Farm & field

The college works 110 acres of farmland, including a five-acre mango garden, divided into departmental blocks — an agronomy wet block, a horticulture orchard block, and the student plots of the crop cafeteria. The farm’s location, soils and the crops each block suits are set out in the farm records below.

Field crops, horticultural crops and green manure crops are grown across the seasons: maize, sorghum, cotton and red gram in the field blocks; apple ber, water apple, guava, pomegranate and mango in the horticulture orchard block. Farm machinery includes a tractor with trolley and leveller, a ridge and furrow planter, a rotavator, a ferti-cum-seed drill, a cultivator and an MB plough.

As part of farm operations, a crop cafeteria has been established for both Kharif and Rabi seasons. It serves as a live field laboratory, giving students real-time exposure to a range of crops through their complete growth stages — from germination to harvest.

The crop cafeteria is integrated into the curriculum under Crop Production I and Crop Production II, and is maintained semester-wise. It includes dedicated student plots where individual or group-based learning takes place, allowing students to plan, raise and manage crops on their own. By managing their own plots, students gain confidence, practical skills and decision-making ability that prepares them for farming, research and entrepreneurship.

What students learn on their plots

• Identification of different crops and understanding their characteristics and growth stages
• Planning of crop layout and selection based on season and cropping systems
• Execution of land preparation, seed treatment, nursery management and sowing
• Management of nutrient supply, irrigation schedules and weed control
• Monitoring and control of insect pests and diseases using suitable methods
• Harvesting, threshing and yield estimation
• Familiarisation with post-harvest handling, storage and marketing
• Exposure to mono-cropping, intercropping and mixed cropping systems

Crops grown, semester-wise

Medicinal plants are highly beneficial to the human body and treat several diseases and bacterial infections due to high concentrations of antioxidants. A large number of medicinal and aromatic plants have been established in the medicinal block: shatavari, Sabah snake grass, insulin plant, ranapala, samudrapala, Krishna tulasi, ram tulasi, lavang tulasi, nalleru aada, lemon grass, aloe vera, gucchapatra, ajwain plant, bryophyllum and betel vine.

Students are educated practically about the benefits of medicinal plants. Training programmes are conducted on production technology and growing conditions that retain higher oil concentrations and volatile compounds. Different medicinal plants are propagated through cuttings and divisions.

The polyhouse was established in 2022 with a naturally ventilated system. Solanaceous crops, cucurbits, leafy vegetables and leguminous crops are widely cultivated using organic practices, and students are trained in organic cultivation across a variety of crops with high yields.

Tomato, okra, brinjal and chilli are grown on raised beds; cucurbits are grown as creepers in the border rows, staked to the iron poles of the polyhouse. Drip irrigation is installed for precise application. Vermicompost, panchagavya, top-soil solution, amruthgel, vermiwash, rice-soaked water and anti-viral solution are applied weekly.

Specially constructed in-built classrooms are available in the main farm to support practical learning. They are located within the farm premises so that students have easy access to the field and can apply theory immediately. Practical classes are conducted here regularly, giving first-hand experience of the identification, cultivation and management of both field crops and horticultural crops.

A dedicated supervisor store room ensures smooth management and coordination of farm activities. It is a centralised space for storing tools, inputs and safety equipment required for daily operations and practical sessions, and a workspace for the farm supervisor to monitor activities, maintain records and manage labour and resource allocation.