Government school children in Dakshina Kannada grow rare paddy varieties in ‘chikki’ boxes
The Hindu
Students at Government Higher Primary School in Moodambail grow 50 rare paddy varieties, inspired by paddy conversationalist Asma in Beluvai.
A chance visit to the house of paddy conversationalist Asma in Beluvai in Karkala taluk of Udupi district in July 2024 kindled in 40-odd students of Government Higher Primary School in Moodambail in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada, the desire to grow rare paddy varieties in their school’s backyard.
Ms. Asma gave students a tray containing saplings of 50 paddy varieties. The students took the tray to their school, where teachers gave each of them an empty ‘chikki’ box filled with mud. Each wrote their names on the box and planted two saplings in the box. After tending to them till the last week of December 2024, the saplings grew and the students were able to see paddy of different colours and sizes. They have neatly packed the paddy in plastic pouches to show to Ms. Asma.
School headmaster Arvind Kudla said, as part of the annul excursion, 40 students of the school were taken to butterfly park in Beluvai, near Moodbidri in July 2024. During their return, they were taken to the house of Ms. Asma, who offered students the tray with 50 paddy saplings.
As the hard ground in the school makes it unfit for paddy sowing, Shruti and other teachers bought a bag of soil from one of the students’ parent, who also cultivates paddy. The mud was filled in empty sweet boxes and two saplings were planted in each box. These boxes were neatly placed in an open corridor of the school where students and teachers took turns watering.
As a good number of saplings grew, students were curious to see paddy of gold and green colour of varying sizes. There were a few saplings that started to sprout in December and the paddy in these saplings were in black colour. Mr. Kudla said students have also documented the insects that ate the paddy.
The school has planned to grow paddy in different pots, Mr. Kudla said.
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