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May 6, 2012
Grow and let grow
Inspired by Japanese agricultural scientist Masanobu Fukuoka, Raju
Titus has taken to ‘no-till farming' and flaunting the results
GREEN FARMING:Raju Titus
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PHOTOS
Three kilometres from Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, on
the road to Bhopal, is situated the Titus Farm that proudly flaunts its
fertile expanse of 12 acres and a unique farming method that can
potentially help overcome the worrying suicidal trend among farmers of
the State, and perhaps of the country. The sole but strong
characteristic of the farm that differentiates it from the rest is the
use of natural methods to grow and to let grow.
For
the last 25 years, a unique experiment of natural farming is being
practised here by a local farmer, Raju Titus, who abandoned traditional
plough-based and chemical methods of farming in his farms. He favours
farming without tillage, known as “No-Till” farming. By doing so, Raju
attracted the attention of people who comes from across the country to
see his experiments with natural farming.
The
unfortunate incident of farmer suicides that had jolted the nation in
recent years has not yet come to a halt, even though it has lost
visibility in the media. In November last year, three farmers committed
suicide in Hoshangabad. Perturbed by the suicides, Raju feels that days
of chemical farming are over. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers,
insecticides and unnecessary tillage of the land leaves soil susceptible
to erosion and leads to agricultural runoff.
Irrigation
by water from the Tawa dam had raised hope initially, but now, the
dream has been transformed into a nightmare. This year, the soybean crop
in Hoshangabad was completely destroyed — producing only two quintal of
soybean per acre. In such situations, alternative farming is what one
needs to think of. Farmers disappointed with the “revolutionary” methods
of cultivating crops are attracted towards this promising idea of
natural farming.
Equal contribution in his
experiments comes from his wife who, along with a young worker, is
painstakingly levelling weeds on the farm with a crimper roller. One
part of the farm, where wheat has already been sown, is covered with
green ground cover of paddy straw along with
gajar ghass
(carrot grass). Once the sunlight reaches the seeds, filtered by the
green ground cover, the young wheat saplings will grow out, celebrating
life.
Proud of his experiments, Raju shares,
“Covering the fields with weeds and grass gives birth to microbes,
earthworms and insects which bore holes in the soil and make it softer
and porous. It collectively increases the fertility of the soil,
resulting in a good harvest.” He disapproves of chemical farming for
several reasons. In chemical farming, water that is filled in the paddy
field doesn't go deep inside the soil while in natural farming water
penetrates deep, increasing the level of water. Under the green cover
reside many insects which can easily foil attacks from insects harmful
for the crop.
According to him, tilling the field,
which entails weed removal, contours the soil into rows to plant and dig
channels for irrigation — leading to adverse effects like loss of
organic matter, death of soil microbes and soil erosion where topsoil is
washed away. Every year, rainwater washes away some fertile soil
leaving behind parched fields. The result: debt traps, since farmers are
forced to fall back on the desperate measure of relying on chemical
fertilisers.
Natural farming increases the fertility
of the soil, whereas in chemical farming, it is on a constant decline,
till there comes a point when the soil is rendered completely infertile.
The organic fertilizer, the carbon, formed inside the soil is lost in
the air after tillage as the soil's organic matter is broken down more
rapidly. This increases the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere, thus
contributing to global warming. A no-tillage technique gives hope for a
solution to a worrying global problem.
Raju owns 13.5 acres, of which 12 acres are used for farming. On 11 of these 12 acres, there is a dense forest of
subbool
(Australian Agesia) which is a type of fodder for the animals and a good
source of wood. Only one acre is used for agricultural purposes.
His
farming is dictated by his requirement, not by what the market
requires. He explains, “One acre of land is sufficient for our need. We
get food grains, fruits, milk and vegetables from it, which is
sufficient for the need of our family. We sow wheat in winter, corn and
green gram in summer and paddy in rainy season.”
The
steps he is following are those of a famous Japanese agricultural
scientist Masanobu Fukuoka, who practiced natural farming for years and
wrote a book ‘One Straw Revolution'. This natural agricultural practice
is also believed to be popular in the United States of America.
Typically
considered to be the enemy of the crops, weeds are the backbone of
natural farming. Raju has developed a friendly relationship with the
weeds as they create the green zones in the field. When asked if these
plants harm the crops, Raju replies, “Not at all,” adding, “The roots of
these plants and trees run deep, thus strengthening the soil.” It is
natural to assume that no-till farming is tough. People usually tend to
disbelieve the methods adopted as part of natural farming. But seeing
Raju's farm, those sceptics come away convinced. (
Charkha Features)
