Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, August 18 2021: Green Foundation Manipur chief executive officer U Himmat has stated that farmers would not need to use urea for their crops if they apply vermi- compost and bio-fertilisers instead, thereby not only addressing the problem of urea shortage but also aiding in the process of transforming into organic farming.
The second Organic Farmers' Field School was opened at Pungdongbam in Imphal East on Wednesday with the inaugural function held at Pungdongbam Awang Mamang Leikai.
It was attended by CAU ex-dean Dr N Iboton, Sawombung ZP member Irungbam Robichandra Meitei, Bhartiya Kisan Manipur Prant secretary T Dara, Agriculture Department Imphal East EO Th Surchandra, K Basanta and Horticulture & Social Conservation AO Rk Mirabel.
Speaking on the occasion, U Himmat informed the urea used in fields help in fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere.
However, the amount of nitrogen in the air is around 78-80 percent.
Both vermi-com-post and bio-fertilisers have the ability for fixation of the nitrogen, although the process is slow in fields which have already been using urea.
Thus, farmers can replace their need for urea with vermi-compost and bio-fertilisers, thereby helping in increasing the fertility of the soil and production of pesticide-free goods.
In his speech as the chief guest, Dr N Iboton said that humans no longer have a healthy body owing to the increasing presence of pesticides and chemical fertilisers in their foods.
In addition, the soil fertility rate has also decreased which in turn is affecting the surrounding ecosystem.
As such, we need to abandon the chemical way of farming and adopt organic farming, for which the Farmers' Field School has been opened, he added.
Observing that farmers need to have adequate knowledge about the effects of urea, the ex-dean said that the farmers cannot be blamed as they did so with the aim of increasing their yield.
Green Foundation has been working to providing organic fertilisers and bio pesticides to help shift the need of urea to the former.
Once this is successful, the state will become self-sustainable and condition of the surrounding environment will also improve, he assured.
As part of the inaugural function, a demonstration was presented of usage of pseudomonas fluorescence for preparation of pesticides.