr. Abdul his educational efforts. information on various non-chemical pest control methods Kareem of FRLHT visited us to € On 22nd March, Mr. and methodology of preparing various plant extracts. discuss regarding the Development of User’s Kumaraswamy an organic ---- Please contact our Centre for copies ---- Package Project. farmer from Tirunelveli visited us.

Editorial Team : Dr. K. Vijayalakshmi & T.D. Nirmala Devi Typesetting : S. Ramesh

Book-Post

To