Planting alone does not ensure success in agricultural projects. It should be ably supported by good knowledge and better technology too. Technology can work wonders to agriculture. Not only does it increase productivity, but also ensures a considerable decrease in the volume of labour required. With the advancement in technology, the work which was once done manually is now being done by machines. Implementing advanced technology will be expensive, no doubt, but the fact that crop production will be doubled cannot be ignored. The importance of agricultural technology can be appreciated well only when their cost-effectiveness and the benefits accrued (in terms of income) are considered.

In commercial agriculture, a scientific approach to plantation establishment is very important in ensuring good returns. The steps taken in the beginning, right from the variety of crops planted, and their spacing, to the irrigation system, and infrastructure, will influence the long-term yield of that plantation. The Company has adopted innovative agricultural technologies to ensure a good stable income for many years. Our aim is to ensure an income that’s at-least 30% more in comparison to a regular farm. Plantations are designed in such a manner that they demand less maintenance while ensuring handsome returns. Though the plantation establishment method varies from project to project, the general plan is as follows:

Step 1 : Acquiring land In commercial agriculture, nothing is more important than acquiring a good piece of land with natural water sources as no water means no agriculture. Vanadurgi Agriculture-Technology Capital has immense knowledge and experience in identifying such lands all along the Western Ghats. Ideal locations are identified based on climate, elevation, soil fertility, topography, rainfall, water sources etc. The Company also verifies all the legal documents carefully to ensure that there are no legal hassles in future.

Step 2 : Developing the land
The entire piece of land is surveyed, and a plantation design is prepared, before implementing it on the field. The entire plantation is fenced and a boundary road runs all along the fence. The entire land is subdivided into 1 to 5 acres plots by demarcating roads and a common area. Motorable roads are developed in such a way that all the units face the road in the front and the walking path is on the other three sides.

Step 3 : Infrastructure development In the common area, the Company will develop a water tank, fruit gardens, a lake, a house for the manager, worker’s colony, storage room, pump set etc., as per the requirement. Holiday facilities inside the plantation are constructed at ideal places that promise the best scenic views possible. A site is also earmarked as an option for the construction of a plantation home. Plantation homes will be built in later stages, as and when the clients desire.

Step 4 : Planting The Company follows the inter-cropping system wherein many crops are grown in the same place as this ensures a stable income, and whenever the price of one crop is at the lower end, the others will support. Compatible crops are planted with the right spacing so that each species will have sufficient sunlight with minimum root competition. Genetically-traced varieties of agarwood, coffee and pepper are introduced to increase productivity per unit area.

Step 5 : Irrigation & fertigation system The crops we cultivate can grow well by themselves as rain-fed crops; however, with the employment of modern technology, the plant growth can be boosted to increase production. When it comes to the irrigation system, drip is the best system possible as it not only saves water, but manual labour as well. When it comes to the application of fertilizers, instead of manual application, it can be fed to the plants in liquid form, along with water or by foliar spay. Though the initial cost of drip irrigation is high, the income per unit area will also increase accordingly.