even human urine will give results. urine of any cow will give the desired results. but, its usage is very important. just dilution may not give desired results. the time of foliar spray, the dilution, the crop status, frequency etc are alal very important. this can be learnt only by experience.
Dear All,
We know our country is mainly depending on Agriculture activity.
Do we know Sustainable agriculture practices now? NO.
The so called GREEN REVOLUTION IS ALREADY OUTDATED by destroying the pertail lands of nation.,
With the practice chemical farming, are we eating healthy food? No, not at all. Chemical farming is poisoned not only our food but our entire health & still we are eating poison(food).
At this critical juncture, another style of slogans/practice is started saying ORGANIC farming. It is most dangerous than chemical farming introduced with green revolution.
So What is next which should not only sustainable agri produce but also should protect our nature,soil & our health. The sustainable agriculture should not only provide us healthy food,but also protect our environment,soil,other livings also.
Regards.
SWAMY
Hello Swamy,
Interesting viewpoint. Can you elaborate why you believe organic farming is dangerous too?
Dear Mr.Ananth,
If I may:
In natural farming, there is no need for any external fertilisation - except for making up mineral loss which should normally be made up by the earthworms. Then what is the role of vermicompost or any other farmyard manure?
We all know that:
Worms in Vermicompost eat all the Carbanaceous and Nitrogenous Materials, and digest them. Now, the excreta, contains the a)undigested, b) processed organic matter, along with, c) various enzymes from the digestive tracts. These material adhere to the soil particles, particularly clay and form Humus aggregates. Thus you have Organic Matter and Humus, as a result of worms eating lots of food… These material contribute to Soil Fertility. How they do is an other topic .
Now you may ask the question: these worms move up and down constantly in search of food. In the soil this would lead to micro passages being created.In the Vermi Bin too, there would be thses passages. But for the Farmer, passgaes in the bin are useless. If the same passages are created in the soil, they would lead to enhanced aeration and the plants would benefit.
Thus, a) the excreta of worms are useful, b) it would be ideal if the worms are in the soil, then the " passage effect" can be utilised which otherwise goes waste in the Compost Bin.
Hence. it would be ideal if we can find a way to Facilitate Composting of the Plant Residues in soil as compared to out of soil.
Could introducing additional earthworms help improve the soil conditioning?
Yes. More the worms, the merrier. However, we should be careful to ensure that the soil contains enough plant/crop residues which will be food for the worms. No point increasing the worm population if we cant feed them. They might in desperation start niggling away at the plant/crop roots. We don’t want that , of course.
- According to Sri Palekar’s methods, the earthworms needed for bringing up the minreals from the subsoil (beyond 20in below ground level) are always available in the soil.
Yes, depending on past management practices and the present state of the soil, the numbers would be high or low.
Is this true of all soils?
Where does one get these worms for introducing into the farm? [/i]
Never pay money for what u can produce yourselves. Get some worms, put them is a small bin , feed them plant and crop residues and generally take care of them…they eat, sleep, reproduce…populations would grow…
- Chandra mentioned that planting marigold or castor plants along the boundary acts to divert insects and pests somewhat. Has anyone tried this and can I get feedback on efficacy?
Nature loves her children and has outfitted certain plants with “defence mechnisms” . This property is described by the White Man as Allelopathy…production of certain chemicals and enzymes by certain plants and their roots which have toxic effect to other predators.
Marigold roots secrete certain chemicals by which Root Nematodes cannot proliferate.
At above surface, The bright yellow flowers of marigold " attract" various Insect Peat females , much in similar way the Human Female is attracted to flowers. The females lay the eggs there and the young-lings start their lifecycle from that Marigold plant. Keeping Marigold plants in the field, will, essentially “divert” your pests to Marigold. Firstly, you have saved your crops from “direct attck”.
Secondly, you can use the Marigold as a Monitoring Station. Pests attak , if any, will first be visible on your marigold plants. Gives you advance warning before the crop is attacked.
Castor , too has allelopathic properties. Also, pests are attracted to its scent and the female will lay her eggs there, bypassing your main crop.
Other such crops are radish, mustard…But be warned…by themselves, these plants don’t have a magic wand…it is not as if you plant these and voila, ALL pests have disappeared…these are to be used as part of “Integrated Pest Management” approach.
-P
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Dear Sir,
One ton of farmyard manure cost Rs.500 versus one ton of Urea is Rs.5500/-versus one ton of vermicompost (Eisenia Foetida Excreta) is from Rs.5000 to 7000. The rate of industrial organic fertilizer per ton is Rs.11000/-
The rate of one-litre Endo-Sulphan insecticides is 225 Rs. In the organic farming industrial vegetative organic insecticide is prepared by Neem leaves, Karanj leaves, Lanten Cammella leaves, Cow urine, all are priceless inputs and make the organic insecticide price? Rs.11000/- per litre. May be more!
What are the ingredients of these organic fertilizers? Some cake of Neem, Castor oil cake, Karanj cake, some part of wooden husks, compost manures and some quantity may be nitrogenous fertilizer. This mixture is grinded, filled in the 50 Kg bag, labeled by very attractive multi coloured label and price Rs.550.
More exploitation of the farmers and rural economy. Four times exploitation in this organic farming than chemical farming. Cost of production of each crop is higher, multifolded in organic or biodynamic farming than chemical farming. The organic farming is more dangerous or not?
Regards.
SWAMY
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Ok, the inputs are much costlier when purchased. Do you however believe organic farming is a beneficial approach if the inputs are produced by the farmer himself?
all this confusion about costs, failure etc are because one does not have a proper know how on the so called organic farming. today’s organic farming is like five blind men describing an elephant. this is the problem. we have been in organic farming since ten years with an established know how over large scale of areas. one may not believe that the acreage is around 700 acres. it is just unbelievable by any one. but yet true.
if any one is interested, we can provide the same.
Dear All,
My sincere suggestion to all newbies is this:
First, Attend Mr.Subhash Palekar’s Workshop.
You can call at: 09423601004, 09673162240,09850352745 ( either Mr.Palekar or one of his sons, who are assisting him, will answer) , talk to them about the next available workshop, attend the next possible program.
Secondly, take time to read his books…u can call at the above numbers to ask for them.
Do some R&D, on How NPK fertilisers work( u can google the net).
Then you can convince yourselves that Palekar’s Methods are simply the Best.
I am a graduate of IIT Kharagpur in Agricultural and Food Engineering and it is my personal ( no, professional ) opinion that whether you are an experienced farmer or a newbie…this is the shortest path. to learn Agriculture.
Try and Understand the spirit of what he is advocating and also the scientific reasons that he is proposing. You will be on your way.
Please throw out all these Consultants…you are wasting your time.( and your money,of course).
Attend and /or read his books…contemplate…try and make an effort to understand what he is preaching…
From experience, i feel his theories and practical teachings are simple, to the point, extremely low cost.
Thanks.
-P
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Dear All,
In reply to my earlier posting, one of our members, has sent me a message to my mail box. For a moment i thought of replying to him directly, then i decided that if it were to be “public” it might actually contribute to public good. So here goes:
This was the message:
palekar has been giving lectures workshops in all over india since seven to eight years. he has his own land in his place near akola in maharastra. his land is under chemical farming 100%. he knows that farming will not yield him any income. he is earning money through such lectures, royalty etc.,
if his methods are so successful he shuld have implemented in his own land first w.
all in maharastra and karnataka know that his methods are not result oriented. many farmers who have adopted his methods have reverted to chemical farming.
his speeches attract everyone. but just speeech will not make field level agriculture successful.
this is the truth.
please do not mistake for telling the truth.
well, our friend could have written this in the forum itself, but for some reason felt the need to write to me individually. why? is it because he is a consultant and feels he will be out of business?
- Firstly, i said , learn Palekar’s Teachings. I didn’t say vote for him to be our MLA or Minister or whatever. The " essence" of his teachings apply. Whether he follows it in his farm or not, is none of my concern. His teachings are. Thsy provide us all with the basic " raw material" , for our own minds to “process” and decide on our own.
- Technically speaking, it is the conclusion of, all the “experts” from the West,to East, that soil fertility is the paramount factor for 1) High Yields and 2) Sustainability of such yields over years. I think no “expert” will disagree on this point. If someone has an issue with the above statement, i welcome your opinion , so that it can be constructively debated upon.
- Assuming the above fact is “accepted”, now we need to ask “what” makes a land fertile and “how”.
- We need to look at the following properties: 1) Physical 2) Chemical and 3 ) Biological Properties of the soil. Agreed?
- So now “How” are we going to bring our soils to the “Ideal” Properties?
- By dumping chemicals, like DAP, SSP, Endosulfan?
- Everyone , even the chemical manufacturer agrees, that the “MAJOR” quality aspect of soil is its " MICROBIOLOGICAL" health. And using the above chemicals annihilates the microbes. The microbes which basically provide N,P,K to the soils. All plants obtain their nutrients , only in certain “forms”- be it N,P, K or mIcronutrients…any form of Nitrogen is not PLANT UTILISABLE NITROGEN. Any form of Phosporous Chemical is NOT PLANT ABSORBABLE P. Similarly for ALL Nutrients.
- So what is this BIO_AVAILABLE FORM?
- AND how can we provide this to our plants? IF i dump 1000 kgs of Urea( yes i meant a thousand kilos).does that mean my plants are going to have 1000 times growth?..and how does the BIO_AVAILABLE FORM form? The answer is simple…VARIOUS MICROBES DO THE WORK…upon which research and scientific data is still unavailable…simply because the topic is a very very very complex subject…but all scientists and farmers agree that it is this complex, yet to be completely understood, processes of the microbes is what actually converts any nutrient in the soil to BioAvailable form.
- Either we can enroll in the University and do our PhDs researching this subject or…we can adopt methods by which microbe health can be enhanced in the soil. Palekar’s method is ONE such methodology. There are many other teachers like him , who basically point in the same direction.But no one else that i know of offers a structured workshop where people can go and learn. That is why i suggested Palekars method.[/ul]A integrated, multicropping system, inter layered, with minimum tillage, and with the use of Active live mulching, and earthworms for providing aeration and porosity, where all the crop residues are recycled in In-situ live composting, where your nutrients are derived from Nitrogeneous plant material like beans and cowpea and other nutrients from crop residues and activation of the nutrient solublising microbes by Cow dung and Urine based activators is the Cheapest, Sustainable,Method to get to a Fertile Soil.
So, where is the Problem? Not in the Methodology. But unfortunately, some farmers do not understand technically what this methodology is trying to achieve. In their ignorance they apply their own ideas to the recipe and end up in low yields or such other problems. It is like you consult with a expert doctor and after he gives you a prescription, decide on your own when to take the medicine and when not to…what “agrees” with you and what “not”…i am sure all of us have come across such people.
And in this midst, various consultants want to put this system down because it is for all practical purposes…ZERO BUDGET. Hence no farmer is going to pay these characters, for teaching a fisherman to fish or a farmer to farm. And obviously, will not be able to sell any of their “products”…
I strongly “urge” all people who don’t know about Palekar’s Method to at least " borrow " his books …that way, they needn’t add to Palekar’s Coffers like our friend suggested,and that objection can be laid to rest, and go through the “ideas” and “reasons” and the “technical basis” of Palekar’s Method. Then perhaps we can all discuss, if ZERO BUDGET, SUSTAINABLE way to a fertile land is possible.
To repeat, it is not the man , but his teachings that are important.
And by the way…there is list of farms…with their addresses, name of the farm owner, with the mobile numbers…for all to see…anyone who has that list…can contact anyone in that list at their choice , talk to them directly…even visit the farms…i personally went to many such farms…spoke to the farmers, and then convinced myself that yes, if properly “understood” and “implemented”, this method is ZERO BUDGET…makes the land very fertile …yields are top class, quality is the best, and whats more it is sustainable…
I do hope that our friend will find “Technical” Faults with Palekars Methods…and write about them here…then we can all discuss the “Technicality” of Soil Fertility and whether it can Be achieved by ZERO BUDGET or not… I say it can. And, if our dear friend feels i am wrong, then the onus is on him to “technically” explain, why, in his opinion, it is hopelessly impossible.
Long Live the Microbes!!!
-P
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I agree, if one is of the opinion/experience that natural/organic farming is not practical, please feel free to post that in the topic too.
But please make sure all statements are backed by experiences/analysis - pictures showing claimed failures will be fabulous too.
Dear ananth1946 and Chandra,
Long time!
Back to pests and diseases and the ways to manage them in natural farming.
Though pests and diseases seem to appear suddenly, out of nowhere, the real reasons behind their occurrence are nothing that is sudden. It is the cumulative effect of several factors and reasons from seed, soil to growing conditions.
In Chemical farming the understanding of pests and diseases is shallow, resulting in short-sighted ways to deal with them. Typically, here, pest control begins when pests are visible in the plant, and then the race to grab the pesticide gun. This has far reaching consequences. I a not getting into all the details as I am end up going off-topic… When you are training a pesticide gun on the plants, you are literally training the gun on yourself and your future generations. Mind you, this gun is much worse than a regular gun. The regular guns kills instantly, whereas the pesticide gun is crueler, it does slow poisoning. Man just don’t realise how the pesticide ‘boomerangs’ back on him. It poisons his soil, waters and food and thereby poisons him, and he still remains the most foolish animal on planet basking in glory that he has eliminated the pests. Studies show that even daily consumables like, rice, wheat, milk an drinking water contain toxic pesticide residues in quantities exceeding the safe limits. So rightfully they are‘humanicides’, not pesticides.
In natural farming, pest & disease control start from the first to the final stages of farming. From the seed to the soil, growing conditions and fruit. The whole farming system is streamlined so that chances and conditions favourable to pests and diseases are reduced considerably, hence their chances of entry is pretty low.
How is this possible?
Let’s start with the first stage of farming – the seed. The first task is to select the right seed. Hybrid seeds are generally developed keeping only the yield quantity in mind, without considering the resistance. So when you opt for a hybrid seed you straightaway start with a handicap. This brings us to the question – are there other options than hybrid seeds? Yes, be assured there are better choices. No hybrid can beat the locally found clones, which have been conditioned by nature to suit the area for years. The only question is whether one has the patience and inclination to identify the outstanding local clones. This may take some observation and time but it is well worth it. Most farmers are lethargic to think about finding their own good clones and hence succumb to the hybrid mania. In all the crops that I grow, I have experienced that in the areas inhabited by local clones for years, there exist a limited no: of hem that show good yield along with resistance. Once you observe and single them out, you can propagate them for good results. They are invariably better than any hybrid clones. When these local clones have survived for so many years in nature, nature’s propagation policy guns for survival and resistance, hence yield priorities take the second preference. This is why only a small percentage of local clones can be seen yielding above average.
Also to be looked into is the seed-soil-climate compatibility, a horses for courses policy. Growing cold weather English vegetables in warm surroundings is asking for trouble!
So you have finally identified the right seed, so the rest must be easy? No there’s still lot’s to be done. A good seed will remain only a good seed without good germination. In other words, good seed will not get converted to a good plant without proper germination. We have to ensure that our seeds get all that is required to get them a strong and healthy boost to life. Here PalekarJi’s method is pretty comprehensive.( I am not saying this is the only way to go about it. There are several ways, but I have found this one to be simple, practical and highly effective. Works well for me and a lot of other farmers too) He recommends a preparation called ‘Beejamrutha’ for seed treatment. This provides an exceptionally high percentage of germination along with strong sturdy saplings full of vitality. A small percentage of germinated seeds that are below average can be rejected. This help you eliminate the weaklings and enter the field stock that’s of high quality. I do recall hearing that farmers of the 40s and 50s use a mixture made of cow-dung on planting material, something similar to palekarJi;s methods.
I also look at the moon phases while germination. Often see that sowing when the moon is on the acedency produces healthy germination and sowing during the descending moon brings about more casualties and lower quality germination. This works for me, though you may find it amusing.
Next comes the soil. A soil with good humus content will take care of the plants on it beautifully. So what is humus? It’s got different descriptions and names. In simple terms it is the life of the soil. Humus contains the nutrients as well s the microbes that process and supply the nutrients to the plants. The first step towards enriching soil is multiply and maintain the microbial population in it.Palekar recommends a wonderful preparation called ‘Jeevamrutham’ for this purpose. This culture has tremendous effect on soil. By multiplying the soil microbes that provide nourishment to the plants in the soil , it indirectly enriches the soil and thereby the plants in it. The population of beneficial microbes in the soil ensures soil balance and protects the residing plants from fungal/viral and bacterial diseases and infections. Thus the microbes present in the soil undertake the safety of plants in it. In a way ‘Jeevamrutham’ is the simplest, most effective and mot practical way of multiplying the microbes in the soil. Even advances science and labs cannot beat its simplicity and effctivienmess.Jeevamrutha application is recommended once in 15-30 depending on the crop. Along with application the soil has to be provided mulch. No need of dependency beyond your farm for this, one can just slash down the weeds a cover the soil.
During the next stag that is the flowering/fruiting stage, Palekar suggests a ‘Navdhanya Tonic’ that has to sprayed, that too only if it’s necessary. His will ensure proper setting as well protection to the fruit.
Apart from this there are 3 other preparations to be used in case o emergency.
Neemastram – against pests that suck the plant.
Brahmastram – to control sucking pests and worms.
Agniastram – to be used against stem and fruit borers
In all the crops that I have done, never did need to go beyond ‘Jeevamrutham” and couple of Goumuthra sprays, touchwood!
The formulae for all these preparations are readily available on the net, as well as from Palekar’s books. However should you require, I can post them too.
Finally the most important thing that this method of natural farming is based on is the mobile/portable microorganism and manure making unit that each farm must compulsorily have. These Units take less than 24 hours to processces inputs and convert them to microbial matter and manure. They are workaholics too, love to work overtime on this. If you still have not guessed, it is the native Indian breed Cow. No sustainable farming is possible without the support of the Cow.
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Dear Chandra and ananth1946, cannot say off-hand, without seeing the garden what exactly the cause fo the pest attack is. Could be anything from ‘imbalanced soils’ to weak plants. May be the plants in your garden have the softest stem of all the plants in the neighbourhood. Please do a small sample cultivation trying out the techniques that I have mentioned in my previous post
best regards,
cowherd
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Dear ananth1946,
All cow urines are beneficial, but the native urine cow’s urine is definitely superior. Cattle can be classified into two , ‘Bos Indicus’ and ‘Bos Taurus’. Bos Indicus or the Zebu cattle are the native cattle breeds found in India and Africa that have the ‘hump’. Bos Taurus is the breeds like Jersey and Holstein without the hump. Science does not attribute any advantage to the native Indian breeds but we have all reasons and evidences to believe so. According to Vedas and Ayurveda, , the native Indian breeds with the hump have something called the ‘Suryanadi’ which enabes it to absorb and utilise the sun’s rays better. Hence the microbial content and count in their dung and urine is 100-150 times more than that of Jersey an Holstein ( fact proved by lab tests). Also the latest discovery that BCM7 an element in milk that contributes to obesity , heart disease etc in humans, is found only in the milk of Bos Taurus breed cattle. They are completely absent in the bos-indicus breeds. Ayurveda strictly endorses only the ghee, milk and other products from th desi-cow. So in the interest of quality and effectiveness of your preparations you are better of with a desi cow/bull. I had experimented with both and happened to switch over to the native breeds 
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Dear Phaedrus,
I was merely trying to mention the several roles that Goumutra plays in farming. It normally acts as a growth promoter. If applied as 10% solution through spraying or drenching it prompts growth. Easiest way would be add the 10% equivalent to your irrigation tank so that application happens along with your regular irrigation. There is this theory that leaves do not absorb anything above 3-5% strong solutions, when used as a nutrient spray, however I go by the 10% strong spray as my crops are hardy.
Again it has germicidal qualities, and acts as pest and insect repellent. Here I go for a 15% solution mixed with 100 grams of Homa ash. Takes care of borers, worms etc if any. As you would be aware, Goumutra contains nitrogen, potash, ammonia, copper, iron, urea, uric acid, phosphate, sodium potassium manganese, carbolic acid, calcium, zinc, boron, and other minerals vitamins A, B, C and D. It takes care of nutrient deficiencies arising in plants and soils, especially where soils are depleted. I have successfully overcome Zinc and boron deficiencies that persisted for over a decade. The deficient plants were earlier administered with chemical supplements, which would last only for a few months before the issue resurfaced. Just a few rounds of spraying and drenching Goumutra have settled the issue forever.
Goumutra also has antifungal and anti-viral properties. Has helped my plants overcome fungal and viral attacks; spraying and drenching yields amazingly quick results here too. E.g.- Slow-wilt and quick-wilt of pepper can be countered.
Gomutra gets better with age; it can be stored for any amount of time. Apart from this it is alkaline in nature, ph value is around 10.We are trying to study if it counter acidic soils and can be used instead of lime! So maybe cow urine is not just 3 in 1, but even more!
For your poly-house vegetables a 10% solution spray and drenching should be sufficient. Spraying could be once in 15-20 days and drenching along with irrigation. But please do a sample spray on a couple of plants to make sure they are Ok with that strength.
Good luck,
cowherd.
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That is great info there Cowherd! I am a great fan of our desi breeds. I had read about the BCM 7 factor in the book Devil in the Milk: Illness, Health and the Politics of A1 and A2 Milk about 2 months back and it was quite startling.
I am thinking of getting a bull and 2 cows of Malenad giddu when my farm gets set up.
Regards,
Yaj.
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a lot of important information from Cowherd !!!
Thanks for that.
Dear Yaj,
I am glad you have chosen the Malenadu-Gidda breed. They are priceless treasures that we almost lost, and luckily, somehow have survived;to be saved from extinction. I would rate them the best cattle breed for farming. They demand so little and yet give you so much. Take it from me, they are easier to maintain than pet dogs. Also ,did you know that though they produce milk in small quantities only, their milk is the finest and most medicinal milk of all? Same for the dung and urine too. Where do you plan to get them from?
Regards
cowherd
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Yes, Cowherd i heard these facts and one of websites of an ashram in the south even claimed that their urine was best for preparing “arka”. I think they are similar to the Vechur in milking properties , about 3 litres of milk a day with very low fodder requirements(high feed to milk conversion ratio), smaller fat droplet size with better digestibility.
I had been to North Karnataka a few months back (Chikodi), a friend there knows the breed and has a few contacts who keep the breed.He promised to source good specimens when I require them.
Regards,
Yaj.
Dear cowherd,
This is so much amazing information. At one point earlier, I had commented this was merging into spirituality, but now it seems to be bordering astrology, astronomy and supernatural powers as well - very interesting. If the same were coming from a regular farmer (pardon the stereotype) I would have been much skeptical, but from one who speaks the intricacies of science with the same level of depth, it almost gets compelling.
I am really wondering if a relative newbie farmer can take up this natural/organic challenge on a small piece of land applying these principles and report frequently with pics for all to see. It would be a fantastic and useful topic for everyone, even if it is not 100% success from day 1. Any takers? - ananth1946?
Edit: This is not to question the methods but just is a reflection on how a mind raised on formal agri education finds it so much different. Time unlearn, perhaps!
Dear Moderator,
ananth1946 had posed a couple of questions. Simple they appear,but one of them calls for some explanation.If you feel the long post may not be interest to the rest of the forum, feel free to move it to ananth1946’s inbox.
regards,
cowherd
Dear ananth1946,
No need to go looking for earthworms, they will come looking for your cowdung.If you broadcast Jeevamrutham in the soil,the earthworms follow behind soon.Please refer to the practical experiment I had suggested to Chandra in an earlier post.If you examine cow-dung droppings anywhere, you will see that earthworms visit it without fail, from far and deep. Like ants are attracted towards sugar, earthworms are attracted to dung.
I don’t try vermi-compost, have never felt the need to try it. Since I have no experience on this, let me not even attempt to talk about it! The compost that I had mentioned is not vermi-compost, just the regular compost made of the decomposition of plant and vegetable matter. This compost is made from the excessive leaf/mulch matter in the yard. Normally after Jeevamrutham application there will be vigourous growth of weeds,; so much that it will be more than what is required for covering the soil/mulching. It is just a suggestion that these material can be composted, it is not compulsory! I feel they will help n quick recovery of depleted soils. The basic idea is to provide lodging spaces for the larger no: microbes multiplied through Jeevamrutham.(The inspiration is straight from the Casinos of Las Vegas, where they provide free boarding and food so that you remain there and gamble, thereby making you work for them!)
Since you have mentioned ‘fertilsing’ let’s break the topic down to it’s basics and analayse.When you ‘fertilise’ you are basically adding fertility to the soil or adding something that would bring fertility to the soil.This is going by he fact that ‘fertility’ or the ‘ricness’ in the soil is the factor that makes plants grow well. Now, let’s see what science has to say about plant growth ( I am bringing in science as people will not be convinced otherwise!) Science acknowledges that in nature plant growth is caused by 16 vital elements and 18 micro-nutrients,in combination with he microbes that assimilate these elements and nutrients into forms that can be absorbed by plants.Agreed these 16 +18 elements are used in varying proportions for growth, but it takes all of them together, some of them even in the minutest quantities to produce proper balanced growth as in nature.
When you fertilise, your pumping in comparatively higher quantities of most probably Nitrogen or a couple of elements ( either in the artificial or natural form) that planst tend to absorb, this results in growth.Sometimes in chemical application and digging, certain amount of microbes die and release the nitrogen stored in their bodies resulting in growth. Farmyard manures and oil cakes etc may contain 2 or 3 elements that can influence growth…In conventional fertilsing,especailly the chemical way, this is what happens. Application of 2 or 3 elements of he 34 may trigger growth, but not the balanced desirable growth. Please remember that this kind of fertilizing is shifting away from the basics of nutrition.A rough comparison would be the human diet , where carbohydrates,vegetables and protin are required.There is quantity and proportion in which they have to be had for balanced health.
Suppose the other two items are discarded and only carbs provided, the consumer will still register growth in physical terms as he may gain girth, but is it balanced healthy growth?
It is here that modern agricultural science needs to introspect, for it is seen to be deviating from the basic guidelines of it’s mother-science .
Now how can the ideal fertilizer, with of 16 + 18 elements in correct proportions including the mediating microbes be made? It may be impossible for man to prepare it artificially. But we can always seek the help of Nature and depend on her, she will oblige gladly.The most complete fertilizer ever made is humus, seen in forests , woods. Just look at nature replenishes/fertilses her plants.It is by decomposition. The plant remains and animal wastes resting on the soil are decomposed along with the nutrients brought up earthworms, and they are made to merge with soil in the form of humas. There’s no better fertilser than humus, it contains all the elements and nutrients essential for plant growth in the right proportion, along with the microbes that serve the soil and plants these. This is the best ‘ready-mix’ fertilizer one can ever get. One really does not have to take all the elements essential for plant growth and assemble them according to proportions in nature. It is a whole lot wiser and easier to create humus where everything will automatically regulated and all the elements formed as per their proportions and topped by the required microbes.
We just have to take cue from the pattern of humus formation in nature where plant and animal matter are left to decompose and merge with soil humus is formed. To make humus we only have to play helping hands; get the plant matter etc and make it conducive for nature to decompose, nature takes over and does the rest.
Assuming that the farmyard manure that you speak of is cow-dung let me go on. Cow dung in its raw form cannot be applied to plants. It is too strong and too full of microbes for the soil and plants, it has to be broken down/ disintegrated before it can easily be absorbed by he plants and soil. At the same time if you sun-dry it, it loses all the microbes and nutrients and only the dead remains of the microbes serve as nutrition. This is an inefficient way of utilizing cowdung.So the priority should be effectively break it down without losing the microbial count. Anywhere in nature decomposition of plant/vegetable matter/animal residue happens as per a certain formula. This is known as the Carbon/Nitrogen ratio or C/N ratio. It is a stamped order by nature that cannot be reversed! The ideal decomposition happens at between a 7:1 and 10:1 ratio. That is 7 to 10 units of Carbon and 1 unit of Nitrogen combine together and decompose to form Humus.
This is where Jeevamrutham scores, it is an advanced form of composting; it multiplies he microbial count several fold and also breaks down the cow dung into simpler units, and mulch applied after this serves as the plant and vegetable matter. The other option would be add 1 unit of cow dung to 7 or 10 units of plant matter and let it compost/decompose. This also ensures fair amount of microbes along with humus.
When you apply dry cow dung, you are effectively applying only the nitrogen and waiting for it to combine with lots of carbon (plant matter from the soil) and decompose. Needless to say it’s ineffective. It is like trying to make tea without the ingredient the tea-dust, and going on adding milk and water to compensate.
Field samples indicate that when only dry cow dung is added to soil the conversion rate to humus is only 10%, whereas a combo of plant matter and cow-dung in the 10:1 ratio yields 30% humus.
All the above go to show that ‘humus’ or its scientific name ‘organic carbon’ is way to go in natural farming. Further proof of the ‘balanced’ complete nutrition of humus In Soils that have a humus content of above 3% plant diseases an pet attacks are rarely seen In the plant’s that exhibit mineral nutritional deficiencies, when he soils they stand on are tested the humus content tends to be low, under 1%. This also explains why in places where forests are cleared and cultivated high yields can be obtained for 7-10 years. This is only due the accumulated organic carbon of several years, once I declines crop and fertility goes down.
Another important thing that any natural farming beginner has to be aware of is this. Once converted to natural farming he yields will pick up only after the organic carbon content increases. This generally takes time, especially in depleted soils. The soil will be caught between providing nutrition to plants and supplying minerals for humus production. Most often this results in temporary nitrogen shortage. Plants will require elements like nitrogen at growing stages, simultaneously the mulch or organic matter decomposing in the soil will also need nitrogen to decompose. So when the plants are fed humus production suffers, when the humus production takes nitrogen plants suffer. This can be overcome only by patient and systematic composting and intervention. When the humus content goes up and the soil has sufficient reserves of it, this problem will be overcome. Sometimes this may take up to 3 years. Farmer’s unable to understand this may give up soon, thinking this is a permanent problem.
So the comparison you have in front o you is
a) Chemical farming- Short term gains by artificial inputs- depletes humus – results in mineral nutrient deficiency – subsequent application of chemicals to compensate – imbalanced soils – diseases, pests- pesticides- loss of soil life- subsequent – humic acid humus input- culture of microbes and subsequent introduction to soil.
b) Slow steady start – humus build up- all activities complement this – yearly improvement of crop an soils – no pests and diseases
You choose which is better in the long run
regards,
cowherd
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