UAS-B set to give push to urban gardening in Bengaluru through training and consultation
As part of efforts to increase green spaces in Bengaluru and encourage people to grow their own vegetables in whatever limited spaces they have, the University of Agricultural Sciences-Bengaluru (UAS-B) has embarked upon an initiative to promote urban gardening/horticulture.
While the university has launched a paid short-term course in urban gardening, it is also planning to offer consultancy services in the coming days based on availability of space and specific requirement of house owners.
Twofold benefit
'We want to encourage residents to grow their own vegetables. Experts in the university will help them understand how a family of three to four people can ensure regular availability of vegetables. Also, we want residents to convert their wet waste into compost. This will reduce the burden of civic authorities in handling waste and keeping the city clean,' says UAS-B Vice-Chancellor S.V. Suresha.
Pointing out that unmaintained empty plots have become a problem for the neighbourhood owing to the growth of bushes and dumping of garbage, he said: 'With the consent of plot owners, the neighbourhood can use that space for growing vegetables'.
He added: 'We also want children in urban families to get first-hand exposure to growing plants. It is a matter of concern that several urban children have no practical idea about plants or cultivation, but for reading them in lessons.'
The two-day course will provide orientation to participants on general aspects of urban gardening, vertical gardening, indoor plants, composting, pot mixture to be prepared, and handling of plant diseases/pests, he noted.
Kit to be provided
The university would also provide a kit with culture material for composting, red earth and pots to those who undergo short-term course, if they wish to buy them.
He said even those with limited open spaces like apartments could practise urban gardening. There are several varieties of indoor plants that could be cultivated within the house too, he pointed out.
In the course of time, the university wants to design specific models of urban gardening through consultation for people depending upon their space availability. The models would include vertical gardening structures and hydroponics, he explained.
Workshop for architects
However, in several cases, terrace farming would have limitations due to various constraints related to construction as lack of waterproofing measures may lead to seepage, the Vice-Chancellor pointed out. In this context, the university has decided to start holding workshops for architects to provide them orientation on the pre-requirements with respect to construction of the building to facilitate terrace/urban gardening, he said.
Meanwhile, the two-day workshop on urban gardening for which ₹2,000 is being charged per person is being held from Friday for which already the participants have been chosen. The plan is to hold such workshops once in every month.
The annual krishi mela (agricultural fair) of the UAS-B is not just popular among farmers, but also among urban dwellers. As a large number of urban residents too started visiting these melas, the university started introducing urban gardening concepts at the mela and is now trying to promote it further.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Experts visit JSS Krishi Vignan Kendra at Suttur
Mysuru: A team of experts, including United States Educational Relations vice-president and management professor Dr Scott Harriet and Maharshi International University psychology professor Dr Bernard Marcus, visited JSS Krishi Vignan Kendra at Suttur. They also participated in the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan drive held at Devanur village in Nanjangud taluk on Saturday. The experts interacted with JSS KVK centre chief BR Jnanesh and gathered information about the Centre's efforts in promoting agricultural activities. They also engaged with farmers during the drive undertaken by JSS KVK and the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) at Devanur village. The experts collected information from farmers regarding the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan campaign launched by the Union govt to promote advanced kharif crop technologies and disseminate information on govt schemes. They also gathered feedback from farmers after visiting their fields. Agriculture scientist Vinay GM, who spoke on the occasion, explained the importance of the drive carried out by the Union govt. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo He suggested that farmers conduct soil testing to improve soil fertility and study its nutrient requirements for crop growth, promoting both agriculture and horticulture activities. He also advised farmers to cultivate fodder crops, highlighting their importance in improving soil fertility, applying compost manure, and several other techniques. JSS KVK experts and other agriculture scientists discussed modern methods of cultivating bananas, several other crops, fisheries, and other comprehensive agriculture methods. At a similar drive held at Attahalli village of T Narasipura taluk, Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Horticulture Research scientist Dr Sujatha Nayar and ICAR scientist Anuradha Sane provided tips to farmers about the management of vegetable and other horticulture crops, conservation of seeds, and modern methods of cultivation.
Hans India
5 days ago
- Hans India
Teaching methodologies, challenges in higher education brought to fore
Visakhapatnam: Integral Institute of Advanced Management (IIAM) B-School organised a workshop on 'teaching methodologies for Higher Education Institutions-in the context of NEP 2020' at its campus in Visakhapatnam. Bringing educators, academic leaders, and faculty members together to explore innovative teaching practices aligned with the National Education Policy (ΝΕΡ) 2020, the workshop aimed to enhance understanding of NEP 2020's vision and to equip faculty with modern, student-centric teaching approaches that foster critical thinking, experiential learning and interdisciplinary education. SP Ravindra, dean and director of IIAM B-School, highlighted the institution's proactive role in aligning with national educational reforms and reiterated the importance of continuous professional development for educators. The keynote address was delivered by V Krishna Mohan, director general of the B-School, former Registrar, Andhra University spoke on NEP 2020: a paradigm shift in higher education. He explained in detail various innovative processes that were introduced in the NEP through which India can become a knowledge super power. The inaugural session was led by Prof Balamohan Das, former VC of Acharya Nagarjuna University, PS Avadhani, former Principal, AU College of Engineering, among others.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Help wanted: Experienced garbologists
R Edwin Sudhir, a Bengaluru-based journalist and writer, has the interesting privilege of living in a once-sleepy town which has morphed into a city fast-forwarding into a connected world but sadly disconnected with the ground realities of more people competing for shrinking space. The experience is oddly exhilarating yet often mildly alarming for long-time residents who see how technology has transformed a sleepy beantown into a bustling boomtown. And swept its residents too in the headlong rush to keep pace. LESS ... MORE Bengaluru generates humongous tonnes of garbage every day. The city's civic body may give you an official figure but the actual figure could be higher, as it usually is with government data. A lot of it ends up on pavements and street corners and some piles up on overflowing vans parked by the roads. Much of it is carted away by smelly vehicles which do the rounds every morning. Men from them dart across to pick up (mostly) black, (often) biodegradable bags from bungalows or tip the contents of blue, plastic drums from apartments into their trucks. Off they go to one landfill or the other on the outskirts of the city. This exercise is repeated every morning with some regularity, marred by festival days or flash strikes. Some of this garbage is segregated and some is mixed. That's why Greater Bengaluru Authority desperately needs garbologists. Its precursor, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, tried bravely to deal with the refuse but GBA needs men and women trained in garbology. Sadly, no university in India seems to offer this course and that's where the three Bengaluru universities can be pioneers. There are several models, like the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Our varsities can use the American models to design course content and customise material to local conditions. Students can intern with GBA and once they graduate, they can be absorbed into its solid waste department. It's not rocket science, after all. Collect waste from residents, segregrate it and dispose it as per protocol. Waste-to-energy management is a huge opportunity for entrepreneurs willing to get their hands dirty. Anu Aga's Thermax Ltd in Pune has shown it's eminently possible. Of course, residents need to do their bit, without leaving everything to the SWD. For starters, segregate waste, ensure black spots don't form, don't dump plastic water bottles and empty chips packets into drains, among others. Every bit helps. To circle back a bit, garbologists are not only waste disposers. They analyse a city's waste to look for patterns of how it's generated and look for better ways to clear it. Bengaluru will be going to the root cause of the garbage problem and hopefully find solutions quickly. Lest we are forced to suffer an olfactory assault of rotting waste and suffer the ignominy of going from Garden City Garbage City in the span of just a few decades. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
