Kolkata: West Bengal Comprehensive Area Development Corporation (CADC) has started handholding the farmers in production of vegetables through the Hanging Seedbed technique across the state. The raised seed beds offer protection from cattle and also prevent the seed from being washed off by rain. "When farmers lay seeds for vegetable cultivation on the field, a reasonable quantity of them are wasted while exposed to direct sunlight, or washed away in rain or are eaten by the birds. When seedlings are produced then also chances of a portion of it getting washed away in the rain and in some cases getting affected by damping off disease cannot be ruled out. The hanging seed bed assures a farmer yield from the entire seeds that are laid on the elevated platform and the seedlings are healthy and free from any disease," said a senior CADC official. The crops that can be cultivated through this low cost people friendly technology are cabbage, cauliflower, tomato, brinjal, ridge gourd, gourd , chilli, broccoli, capsicum etc. The training for the SHG groups for adoption of the technology has been completed with CADC targeting 10,000 hanging seedbeds across the state. About 60 per cent of the work for creation of such seedbeds has already been implemented. The official added that their project at Begunkodar and Kumari Kanan in Purulia , Sonamukhi and Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Bankura, Kaliaganj in North Dinajpur and parts Cooch Behar have already started yielding fruitful results. "Off season vegetables can also be grown through this technology and it is expected to fetch higher returns for the farmers," said the official. In this technique an elevated platform is made with bamboo (called macha in Bengali) and rejected gunny bags are placed upon it with straws laid upon them. Then a layer of sandy loam is made and vermicompost is applied on it. Finally the seeds are laid and a white polythene cover is surrounded on all sides of the hanging seed bed structure to prevent exposure of direct sunlight, rain or birds. The seedbed will suffice at least for a period of three years.

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