Exposure visit and interaction of ELP Commercial Vermicompost production Students with Sandal Farmer of Gumuda

On 13th March 2026, students of the ELP-Commercial Vermicompost production unit, led by Dr. Rajeswari Das, Dr. K. Srikar, and Dr. Suman G. Sahu, conducted a field visit to the farm of Mr. Ajit Kumar Kola at Gumuda. Over the past two years, Mr. Kola has successfully transformed a wasteland into a productive plantation featuring 10,000 White Sandalwood (Santalum album) trees integrated with Apple Ber, Water Apple, Star Fruit, Guava, and Mango. The project stands as a model for Sustainable Soil Health Management, utilizing expert guidance from the School of Agriculture to reclaim soil fertility. By synchronizing drip irrigation and fertigation with the systematic application of vermicompost and vermiwash, the farm demonstrates a high-efficiency Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) system. This visit provided students with a practical synthesis of how organic amendments and precision technology can commercially revitalize degraded lands.