“From an outside perspective every village appears the same. Only when you spend time in villages, you realise and see a farmer’s brilliance,” says Dr. Nitin Maurya, National Innovation Foundation, Ahmedabad. There is so much of local latent talent that remains unknown. Today farmers complain of government negligence, but in terms of local inventions they are equal to any scientist’s discovery. New method Mr. Sunda Ram, a farmer of the dry Sikar region in Rajasthan developed a new method of dryland farming. Mr. Ram’s unique method was based on his ancestors’ practices recorded over 30 years, and developed over years of trial-and-error on dryland farming, according to him. The hard fact for him is seedlings grow well if they survive a fortnight after planting in the soil. The farmer attended a training course on dryland technology at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. Main factors During the training, he identified two main factors responsible for moisture loss in crops and decided to conduct a systematic experiment to check the validity of his ideas. Accordingly he divided his fields into three types: (i) ploughed (ii) unploughed (iii) without ploughing and weed control. “Evaporation is the main cause for moisture loss from upper soil layers (upto one foot) in both the types of soil (loamy and clay). Soil layers below one foot; retain high moisture content (sandy soil 60 per cent and loamy soil, 100 per cent). Regular weed removal saves 40 per cent moisture loss in sandy and 25 per cent in the loamy soils. Up to a depth of one foot in the soil, sufficient moisture availability for plant growth should be ensured through proper weed control,” explains the farmer. His advice to farmers: “Fifteen days after the first spell of rains, plough the field deeply to allow rainwater to percolate into the soil and remove weeds. Repeat ploughing “If ploughing cannot be done, use a spade to dig the soil. Repeat ploughing or digging again 10 to 15 days before the last spell of rain. “Dig pits of 15x15x45cm size at regular intervals in the fields, remove the polythene bag and plant the saplings into the pit. Water the plant immediately. Do not water after planting.” Compared to the conventional methods followed by the forest department, “transplanting expenses are reduced by 50 to 70 per cent by my method,” claims Mr. Ram. He regrets that his findings remain unrecognised by the Government. “Not even a single institution, including the State forest department or NGOs, makes use of my method as yet,” he laments. Mr. Ram wants to test this technique on mountain slopes, abandoned mining quarries, river banks, and clayey soils, so that he can modify it where needed. No response Though the farmer invited several scientific institutions and scientists to come forward and evaluate his findings, till date nobody has even visited him. “Several letters to Government describing my findings and requesting their feedback and visits till date remain unacknowledged, unanswered,” he says sadly. Mr. Sunda Ram’s success in planting more than 50,000 trees creating a green cover in the dry lands spread all over Rajasthan. “Several local innovators such as Mr. Ram are often denied recognition due to the mindset and bureuacracy in government and scientific communities. Many of these local talents are the real field scientists who seldom get recognition for their efforts,” says Dr. Maurya. For more information readers can contact Mr. Sunda Ram, Sikar district, Rajasthan, mobile: 9414901764 and Dr. Nitin Maurya at email: nitinnif@gmail.com and info@nifindia.org, phone: 079-26732456 and 26732095.
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