Farmers bank on green manure for soil health

Farmers bank on green manure for soil health
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Malout (Muktsar), June 8
Observing an excessive use of chemical fertilisers in agricultural fields as a major cause of cancer and other deadly diseases, farmers in the Malwa belt have started making use of an organic (green) manure — ‘Jantar’ (dhaincha).

Malwa is known as the cotton belt of the state but the groundwater here is of poor quality. However, due to insufficient supply of canal water, farmers are forced to irrigate their fields with groundwater. Using groundwater for a long time diminishes the health, colour and productivity of soil. To recoup the losses, farmers have to depend upon fertilisers. But different studies conducted in the past revealed that excessive usage of chemical fertilisers had been giving rise to cancer and various other diseases in the region.
While the agriculture department, which was otherwise supposed to promote ‘jantar’ as green manure, is reportedly being indifferent, farmers have stood up for the social cause.
According to information collected from farmers and experts of the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), farmers have started sowing ‘jantar’ in their fields to enhance the productivity of soil before transplanting paddy. ‘Jantar’ roots have nodules, which help in fixation of atmospheric nitrogen that further enhances the productivity of soil.
Once ‘jantar’ attains an age of six to eight weeks, farmers bury it in the soil and plough the field. The buried plants of ‘jantar’ act as green manure.
Director of the Punjab Agricultural University Regional Research Station, Bathinda, GS Buttar said, “Using ‘jantar’ as manure helps in saving around 25 kg of nitrogen per acre or about 55 kg urea per acre. For sowing ‘jantar’, around 20 kg of seed is required per acre and if phosphorus is low, then farmers must spread 75 kg super phosphate per acre in the ‘dhaincha’ field. After it gets converted into manure, the paddy field does not require any fertiliser.”
When asked what is the right time to plough ‘jantar’, Buttar said it should be done just a day before the paddy transplantation.
During a visit to the Malout-Abohar road, various fields were seen covered with ‘jantar’. Farmers said, “Jantar is beneficial for enhancing the fertility of land but the state agriculture department is doing nothing to promote it as an alternative to the chemical fertilisers.”
“Earlier, it was said that the agriculture department would provide its seeds at subsidised rate of Rs 5 per kg but due to unavailability of seeds now, we have to purchase it from the market. The department concerned must ensure the availability of subsidised seeds as it is for the welfare of all,” the farmers added.