The Natueco farming technique
The Natueco farming technique, with its emphasis on natural
supplies such as sunlight, the soil's organic carbon and local resources, is
gaining ground.
As the day dawns at Nisarga
Prem, a four-acre farm off the Dhule Road, 14 km from the town of Malegaon,
activity begins with the chanting of mantras and offering of rice grains to a
ceremonial fire. The same routine is followed as the sun begins to set – the
four-line mantra being chanted: Agnaye Swahah. Agnaye Idam Namah.
Prajapataye Swahah. Prajaptaye Idam namah.
“We begin the day with homa because
the ozone in the atmosphere is at its peak and pray that our farm benefits from
it,” says Jitendra Kutmutia, a follower of the Natueco farming technique which
follows the principles of eco-system networking of nature.
Introduced by Prof Shripad
A. Dabholkar in the 1980s, the Natueco technique revolutionised the cultivation
of grapes, bananas, sugarcane, maize, bamboo, root crops and vegetables. It
encourages farmers to experiment and look around their environment for
resources and find their own solutions to problems. Deepak Suchde of Bajwada in
Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh is a major practitioner of this technique.
An alternative to the
commercial and chemical techniques of modern farming, it emphasises harvesting
the sun and developing a thorough understanding of plant physiology, the
geometry of growth, fertility, and biochemistry.
Jitubhai's experiment on his
10 guntha (10,000 sq. ft.) patch of land in his farm has
demonstrated successfully that the soil's organic carbon can be increased in
120 days through this process. Interestingly, lab results have shown that
organic carbon at Jitubhai's farm plot is around 3.5, a remarkable achievement
which NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) has taken
notice of and sponsored farmers' visits to Nisarga Prem. In short, the former
automobile dealer has perfected the recipe for making an organic carbon-rich
soil and has taken it up as a mission to teach it to willing farmers, just like
his mother did for the Bhoodan Movement initiated by Vinoba Bhave.
“Our model has shown that
cultivation of fruits, vegetables, food grains, and such in an area of 10,000
sq. ft. can provide a decent living for a family of five,” says Jitubhai.
Sourcing the biomass to prepare his plot was a major cost, but if one has
access to biomass such as bagasse and corn stalks then the costs can come down
drastically.
So far some 238 farmers
from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have
attended the three-day long residential workshops at Nisarga Prem and Malpani
Trust Farm at Bajwada village in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. The workshop
familiarises the participants with the technique known as ‘Amrut Mitti' which
increases the soil's organic carbon (SOC).
Responsible for the
quantity of nutrients in vegetables and fruits, organic carbon is one of soil's
most important constituents due to its capacity to affect plant growth both as
a source of energy and a trigger for nutrient availability through
mineralisation.
Soils rich in organic
matter produce more nutritious food with higher levels of antioxidants,
flavonoids, vitamins and minerals. An increase in soil organic matter, and
therefore total carbon, leads to greater biological diversity in the soil, thus
controlling the spread of plant diseases and pests.
“Considering its
adoptability for small land holdings, we have launched a pilot project with the
primary objective of demonstrating the models for their feasibility and
viability at ground level before they are scaled up for wider adoption,” says a
NABARD spokesperson.
Before adopting the pilot
projects NABARD organised visits for its 49 officials. Implemented through NGOs
of repute, the pilot project was initially introduced in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil
Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.
The Natueco method is a
form of nutritional kitchen garden developed around the dwellings where a combination
of fruits, vegetables, spices and herbal plants are grown for home consumption.
The 10-guntha plot at Jitubhai's Nisarga Prem holds 90 plants each
of plantain and papaya besides brinjal and tomato growing in the undergrowth.
The patch is ringed by other plants such as gliricidia, lemon grass, curry
leaf, drumstick, guava, chikoo, ramphal (kitaferi),
custard apple and adulsa (Justicia adhatoda) creating a micro-climate of
sorts which prevents the ingress of pests.
“I see to it that the
plants on the borders do not grow beyond 10 ft,” says Jitubhai, taking a
handful of the soil which smells good, is black in colour and is lighter, like
coco peat.
While the sale of produce
such as curry leaves, lemon grass and drumsticks generates additional income,
leaves of gliricidia are used as green manure.
“I hope to generate 100 kg
of fruit per year from each papaya tree,” informs Jitubhai. In another three
years when the microbial count in the soil increases, thanks to the process of
mulching, the plot will no longer need irrigation though it is now fed through
drip.
Among the many
beneficiaries of the Natueco workshop is Vikram Kadam of Malgaon village in
Satara district of Maharashtra.
“I have adopted the Natueco
technique in my one-acre plot and have greatly benefited from it. Earlier I
used to get between 20 and 25 quintals of turmeric using commercial methods but
now I have got 29 quintals and the quality of the crop is good too,” says
42-year-old Kadam who plans to extend the Natuceo method to his entire seven-acre
holding.
(This article was
published on May 10, 2012, in The Hindu BusinessLine, Originally as "Down to good earth' by Surekha Kapde-Bose)
Source: http://m.thehindubusinessline.com/features/life/down-to-good-earth/article3397693.ece/
