Ongoing Research: Sourav Mohanta

Effect of Shashyagavya on Soil: An experiment

 With the increase in population our compulsion would be not only to stabilize agricultural production but to increase it further in sustainable manner. The scientists have realized that the ‘Green Revolution’ with high input use has reached a plateau and is now sustained with diminishing return of falling dividends. Thus, a natural balance needs to be maintained at all cost for existence of life and property.

Written by Sourav Mohanta 

    “Going green doesn’t start with doing green acts- it starts with a shift in consciousness. This shift allows you to recognize that with every choice you make, you are voting either for or against the kind of world you wish to see. When you assume this as a way of being, your choices become easier. Using a reusable water bottle, recycling and making conscious daily consumer choices are just a few. Organic farming appealed to me because it involved searching for and discovering nature's pathways, as opposed to the formulaic approach of chemical farming. The appeal of organic farming is boundless; this mountain has no top, this river has no end.”

Organic farming  in India is not new and is being followed from ancient time. It is a method of farming  which primarily aimed at cultivating the land and raising crops in such a way, as to keep the soil alive and in good health by use of organic wastes (crop, animal and farm wastes, aquatic wastes) and other biological materials along with beneficial microbes (bio-fertilizers) to release nutrients to crops for increased sustainable production in an Eco-friendlily environment. With the increase in population our compulsion would be not only to stabilize agricultural production but to increase it further in sustainable manner. The scientists have realized that the ‘Green Revolution’ with high input use has reached a plateau and is now sustained with diminishing return of falling dividends. Thus, a natural balance needs to be maintained at all cost for existence of life and property. The obvious choice for that would be more relevant in the present era, when these agrochemicals which are produced from fossil fuel and are not renewable and are diminishing in availability. It may also cost heavily on our foreign exchange in future. 

Key objectives of the study-

·         To know the effect of Shashyagavya on soil Physico-Chemical and Biological properties that means observe how the soil properties are changing according to the application of Organic liquid manures.

·         To quantify the Yield and Quality parameters of Cabbage through application of Shashyagavya in a periodic manner.

Shashyagavya is effective organic liquid manure which is basically prepared by mixing Cow dung, Cow urine, Crop residues and Water in 1:1:1:2 proportions and keep it for 12 days for fermentation and after that it transformed into application form. During preparation of Shashyagavya, it is very important to stir the solution two times in a day (morning and evening) with a not-metallic stick (Such as bamboo or wood stick) 15 times both clock wise and anti-clock wise which helps to increase the microbial growth in the solution.

The organic liquid manures help by

1. Protecting the long term fertility of soils by maintaining organic matter levels, encouraging soil biological activity, and careful mechanical intervention,
2. Providing crop nutrients indirectly using relatively insoluble nutrient sources which are made available to the plant by the action of soil micro-organisms,
3. Nitrogen self-sufficiency through the use of legumes and biological nitrogen fixation, as well as effective recycling of organic materials including crop residues and livestock manures,
4. Controlling weed, disease and pest relying primarily on crop rotations, natural predators, diversity, organic manuring, resistant varieties and limited (preferably minimal) thermal, biological and chemical intervention,
5. Extensive management of livestock, paying full regard to their evolutionary adaptations, behavioral needs and animal welfare issues with respect to nutrition, housing, health, breeding and rearing,
6. Careful attention to the impact of the farming system on the wider environment and the conservation of wildlife and natural habitats.

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DISSERTATION WORK

About Area: In my dissertation work I have selected the major crop of Chota Nagpur Plateau Region that is Cabbage which is well grown in winter season. The study area is situated at Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University at Morabadi in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The plot size is 120 m² area containing 28 beds having 32 plants in each bed. Among 28 beds 7 beds are in control that means no crops are their, from those plots the soil properties as well as change due to application of organic liquid manures in soil will be analyze. The work is carrying out by following Randomized Block Design (RBD) having 7 Rows (for 7 treatments) and 4 Columns (for 4 replications of Shashyagavya). The size of each bed is 4.3 m² areas and contains 4 rows in each bed having 8 plants in each row. The distance between plants to plant is 30 cm and row to row is 45 cm.

About Cabbage Variety:

Name of Cabbage F₁ variety: Rare ball.

Shape: Globe.

Weight: 1.5 kg.

Seedling time: 20-25 days.

Maturity: 60 days from transplanting.

Tolerance: Black rot, Heat.

Color: Dark Green.

Shipping quality: Excellent.

PACKAGE OF ORGANIC FARMING PRACTICES UNDERTAKEN (PLANT PROTECTION MEASURES)

        i.            For insect-pest:  Weekly application of mixed leaf extracts, tobacco leaf decoction, Neem and Karanj oil spray.

      ii.            For diseases: various prophylactic sprays such as Cheese water with turmeric.

    iii.            Mustard oil cake soaked for one weak with cow urine and water mixed application for providing nutrient (mainly Nitrogen) to the plant for proper growth.

                       With above all periodic application of Shashyagavya according to their percentage varied with different treatments.

CONCLUSION

Now in this modernized world everyone is concentrated in materialistic development but they forgot that with out backbone no one can stand which is our ancient or traditional way of farming, Organic Agriculture. Just like a bird can not fly with only one wing in the same way also a country can not developed and prospered properly only by modernization. For a grater development both modernization with Agriculture is needed in a balanced way.  
                                                   ******************
Sourav Mohanta, Student of RKMVU, F/C for Ranchi
E mail:   sourav.mohanta1@gmail.com