Soil and water conservation

Made for the purpose of catching and storing rain water, farm ponds have drainage channels which direct run-off to the pond. Outlets built into the pond help discharge excess water into surrounding areas. Water in the ponds is most often used for irrigation purposes within a farm.


GREEN guides farmers to build bunds and trenches around their farms as part of its soil and water conservation efforts. Bunds are trenches are built immediately after the first rain as it is easy to dig the soil at that period. Farmers are advised grow grass on their bunds in order to reduce the intensity of rain falling directly on them.

This is 100% organic fertilizer is made by feeding farm waste material to certain species of worms. As the worms eat this biomass and pass it through their bodies, it is converted to vermicompost. Rich in all essential plant nutrients, vermicompost is both cost effective for the farmer and ideally suited for soil enrichment. It greatly reduces a farmer’s dependency on chemical fertilizers, enhances soil fertility while also increasing the quantity and quality of crops.
In many cases, this organic fertilizer also supplements family income, as many farmers sell the excess vermicompost in their farms at a good price.
It enhances soil fertility and water use efficiency within farming systems. Trees increase biomass and their fallen leaves and twigs, when transformed into humus, can be reused in the main field in order to increase soil fertility. Certain trees also enrich the nutrient cycle by aiding processes such as nitrogen fixation. The improve water efficiency by curbing run-off, drainage and soil evaporation. The trees around farms tend to act as windbreakers, protecting agricultural crops on the mainland. Deep tree roots also help prevent soil erosion.
Agroforestry systems can also be used as carbon sinks within an environment, and to an extent, help counter the effects of continued deforestation on the carbon cycle.
It also aids biological pest control: trees such as the neem tree have inherent, proven medicinal properties that allow farmers to pursue organic pest control mechanisms. Contribute to livelihood improvement. The trees planted can often fetch alternate sources of income. Excess fruits can be sold in the market; wood from trees can be used to make handicrafts and carvings. Trees can also be grown as fodder for livestock or used to make manure.