Mr. Rohan Yogesh Raut, Director, Generous Technologies Pvt Ltd, Nagpur, Maharashtra, explains:
How to optimize agriculture, the integrated farming approach.
Integrated farming system is a sustainable agricultural practice that integrates livestock, crop production, fish, poultry, tree crops, plantation crops and other systems that benefit each other. It is based on the concept that “Waste of one industry is best for another” which means waste from one component becomes a crucial and valuable input for another part of the system. In ancient farming systems, this integration was imbibed in the process of civilization of human evolution. In India, farming used to be the way of living and not means to earn. Some of the underneath lines are from Sanskrit text Maha Upanishad justifies the rich thinking of our ancient people.
अयं निज: परो वेती गणना लघु चेतसां |
उदारचरीतानां कृते वसुधैव कुटुंबकम ||
Meaning:
Small-hearted people believe that this is theirs and that belongs to someone else, but big-hearted people view the entire planet as their family. To simplify the word Earth - you treat every living/non-living on earth equally. Let it be plant, insect, or animal. You care for all like a family. Organic farming is all about respecting the presence of all living and non-living things in the vicinity of farm. Organic farming is not only cultivation of land organically, but thinking and living organically is also equally important. This thought process drives one to a different path which leads to think of sustainability in the solutions we are finding.
Farming issues: As I belong to a farmer’s family, I started understanding farm practices from the year 2000. After receiving my degree in agriculture science and MBA in operations management, I got a job in 2009 and gained awareness of organic farming practices. Farmers faced numerous issues like Phytopthora in citrus, wilt in chilli, ginger rhizome rot, many of which were inadequately addressed. These were a few of the diseases that no chemical fungicide had any control. Deteriorated soil also caused production-related problems. Issues such as natural unpredictability and reliance on the market for input and output are constants that farmers cannot control. In terms of health, when agricultural chemicals infiltrated the soil, water, and eventually food, villages began to notice health problems including cancer.
People living in the city are completely unaware of what they are consuming or the source, how it is produced, is it nutritive or loaded with chemicals. Food is becoming one of the reasons for creating illness. Farmers are unaware of the residual effect of chemicals which they are using. In the race for higher production, monoculture has reduced diversity in varieties of grain and vegetables which are rich in minerals. Indigenous cultivars, forest vegetables are completely out of plate. Urban crowds must not forget it is the food which will make you healthy and not medicines. We might have achieved quantity through agriculture reforms using fertilisers, pesticides, and hybrid seeds, but the indiscriminate use of all these has not only affected the quality of food but has poisoned the food plate. Problems at both production and consumption end were visible. Exploring solutions was always a brainstorming session. I felt the need to dive into the basic cause of the problems. I could find out some of the points which made me quit my job.
How to optimize agriculture, the integrated farming approach.
Integrated farming system is a sustainable agricultural practice that integrates livestock, crop production, fish, poultry, tree crops, plantation crops and other systems that benefit each other. It is based on the concept that “Waste of one industry is best for another” which means waste from one component becomes a crucial and valuable input for another part of the system. In ancient farming systems, this integration was imbibed in the process of civilization of human evolution. In India, farming used to be the way of living and not means to earn. Some of the underneath lines are from Sanskrit text Maha Upanishad justifies the rich thinking of our ancient people.
अयं निज: परो वेती गणना लघु चेतसां |
उदारचरीतानां कृते वसुधैव कुटुंबकम ||
Meaning:
Small-hearted people believe that this is theirs and that belongs to someone else, but big-hearted people view the entire planet as their family. To simplify the word Earth - you treat every living/non-living on earth equally. Let it be plant, insect, or animal. You care for all like a family. Organic farming is all about respecting the presence of all living and non-living things in the vicinity of farm. Organic farming is not only cultivation of land organically, but thinking and living organically is also equally important. This thought process drives one to a different path which leads to think of sustainability in the solutions we are finding.
Farming issues: As I belong to a farmer’s family, I started understanding farm practices from the year 2000. After receiving my degree in agriculture science and MBA in operations management, I got a job in 2009 and gained awareness of organic farming practices. Farmers faced numerous issues like Phytopthora in citrus, wilt in chilli, ginger rhizome rot, many of which were inadequately addressed. These were a few of the diseases that no chemical fungicide had any control. Deteriorated soil also caused production-related problems. Issues such as natural unpredictability and reliance on the market for input and output are constants that farmers cannot control. In terms of health, when agricultural chemicals infiltrated the soil, water, and eventually food, villages began to notice health problems including cancer.
People living in the city are completely unaware of what they are consuming or the source, how it is produced, is it nutritive or loaded with chemicals. Food is becoming one of the reasons for creating illness. Farmers are unaware of the residual effect of chemicals which they are using. In the race for higher production, monoculture has reduced diversity in varieties of grain and vegetables which are rich in minerals. Indigenous cultivars, forest vegetables are completely out of plate. Urban crowds must not forget it is the food which will make you healthy and not medicines. We might have achieved quantity through agriculture reforms using fertilisers, pesticides, and hybrid seeds, but the indiscriminate use of all these has not only affected the quality of food but has poisoned the food plate. Problems at both production and consumption end were visible. Exploring solutions was always a brainstorming session. I felt the need to dive into the basic cause of the problems. I could find out some of the points which made me quit my job.
Problem | Cause |
Deteriorating soil health | Decreasing organic carbon content |
Loosing biodiversity in ecosystem | Heavy use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, fungicides |
Missing respect, faith and confidence in farmers | No farmer - consumer relationship |
No nutritious food | less diversity of crops in the farm |
Glimpse of the solution: In 2010 in Satara District of Maharashtra, I came across the ginger rhizome rot disease, which was seriously upsetting farmers. But in one farmer’s field, in some part of his farm, the disease was getting well controlled. He was amazed by this kind of behaviour in his field. When we searched for the reason, we found that he used indigenous cow dung compost. The farmer used 1 liter of Trichoderma Spp. for rhizome treatment and 1 liter for drenching after 1 month. This treatment effectively controlled infection of rhizome rot in ginger. But that part of the field where compost was not applied was severely affected with the fungal disease. This event forced me to think of the problem of farming differently. I choose to work practically by putting myself in the position of a farmer after speaking with numerous organic farmers.
Thought behind Integration of different elements: If we look at the energy flow in the food web, where the plants are consumed by animals, and humans eat plants/animal, we have just transformed soil. We are biochemical photograph of the soil. All the life will be healthy or unhealthy according to fertility of the soil. Malnutrition begins with the soil. We do not have any option but to live in harmony with nature to live sustainably. The most important source of life on the earth is the thin film of topsoil. So, taking care of soil must be the utmost priority while farming. “Mimicking nature” will be the formula to work on a farm.
Integration in the farm - Cows (Gir, Rathi and Gaulau - 90 in number till date): All of these ideas drove me to resign from my position and work on the ground. In 2012, I started my first integration in farm by purchasing indigenous cows. “Happy Cow - Healthy Milk" was the idea I advocated. A cow will undoubtedly be happier by grazing as per its basic instinct than being restricted to one area. (I consider myself lucky to have the Tadoba-Karhandala wildlife reserve as a corridor because of its rich diversity of flora and fauna). Generally indigenous cows do not get ill due to higher resistance unlike HF and Jersey. Even if they are ill, we treat it with Homeopathic medicines. For diseases like Lumpy Skin Disease, we administered 100 cows with Thuja 30, Graphatis 30, and Calendula 200 which cost around Rs. 240 for 100 cows. Allopathic medicines are rarely used. My Consumers were amazed with the taste of my cowmilk as it was from naturally grazing cows. They could find differences in taste and even in health. So, the customers’ issue of contaminated milk was solved by delivering pure, jungle grazed, and native cow milk (A2). As a farmer, I was more interested in cow dung and urine. We installed biogas (and proud that it is still operational) and mud pump, pumped slurry in rice field to produce organic rice. We could achieve zero chemical use due to healthy rice plant growth. After 2016, we started selling bilona churned ghee.
Problems solved through this integration:
· Urban consumers got fresh healthy cow milk and bilona churned ghee.
· Farmland got rich sources of organic carbon as compost, and nutrient for crops in the form of cow urine, repellent and fungicidal products like buttermilk.
· Farm waste can be best utilised by cows to convert into good compost which is sold or burned by farmers. Due to cows, we utilise farm waste in the best way.
· Free gas for cooking.
· Sturdy and climate resistant crop stand.
Integration II in the farm - Chicken (Berad, Selum - 50 in number till date) and Ducks (2 in number)
As cows graze in the forest, sucking insects like ticks get attracted to cows. Veterinarians suggest Butox (Deltamethrin 12.5 mg) for removing ticks. It was unacceptable as we were practicing organic farming but forced to use chemicals like Deltamethrin to treat cows. After discussion with senior veterinarian, Dr. Mahadev Pachegaokar, who suggested integrating chickens whose benefits were feeding on the insects on cows body creating win-win situation. Cows get free from sucking pests, chickens get nutritious diet through ticks, seeds/insects in cow dung, we get antibiotics, growth hormone free chicken, eggs, and free value addition in compost as their droppings.
Integration III in the farm – Dogs: The presence of chicken attracted wild cats and predatory birds. There were cases where even cock weighing 4kg was attacked by birds. Attack on chicken weighing 1-2 kg by wild cats was common. After giving a thought on the issue, we decided to integrate a hunting breed of indigenous dog - Karvan hound - in the farm. Their presence was enough to alert cats and predatory birds. Incidences of attack on chicken drastically reduced since then. Integration IV in the farm - Goats (Berari - 38, Totapuri - 4), Sheep (6 in number). Goats and sheep graze on diverse types of grasses and shrubs which cows generally do not prefer to eat. Goat manure adds diversity to the plant's nutrient source because it is high in nutrients.
Some point to be taken into consideration are all the components in the system are indigenous breed, preferably local breed. Ultimately their immunity against disease gives me an extra edge over nonindigenous breeds of animal. Veterinary expenses are low to maintain local breeds. Besides all these benefits, all this integration imparts diversity in income. As a farmer, I am not dependent on one income source and that too without putting any effort. Outcome of the system: Organic grain production (Cereals, pulses), Flex seed oil, Vegetables (Indigenous varieties, Forest/weed vegetables), Spices (Chilli powder, Turmeric powder), Milk, Bilona churned cow ghee, Chickens, Eggs, Goats, Dog litter.
Implications of integrated farming system
· Healthy soil gives sturdy crop stand there-by less pest and disease incidence.
· Nutritionally rich and poison-free food.
· Better nutrient recycling through waste management.
· Sustainable way to restore soil, plant, animal, and human health.
· Low carbon footprint creating activities, which are independent of fuel consumption, are preferred.
How can farmers start integration at their end?
We must not set one success story as a benchmark to achieve. Although I was able to successfully integrate many components in a period of time, this does not indicate that other farmers should attempt to do the same at once. It is important to explore the current resources available, the surrounding environment, and the limitations that affect individual farmers. Several issues can be solved by integration of farm's components. Components should not turn into an issue. Creating a win-win situation is the ultimate answer.
Generous Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Nagpur, Maharashtra.
Email: raut.rohan1@gmail.com Phone:9503596339