Payam  Seetharamiah

Chinnarlagudem is a small tribal hamlet in the Bhadrachalam forests of AP, where Payam Seetharamiah lives and does farming in the small land of 2.5 acres he owns. His crops were affected by pest and the yield was low. Being poor he could not afford chemical pesticides. He and his wife noticed that one corner of their field was not affected by the common rice hispa pest. They investigated and concluded that the tree in that corner could be the reason. They both planted branches of that tree in the entire field and that worked. The tree known locally as “Kodisa” (Cleistanthus collinus) is a toxic plant and its vapors are poisonous. These vapours and dew drops from the leaves carry poison to the root of rice and kill pest. They also found that the bark of the Kodisa tree can be applied as paste on the wounds of animals and found to be an effective treatment.
This sustainable solution to the poor farmers in remote areas has received an award in the International Farm Agricultural Development Conference held in Rome, Italy during March2000.