AuroAnnam - 
research & development farm

Organic Cashew Nut Cultivation

The AuroAnnam Farm is part of an overall strategy for the promotion of organic and sustainable farming in Auroville. The focus is on cashew cultivation, and also includes cashew farmers from the nearly region. Margarita Correa (Colombian) is AuroAnnam's manager, and Lucas Dengel (German) is the steward.

They tell us the following:

Parameters as per June 2001

The total area of the farm is 14.5 acres, of sandy loam soil texture, of which 4 acres have been under cashew for the past 30 years. There are also 72 coconut palms. Previously some of the land had been used for irrigated cultivation of soya, peanuts, gram and cow fodder, but this had become economically unsustainable. Later, an additional six acres were put under cashew (total today 639 cashew trees). Flood irrigation has been drastically reduced.
Heavy mulching of the coconut palms and the use of cover crops like Styloshantes hamata (Stylo) will also allow a drastic reduction in irrigation requirements. Instead of flood irrigation, we are planning to use micro sprinklers, and the areas already under irrigation will be more intensively cultivated with various fruits and vegetables. A few cows will be introduced to achieve an optimum ratio between acreage and cattle, to decrease the need for outside purchase of organic manure, and to provide urine for the preparation of bio-pesticides. In the open fields, mainly fodder crops (Elephant grass, Guinea grass and Centrosema pubescens) will be grown.

Effective Micro-organism (EM) Technology

Many people, mainly from Europe and India, visit Auroville throughout the year. Auroville is a kind of laboratory for different workshops: architecture, organic farming, sustainable agriculture, city planning, seed bank, renewable energy, etc. These visitors who visit AuroAnnam farm all come into contact with EM Technology and other farm practices. Students from different universities in the USA, France, Holland and Germany have had internships in AuroAnnam farm, and there they learn about EM Technology.

Lucas is in contact with Indian NGOs working in the field of sustainable agriculture, and Margarita maintains links with Auroville farmers practicing different farming systems.

Definition of Organic Farming (OF)

We here present the farming practices which have been developed and used over the last two years at AuroAnnam, practices which are under continuous scrutiny and will undergo further changes so as to achieve optimal ecological and economical benefit. The authors welcome feedback based on experience and on-farm research.

The objective of OF as we understand it is the production of optimally nutritious food, free from contaminants and toxins as far as possible, and grown under conditions which ensure long-term soil fertility and bio-diversity and benefit the wider environment.

BD, EM, vermicompost, homeodynamic, agnihotra, rock dust
On AuroAnnam Farm we are engaged not only in general OF practices, but also practice BioDynamic (BD) methods, use Effective Microorganism (EM) technology, vermiwash and vermicompost, 'homeodynamic' preparations, agnihotra and rock dust. We use plant-derived and other organic pest control preparations and measures. Our objective is to develop a well-tested package of OF practices for cashew nut cultivation which uses either one of these technologies, or a combination of some or all of them.

Management of soil fertility

In OF, where the use of chemical fertiliser is out of the question, soil fertility depends on an input of farm yard manure and/or compost. Other OF practices are mulching and green manuring.
As regards composted farm yard manure, we aim at providing about five to six bullock cart loads per acre i.e. about four to five tons of well-matured compost from manure and plant material.

Horn manure

Without having ourselves experience in assuring long-term fertility, we rely on an OF experiment which is ongoing in Switzerland and which has demonstrated that bio-dynamic (BD) practices have the best results (in comparison with conventional chemical and general organic practices). We practice the sprinkling of the biodynamic preparation 'horn manure' (so-called BD 500). Bio-dynamic teaching recommends at least two applications in the first year, and in later years at least once a year. We are completing the second year of BD practices, and administer BD 500 at least thrice per year in the area defined as BD.

EM Bokashi

The microbial inoculant EM is available as extended stock solution, which is the most potent, but has a limited shelf life as regards its optimal impact. EM extended stock solution is ready for use by the farmer and gardener. Bokashi is the Japanese word for fermented mulch, and EM bokashi uses EM as its ingredient for controlling the fermentation. EM bokashi can be used together with EM-soaked charcoal and applied in pits under the canopy of the cashew trees. EM can also be used together with Fermented Plant Extract (EM-FPE).

As regards EM bokashi, we aim at providing about two or three bullock carts per acre i.e. about two tons of well-fermented mulch.

EM needs moisture. This means that all EM preparations should be kept moist or should be brought out on the land if there is rain; preferably mild rain, which helps distribute the microbes without washing them away.

Vermicompost

Vermicompost has been described as a compost of ideal nutritional balance. If vermicompost is available or can be made in large quantities, there seem to be no limits to its use.
As regards the choice of a leguminous cover crop as green manure, the ideal plant should grow from a good ground cover, not be climbing, and be drought-resistant and shade-tolerant; whether it can also serve as human food and/or animal fodder, depends on the needs of the farmers and the needs of field and crop protection from stray cattle or humans.
We are experimenting primarily with Stylosanthes hamata - from South America i.e. the origin of the cashew nut tree -, Centrosema pubescens, Crotolaria juncea, Tephrosia purpurea, Medicago sativa and Brassica kaber.

Weed control

Conventional cashew farmers use bullock-drawn or tractor-mounted ploughs to control weeds in between trees and under their canopies. As ploughing destroys the superficial hair-roots which are important for the uptake of nutrients from compost and the intake of surface moisture, and as each ploughing causes a loss of 1 mm of topsoil i.e. of 6.4 tons of mineral per acre, ploughing cannot be regarded as the ideal technique for weed control. Mulching and growing a leguminous green cover are obviously the better choice, dependent on whether mulching material is available in sufficient quantity.

Management of plant health / pest control

If there is good topsoil with balanced nutrients and good microbial activity, the health of a plant is expected to be generally good, to some extent also fit for fighting off diseases and pests. Beyond this, injuries to the trees are to be avoided. If they occur, bark paste should be applied over the wound surface. This bark paste may be made of dry cow dung, bentonite, CPP or BD 500, EM-FPE, EM5 and BD liquid fertiliser or rainwater. This prevents infestation by the root and stem borers which are attracted by the smell of the fresh cut wound and seem to prefer to settle in injured trees.

Some of the ingredients used:

BD 501, BD liquid fertiliser of casuarina,
EM - FPE, EM 5,
Vermiwash, cow urine,
Neem oil in combination with EM,
Stinging nettle (dry powder).

Management of plant and of yield

Well-matured compost, vermicompost, BD 500, CPP and EM, are expected to ensure good general health of the plants without nutritional depletion or one-sidedness.

Foliar sprays:

BD 501,
liquid BD fertilisers,
Stinging nettle (dry powder),
vermiwash,
BD bark paste,
EM spray,
EM Bokashi.

Cashew nuts should ideally be harvested when they fall from the trees; only then the kernel can be expected to be fully matured, with a smooth surface.

Traditional organic agriculture in India and BD farming take astrological data into account for the timing of cultivation practices such as sowing, ploughing, weeding, harvesting, and the administering of inputs.

Management of water resources

In general we cultivate under rain-fed conditions so as to keep our practice comparable with the practices of the surrounding cashew farmers. However, in some trees, we have started experimenting with the following technique: during the dry season (on the Coromandel Coast normally between December and July) we dig two pits per tree of about one cubic foot and fill them with EM-drenched charcoal and EM bokashi; every two months we replenish the EM load with two litres of extended EM solution.

'Diking' and mulching

'Diking' around the tree - along the drip line of the canopy - is said to be capable of increasing the yield by up to 45%. We have started experimenting with this water catchment technique.
We also practice mulching, with and without the help of EM bokashi, even though the mulching material makes the collection of ripened and fallen cashew apples with nuts more difficult. We plan to identify a leguminous ground cover crop with a strong rooting activity and good water holding capacity.

Appendix, literature:

• Pearce, Norrie. A Bio-Dynamic Farmer's Handbook. 1993. New Zealand.

• Proctor, Peter. Grasp the Nettle. 1997. New Zealand.

• Shintani, M., S. Kanda, M. Sakurai. Kyusei Nature Farming and the Technology of Effective Microorganisms. Guidelines for practical use. 1999. Bangkok, Thailand. (Published by Asia-Pacific Natural Agriculture Network - APNAN)

• Sultan, Ismael. Vermicology.