ICAR endorses natural farming as rural development measure

Nando Waikhom
IMPHAL, Sep 14: With an aim to make the rural areas self sustainable and the society healthy, ICAR, Manipur has started promoting Natural Farming with due emphasis on rural development in the State.
Although the initiative is in its initial stage, this Central research institution has opened two separate blocks for Natural Farming at KVK, Chandel in Chandel district and ICAR, Manipur Farm at Langol besides forming a committee of which Dr Tensubam Basanta Singh is the Member Secretary.
Speaking in line with the objective of promoting Natural Farming, Dr Basanta said that he sees Natural Farming as a saviour of society from the side-effects of consuming vegetables and crops that are grown using high quantities of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Informing that the quality of soil in the State is good by nature, he said that there is a wrong notion among the farmers and community that the quality of soil will become poor if chemical fertilizers are not added to the soil.
The soil scientist  added that the occurrence of ‘imbalance use of  fertilizer’ and ‘luxury consumption’ have become quite common in the State while expressing serious concern that the present generations and next generations would be in great trouble if the trend of using excess chemical fertilizers, especially urea in agriculture remains unabated.
Continuing that soils are a critical component of the earth and play a critical role in supporting life on earth, he went on to remark that social equity in soil conservation has become the need of the hour as soil erosion has been taking everywhere and rapidly.
While observing that Natural Farming has ample scopes of generating sustainable incomes for farmers in the long run, Basanta stated that the ICAR, Manipur has initiated giving due consideration to the promotion of the said farming system as a component of rural development and to make the society healthy.
He further said that this farming method will be a boon to farmers and jobless youths if they take it up with a strong determination and commitment as it provides a room for income generation through multiple sources like animal husbandry and horticulture with lesser input cost.    
The scientist added that the Natural Farming block at ICAR, Manipur has begun to carry forward certain activities for production and promotion of organic manures using farm wastes and sensitization of farmers.
While stating that Natural Farming is a holistic farming system designed to optimize the productivity and fitness of diverse communities within the agro-ecosystem, including the soil organisms, plants, livestock and people, he said that it is suitable for raising the resilience and resistance of soil.
Although there are no concrete regulations for Natural Farming, it does not encourage using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, heavy machinery and even hybrid seeds. This farming method emphasizes on cultivating crops, vegetables and fruits using manures, manual labours and pesticides extracted from plants like neem, tobacco leaves, artemisia, garlic etcetera, he added.
Explaining about the soil preparation, he said that the soil is generally tilled/plowed using oxen or dug using tools like spade for soil preparation and ‘Jivamrut’, a traditional Indian organic manure prepared by the unique technique of fermentation of the combined mixture of cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, pulses flour, soil and water, is added to the soil.
Stating that the Jivamrut can be used as a soil application either by sprinkling or by applying through irrigation water, the Soil Scientist informed that three applications are needed - one before sowing, second after twenty days of sowing and third after 45 days of sowing.
(This article is written under the 3rd Award in the Scientific Journalism Programme of the Public Relations and Media Management Cell, CAU, Imphal. Dr Indira Thounaojam, Information and Publicity Officer and Head, PRMM Cell, CAU Imphal can be contacted at [email protected] to know more about this article and related information.)