Interview with Shri Ashok Banker, a successful farmer

Q: Will you please introduce yourself.

Shri Banker: :Myself Shri Ashok Banker. I stay in a small village of Madhya Pradesh. I am 55 years old and completed my education till 5^th class. We are two brothers and posses 40 hectares of land. Farming is our main occupation, on which our whole family depends on.

Q: Which crops do you cultivate?

Shri Banker:Soyabean is a main crop grown in kharif season. Other crops like potato, garlic and ginger are grown in my field.

Q: Can you give some tips while growing soyabean crop?

Shri Banker:From my previous experience I came to know that among different varieties of soyabean like J.S 71-05, J.S 335, N.R.C-7, N.R.C-12, Samrat etc. J.S 71-05 was the best giving good results. As in this variety, the crop becomes ready within 90 to 100 days. It is also seen that the tilth of the soil was found to be improved. This variety gives average yield of 22q/ha. Before planting application of 10 kgs of N.P.K 12:32:16 was done and proper pest control measures were taken.

Q: In potato cultivation, which variety is grown by you and how?

Shri Banker: :In case of potato, it is the main crop taken during Rabi season. Potato is grown by using variety Kufri-lokar, which is widely used for making of potato chips. For 0.58 acres of land 7q of tuber (each of 35 to 40g) are required to be sown during the month of October. Before planting application of 50kg of N.P.K 12:35:16 was done. Normally seeds of potato are brought from Punjab @ of Rs.16/kg. Sprouting of potato takes place within 15 days. 30 to 35 days after planting application of 25kg of urea per 0.5 acres of land was done and after 60 days from sprouting irrigation is given also care is taken that the potato should not get rotten. Pesticides Dithane M-45 is used as per requirement and about 5 to 6 sprayings are done. Such well-grown potato fetches Rs.4/kg market rate. Potatoes, which are of second grade, are stored for the seed purpose.

Q: How storage of potatoes is done?

Shri Banker: :I store potatoes in two ways
1. By using cold storage method
2. By digging pits.

Q: What is secret behind you success in farming?

Shri Banker: To increase my knowledge I am subscribing few magazines related to agriculture and I always keeps on reading the new literature and tries to implant them in practice. I often visit Krishi Melas to gain more and more knowledge and attend seminars based on it.

Q: What advice you would like to give to the other farmers?

Shri Banker: :Traditional farming should be avoided and efforts should be made to adopt new technology. One should also visit Krishi Vidyapeeth for solving their queries instead of keeping mum and should get solution out of it.