Sasindran Thekkumthara

Sri. Sasindran is dedicated conserver in Wayanad district. He conserves 250 species of medicinal plants. He aims to plant various species of trees in the farm to form a biodiversity garden. Every crop has its own importance in his concept of cultivation. Apart from the traditional crops like coffee, areca nut, coconut and pepper; hybrid crops like cocoa, nutmeg and fruits are conserved as a model of mini botanical garden. Nursery has been set up on his land for multiplying medicinal plants and for its preservation.
Pepper cultivation is through a specially selected hybrid of long pepper (Thippali) and the traditional varieties to harvest throughout the year.
His farming methods are through open and precision farming. Precision farming methods have been followed only for vegetable crops. There are Broccoli (Brassica sp), Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea), Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and Capsicum (Capsicum annuum). Strawberry has produced for marketing.
His livestock includes traditional breed such as Gyr cattle, Kasaragod Dwarf cattle and Vechur cattle. The dung and urine have used for organic farming and sold as organic manure. Sri. Sasindran promotes bio- pesticide for farming practices as ‘Gomutra mixture’ and ‘Panchagavyam’. It has been prepared in his farmland and distributed among farmers.
Small ponds have constructed through out his field for local and hybrid fishes, and for water conservation. The ‘Ministry of commerce and Industry of India’ has approved his proposal in 2012 to produce and distribute ornamental and edible fishes. He has a wholesale market for fish food.
Another source to meet the financial need in his farming system is poultry farming that has Duck, Guinea fowl, Flying Duck and Turkey; besides rabbit farming for meat. Poultry waste is another bio-fertilizer that he promotes.
He placed many display boards signifies on ‘Vrishkyayurvda’ and biodynamics. He maintains an ‘astrology garden’ with 27 varieties of plants and ‘navagraha garden’ with 9 plant species for the visitors to understand its importance.

He strongly suggest to protect traditional plants and maintain biodiversity