July, 2018

A Bulletin on Agricultural Sustainability and Rural Development

ISSN 0974-9152

Bulletin of the Academic Forum SEEER&

(The Centre for Vermiculture & Vermicomposting of the University)

VOL. 11(2)

India, the 2nd leading producers of agricultural and l ivestock commodities in the world,is facing multifold problems in maintaining the soil health. Farmers are applying chemical fertilizers and pesticides in enormous quantities for the maximum yield of the crops. It causes sharp imbalencing of natural components of the soil. Not only this, they have forgotten the ancient concept of crop rotation. They are not giving rest to the soil to regain and re-maintain its nutritional status. It may be since our Indian farmers are not equipped with the latest technology not trained to adopt it fast. Lack of new technology solutions keeps the farmers from gaining an equalfooting globally. They do not have a long term strategic vision which puts in place a holistic framework which is the need of the hour.

Healthy Soil for Healthy LifeMessage from the PresidentEditorial

Editorial Board

Prof. Radha D. Kale (Bengaluru), Prof. L.S. Ranganathan, (Annamalainagar), Prof. M. Vikram Reddy (Pudducherry), Prof. G.N. Chattopadhyay (Shantiniketan), Prof. P.S. Chaudhuri (Tripura), Prof. Anil K. Katiyar (Meerut)

Health is a gift. It depends solely

upon the quality of products what we eat,

drink and inhale. Are the food, water and

air pure? Are the fruits and vegetables

toxins free? The answer is No. The

bulletin VERMECO is playing a pivot

role in dispersing such knowledge and

suggest ing about the sc ient i f ic

technologies for even a common person in

improving the quality of food and human health. I wish that this

bulletin will be a mirror for those who are devoted for Healthy

India.

Prof. Anil ShuklaVice Chancellor

Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University, Bareilly (India)

Maintaining soil quality must be our priority for sustained and balanced soil health. It is only possible if the State and Central Governments as well as private Organizations like, NGOs, SHOs start regular campaigning at the Block and Village level. Trained and experienced people should tell the farmers about the present and future consequences of the chemical farming system especially on the human health. Not only this, they should demonstrate the new eco-friendly technologies of Organic Agriculture at the farmer's door and provide subsidies to set up such venture.

Benefits of Organic Agriculture by the application of organic manures and bio-pesticides in place of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which is ecofriendly and restrict the use of various toxins,should be demonstrated. Farmers should also be advised about the better cost: benefit ratio if they will opt Organic Agriculture.

In today's scenario, Organic Farming, one of the safest technology with long lasting effects, is the only option to procure and sustain the soil health but the rate of use of organic manures and bio-pesticides in the agrarian land amongst the farming communities in India is not satisfactory. Most of them want to have the maximum yield of the crops without bothering ill effects of the usage of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It is our responsibility that how the entire farming community of India opt Organic Farming for the better human health.

The article "For healthier soil, save earthworms" of Dr. Sultan Ahmad Ismail describes the quality, importance and urgent need of the organic farming system in today's life.

Prof. S.M. Singh

Centre for Vermiculture & Vermicomposting

In organic farming practice we do not nurse the plant, we nurse the soil. The soil in turn promotes its group of biotic elements who churn the nutrients as desired by the plant. Recently a unique medium to multiply microorganisms by the farmer in non-sterile non-laboratory conditions has been developed which will enable a farmer to bio-remediate the soil without industrial intervention.

Phyto-nutrients, such as poly phenols and anti oxidants, protect both people and plants. Several insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides block a plant's ability to manufacture these important plant compounds. In a study of antioxidants in organic and conventionally grown fruits, scientists have recorded higher concentrations of vitamin C, vitamin E, and other anti oxidants in organic foods (Coghlan, 2001).

Most changes in agricultural technology especially after the green revolution have ecological effects on soil organisms that can affect higher plants and animals; including man concentrating just on productivity has robbed human care for the soil.

In plants, especially in cereals, "the roots are for the soil, the stems for the cattle, and the pinnacles for human consumption". Following the holistic practice of organic farming takes care of the soil which in turn takes care of the plant and not as in chemical farming where we may tend to ignore the soil and take care of the plant. A plant taken care, nursed and nourished by the soil has excellent potential and potency for the consumer. Though animal wastes are largely used in organic farms unfortunately intensive farming activities have eliminated the need of animals on farm.

Organic farming is not a system of farming but a culture by itself. It is not addition of manure or botanical extracts that enables organic farming, but a way of life. There are several such practices that today are classified as alternative systems of farming in contrast to the conventional farming alias-chemical farming. These alternative systems are named as non-poisonous farming, biodynamic farming, permaculture, natural farming,

low external input farming, eco-farming, biological farming, or just organic farming. Such systems consider soil health as their prerequisite. In organic farming apart from the use of manure/compost for soils, botanical extracts for protection from pests, bio-foliar sprays, native seed wealth, biodiversity, mixed cropping, crop rotation, gender participation, and associating animal heads in farming form important components. Foliar sprays like vermiwash and Panchagavya have proved to be very effective as excellent liquid sprays on any crop.

Most foliar sprays especially the organic ones have several components similar to plant growth promoter substances in them. Vermiwash is one such excellent liquid fertilizer (Ismail, 2005). Studies have revealed the presence of substances (Table- 1) which invariably are associated with plant growth. There are about 3 isomers of indole compounds separated in Vermiwash, 2-(4-methylphenyl) indolizine is an alkaloid which has a significant role in plant growth promotion. At retention time of 19.70 min capric acid was separated, which is a fatty acid, obtained from the castings of earthworms which is also reported to have a significant role in plant growth promotion in lower concentrations (Imaishi and Petkova-Andonova, 2007). Maleic acid which was identified is a well established plant growth promoter (Delhaize et al, 1993). Methyl 2-4(-tert-butylphenoxy) acetate belongs to the ring-substituted phenoxy aliphatic acids generally exhibiting a strong retarding effect on abscission in turn promote plant growth. Vermiwash by its instinctive quality might probably promote humification, increased microbial activity to produce the plant growth promoting compounds and enzyme production (Haynes and Swift, 1990). All the compounds present in vermiwash may not individually help in plant growth but perhaps act synergistically along with the beneficial soil microbes found in vermiwash.

For healthier soil, Save Earthworms

Table 1: Components of Vermiwash

No Compound GC Retention Chemical CAS registry MolecularTime (min) Formula Number Weight (g/mol)

1 2- (4-methyl phenyl) indolizine 19.33 C H N 7496-81-3 207.2715 13

2 Decanoic acid, ethyl ester 19.70 C H O 110-38-3 200.31812 24 2

3 1-methyl-2-phenyl-indole 27.10 C H N 3558-24-5 207.2715 13

4 2-methyl-7-phenyl-1H-indole 29.83 C H N 1140-08-5 207.2715 13

5 Pentadioic acid, dihydrazide N2,N2'-bis(2-furfurylideno)* 31.16 C H N O 324012-36-4 316.31215 16 4 4

6 Methyl 2-(4-tert- butyl phenoxy) acetate* 33.44 C H O 88530-52-3 222.2813 18 3

*(presmud)

Experiments applying Vermiwash with Panjagavya etc by Thangaraj (2006) on plants and their chromosomes have shown significant results of enhanced xylem vessels and no chromosomal damage and these can be prepared by farmers in their farms without paying anything.

Traditional wisdom advocates the use of cow dung and cow's urine for manure and pest control. Today there is an enormous demand for organic food throughout the world. Organically grown tea, coffee, spices, flowers, fruits and several other end products are in demand overseas. Organic food provides wholesome meal including essentials like Salicylic Acid, which is the precursor of Aspirin.

Why organic farming?

Organic agriculture is defined as "a holistic food production management system, which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It emphasizes the use of management practices in preference to the use of off-farm inputs, taking into

account that regional conditions require locally adapted systems. This is accomplished by using, where possible, agronomic, biological and mechanical methods, as opposed to using synthetic materials, to fulfill any specific function within the system."

Through its holistic nature, organic farming integrates wild biodiversity, agro-biodiversity and soil conservation, and takes

Centre for Vermiculture & Vermicomposting

Sultan Ahmed Ismail: Director, Ecoscience Research Foundation, Chennai 600041, India and an eminent soil biologist & ecologist.

low-intensity, extensive farming one step further by eliminating the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which is not only an improvement for human health, but also for the fauna and flora associated with the farm and farm environment. Organic farming enhances soil structures, conserves water and ensures the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Agricultural contaminants such as inorganic fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides from conventional agriculture are a major concern all over the world. Eutrophication, the suffocation of aquatic plants and animals due to rapid growth of algae, referred to as "algal blooms", are literally killing lakes, rivers and other bodies of water. Persistent herbicides and insecticides can extend beyond target weeds and insects when introduced into aquatic environments. These chemicals have accumulated up the food chain whereby top predators often consume toxic dosages. Organic agriculture as defined by IFOAM restores the environmental balance and has none of these or other such deleterious effects on the environment.

Pesticides have been in use in agriculture since Second World War and from the very beginning, there have been concerns about the commercialization of chemical pesticides. The very first insecticide of World War-II vintage, DDT was banned in the developed world in the 1970s but continued to be used in India till the 1990s. The infamous Bhopal tragedy of 1984 in India was an eye opener to a larger section of people in India and abroad.

According to Research on health disorders resulting from petroleum-based chemicals are being found to cause significant attritional effects to the nervous system and immune system after prolonged exposure. Illnesses identified in the medical research include adult and child cancers, numerous neurological disorders, immune system weakening, autoimmune disorders, asthma, allergies, infertility, miscarriage, and child behavior disorders including learning disabilities, mental retardation, hyperactivity and ADD (attention deficit disorders). Petroleum based chemicals are believed to cause these problems by a variety of routes including - impairing proper DNA (Gene) expression, weakening DNA Repair, accelerating gene loss, degeneration of the body's detoxification defenses (liver and kidneys) as well as gradual weakening of the brain's primary defense - (the Blood Brain Barrier).

For nearly five decades, the public and farmers have been told that chemical pesticides are essential for modern farming and to feed the world's population, when this isn't true. Pesticides weaken the ecosystem which had sustained human agriculture for

thousands of years, damaging soil microbes and eliminating beneficial insects and predators. In addition, pests continually mutate to become pesticide resistant. Despite a 10-fold increase in insecticide use in recent years, studies have shown a proliferation in types of pests by 30%.

Governments are marking heavy budgets towards medical expenditures, when concentrating on healthy food can be an answer. "Prevention is better than cure" and hence the policy of the Governments towards agriculture should be suitably modified to promote as well as protect non-chemical farming. The question frequently asked is as to where to get the quantity of manure. The answer here lies in composting. Large quantities of organic wastes from agriculture as well as market wastes can easily be converted to manure, without much investment costs. This also promotes local based industry for composting. Organic foliar sprays as well as pest repellents can also be prepared at the local level. It can also generate opportunities for a large number of youth and women at rural centres.

Organic agriculture contributes to food and environment security by a combination of many features, most notably by:

Increasing yields in low-input areas

Conserving biodiversity & nature resources on the farm and in surrounding area

Increasing income and/or reducing costs

Recycle organic waste for manure production, solving waste management

Micro-enterprises in rural economy

Protect the health of the farmer and the consumer

Producing safe and varied food

Being sustainable in the long term

Organic agriculture should therefore be an integral part of any agricultural policy aiming for food security, and it is time that the Government takes positive action in this direction.

Healthy soils support healthy produce. Personal observations and research have indicated that not just addition of organic inputs but the presence of soil biota in the soil, in fact, enhances the produce in its quantity and quality. Thus it is very much confirmed that "earthworms are the pulse of the soil, healthier the pulse, healthier the soil". Let's put our hands together for earth's sake.

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The book "Organic Manure: Sources, Preparation and Usage in Farming Lands" is a remedial solution having simple and lucid techniques for the preparation of organic manure from easily available substrates around us where only minimum man power is needed and the money is not required. In this book, six commonly available biodegradable wastes have been taken for the preparation of organic manure. These wastes include, flower waste, fruits and vegetable waste, kitchen waste, press mud waste, paper mill sludge waste and fly ash waste. The seventh chapter of the book is concerned with organic agriculture and its need in the today's scenario of farming system and the last chapter is on Bio IPM techniques, which could be applied for controlling the pests of the crops by treating them with bio-pesticides which are neither harmful to crops and humans nor to the other animals. (The book is available on the Publisher's address with a price of Rs. 999 only)

Publishers: Siya Publishing House,B-311, B block, Street no. 9, Near Tyagi Farm House, Amrit Vihar, Burari, New Delhi-110084 e-mail:info@siyapub.com, siyapublishinghouse@gmail.com

About The book

Visit us at www.mjpru.ac.in

READER'S OPINION IS SOLICITED

Editor's Office:

Published by the Secretary, SEEER, Bareilly (India). Printed by Neeraj Publishers, Bareilly

Prof. S.M. SinghDean, Faculty of Applied Sciences,Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University, Bareilly-243 006, India. Call at: 09412822490, 0581-2525440E-mail: editorvermeco@gmail.com, satyendramsingh@rediffmail.com

He is a young, educated and very

progressive farmer of district Pilibhit,

Uttar Pradesh. He did his M.Sc. (Ag.)

f rom Chaudhary Charan Singh

University, Meerut. He got the job of

Technical assistant in the department of

soil conservation but he left the job to

practice farming as a career at his native village Aimi, Post-

Gahluiya, Block- Lalaurikhera. After taking agriculture as

his full time work he took inspiration from many

progressive farmers and decided to do something different.

With the financial assistance of National Horticulture

Board and technical assistance from Krishi Vigyan Kendra,

Pilibhit, he built a green house of 1 acre at his farm. It is one

of the largest green house of Bareilly Division of U.P. Now

he is producing organic vegetables in the poly house and

getting a good return. Vegetables of very high quality are

supplied to Azadpur Mandi of Delhi and fetch him

appropriate price as well as profit. He was felicitated by

Krishi Vigyan Kendra on Kisan Samman Divas on 23

December 2016 and he was declared as the best farmer of

the district Pilibhit.

Mr. Bhupendra not only adopts the latest technologies

but also use imported seeds to get better yield from his

Polyhouse. He also appoints technical hands to manage his

Polyhouse, where he grown cucumber, tomato and other

vegetables. Vertical farming method under weather-

controlled atmosphere has helped him to harvest large

quantity of cucumber. With the implementation of the latest

technologies, he has registered four-fold increase in yield

while reducing cultivable land size to half. The poly green

house has fogging, drip irrigation, automatic fumigation

facilities. He has developed a technique to control the

temperature in the Poly house irrespective of outside

temperature. Besides, the farm has small technical work

force and daily paid laborers. Cucumber creepers grow up

to four meters till the roof of the Poly greenhouse in his

farm. With long shelf life and rich in water content, the

imported variety of cucumber is very attractive in Market.

KNOW OUR PROGRESSIVE FARMER

Bhupendra Singh (Ph- 7599239605)

Indian Earthworm Biologist-13

Prof. Ghanshyam Tripathi (b. 1960)

Dr. G. Tripathi is working as Professor in the Department of Zoology, Ja i Narayan Vyas University, Jodhpur from 2003. He earned his under graduate, post graduate and doctoral (PhD) degrees from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. His area of research specialization is Ecophysiology and Toxicology of earthworms and fish. He substantially contributed to the knowledge of ecotoxicology, biodiversity and vermitechnology of earthworm resources.

Prof. Tripathi has 33 years of research and 26 years of teaching experience and supervised 15 PhD students and guided several M.Sc. dissertations. Dr. Tripathi extensively studied biodiversity of earthworm recourses of Western Rajasthan. He recorded a number of earthworm species from different pedo-ecosystems of Rajasthan. He evaluated composting potentials of a number of exotic and endemic species earthworms in laboratory conditions and also studied impacts of pesticides on biochemical physiology of earthworms.

Dr. Tripathi has been Principal Investigator of various Major Research Projects of DBT, ICAR and UGC. He has written/edited 13 books which are published from well known publishers. He has more than 130 research papers to his credit. Most of them are published in various internationally acclaimed research journals. He has also published 35 chapters in books and a number of popular scientific articles in different magazines.

Prof. Tripathi has received a number of awards and honors from different scientific organizations and reputed universities. He is life member of various scientific bodies. He has worked as member of board of studies in Zoology at different universities. He is working as a member of editorial board and reviewer of several National and International Journals and fellow of many scientific societies. Presently, he is Head of Department of Zoology in the University.