Story of Hardcore Leader and Financial Product Master Seller Manish Kumar turned into a Natural Farmer, adopted the technique of Natural Farming (a blend of Conventional and Organic Farming). Staunch Cricket fan given his masterstroke by stepping into such a traditional occupation which is pure Indian while espousing the traditional methods with blend of technology.
Life is absolutely charismatic. What an innovative chronology of events are awaiting, one can never guesstimate and assess. And perhaps that’s the Unique Special Feature of Destiny, always captivate and amuse with its improbabilities. Many-many times the blessings are disguised, clueless, calm, composed but bursting with opportunity and prospects. The beauty lies within.
Covid Pandemic with loads of terror, panic, uncertainty and bountiful of lessons for everyone across the Globe brought one great thing, “Lots of idle time to think-rethink-explore-understand-reinforce and exploit __ the unfolded gestures and thoughts, so far buried inside. And That’s how the passion to “go green” evolved.
He was a cool aggressive Management Scholar with passion for Sales and aggressive but ethical marketing. A Product of BIMTECH and skill shot from IIM-Kolkatta. Helped the Financial Products of Institution like Citibank to be a every wallet’s A Must. Years and Years passed through likewise. The search for the Bluebird of happiness was never-ending. Because any deed or pursuit conflicting to the elementary nature of Being constantly stab and create chaos. What truly ignite us gravitate us and that was the beginning of breaking the conventional chain. Time to Step-in to Farming, Natural Farming (Far more refined and convinced than Organic Farming). Manish was Computer Hardware Scholar 35 years back, Financial Product Masterseller for Citibank, A dynamic Publisher with an aim to easiofy the Competitive Books disbursement throughout the Society and beyond geographical hindrances.
Then How come Natural Farming????? That’s where the rudimentary and undeveloped passion and vehemence occurred. Every decision in life is driven by some pre-determined desire (hidden but intense), When employing time with plants become routine pattern and most admired time-pass its indispensable to foresee likelihood of turning it into occupation.
An 8 Acre, Land at the Western UP belt was keenly awaiting him to indulge and baby treat it. Organic Farming when spacing and scaling up applying the concept of Natural Farming was a dauntless step. Manish studied and assembled all the pros and cons of Natural Farming.
Manish begun his journey by setting his road back to Nature, understanding soil, seasonal crops, available irrigation sources and important of all the methods being used for pest control in the field. The biggest challenge was to adopt the set five principles of natural farming: no tillage, no fertilizer, no pesticides, no weeding and no pruning. Because the natural way of farming renounce the human knowledge and intervention but it’s a universal trial to understand the nature and apply human intellect with wisdom.
If we look at organic farming its actually the scientific farming, making move the organic substances, processing and treatment is troublesome and temporal. The nature itself has the cultivation cycle, the trees release seeds fall on the ground, germinate and grow into new plants, the seeds sown in the natural way are not weak. The soil is well ploughed by small animals and roots and nourished by green plants and that’s natural farming.
How natural farming is ample and all-embracing?
Haldi(Turmeric plans) to fill the gaps
Nature strikes the balance and formulate farming accordingly, thousands of diseases attack plants in the field but no need for pesticide in the natural farming domain. Similarly, there is no term called ‘weed’ in the Nature’s dictionary, every plant is indispensable. A plant grows best in its natural habit without use of human intellect. An urban farmer, propagate this fact followed this as the thumb rule. All the solution from nature only, let nature be the best doctor and consultant.
- Cow urine(Bos indicus)/gomutra an effective medicine substance with innumerable therapeutic properties- used as pesticide, when plants attached by parasites hindering growth.
- Cow dung (cow manure) – a natural plant residue processed through biological method inside animal is a superlative and pre-eminent manure for crops.
- Green manure, an active and constant powerpack building for plants aids in regaining the vitality of crops
- A fine mix of Grains, pulses, vegetation, fruit plants in the field. As observed by Manish, nature nurtures all its forms, no one can flourish in isolation and perfect tuning of trees with haldi (turmeric) plants, lauki (bottle gourd) bel, deep Mango/Litchi/Guava trees not only benefits in space management but also helps penetrates the soil.
Lauki Bel (Bottle Gourd Vine)
- No competition among plants, they live and thrive together. In the natural way of farming, plants grow of their accord and its natural to see bushes, herbs, shrubs around and at a foot of large tree. They don’t have cut-throat competition for nutrients and peaceful world of coexistence.
- The principle of ‘Weed Utility’ in natural farming promulgates that Weeds enrich the Soil. Weeds and grasses are absolutely essential for a soil to remain organic and alive. Because its residents of soil microbes, moles, earthworms and proliferators.
- Earthworm breeding– earthworms are the best doctors to the soil of the field, they enrich the soil and prevent soil erosion. Manish studied and brought in to use the earthworm breeding beds in the field. The in-house vermicompost prove to be cost effective & natural.
- “Killing two birds with the same stone”, growing fruit trees and tending an orchard is an encouraging and advantageous at the same time. Among 8 acres of field, Manish practise 5 acres for grains and pulses like brown rice, wheats, corn, soyabean, arhar, moong, urad respectively. The 3 acres are sheltered with Mango, Guava, Litchi trees. Hence the concept of Mixed Cropping well taken care of, as the basic principle of natural farming.
- The seasonal vegetation among the crops is a big boon, as the vegetables grow season wise and can be liquidated in the local markets. Helps in lowering the cost.
- Haldi plantation (turmeric plantation) among crops (within in-between space) proved to be the boon since it requires less sunlight and the crop is well grown and abrupt sunlight.
Tips & suggestions:
- Fresh cow urine a good liquid fertilizer and can be used directly for spraying crop (dilute 1 litre of cow urine with 100 litres of water and use it as foliar spray)
- An all-season spray
- To use not-usable cows as a source of cow-dung and cow-urine as a cost- effective measure
- Vegetation among the crops is a boon, helps in budgeting of harvesting expenditure and soil health is tested in this way.
- Vermicompost – the best manure for enriching the health of soil
- Use of red chilli powder, tobacco, turmeric powder sprayer as an effective pesticide
- Smart irrigation by use of Sprinkler
Current Scenario of Natural Farming in India
Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh are practising Natural Farming methods prominently. Around 6.5 lakh hectare land area is covered under natural farming in India and in the next five years its is expected to covered 20 lakh hectares of land.
Technology and Natural Farming
- Smart irrigation methods
- Better connectivity with use of CCTVs, VCs
- 3 R’s (Reduce, reuse, recycle) method-in house solution
- Weather condition predictability
- Sensors for soil health testing
- Community (supply chain) connectivity like eNAM etc.
Manish profoundly reminds that human is just the outcome of five elements (panchtatva) and happiest when surrounded by these elements. Serving society while handholding with Environmental issue is the need of this hour. Farming is understanding Nature while exploring its ecosystem, Nature is disciplined and systematic arrangement of seasons, organisms, growth, shred etc. Our traditional way of farming is far more way a legacy and its time to uplift and uproot this legacy. The ancient farmers were well in sync with the nature and natural way of farming is the integration of crops, trees and livestock. Nature is a that fluid entity changes moment to moment. As written by Masanobu Fukuoka, natural farming, natural diet, natural healing is all part of one whole. Both natural diet and natural farming can be achieved only by natural people. The trinity begins and realized at once.
By CS Shweta Jain