" A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
In my initial post , i had introduced my idea which includes looking into the agricultural methods used by the farmers in my country currently. By this we will have an idea on whether the farming methods used are harmful or not and while researching for this I had found many articles on the net :-
These are just some of the many articles present out there which tells us about the harmful effect of pesticides. And pesticides are just one of many different types of chemical fertilizers used during farming.
What are fertilizers ? When are they useful ?
⪢Soil naturally contains nutrients like nitrogen which are a major requirement for the growth of the crop. But if the soil is lacking in some type of nutrient the farmer can then add fertilizers- which can be both organic and inorganic.
⪢But here is the catch the farmer needs to send a sample of the soil for testing in any lab to find out what are the nutrients that are missing and then add fertilizers like wise.
⪢But unfortunately most farmers tend to over use these chemical fertilizers which in turn take a toll on the natural fertility of the soil and also reduce the nutritional value of the crop.
⪢Moreover farming is done mostly in rural areas in my country, where most farmers are not educated about this matter and thus it results in them adding in a bunch of fertilizers which the soil may not even need.
Over irrigation and its harmful effects.
- There are many crops which requires large amounts of water when compared to other crops, but do keep in mind that over irrigating the field will just lead to water logging which deteriorates the health of the soil.
- Moreover over irrigation causes much more serious issues such as the decreasing of the water level ,reduced downstream flooding and disappearance of important wetlands which hinder the natural balance greatly.
ORGANIC FARMING
Organic farming, a topic which we are all familiar of. Before chemical fertilizers were even a thing our ancestors thrived and farmed just like now. And thus following the steps of our ancestors let us also cultivate.
Jawamritha
This is an ancient Indian technique of cultivation, where they mix jaggery , cow dung , cow urine , pulses , flour and some soil. This is not only a organic alternative but also a cheap one as the ingredients are very easy to find.
Bijamritha
When you apply chemicals to the seed all the useful and effective microorganisms are destroyed. Thus treating the seed with organic medicines are much safer. This is created with cow dung , cow urine , gram lime and a handful of soil.
These are just a few of the organic
farming techniques that were once used in India. Methods like
- Neemastra
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Bramhastra
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Agnisastra
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Waaphasa
The next part of this project will include talking with the head of university of the agricultural college that is present near us and get more insight on the lab testings conducted there and the data they have of farmers who actually send there soil in the lab for testing.
I am still looking for partners to collaborate with so if you are interested in collaborating with me then please comment.
Regards,
Sivani