Open Letter

Open LetterFrom: Bhaskar Save, 'Kalpavruksha' Farm, Village Dehri, via Umergam,Dist. Valsad, Gujarat – 396 170(Phone: 0260 – 2562126 & 2563866)

To: Shri M.S. Swaminathan,The Chairperson, National Commission on Farmers,Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India

July 29, 2006

Subject: Mounting Suicides and National Policy for Farmers

Dear Shri Swaminathan,

I am an 84-year old natural/organic farmer with more than six decades of personal experience in growing a wide range of food crops. I have, over the years, practised several systems of farming, including the chemical method in the fifties – until I soon saw its pitfalls.

I say with conviction that it is only by organic farming in harmony with Nature, that India can sustainably provide her people abundant, wholesome food. And meet every basic need of all – to live in health, dignity and peace. [Annexed hereto are: (1) a concise comparison of chemical farming and organic farming; (2) an introduction to my farm, Kalpavruksha; (3) some recorded opinions of visitors; and (4) a short biographical note on myself.]

You, M.S. Swaminathan, are considered the 'father' of India's so-called 'Green Revolution' that flung open the floodgates of toxic 'agro' chemicals – ravaging the lands and lives of many millions of Indian farmers over the past 50 years. More than any other individual in our long history, it is you I hold responsible for the tragic condition of our soils and our debt-burdened farmers, driven to suicide in increasing numbers every year.

As destiny would have it, you are presently the chairperson of the 'National Commission on Farmers', mandated to draft a new agricultural policy. I urge you to take this opportunity to make amends – for the sake of the children, and those yet to come.

I understand your Commission is inviting the views of farmers for drafting the new policy. As this is an open consultation, I am marking a copy of my letter to: the Prime Minister, the Union Minister for Agriculture, the Chairperson of the National Advisory Council, and to the media - for wider communication. I hope this provokes some soul-searching and open debate at all levels on the extremely vital

issues involved. – So that we do not repeat the same kind of blunders that led us to our present, deep festering mess.

The great poet, Rabindranath Tagore, referred not so long ago to our "sujhalam, sufalam" land. Ours indeed was a remarkably fertile and prosperous country – with rich soils, abundant water and sunshine, thick forests, a wealth of bio-diversity, … And cultured, peace-loving people with a vast store of farming knowledge and wisdom.

Farming runs in our blood. But I am sad that our (now greyed) generation of Indian farmers, allowed itself to be duped into adopting the short-sighted and ecologically devastating way of farming, imported into this country. – By those like you, with virtually zero farming experience!

For generations beyond count, this land sustained one of the highest densities of population on earth. Without any chemical 'fertilizers', pesticides, exotic dwarf strains of grain, or the new, fancy 'bio-tech' inputs that you now seem to champion. The many waves of invaders into this country, over the centuries, took away much. But the fertility of our land remained unaffected.

The Upanishads say:

Om PurnamadahaPurnamidam Purnat PurnamudachyatePurnasya Purnamadaya Purnamewa Vashishyate

"This creation is whole and complete.From the whole emerge creations, each whole and complete.Take the whole from the whole, but the whole yet remains, Undiminished, complete!"

In our forests, the trees like ber (jujube), jambul (jambolan), mango, umbar (wild fig), mahua (Madhuca indica), imli (tamarind), … yield so abundantly in their season that the branches sag under the weight of the fruit. The annual yield per tree is commonly over a tonne – year after year. But the earth around remains whole and undiminished. There is no gaping hole in the ground!

From where do the trees – including those on rocky mountains – get their water, their NPK, etc? Though stationary, Nature provides their needs right where they stand. But ‘scientists’ and technocrats like you – with a blinkered, meddling itch – seem blind to this. On what basis do you prescribe what a tree or plant requires, and how much, and when…?

It is said: where there is lack of knowledge, ignorance masquerades as 'science'! Such is the 'science' you have espoused, leading our farmers astray – down the

pits of misery. While it is no shame to be ignorant, the awareness of such ignorance is the necessary first step to knowledge. But the refusal to see it is self-deluding arrogance.

Agricultural Mis-education

This country has more than 150 agricultural universities, many with huge land-holdings of thousands of acres. They have no dearth of infrastructure, equipment, staff, money, … And yet, not one of these heavily subsidized universities makes any profit, or grows any significant amount of food, if only to feed its own staff and students. But every year, each churns out several hundred ‘educated’ unemployables, trained only in misguiding farmers and spreading ecological degradation.

In all the six years a student spends for an M. Sc. in agriculture, the only goal is short-term – and narrowly perceived – 'productivity'. For this, the farmer is urged to do and buy a hundred things. But not a thought is spared to what a farmer must never do so that the land remains unharmed for future generations and other creatures. It is time our people and government wake up to the realisation that this industry-driven way of farming – promoted by our institutions – is inherently criminal and suicidal!

Gandhi declared: Where there is soshan, or exploitation, there can be no poshan, or nurture! Vinoba Bhave added, "Science wedded to compassion can bring about a paradise on earth. But divorced from non-violence, it can only cause a massive conflagration that swallows us in its flames."

Trying to increase Nature's 'productivity,' is the fundamental blunder that highlights the ignorance of 'agricultural scientists' like you. Nature, unspoiled by man, is already most generous in her yield. When a grain of rice can reproduce a thousand-fold within months, where arises the need to increase its productivity?

Numerous kinds of fruit trees too yield several hundred thousand kg of nourishment each in their lifetime! That is, provided the farmer does not pour poison and mess around the tree in his greed for quick profit. A child has a right to its mother’s milk. But if we draw on Mother Earth’s blood and flesh as well, how can we expect her continuing sustenance!

The mindset of servitude to 'commerce and industry,' ignoring all else, is the root of the problem. But industry merely transforms ‘raw materials’ sourced from Nature into commodities. It cannot create anew. Only Nature is truly creative and self-regenerating – through synergy with the fresh daily inflow of the sun's energy.

The Six Self-renewing Paribals of Nature

There is on earth a constant inter-play of the six paribals (key factors) of Nature, interacting with sunlight. Three are: air, water and soil. Working in tandem with these, are the three orders of life: 'vanaspati srushti' (the world of plants), 'jeev srushti' (the realm of insects and micro-organisms), and 'prani srushti' (the animal kingdom). These six paribals maintain a dynamic balance. Together, they harmonise the grand symphony of Nature, weaving the new!

Man has no right to disrupt any of the paribals of Nature. But modern technology, wedded to commerce – rather than wisdom or compassion – has proved disastrous at all levels... We have despoiled and polluted the soil, water and air. We have wiped out most of our forests and killed its creatures; … And relentlessly, modern farmers spray deadly poisons on their fields. These massacre Nature’s jeev srushti – the unpretentious but tireless little workers that maintain the ventilated quality of the soil, and recycle all life-ebbed biomass into nourishment for plants. The noxious chemicals also inevitably poison the water, and Nature's prani srushti, which includes humans.

The Root of Unsustainablity

Sustainability is a modern concern, scarcely talked of at the time you championed the 'green revolution'. Can you deny that for more than forty centuries, our ancestors farmed the organic way – without any marked decline in soil fertility, as in the past four or five decades? Is it not a stark fact that the chemical-intensive and irrigation-intensive way of growing monoculture cash-crops, has been primarily responsible for spreading ecological devastation far and wide in this country? – Within the lifetime of a single generation!

Engineered Erosion of Crop Diversity, Scarcity of Organic Matter, and Soil Degradation

This country boasted an immense diversity of crops, adapted over millennia to local conditions and needs. Our numerous tall, indigenous varieties of grain provided more biomass, shaded the soil from the sun, and protected against its erosion under heavy monsoon rains. But in the guise of increasing crop production, exotic dwarf varieties were introduced and promoted through your efforts. This led to more vigorous growth of weeds, which were now able to compete successfully with the new stunted crops for sunlight. The farmer had to spend more labour and money in weeding, or spraying herbicides.

The straw growth with the dwarf grain crops fell drastically to one-third of that with most native species! In Punjab and Haryana, even this was burned, as it was said to harbour 'pathogens'. (It was too toxic to feed farm cattle that were progressively displaced by tractors.) Consequently, much less organic matter was locally available to recycle the fertility of the soil, leading to an artificial need for externally

procured inputs. Inevitably, the farmers resorted to use more chemicals, and relentlessly, soil degradation and erosion set in.

Engineered Pestilence

The exotic varieties, grown with chemical 'fertiliser', were more susceptible to 'pests and diseases', leading to yet more poison (insecticides, etc.) being poured. But the attacked insect species developed resistance and reproduced prolifically. Their predators – spiders, frogs, etc. – that fed on these insects and ‘biologically controlled’ their population, were exterminated. So were many beneficial species like the earthworms and bees.

Agribusiness and technocrats recommended stronger doses, and newer, more toxic (and more expensive) chemicals. But the problems of 'pests' and ‘diseases’ only worsened. The spiral of ecological, financial and human costs mounted!

The 'Development' of Water Scarcity and Dead, Salty Soils

With the use of synthetic fertilizer and increased cash-cropping, irrigation needs rose enormously. In 1952, the Bhakra dam was built in Punjab, a water-rich state fed by 5 Himalayan rivers. Several thousand more big and medium dams followed all over the country, culminating in the massive Sardar Sarovar. And now, our government is toying with a grandiose, Rs 560,000 crore proposal to divert and 'inter-link' the flow of our rivers. This is sheer 'Tughlaqian' megalomania, without a thought for future generations!

India, next to South America, receives the highest rainfall in the world. The annual average is almost 4 feet. Where thick vegetation covers the ground, and the soil is alive and porous, at least half of this rain is soaked and stored in the soil and sub-soil strata. A good amount then percolates deeper to recharge aquifers, or 'groundwater tables'.

The living soil and its underlying aquifers thus serve as gigantic, ready-made reservoirs gifted free by Nature. Particularly efficient in soaking rain are the lands under forests and trees. And so, half a century ago, most parts of India had enough fresh water all round the year, long after the rains had stopped and gone. But clear the forests, and the capacity of the earth to soak the rain, drops drastically. Streams and wells run dry. It has happened in too many places already.

While the recharge of groundwater has greatly reduced, its extraction has been mounting. India is presently mining over 20 times more groundwater each day than it did in 1950. Much of this is mindless wastage by a minority. But most of India’s people – living on hand-drawn or hand-pumped water in villages, and

practising only rain-fed farming – continue to use the same amount of ground water per person, as they did generations ago.

More than 80% of India's water consumption is for irrigation, with the largest share hogged by chemically cultivated cash crops. Maharashtra, for example, has the maximum number of big and medium dams in this country. But sugarcane alone, grown on barely 3-4% of its cultivable land, guzzles about 70% of its irrigation waters!

One acre of chemically grown sugarcane requires as much water as would suffice 25 acres of jowar, bajra or maize. The sugar factories too consume huge quantities. From cultivation to processing, each kilo of refined sugar needs 2 to 3 tonnes of water. This could be used to grow, by the traditional, organic way, about 150 to 200 kg of nutritious jowar or bajra (native millets).

While rice is suitable for rain-fed farming, its extensive multiple cropping with irrigation in winter and summer as well, is similarly hogging our water resources, and depleting aquifers. As with sugarcane, it is also irreversibly ruining the land through salinisation.

Soil salinisation is the greatest scourge of irrigation-intensive agriculture, as a progressively thicker crust of salts is formed on the land. Many million hectares of cropland have been ruined by it. The most serious problems are caused where water-guzzling crops like sugarcane or basmati rice are grown round the year, abandoning the traditional mixed-cropping and rotation systems of the past, which required minimal or no watering.

Since at least 60% of the water used for irrigation nowadays in India, is excessive, indeed harmful, the first step that needs to be taken is to control this. Thus, not only will the grave damage caused by too much irrigation stop, but a good deal of the water that is saved can also become available locally for priority areas where acute scarcity is felt.

Conservative Irrigation and Groundwater Recharge at Kalpavruksha

Efficient, organic farming requires very little irrigation – much less than what is commonly used in modern agriculture. The yields of the crops are best when the soil is just damp. Rice is the only exception that grows even where water accumulates, and is thus preferred as a monsoon crop in low-lying areas naturally prone to inundation. Excess irrigation in the case of all other crops expels the air contained in the soil’s inter-particulate spaces – vitally needed for root respiration – and prolonged flooding causes root rot.

The irrigation on my farm is a small fraction of that provided in most modern farms today. Moreover, the porous soil under the thick vegetation of the orchard is like a

sponge that soaks and percolates to the aquifer, or ground-water table, an enormous quantity of rain each monsoon. The amount of water thus stored in the ground at Kalpavruksha, is far more than the total amount withdrawn from the well for irrigation in the months when there is no rain.

Thus, my farm is a net supplier of water to the eco-system of the region, rather than a net consumer! Clearly, the way to ensure the water security and food security of this nation, is by organically growing mixed, locally suitable crops, plants and trees, following the laws of Nature.

Need for 30% Tree Cover

We should restore at least 30% ground cover of mixed, indigeneous trees and forests within the next decade or two. This is the core task of ecological water harvesting – the key to restoring the natural abundance of groundwater. Outstanding benefits can be achieved within a decade at comparatively little cost. We sadly fail to realise that the potential for natural water storage in the ground is many times greater than the combined capacity of all the major and medium irrigation projects in India – complete, incomplete, or still on paper! Such decentralized underground storage is more efficient, as it is protected from the high evaporation of surface storage. The planting of trees will also make available a variety of useful produce to enhance the well-being of a larger number of people.

Even barren wastelands can be restored to health in less than a decade. By inter-planting short life-span, medium life-span, and long life-span crops and trees, it is possible to have planned continuity of food yield to sustain a farmer through the transition period till the long-life fruit trees mature and yield. The higher availability of biomass and complete ground cover round the year will also hasten the regeneration of soil fertility.

Production, Poverty & Population

After the British left, Indian agriculture was recovering steadily. There was no scarcity of diverse nourishment in the countryside, where 75% of India lived. The actual reason for pushing the 'Green Revolution' was the much narrower goal of increasing marketable surplus of a few relatively less perishable cereals to fuel the urban-industrial expansion favoured by the government.

The new, parasitical way of farming you vigorously promoted, benefited only the industrialists, traders and the powers-that-be. The farmers’ costs rose massively and margins dipped. Combined with the eroding natural fertility of their land, they were left with little in their hands, if not mounting debts and dead soils. Many gave up farming. Many more want to do so, squeezed by the ever-rising costs. This is nothing less than tragic, since Nature has generously gifted us with all that is

needed for organic farming – which also produces wholesome, rather than poisoned food!

Restoring the natural health of Indian agriculture is the path to solve the inter-related problems of poverty, unemployment and rising population. The maximum number of people can become self-reliant through farming only if the necessary inputs are a bare minimum. Thus, farming should require a minimum of financial capital and purchased inputs, minimum farming equipment (plough, tools, etc.), minimum necessary labour, and minimum external technology. Then, agricultural production will increase, without costs increasing. Poverty will decline, and the rise in population will be spontaneously checked.

Self-reliant farming – with minimal or zero external inputs – was the way we actually farmed, very successfully, in the past. Barring periods of war and excessive colonial oppression, our farmers were largely self-sufficient, and even produced surpluses, though generally smaller quantities of many more items. These, particularly perishables, were tougher to supply urban markets. And so the nation’s farmers were steered to grow chemically cultivated monocultures of a few cash-crops like wheat, rice, or sugar, rather than their traditional polycultures that needed no purchased inputs. [See Annexure 5 on an old, six-crop integral system (of cotton, 2 millets and 3 edible pulse legumes) which successfully provided farmers in low-rainfall regions with more diversity and continuity of yield round the year – without any irrigation or external inputs.]

In Conclusion:

I hope you have the integrity to support widespread change to mixed organic farming, tree-planting and forest regeneration (with local resources and rights) – that India greatly needs. I would be glad to answer any query or doubt posed to me, preferably in writing. I also welcome you to visit my farm with reasonable prior notice. Since many years, I have extended an open invitation to any one interested in natural/organic farming to visit Kalpavruksha, on any Saturday afternoon between 2.00 and 4.00 pm., which continues till date.

I may finally add that this letter has been transcribed in English by Bharat Mansata, based on discussions with me in Gujarati. (The annexures hereto are excerpted from his forthcoming book, 'The Vision of Natural Farming,' Earthcare Books, which draws largely on my experience.)

Whether or not you agree with my views, I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Bhaskar H. Save

Copy to: (i) The Prime Minister of India, (ii) The Union Minister for Agriculture, (iii) The Chairperson, National Advisory Council, (iv) The media.

Annexures:

1) Comparison of Chemical Farming and Organic Farming

2) An Introduction to Kalpavruksha (my farm)

3) Recorded Opinions of Visitors

4) A Biographical Note

5) Note on a Traditional Six-Crop, Integral System – in a low rainfall zone, providing diverse yield round the year without any irrigation or external input.

6) Content Overview and More Excerpts from 'The Vision of Natural Farming'

Annexure 1: Comparison of Chemical Farming & Organic Farming:

-- by Bhaskar Save, transcribed from Gujarati to English by Bharat Mansata

1) Chemical farming fragments the web of life; organic farming nurtures its wholeness

2) Chemical farming depends on fossil oil; organic farming on living soil.

3) Chemical farmers see their land as a dead medium; organic farmers know theirs is teeming with life.

4) Chemical farming pollutes the air, water and soil; organic farming purifies and renews them.

5) Chemical farming uses large quantities of water and depletes aquifers; organic farming requires much less irrigation, and recharges groundwater.

6) Chemical farming is mono-cultural and destroys diversity; organic farming is poly-cultural and nurtures diversity.

7) Chemical farming produces poisoned food; organic farming yields nourishing food.

8) Chemical farming has a short history and threatens a dim future; organic farming has a long history and promises a bright future.

9) Chemical farming is an alien, imported technology; organic farming has evolved indigenously.

10) Chemical farming is propagated through schooled, institutional misinformation; organic farming learns from Nature and farmers’ experience.

11) Chemical farming benefits traders and industrialists; organic farming benefits the farmer, the environment and society as a whole.

12) Chemical farming robs the self-reliance and self-respect of farmers and villages; organic farming restores and strengthens it.

13) Chemical farming leads to bankruptcy and misery; organic farming liberates from debt and woe.

14) Chemical farming is violent and entropic; organic farming is non-violent and synergistic.

15) Chemical farming is a hollow 'green revolution'; organic farming is the true green revolution.

16) Chemical farming is crudely materialistic, with no ideological mooring; organic farming is rooted in spirituality and abiding truth.

17) Chemical farming is suicidal, moving from life to death; organic farming is the road to regeneration.

18) Chemical farming is the vehicle of commerce and oppression; organic farming is the path of culture and co-evolution.

India needs agricultural renaissance - Bhaskar Save PART 2 (2/8/2006)

Here's an introduction to the farm of Bhaskar Save and other documents sent in support of Bhaskar Save's Open Letter to M S Swaminathan - the 'father' of India's 'Green Revolution' and a key promoter of GM crops in India.

You can read the Open Letter (and Annexure 1) here:http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6839

The supporting documents below provide:*An Introduction to Bhaskar Save's Farm*Opinions of Visitors *A Biographical Note on Bhaskar Save*Guidance on Dryland Mixed Cropping for Diverse, Continuing Yield in Low Rainfall Areas_______________________________________________________ANNEXURE 2: An Introduction to Bhaskar Save’s Farm, Kalpavruksha

(Adapted extracts from Chapter 2 of  ‘The Vision of Natural Farming’ by Bharat Mansata, Earthcare Books)

ANNAPURNA: NATURAL ABUNDANCE

(On Nature’s way and her silent workers – the soil-dwelling creatures, earthworms, weeds – at  Kalpavruksha.)

“Natural farming is blessed by Annapurna, the mother goddess of abundant food for all that lives.” Bhaskar Save, 84 year-old man of the earth, speaks with quiet conviction, grown from long experience. He has lovingly nurtured a magnificent natural orchard and farm near the coastal village Dehri, a few kilometers north of the Gujarat-Maharashtra border.

 “Thousands of useful plant species, indigenous or long-adapted to local conditions, grow in this country. Thus graced with Nature’s generosity, why should our people ever have to suffer lack of food or any basic want?” asks Bhaskar Save.

At the gate of Save’s verdant 14 acre orchard-farm, Kalpavruksha, a bright blue sign in white lettering reads “Su-Swagatam”, the traditional Indian greeting of an auspicious welcome. About twenty steps from the gate is a sign that says: “Co-operation is the fundamental Law of Nature.” – A simple and concise introduction to the philosophy and practice of natural farming!

Further inside the farm are numerous other signs that attract attention with brief, thought-provoking sutras or aphorisms. These pithy sayings contain all the distilled

wisdom on nature, farming, health, culture and spirituality, that Bhaskarbhai has gathered over the years, apart from his extraordinary harvest of food!

If you ask this warm, humble farmer where he learnt his way of natural farming, he might tell you, “my university is my farm”. His farm has now become a sacred university for many, as every Saturday afternoon (Visitors’ Day) brings numerous people. Included in such weekly entourage have been farmers from all over India, as also agricultural scientists, students, city folk, senior government officials, ‘V.I.P.s’, and occasional travellers from distant lands, who have read or heard of Bhaskar Save’s work. 

Kalpavruksha compels attention, for its high yield easily out-performs any modern farm using chemicals. This is readily visible at all times! The number of coconuts per tree are among the highest in the country. Some of the palms yield over 450 coconuts each year, while the average is almost 400. The crop of chikoo (sapota) – planted over forty years ago – is similarly abundant, providing an average of 300-350 kg of delicious fruit per tree each year.

Also growing in the orchard are banana, papaya, and a few trees of date-palm, drumstick, areca-nut, mango, jackfruit, toddy palm, custard apple, jambul, guava, pomegranate, lime, pomelo, mahua, tamarind, neem, audumber, …; apart from some bamboo and various under-storey shrubs like kadipatta (curry leaves), crotons; and vines like pepper, betel leaf, passion-fruit, etc.

Nawabi Kolam(or Surati Kolam) – a delicious and high-yielding, native variety of rice, several kinds of pulses, winter wheat and some vegetables too are grown in seasonal rotation on about two acres of land. These provide enough for this self-sustained farmer’s immediate family (consisting of ten members, including four grand-children), and an average of two guests. In most years, there is some surplus of rice, which is gifted to relatives or friends, who appreciate its superior flavour and quality.

The diverse plants on Bhaskar Save’s farm co-exist as a mixed community of dense vegetation. Rarely can be seen even a small patch of bare soil exposed to the direct impact of the sun, wind or rain. The deeply shaded areas under the chikoo trees have a spongy carpet of leaf litter covering the soil, while various weeds spring up wherever some sunlight penetrates.

The thick ground cover is an excellent moderator of the soil’s micro-climate, which – Bhaskar Save emphasises – is of utmost importance in agriculture. “On a hot summer's day, the shade from the plants or the mulch (leaf litter) keeps the surface of the soil cool and slightly damp. During cold winter nights, the ground cover is like a blanket conserving the warmth gained during the day. Humidity too is higher under the canopy of dense vegetation, and evaporation is greatly

reduced. Consequently, irrigation needs are very low. The many little insect friends of the soil thrive under these conditions.”

Tillers and Fertility Builders at Kalpavruksha

It is not without reason that Charles Darwin declared a century ago: it may be doubted whether there are many other creatures that have played so important a part in world history as have the earthworms. Bhaskar Save confirms, “A farmer who aids the natural regeneration of the earthworms and tiny soil-dwelling organisms on his farm, is firmly back on the road to prosperity.”

Earthworms flourish in a dark, moist, aerated soil-habitat, protected from extremes of heat and cold, and having an abundance of biomass. These tireless workers digest organic matter like crumbling leaf litter along with the soil, while churning out in every cycle of 24 hours, one and a half times their weight of rich compost, high in all plant nutrients.

Vermi-compost – or earthworm compost – is a treasure of fertility. In relation to the surrounding parent soil, the intricately sculpted worm castings may contain twice as much magnesium, five times as much nitrogen, seven times as much phosphorous, and eleven times as much potash [8]. Moreover, the bacterial population in such castings is nearly a hundred times more than in the surrounding soil. Save estimates that at least 6 tonnes of nutrient-rich castings are provided by the earthworms each year in every acre of his land. That is more top-grade organic fertiliser than most farmers can afford to buy!

The earthworm’s tunnelling action efficiently tills the land, imparting a porous structure to the soil. This increases its capacity to hold air and moisture, the most important requirements of plant roots. The worm castings are similarly well-aerated and absorbent, while allowing excess water to drain away. They also form stable aggregates, whose soil particles hold firmly together, and thus resist erosion.

Various other soil-dwelling creatures – ants, termites, … many species of micro-organisms – similarly aid in the physical conditioning of the soil and in the recycling of plant nutrients. And there are innumerable such helpful creatures in every square metre of a natural farm like Kalpavruksha.

Bhaskar Save, however, does not claim to have any special method for making the armies of insects toil for him. “This is Nature’s way,” he says. “The most important step is to let it happen – by not adopting short-sighted technological interventions, such as the use of chemical fertiliser or pesticide, heavy tillage or too much irrigation.”

Modern agricultural practices have proved disastrous to the organic life of the soil. Many of the burrowing creatures are crushed under the weight of heavy tractors, or killed by the toxic effect of the chemicals used. The consequent soil compaction, resulting from the death of these Nature’s cultivators, has reduced soil aeration and the earth's capacity to absorb moisture. This is further aggravated by soil-surface salinisation, caused by excessive irrigation and poor drainage.

By ruining the natural fertility of the soil, we actually create artificial ‘needs’ for more and more external inputs and unnecessary labour for ourselves, while the results are inferior and more expensive in every way. “The living soil,” stresses Bhaskar Save, “is an organic unity, and it is this entire web of life that must be protected and nurtured. Natural Farming is the Way.”

Weeds: Wild Friends

“In nature, every humble creature and plant plays its role in the integrated functioning of the eco-system. Each is an inseparable part of the food chain. The excrement of one species is nutrition for another. In death too, every organism, withered leaf, or dry blade of grass leaves behind its contribution of fertility for bringing forth new life.” Consequently, pleads Bhaskar Save -- if we truly seek to regain ecological harmony and sustainability, the very first principle we must learn to follow is, “Live and let live”.

“Since all plants are provided by Nature in her wisdom to fulfil certain functions in relation to the soil and the creatures of the soil, we must think most carefully before removing what we consider undesirable weeds. In particular, violent methods like spraying chemical weedicides or herbicides, and the use of heavy tractors should be totally given up.” At Kalpavruksha, no labour is wasted even in manually rooting out weeds, though sometimes such weeds that are over-shading young saplings may be cut and mulched.

The manual uprooting of weeds disturbs the organic life of the soil less than mechanical tillage, but is still usually undesirable. On the other hand, the cutting of weed growth above the land surface – without disturbing the roots – and laying it on the earth as ‘mulch’, benefits the soil in numerous ways.

With mulching, there is less erosion of soil by wind or rain, less compaction, less evaporation, and less need for irrigation. Soil aeration is higher. So is moisture absorption, and insulation from heat and cold. The mulch also supplies more food for the earthworms and micro-organisms to provide a nutrient-rich compost for the crops. Moreover, since the roots of the weeds are left in the earth, these continue to bind the soil, and aid its organic life in a similar manner as the mulch on the surface. For when the dead roots get weathered, they too serve as food for the soil-dwelling creatures.

Bhaskarbhai points out that the irrational and violent prejudice against weeds in modern tree-cropping can be traced back to our colonial past. Due to the much slower rate of decomposition of plant matter in the colder, temperate conditions (where soil bacteria are comparatively fewer and less active), most Englishmen were not conscious of the vital importance of weeds and leaf litter in maintaining soil fertility and checking soil erosion in warm, high rainfall conditions, like ours.

Most of the ‘nutrients’ of weeds – indeed all plants – are derived from elements present in the air and moisture. The minerals drawn from the soil constitute barely 5% of their total weight. The problem of competition for these does not arise, for nature is never so foolish as to select such weed species, whose mineral needs are less than adequately catered in the soil where they are chosen to grow. And since weeds are shorter, have comparatively shallow roots and brief life-spans, they do not hinder the taller, deeper-rooted, long-life trees in any way at all.

Some of the so-called weeds found in Kalpavruksha, like the koucha, dhaincha, and ikkad,are leguminous. (The latter two belong to the Sesbania family of plant species.) Along with other leguminous shrubs and trees, these are nature’s agents for supplying nitrogen. In their root nodules dwell billions of specialised rhizobium bacteria that ‘fix’ atmospheric nitrogen in the soil. For this reason, traditional crop rotation systems almost always included a leguminous crop of ‘nitrogen supplying’ pulses between two crops of ‘nitrogen consuming’ cereal/s.

“Even if some weeds threaten to become rampant and over-shade crops,” says Bhaskar Save, “the modern methods of weed control are sheer madness. After all, we do not tear out the hair on our head when it grows too long. Nor do we spray poison on it! And so with weeds, the saner way is to moderate their growth, where needed, by cutting.”

“The only lasting ‘root-cure’ to situations of weed rampancy among field crops is to restore the health of the soil by adopting mixed planting and crop rotation, while discontinuing chemicals and deep tillage. Since the problematic weeds will only phase out gradually as the soil regains its health, a farmer may still find the weed-growth tending to over-shade her/his food crops in the interim period of recovery. The way to manage this is to periodically cut the weeds (before they flower), and mulch them at least 3-4 inches thick on the soil under the crops. Without any sunlight falling on the weed seeds buried in the soil, their fresh germination is effectively checked. [See also: ‘On Weeds among Crops, and Controlling Weed Rampancy’]

Multi-storey, Multi-function

Above the ground cover of weeds that constitute the lowest storey of vegetation in the orchard area, are numerous shrubs like the ‘kadipatta’ (or curry leaf, Murraya koenigii) and the homely croton that line the pathways through the orchard. The

latter plant, of various spotted and striped varieties, is relatively shallow rooted. It serves as a ‘water meter’, indicating by the drooping of its leaves that the moisture level of the soil is falling!

The shrubs of curry leaf or ‘sweet neem’ contribute to moderating the population of several species of crop-feeding insects, while also providing an important edible herb widely used in Indian cooking. From this minor crop alone, Bhaskar Save earns an income of at least Rs 2,500/- each month, at zero cost. (Even the harvesting is done by the purchaser.)

Here and there, one may see climbers like the pepper vine or betel leaf in a spiral garland around a supari (arecanut) palm, or perhaps a passion fruit vine arching across a clearing. These provide additional bonus yield on the side.

Excluding the two acres under coconut nursery, and another two acres of paddy field, the average food yield from the orchard is about 15,000 to 20,000 kg per acre per annum! And in nutritional value, this is many times superior to an equivalent weight of food grown with the intensive use of toxic chemicals, as in Punjab, Haryana and many other parts of India.

(abridged)

Post-script: Bhaskar Save says: “A young tree sapling is like a child that needs some initial care. But soon it looks after itself, and then it looks after us!”

Shri Save’s mature orchard has, since many years, reached the stage of almost pure, ‘do-nothing natural farming’. The labour needed is mainly in harvesting. The occasional irrigation in dry months (about once in 2 or 3 weeks for every row) is still attended to entirely by Bhaskar Save, despite his advanced age.

The field crops, however – rice, wheat, various pulse legumes, vegetables, onions, etc. – are ‘organic’, rather than ‘natural’ in the no-till way of the well-known Japanese natural farmer, Masanobu Fukuoka. Here, significantly more seasonal labour is required in ploughing, transplanting and harvesting.

Apart from the sale of fruit, considerable income is obtained from the sale of coconut saplings, which are always in high demand. Even from distant Kerala – coconut country – there are farmers visiting every year or so, who carry back some saplings.

Thus, Bhaskar Save comfortably makes a net income of several lakhs every year, apart from being self-sufficient in most food needs. And this, without succumbing to the temptation of exporting his produce to ready buyers of organic food in Europe, offering a much higher price.

(author: [email protected], publisher: [email protected]) _________________________________________________Annexure 3: Opinions of Visitors to Kalpavruksha

·        “I have seen many farms all over the world. This is the best! It is even better than my own farm.” -- Masanobu Fukuoka, well-known Japanese natural farmer and author of ‘One Straw Revolution’, ‘The Road Back to Nature’ and ‘The Natural Way of Farming’. (as recorded and translated on tape during Fukuoka’s visit to Kalpavruksha.)

More comments from the ‘Visitors' Opinion Book’ at the Farm

·        "The amount of natural wisdom and ripened experience which can be found in this farm can only be found in few places in the world. It is an enormous error that this wisdom and these experiences are not yet widely used by other farmers. ...This is the right way to farm to overcome the many problems we are confronted with in `modern' agriculture." -- Coen Reijntes (co-editor, `Farming for the Future', and ‘ I.L.E.I.A Bulletin’, published by                  the International Centre for Low-External-Input Agriculture, The Netherlands.)            

·        "It was a great pleasure to visit the farm of Shri Bhaskar Save and discuss with him. ... May his message of natural farming spread fast to all corners of our country." -- Dr S.B. Kadrekar, Vice Chancellor, Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth (Konkan Agricultural University), Dapoli, Ratnagiri

·        "I am highly impressed with the innovative approach of Mr. Save in sustainable management of soil and plants. ...We scientists must interact and learn better from his experiences for the cause of horticulture." -- Dr. H.P. Singh, Project Co-ordinator (Tropical Fruits), I.I.H.R. (Indian Institute of Horticultural Research)

·        "Your method is potentially revolutionary for India. It's about time the government realised how cheaply it could be promoting wasteland development and rural employment." - Alistair, Editor `Food Matters Worldwide', Farming Maga-zine, England.

·        "I am really happy to visit Kalpavruksha. I felt as though I was moving in the natural surroundings of our country, with which I am fully engaged during the last 50 years. ...May God bless Shri Save and his family."  -- Prof. Dr. R. Seshagiri Rao, Former Director, Botanical Survey of India.  

·        "Congratulations on your splendid, wonderful example of `biological agriculture." 

-- Pierre Lemaitre (President, `Nature & Progress')

·        "This farm is efficient and very impressive. The lessons to be learnt here are not only relevant on a local and national level in India, but also on a global level. The implications of this system of natural farming for tackling India's problems of rural poverty are far-reaching." - Jill Windle, Dept. of Agriculture, Union of Queensland, Australia..

·        "I am studying and enjoying natural farming in Japan with Masanobu Fukuoka. When I came to just (the) entrance (of Kalpavruksha), I felt some wonderful power. Rice and coconut (are) beautifully shining together. This farm has harmony of nature. Everything is living together, and totally enjoying. So I said so many times, "wonderful!" and no more word. I like this farm! Thank you! I was very happy." --  Nagomi Chiba, Japan..

·        "I would like to call Shri Bhaskar Save as Indian Fukuoka.  ...The Govt. should look into this, and promote natural farming." -- Dr. T. Sampath Kumar, AFPRO, New Delhi

·        "We were greatly impressed. We have seen farms in other parts of the world, but this was the most interesting." -- David Reuben, Agricultural Consultant, Israel.

·        "I am absolutely amazed by what I have seen on this farm. The perfect balance that has been created between man and nature is an eye opener for all of us who keep raving about the wonders of the Green Revolution. The real green revolution has been taking place in this farm so lovingly nurtured by Shri Bhaskar Save. May his tribe increase! --  M. Sahni, Chief Secy, Union Territory of Daman, Diu, Dadra & Nagar Naveli..

·        "Nature or God, works with the UTMOST ECONOMY, and I have closely observed that Shri Revered B.H. Save also works in that mould."  --  Anand Prakash Arya, Loksabha Secy, MPs Consultative Parliamentary Committee, New Delhi.

·        "Your farm …. seems to me unique in India.  I am personally much benefited, and have enriched my knowledge of agriculture." -- Matilal Kar, Jt.Director of Agri, West Bengal.)

·        "This is a pilgrimage place for farmers."-- Shantilal Shah, Farmer & Regional Chairman, Bharat Krishak Samaj.

·        "His principle of natural farming is really fascinating. ... All his experiments need to be given publicity."  -- Dr.Prakash Mahindre, Dir. of Horticulture, Maharashtra.

·        "I have toured around not only India, but also the west, and my observation here is that Kalpavruksha is a monumental farm ... The harmony, bliss, beauty of the place throws a visitor towards the Divinity's work in the vegetable kingdom. I recommend every Indian to visit this farm and be benefited". -- Dr.Gopal Swami Sachchidanand, (Lecturer), Bilimora.

·        "I had only read Fukuoka's book. It was a concept and an activity in distant Japan. It was now a great experience to enjoy here.  It is a similar idea but which has taken shape according to the local climate, culture and soil. Mr.Save is a wonderful person. Here is a man who lives the ecological balance, unlike many who only talk about it. I would like to come back here and learn more."   -- D.N.Kulkarni, Chief Engineer (Irrigation) & Jt.Secretary, Mantralaya, Bombay._________________________________________________

Annexure 4: A Biographical Note on Bhaskar Save

(Adapted extracts from Chapter 4 of ‘The Vision of Natural Farming’)

Smriti: Remembrance

   (The life and times of Bhaskar Save; experiments and experiences spanning seven decades and diverse agricultural systems.)

   In the charming coastal village of Dehri, looking out on the Arabian Sea, was born Bhaskar Hiraji Save. The date was 27th January, 1922; the family, one of the Wadwal community of farm-tenders.

   Looking back on his early years, Bhaskar Save reminisces, “The life was simple then. There were none of the modern conveniences like electricity, but the people were a contented lot. Farming was a natural, integral part of life, changing according to the season. It was a fulfilling occupation. Not the alienated, anxiety-ridden struggle it has become with modern methods. People often worked together on each others’ fields when transplanting or harvesting paddy – chatting, joking, or singing in chorus.”

   Young Save sometimes accompanied his father on bullock cart trips through forests to neighboring areas. He encountered the Warli tribals, whose way of life and culture fascinated him. He was particularly awed by their belief that God lives in green trees. (These were never cut down till they dried and shed all trace of green from their body.) The idea struck a chord somewhere.

   With the approach of the monsoon began the busy season. Like most other local farmers, Bhaskarbhai’s family grew mainly rice, pulses and some vegetables. The planting of tree crops was not a part of their traditional agricultural activity, probably because an abundance of tree produce could be readily obtained from the rich, surrounding forests and the many, full-grown trees in the village neighbourhood. [The chikoo (sapota) orchards in the area were mainly started by the Parsi/Irani settlers.]

   After the harvest of rice, there were other tasks to attend. And abundant leisure as well – to observe, ponder, and enjoy the gifts of Nature. In such an environment, grew Bhaskar Save. His formal education was till Standard 7 of the old system (equivalent to class 10 today), followed by two years of P.T.C. or Primary Training Certificate. This qualified him to teach in a school, which he did for 10 years. From 6 to 10 in the morning, he would attend to his family farm, then eat something, and walk through the forest to the school where he taught in a neighbouring village. By the time he returned home, it was dusk. 

On 19-2-51, Bhaskarbhai wedded Maltiben, who has since been his companion, sharing the work, and the joys and trials. The same year, the Save family began digging their well. By 1952, it was ready. A water-wheel was built. After harvesting their monsoon rice, they grew irrigated winter vegetables. And for the first time in his life, Bhaskar Save used chemical fertilizer, together with dung manure – for his vegetable plants.

   In 1953, Bhaskar Save used chemicals for his rain-fed paddy as well. The harvest he reaped attracted much attention. A director of the Gujarat Fertiliser Corporation visited Save, congratulated him, and offered an agency for marketing chemical fertilizer! Save’s job included guiding farmers in its use, and he was promised a commission of Rs 5 on every bag of the chemicals he sold.  

   Soon, Save became a ‘model farmer’ for the new technology. Several agricultural scientists from Pune, and elsewhere, drew on his experience for conducting their field trials. By around 1954-55, he had already earned enough money to buy himself 2.5 acres of land, suitable for growing paddy. This was the first of the plots purchased on which stands the Kalpavruksha farm.

   Though fortune seemed to be smiling on him, Bhaskar Save realised within a few years that he needed to use more chemicals, and incur more expense – just to check the yields from falling.

   From his early youth, Save was impressed with Gandhi’s (or perhaps Tolstoy’s) saying, “Knowledge only forms through engaged personal experience.” Before that, one has – at best – untested information! It was this insight that spurred Save to try out things, and to conduct all manners of ‘experiments with truth’. While in adopting chemical agriculture, he had strayed from the Gandhian path, he still enjoyed the writings of Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave, particularly those of Vinoba on farming. These were two men Bhaskar Save admired for their integrity.

   One day, inspired by Vinoba’s article on the farming practices of certain adivasis, Bhaskar Save decided to revert to organic paddy, only changing the impounded water several times in one plot (during pauses in the monsoon rains), without using any chemicals. It worked! And since the tall, native variety of rice he planted, grew well above all the unplanted (Nature seeded) vegetation in the field, there was no need of weeding. Though his yield declined this first year, so did his costs. Save resolved that he would gradually shift back to organic farming, at least

for his rice crop. For the vegetables he sold to the market, he was still reconciled to using chemicals.

   A part of Bhaskar Save’s land was henceforth reserved entirely for organic experimentation. Here, he followed crop rotation, planting un-irrigated pulse legumes like beans, gram, moong, etc., after harvesting his organic paddy. The winter pulses grew entirely on the sub-soil moisture still present from the recent monsoon; and they supplied an abundance of atmospheric nitrogen in the soil. When the pulses too were harvested, cattle were allowed to browse the crop residue in the field, providing it considerable dung manure as well.

   Traditional, organic cultivation by rotating crops, is by no means stingy in its yields. Save remembers seeing in an adivasi region, a two kilometer long queue of bullock carts (including those of wholesale merchants and their middlemen) – loaded with the surplus organic harvest of the area!

   In 1957, Bhaskar Save built a small home on his new (present) farm, which had grown to 4.5 acres. He shifted there with his family. Raising an orchard was now his major preoccupation, and he wanted to spend more time working and observing. Meanwhile, his confidence in the organic path had greatly increased. Not only was the expense much less; the soil and the plants were clearly healthier. By around 1959-60, Save completely stopped using chemicals on all his land.

  For growing trees on low-lying paddy fields, Save saw that he needed raised earth (well-drained) ‘platforms’ to plant his saplings. He proceeded initially to widen the raised bunds between his rice plots. The village panchayat granted him permission to excavate (at his own cost/labour) a village pond on some uncultivated common land near his farm. The soil that was dug out – as the pond was gradually enlarged and deepened each year – served to build and widen the ‘platforms’ for the tree saplings.

   Initially, the saplings of coconut or chikoo (long life-span species) were inter-cropped only with vegetables (short life-span species). Later, Bhaskar Save integrated other crops like bananas and papayas (medium life-span) among his chikoos and coconuts – to optimize the use of the available sunlight until the long-life trees matured and cast thick shade on the ground.

   Between every two adjacent ‘platforms’ – on which grew the trees – ran the ‘trenches’. These served as irrigation channels in dry months, and drainage outlets in the monsoon. As his trees grew, Save progressively distanced the position of the trenches further from the tree trunks – to encourage the roots of the trees to spread further for accessing their moisture needs. This ‘platform and trench’ system for irrigated fruit trees was another pioneering contribution of Bhaskar Save to orchard development, apart from his strategy of integrating short, medium and long-life species to rapidly establish complete ground cover, optimize yield, and sustain the farmer until the long-life fruit trees matured and yielded abundantly. [See also ‘Water-efficient Trench Irrigation for Horticulture’ (on Bhaskar Save), published in ‘Good Practices & Innovative Experiences in the South’, Volume 2, 2001, co-published by UNDP, TWN & Zed Books.] 

   With every passing year, the farm yield and income increased, while labour inputs further declined. The impressive productivity of the farm started attracting attention. One of the first articles written on Bhaskar Save (in the Gujarati periodical, ‘Bhoomiputra’) was by another experienced organic farmer, Shri Mahendra Bhatt, who coined and popularized the term ‘Sajeev Kheti’ to describe Bhaskar Save’s way of farming that laid maximum emphasis on regenerating the living soil. In 1989, the compendium, ‘Ecological Vision’ carried the article, ‘Nature Smiles in Bhaskar Save’s Orchard,’ by Bharat Mansata.

      Thereafter, through the nineties till date, at least a few dozen more articles were written (in India and abroad) on Bhaskar Save and his way of natural farming – in English, Marathi, Gujarati, Hindi, and a few more languages. Several TV channels made and broadcast short films on him. Awards too were conferred on Save. The number of visitors multiplied. So did consultation requests and lecture invitations to gatherings of farmers and seminars.

   In May 2005, at the peak of summer, when temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius, Bhaskar Save (then 83) accompanied, with unflagging enthusiasm, a weeklong ‘Gujarat Organic Farming Yatra’, which started in Kutchh, traveled down through Saurashtra, and ended in south Gujarat. Several thousand farmers were drawn to the various gatherings held during this Yatra.

Over the decades, many aspiring or practising organic farmers have been inspired by Save, and have learnt much from him. In summary, he is the quintessential ‘farmers’ farmer’, also known as the living Gandhi of natural/organic farming in India. 

(abridged)

- Bharat Mansata ([email protected] )---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Annexure 5 :  Dryland Mixed Cropping for Diverse, Continuing Yield in Low Rainfall Areas

[Extracts from Chapter 6 of ‘The Vision of Natural Farming’ (Earthcare Books) by Bharat Mansata – [email protected]]

Bhaskar Save relates: “In some of the driest districts like Surendranagar, Sabarkantha, and Banaskantha in Gujarat, and Sholapur, Pandharipur in Maharashtra – receiving barely10 to 20 inches of rain in an entire year – farmers following traditional mixed cropping systems were able to get good continuing yield round the year from a variety of crops to meet their needs. This they managed year after year for generations, without any decline in yield. And without any external inputs or irrigation whatsoever, using just their own seed saved from the previous year’s crops.

“I remember visiting one such farmer over five decades ago, in 1952, in Surendranagar District of Gujarat. I was fascinated with his field. There were 6 different crops that had been sowed together: (i) cotton, a 330-350 day variety, (ii) tuvar (pigeon pea), a 320-330 day variety, (iii) jowar (sorghum), a 150-160 day variety, (iv) gavar (cluster-bean), a 130-145 day variety, (v) bajri (pearl-millet), a 120-125 day variety, and (vi) moong (green gram) a 65-70 day crop.

“Every alternate row of crops in this poly-culture is a legume that provides nitrogen in the soil, helping the growth of the adjoining crops on either side. Complete ground cover of vegetation is established within a few weeks of the rains, which then continues round the year till the farmer replants for the next

monsoon.”

The Practical Steps

“Make plots within 1 or 1.25 acres in size. Plough the entire land at the start of the rains. Around the edge or perimeter of each plot, keep a strip of 3 to 4 feet width unplanted for self-seeded, uncultivated plants that appear naturally on their own. Let all such plants (local ‘weeds’) grow without uprooting them. These serve as a habitat for predator species that feed on crop-damaging insects. They also help to moderate the micro-climate of the plot, protecting it from excess heat, cold or strong winds.

“In the central ploughed area, first plant alternate lines of cotton and tuvar, with a gap of 6 ft between the two, thus covering the entire plot. The intervening space of 6 ft between the cotton and tuvar should then be planted in the following manner:

(i)                  At a gap of 9 inches from the lines of cotton and the lines of tuvar, plant lines of moong on either side. (Thus for each line of cotton and tuvar, there will be two lines of moong, one on each side.)

(ii)                At a gap of 9 inches from every line of moong, plant a line of bajri.

(iii)               At a gap of 9 inches from every line of bajri, plant a line of guvar.

(iv)              At a gap of 9 inches from every line of guvar, plant a line of jowar

“Apart from the seeds of the above crops, and of course, the farmer’s labour – for ploughing, sowing, harvesting and mulching – nothing else whatsoever is needed. No watering, no manuring, no weeding; nothing at all.

“The above gap of 6 ft between the lines of cotton and tuvar (recommended for medium soils) may be increased to 7 ft or even 8 ft if your land is quite fertile. But if it is degraded, the gap may be reduced to 5 ft. Thus, you should sow less seed on fertile land, more seed on degraded land.The underlying principle is quite simple: shade the entire land with vegetation as rapidly as possible. This will regenerate the organic life of the soil, providing a high output of self-generated biomass for mulching to improve the fertility of the soil, while simultaneously providing the farmer yield from even ‘poor’ soils receiving little rain.

“Once the sowing is completed at the start of the rains, it takes just 18 to 22 days for the entire land to be completely shaded with vegetative growth, when the leaves of alternate crops touch each other. Once this happens, no sunlight falls on the soil. Consequently, evaporation loss of moisture is greatly reduced, and even 10 to 15 inches of rainfall maintains the dampness of the soil, providing fair yield.With the entire land rapidly shaded, there is hardly any weed growth. If some weeds do spring up in the first 2 weeks, these may be cut and mulched, where they grow.Under such conditions, the regeneration of humus in the soil enables it to absorb atmospheric humidity (directly, or via dew  condensation). But not if chemicals are added, thereby desiccating the humus being formed, and consequently diminishing the soil’s capacity to absorb moisture.”

“In 65 to 70 days, the pods of moong are ready to harvest. Once these pods are collected, the remaining vegetative growth of the moong plant should be pressed down and mulched right there – where it grew.   Meanwhile, in these two months, the adjoining crop lines of cotton, tuvar and bajri grow and spread their canopy, to shade the soil covered till now by the moong plants. Abundant nitrogen (drawn from the atmosphere) is already provided to the soil by the ‘nitrogen-fixing’ bacteria dwelling in the root nodules of the leguminous moong plants.

 “Then, in 120 to 125 days of sowing, the bajri is ready to harvest. Post-harvest, the balance vegetative growth of this plant too should be pressed down and mulched on the soil. Meanwhile, the cotton and tuvar plants have further spread their canopy to shade the ground occupied by the bajri.

 “In 130 to 140 days (from sowing), the leguminous guvar would now be ready to harvest, after providing its share of nitrogen to the soil. And then, in 150 to 160 days (early November), the jowar can be harvested, providing further space to the remaining lines of cotton and tuvar, which continue to mature till they too are ready to harvest.

“By end November or early December, you can start harvesting the pods of tuvar, and continue this for a full 2-3 months. By January or February, the cotton is ready to start harvesting, continuing its yield till April-May. In this manner, the farmer has continuity of yield round the year, with a big fallback safety margin if one or two of the six crops happen to do poorly for some reason. And since no external inputs are required, there is no danger of incurring any loss.

“All this is not a new, untested, experimental idea, but something that has been traditionally practised for generations. I have seen it work with my own eyes. Tragically, all such old, elaborately planned systems followed by our people were destroyed by our agricultural scientists! Now, with the spread of modern farming, it is monocultural, chemical-intensive cropping everywhere, greatly increasing the expense, vulnerability and anxiety of the farmer. We are digging our own graves. And the farmers must share some blame.”

 [Note: Bhaskar Save adds that the above-described crop-combination is suitable for dry, low rainfall areas, not in the humid, high rainfall Konkan belt, since cotton would not grow here. In such wet regions, one would need another appropriate long duration crop of 330 to 350 days, and suitable inter-crops.]