The Phosphorous Paradox

First life originated in water and phosphorus plays important role in evolution of whole spectrum of life. Phosphorus constitutes integral part of nucleic acids and amino acids which are carriers of the whole genetic information of evolution of life on this planet and building block in every form of life. Such is importance of element phosphorus. But, now phosphorous is emerging hidden crisis before agricultural community and environmentalists of the world.

Unlike nitrogen and carbon cycle, phosphorous cycle is not linked to atmosphere. Phosphorous existed as non-renewable and finite resource on earth. It is found as phosphorus mines in some parts of world like Morocco or some parts of United States of America. Locally it is found in form of rocks below surface, with degradation, microbial actions and erosion, it keep on getting available to plants and so to animal kingdom progressively through law of energy. Microbes help in this process to get phosphorus available to plants and keep cycle going on.

But in last few decades, phosphorous has been mined hugely to be used in agricultural activities to raise food demand for growing population. It has been mined from its naturally found sources in way like fossil fuels, and shifted to parts of world where it is demanded to raise crops. This phenomena in agriculture is creating huge hidden problem before world which is also coined as 'The phosphorous paradox'.

Phosphorous has efficiency of less or around 15 percent to get available to plants, close to 85 percent or more get fixated in soils specially acidic soils. It get available to plants through microbial action mainly. With run-off or flash-floods phosphorous from soils goes into water bodies and finally in oceans, where it creates problem.
Phosphorous fertilizers in water bodies cause cultural/anthropogenic 'eutrophification' which leads to exponential growth of blue-green algae. Exponential growth of blue green-algae in water bodies and in oceans leads to low biological oxygen demand (BOD) for huge diverse aquatic life and finally death due to chocking. So, this fixated phosphorous in agriculture is major culprit for this hidden danger of 'The phosphorous paradox'.
Second, many of phosphorous fertilizers are source of heavy metals specially cadmium and uranium. So, along phosphorous such heavy metals are also entering in our food-chain.

Solution for this crisis is in hands of nature. We simply need to trust nature and learn from her. Mycorrhiza and phosphorous solublising bacteria (PSB) can help us to provide huge fixated form of phosphorous in soils to plants and reduce its run-off to water-bodies. This would also help larger farmer community to judiciously use phosphorous fertilizers and cut their input costs with less mining of limited natural phosphorous sources.
Bio-mimicry- learning from nature and natural designs can only help us to come out of this 'The phosphorous paradox'.

(Views are personal and objective)

Some steps must be taken to stop burning of fields

Burning of paddy straw comes into picture every year this point of time. Every year people and media cry foul of this problem, but it evaporates from minds of people as fog disappear with rising sun.

We are in process to make world into gas chamber and have already made atmosphere a dumping dustbin to dump toxic green house gases.

As air pollution hits alarming levels in Delhi NCR, Haryana, Punjab and northern parts of country in general, there has been a surge in the number of patients complaining of respiratory problems. Roads accidents have been escalated due to near-zero-visibility and hyped in media once again to wake up authorities, governments and public from deep slumber of short memory. 
AIIMS chief, recently compared the situation to the killer 'Great Smog of London'. Irrespective of age each person has been feeling suffocated in this gas chamber. Situation can be compared not less than poison-gas attract during second World War.

How smog is differ from fog?

People in general  saying it is fog, and they never have been witnessed such thick fog and pollution. Fog is natural process and beneficial for agriculture, as it naturally irrigates the plants. With low temperature moisture freezes near ground level the same way clouds formed. But when smoke and toxic gases mix with water and freeze, natural process brings havoc in form of thick and poisonous smog. So, the beautiful process of nature of 'fog forming' has been turned out to be grave disaster. 

Many reasons including construction activities, transportation vehicles, agricultural residue (wheat and paddy straw primarily) burning, incineration of plastic and litter are some of main reasons for this problem. But straw burning is most prominent factor this point of time particularly. Further there are many reasons for the farmers to set-up their fields on fire every single season specifically in Haryana, Punjab, western Uttar Pradesh and in wheat-rice rotation belts of country, which have been covered extensively. Wheat-paddy rotation has fed the country in the hey-days of 'Green Revolution' which also is another controversy. But now this wheat-paddy and paddy specifically making huge damage to animal, human and environment/ecosystem. Poor and unchanged government policies, lack of social-capital generation and political will by government, failure at the part of universities and departments to evolve with time etc are some of the prime reasons that we have not been escaping from wheat-paddy rotation despite government and authorities wanting it badly.

Burning paddy neither brings benefits to farmers nor environment and animals. Farmers are economical and psychological forced to burn their fields. Over the periods farmers were never made to understand that burning not only costs environment but also costs their soil and natural resources' health badly, so farmers have been evolved over the years in such a manner. Farmer thinks simply burning means full job done. Burning also burns the huge diversity of micro-flora and fauna, fertilizers and heart of Mother Earth. Now agricultural community including scientist and economists, governments and judiciary forced to step-in and want quick-fixes, which are not available. To ameliorate this problem all we need integrated, multi-faceted approach, and most importantly will power to turn things real at ground.

Some steps to be taken to stop farmers burning biomass/straw of crops and protect environment

Payment for ecological services (PES)

Payments for ecosystem services(PES), also known as payments for environmental services (or benefits), are incentives offered to farmers or landowners in exchange for managing their land to provide some sort of ecological service. It is an economic instrument designed to provide incentives to increase the socio-economic positive externalities from agriculture.

Farmers must encourage not to burn their lands by providing some financial support. Those farmers who do not burn paddy straw must be rewarded because they help in conservation and preservation of environment  and also bringing many socio-economic positive externalities. Conservation and preservation always have remained integral part of many tribal and small natural farmers. This is not the new case PES has been used to protect environment in many countries in Latin America, Africa and other parts of globe. Also this has been used by government authorities in Himachal Pradesh to stop the forest fires by encouraging people to conserved nature and pristine forests under CAMPA. 

Punjab government every year spends 7000 crore to distribute free electricity as subsidy. Farmers have been free rided on such subsidies and brought many negative socio-economic and environmental externalities. So, judicious use of such subsidies could be taken as shape of PES to stop burning of paddy straw in Punjab, and other states.

Second PES as environment conservation instrument could also escape from the WTO's on-going trade distorting subsidies controversy and pressure over developing countries.  

Factor-in social externalities while minimum support price (MSP) calculation

MSP has remained great instrument to encourage farmers to shift their crop patterns, but this has not been used effectively to fulfill the need of orders. Moreover this has been used as an instrument to please the farmers and leverage vote-bank politics. 

MSP does not factor in the negative social and ecological externalities while calculating the prices. So, crops like paddy which are having numerous negative socio-economic and environmental externalities are provided with assured MSPs while crops like pulses, edible oils, sugercane etc which have great positive socio-economic, environmental have been neglected. Moreover crops like pulses and edible oils has huge significance in national context as we as a nation import 70,000 crore edible oil and 100,000 crore pulses every year. So, social and environmental externalities must be factored-in while MSP calculation. Inclusion of such factors would also motivate farmers to grow other crops including pulses, edible oil crops, sugercane etc. Such crops have ameliorating effect on soil, ground water, environmental and animal health. Governments collectively must need will power and not binge on vote-bank politics to stop things like paddy straw burning. Farmer literacy mission and motivation can encourage farmers to think another side of picture. 

Promotion of traditional basmati varieties under natural farming system

Prior to partition Punjab as whole sub-continent had been recognized for its aroma rich signature basmati traditional varieties. Such varieties have earned distinct recognition for its aroma, taste and quality. Moreover basmati varieties take half the water and have numerous positive externalities than normal rice. The straw/biomass residue is very easily decomposable and being used for fodder due to low silica content. During course of green revolution traditional basmati and rain-fed rice varieties have been eradicated by high-yielding short stature varieties which brought many negative socio-economic-political externalities and complication. 

Reviving of rain-fed rice varieties and traditional signature basmati under natural farming system coupled with PES, could be great boon to farmers. If see the things in context to recently 'Shanta Kumar's FCI restructured  committee (2014)' centre can pull her hand anytime for central procurement of rice, so we should need to promote high quality basmati and traditional rice varieties, and export successively. 
Niche Diversification of traditional basmati varieties should be promoted as basmati rice varieties develop distinct aroma, taste and quality region specifically. Moreover awareness among people about natural food, demand of heirloom-food and high quality checks for export should also propel such moves. Natural farming system involving in-situ decomposition, use of microorganism based consortium, augmenting in-situ micro flora and fauna biodiversity could help animal, soil and environmental health in great manner.

Co-operative societies based mechanization

Cost is the major issue which provokes farmers to set their farms up on the fires and applying for short-cuts. The machinery and implements required to manage the paddy straw is costly venture to farmers individually. Small and marginal farmers cannot afford high cost implements like happy seeder, mulchers or other implements individually. Moreover bank loan based purchasing of implements are also not viable for any farmer in long term in general. Governments must promote cooperatives and societies based use of machinery for the common benefits of farmers.

Promotion of auxiliary industries (2G bio-ethanol primarily)

Paddy as feed-stock needs to be promoted to generate second generation (2G) bio-ethanol under national EBP (ethanol blending programme) to achieve 10 percent blending of bio-ethanol in petrol. Besides reducing pollution and ameliorating soil health this programme has huge spin-off socio-economic benefits in terms of increase in farmers' remuneration, employment generation, rural skill development etc. 

"Punjab burns around 50 lakh tonnes of paddy and wheat straw every year and by converting it into a fuel blend, we can slowly end up oil dependency on other countries. It is expected to provide an additional income source of Rs 4,000 crore annually to farmers The could also help in end the dependency of the nation for fuel on Gulf and central Asian countries with clean fuel. 

Governments have already been signed the MoU with industries and laid foundation stone of 2G bio-ethanol refinery, which must need to be scaled-up to production level as soon as possible.
Rice straw and other crop residue could also be promoted for geo-textiles, paper pulp industries and ply wood industries.

These are some above mentioned steps which must be taken into account to stop farmers burn their fields, and save animal, soil, water and environment health. All the authorities and governments have to simply require is integrated and multifaceted approach, and will power to rise above vote-bank politics. 

(Views of author are personal and written in personal capacity)

'Minimum Government and Maximum Governance' of Agriculture

Every sector of economy to governmental bodies and functionaries are merging, colluding and consolidating. The question is why further fragmentation and compartmentalization of agriculture when whole set of farming community is in crisis. 

Few days back Prime Minister spoke about integrated transportation system at the launch of Mumbai-Ahmadabad High speed Rail (MAHSR). Integrations and mergers reduce the overburdened bureaucracy, and inject the new life-blood and enhance efficiency. Many of ministries and departments have been merged or have been supervised by common minister to streamline the deliveries and to put development in top gear.  

The ministries of Urban Development and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation were only recently merged to form the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). Government has merged the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) with the External Affairs Ministry in sync with its broad principle of ‘minimum government, maximum governance’. Ministries of coal to be merged with mines have been in progress, and likely to be single ministry anytime soon. 

So, is the case with every sector of economy from banking to telecom, from energy to social media, from agricultural seed companies to agro-chemical companies to take over global competition, market risk and huge non-performing assets. It is in everyday news that government wants few global-sized banks so many small banks are being taken over by large bank. State Bank of India is live example. So, is case with important PSUs whether it is oil, gas, airline, or utility company.

A step further in context to importance of merging and acquisition (M&A), consolidation of six giants in seed and agro-chemical sectors to behemoth three large giants to take over the global agriculture and to control the whole food system of world.

Bayer took over Monsanto, ChemChina took over Syngenta and Dow took over DuPont. Such consolidations would help these seed giants to play dominant role to control the supply over other areas in which they are already a ‘dominant player’ including fertilizers, pesticides and farming technologies.

Agriculture in India has always viewed as way of life and very integrated activity, including crop production, resource conservation, agro-forestry and livestock, in one seamless organic-whole. But fragmentation and division of agriculture is going on over for quite some years after independence. The rising trend of inter-disciplinary specialization and compartmentalization of related disciplines as subsidiary occupations calls for immediate attention to save the integrity of agriculture.

The loss of integration within the agricultural system as a whole tends to invite another agrarian crisis across India, the evidence of which can be felt with the lack of sustainability in farming, leading to over-exploitation of valuable natural resources and increasing cases of farmer suicides.

Agriculture is state subject and administered by numerous independent departments including agriculture, soil and water conservation, horticulture, animal husbandry, irrigation, seed certification etc to name few of them. These departments have been created over the years in the name of specialization and efficiency but such fragmentation have been creeping in over-bureaucracy, red-tappism, over-administration and over expenditure. 

Further minimal exchange of information inputs, no-joint programmes, collaborations and collective approach among various respective departments have been caused much to damage rather than improving Indian agriculture if to be audited in socio-economic terms. Rather than benefiting the farming community and overall society, fragmentation put extra cost to state in terms of expenditure, inefficiency, and accountability. 

Specialization and compartmentalization is not a problem as such, main problem is lack of inter and intra-bridges, co-operations and coordination among various departments and units of governance. Every department is working without any common and collective mission and approach to benefit the farmer, state and nation ultimately. Even most of staff in the department are poorly aware of for whom they are working or hired. 

Lack of integration and compartmentalization also shift blame on each other in times of crisis, as agriculture as a whole is impacted by many uncalculated factors. 

We need to merge, consolidate and integrate various agricultural and allied departments into single efficient, transparent and accountable departments to streamline the administration of agriculture. Otherwise this consistent fragmentation would enhance the outright control over various departments by few agricultural corporations who have merged and colluded to take control over the food supply and system of developing and agricultural economies.
  
The principle of ‘minimum government, maximum governance’ is also very much need of hour for Indian agriculture and as much valid as for other sector of economy and governmental departments' consolidation. 

(This is second article in this series. Fragmentation crisis in Indian Agriculture could be read clicking below link.
http://www.vijayvaani.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?aid=4388 )

Lawyer turned farmer

http://www.agricultureinformation.com/postings/kamaljit-singh-hayer-lawyer-turned-farmer/

Leaves behind thriving legal practice to become farmer for flourishing agriculture in Punjab

“Crop diversity and crop residue are the two prime keys for transforming agriculture. More the multiplicity of plants and trees in the farm more it becomes independent and prosperous. Secondly after harvesting the crop the residue needs to be given back to the soil through mulching thereby the farm attains endurance,” says Mr. Kamaljit Singh Hayer, successful lawyer turned farmer.

Mr. Kamaljit’s farm spreads in 50 acres but presently only 20 acres is under cultivation. It is a model farm to showcase farmers of Punjab that it is possible to do farming and earn substantially without using any chemicals. Located at Sohangarh Rattewala village, Ferozepur district, Punjab, the farm is unique in more than one ways as it has 1500 trees of 120 species, annually 60 crops are cultivated and harvested, rears three livestock variants and 100% rainwater harvesting. He developed the model farm under the guidance and mentorship of Late Dr. O.P. Rupela, pioneer in organic and natural farming.

Farmers must always mulch the crop residue back in the soil instead of discarding by putting into trash or burning. Alternatively it should be turned into compost along with the livestock excreta. “In my dairy unit I also rear buffaloes along with the cows because former are native of Punjab. In addition I have desi breeds of goats and poultry birds. I prepare the compost culture from all the livestock waste and feed in the soil to replenish it with vital nutrients and retain fertility,” shares Mr. Kamaljit.

Having a good blend of trees and pants is referred as crop diversity. “Dr. Rupela always recommended growing minimum 50 trees in one acre in north and south direction in line system in order to achieve the sustainability in the farm. As per his design I have 1500 trees in 20 acres but only 3 acres is the shade area rest of the farmland is used for growing 60 different crops,” he highlights. 120 species in the farm are mix of fruits, medicinal, forest and nitrogen fixing trees.

“In my farm there are two main nitrogen fixing tress namely Moringa (Moringa Oleifera) and Rajasthan native tree Khejri (Prosopis Cineraria). I have more than 200 moringa trees. Dry leaves, stems and the roots of these trees when comes in contact with the soil it converts the atmospheric gas into usable compounds namely nitrogen. These must be grown near to any fruit tree and then the fruits produced will be best in quality and quantity,” he asserts.

Similarly growing medicinal trees are also important in every farm for crop protection. Mr. Kamaljit has Neem, Calotropis (called aak in hindi) and Vitex Negundo/five-leaved Chastetree (called nirgudi in hindi) trees in his farm. Leaves of these trees are soaked in cow urine or boiled in water and sprayed on the crops leaves. “Using a sprayer mist the concoction on the leaves of the crop. Subsequently the plants will get a protective shield from pests and diseases,” he adds.

60 crops cultivated in the farm are grown as intercrops such as green gram-sesame, Bengal gram-mustard, sesame-guargum etc. “Two crops to be grown as intercrops are decided based on its height, water requirements and nutrient required from the soil,” he shares. All the seeds used for growing these crops are native varieties. “We must stand against hybrid and GM seeds as it will collapse our entire ecosystem,” he insists. All the farm produce is sold locally.

Speaking of quitting legal practice in 2015 that gave the earning of Rs. 1.5 lakh a month, Mr. Kamaljit says, “What is the point of earning if there is no life? Punjab had the worst effect of green revolutions putting livelihood of farmers and life of Punjabis on stake! My grandfather passed away at the age of 101 years, father at 53 years and younger brother at 10 years. The life span is getting shorter because we are eating poisonous food. Farmers of my Punjab are in extremely troubled condition. To revive my Motherland and secure the life of my near and dear ones, I had to grow food without any chemicals. I wanted to showcase to the farmers of Punjab that without chemicals you can grow food and feed the population thus I turned into full time farmer from a lawyer.”

Today a committed farmer, Mr. Kamaljit is determined to activate the movement of organic farming practices in entire Punjab, the dream of his mentor Dr. O.P.Rupela. “Unfortunately Dr. Rupela passed away in 2016! To realize his dream I need to create awareness on chemical-free farming amongst the farmers as well as consumers. Therefore, I am setting up the agri tourism center for urban consumer to make them realize the importance of farming and training center to conduct five-day residential training for farmers on organic farming practices. These two new ventures together shall bring dream of my mentor into reality,” he states with immense hope.

Mr. Kamaljit concludes, “Urban consumer needs to contribute in bringing up the farmers by buying his value added products over the corporate products. It is vital that farmers continue with farming then the food will be affordable and if it gets completely lost to the corporate then food will become very expensive. Also our food diversity will be lost! Therefore, consumers must not get carried away by product packing done by corporate instead focus on nutrients in the food grown by the farmers. If the farmers prosper then only our country will prosper!!”

Contact details:
Mr. Kamaljit Singh Hayer
VPO Sohangarh, Tehsil Guruharsahai, Ferozepur district, Punjab.
Phone: 09814072072
Email: kamaljithayer@gmail.com

India as Organic Garden

India as organic garden article was originally written in way back in the mid-2015.. This article was written in context to then going on crisis in national agriculture. 

Governments, policy makers, economists and agriculture scientific community equates food security with farmers' sustainability. Governments, economist and agriculture scientist think by increasing production and productivity, farmers' income would increase and there would be food security, which is not the case in reality. Production and productivity has been in the focus since heydays of green revolution to hitherto. Technological inputs and costly input intensive agriculture has enhanced the cost of cultivation leaving poor end profits to farmers. So, I do feel and think that as Indian agriculture is at the crossroads; debt trap led suicides, high cost of cultivation, low real incomes to farmers, environment degradation, socio-economic problems in terms of social disharmony, disparity of incomes, biased regional growth is common phenomena. So, governments, economists, policy thinkers and agriculture scientists need to focus on how to reduce of cultivation rather than just focusing on production and productivity. When we think how to reduce the cost of cultivation with environmental sustainability; natural, organic, ecological or sustainable farming comes into picture.

As I had mentioned that this article was written in the mid 2015 in response to the promotion of genetic engineering to improve the overall productivity and well being of farmers by PM Modi on the inauguration of DD Farmers channel. I shared this article with PM Modi for which I got reply. I simply want to reproduce it to show how natural farming, ecological, organic or sustainable farming is the need of hour.

India as Organic Garden

Farmers’ suicide has been getting complex conundrum. Politicians are being using these incidences to leverage their dividends. Thou rightly contemplated that we need to moot what has been gone wrong over the past years. Roughly 300,000 farmers have been lost their life since owning of seeds by corporations especially some MNCs [95% of cottonseeds is monopolised by Monsanto so to be in other maize, soya is going to bein near future]. Some consider globalization, totally dependence on the markets for costly inputs, over reliance over cash crops [monoculture], negligible penetration of govt. schemes and finance are main culprit for agrarian crisis. Searching for every question logically often ignores the basic and natural reason for the problem; and analogy is vividly valid in current agrarian crisis too. We have simply been cut-off the umbilical cord connecting all of us to the Mother Earth, and moved away from bequeathed legacy of timeless tested agriculture practices. Indian philosophy of classical agriculture always worked on the inseparability, integration of life forms to the Mother Earth and the Mother Nature, and the Mother Nature is always being considered as ultimate provider. Unfortunately Cartesian system and possibilism has separated everything particularly human race from soil. Biodiversity is separated, soil is considered as non-living, soils are being made addicted to narcotic chemicals, and abstract GDP digits have become paramount and subjugated everything. Animals and trees have remained integral part of farming not as diets but for manures, seeds and other complementary usages. Every single input was taken from the vicinity depending upon climate, soils and plant requirement without disturbing the balance and cycle of nature. That is why we have been blessed with vibrant diversity among food patterns, people, flora and fauna but it is soil which binds all of us together. That is why India has been known as land of unity in diversity. And now every effort has been done to make farming homogenise, uniform and unnatural. Spray! Harsh chemicals because pests are feeding, kill the weeds because they are worthless; manipulate the seeds to poisonous factories (Bt industries) so other creatures could not think to feed upon them. How selfish we as human retrograded with in this short time frame? We don’t want other living creatures to survive if they share some food with us. Do really we have saved the food from getting waste? Do genetically engineered seeds really helping in food security or just being devastating the whole ecology and biodiversity? Who really is feeding the world, industries or tiny farms? Why health of soil and society has been interlinked? Why Punjab turned violent after green revolution and transformed into capitalist and consumptive economy today? Do really second green revolution or BGREI (gene revolution) with the help of GMOs, harsh chemicals and mechanization would be able to feed the teeming population or it is just myth designed by giant MNCs to exploit trade and rule over life finally, as history better reflects?

Promote indigenous knowledge and bio-diversity

British exploited Indian agriculture and promoted the very idea of industrial agriculture and monoculture of crops to feed their infant industries. Simply, they did mould the cultural agriculture to commercial agriculture. Alfred Howard was roped in by British govt. to encourage industrialized and Cartesian system of agriculture. He was supposed to visit Indian farms to encourage Western agricultural techniques but he himself was lured by classical and traditional methods of agriculture. Decades back he observed and felt the connection of healthy soil to overall well being of society. He regarded the indigenous knowledge and embraced the diversity of Indian agriculture where sustainability, conservation of resources, adaptation and use of local resources has remained heart and very core of growing plants. ‘An Agricultural Testament’, worked by Alfred Howard has known as holy book across the globe for organic agriculture despite acknowledging tribal and small farmers of India who taught Mr. Howard basics of natural farming.  Agriculture in India has always been viewed in frame of art and spirituality since antiquity. Seeds, straws and soils have been worshiped and seen as living and spirited entities. With industrialization, monoculture and intensification of input based farming everything have converted in to commodities. Consider example in agriculture few crops [cash crops] have been encouraged to ripe myopic benefits and letting them destruct the whole diversity, ecology, cultures, biodiversity of food crops and micro flora-fauna. Culture of growing pulses with cotton, oil crops with cereals, spices with plantation crops has become opaque and today most of our pulses & oils are coming through import. It gets rare to see earth-worms in the soil which have been considered as ‘Farmers’ Friend’ from the ages. These beautiful creatures have tilled the Indian soils to grow wonderful diverse food plates. When salt can murder them badly what these narcotic chemicals have done to these beautiful creatures. Now farmers are lack in company of most of birds, animals, fungi, lichens, mychorhiza, bacteria which remained helpful to them in their farms. And that is the reason farmer is standing alone in their farms and committing suicides. Every animal, bird, insect, fungus, off-plant and bacteria has been considered as enemy and tried to eliminate in course of industrial and chemical based agriculture. We need to promote traditional practices of agriculture where food, fodder, fuel and medicinal plants have always been grown together. We need to acknowledge the real heroes who are small and tribal farmers working day and night to save the biodiversity of planet. Agriculture is not an invention, not as a human technology but as a co-evolutionary development in which everything is inter-connected and inter-related. All the organisms from tiny one to larger one have their special role entitled by nature to maintain, sustain and develop the ecosystem. In greed we should not think ourselves as superior race and separate from the Nature and other organism. All we are inter-connected; we really need to understand non separation of every single entity.

Punjab is an experimental lab and repetition of similarity is insanity as spoke Einstein

Considered example of Punjab which was once known for its rich fertile soil, now most of soils have become toxic and poisoned so is the overall health of state. Water table has been dwindle, youth is binge on substance abuse; materialism and consumerism is all time high, corruption is in peak, state is not less than police state, ego and anger is boiling everywhere, alcohol has been become integral part of culture and has been accepted very well. This is simply because the soil of five rivers [Punj-Ab] has been marred, maimed and murdered with narcotic chemicals and converted to dead deserts. Really soils are dying in Punjab so is conscious and spirit of Punjab. Green revolution where all focus was pondered on HYVs (high yielding varieties), narcotic chemicals and inorganic fertilizers without considering the harmful effects in long terms. All the seeds were manipulated for the use and promotion of fertilizers and chemicals in name of feeding populations. Do we have really been able to feed the Indians when India is home to 194.6 million hungry people (according to recent FAO report) and, women are wasted, anaemic and stunted in every home? The picture gets clear through looking villages of developed Punjab where education is really miserable, alcohol vendors (thekas) are given free hands, ladies look pale working like slaves, and disparity is all time high; and in cities’ economy has taken shape of capitalist with gulf of social disparity.

I intuit Punjab is always remained as experimental lab of modern agriculture by chemical & seed industries and greedy governments. Consider example of diversification plan of Punjab agriculture wheat-rice is planning to shift on the maize-soy on the directions and lobbying by Monsanto [PAU is only SAU who endorse Bt cotton]. And I feel next plan would be of growing GM corn for animal feed and then consuming animal as food. I feel animal diet is going to be major diet in Punjab so will be the life-style diseases and syndromes. Dear Sir, our agriculture is at cross road and we have sailed in very chaotic situation. Most of the agricultural graduates are leaving Punjab for said modern education to USA and Canada to institutes where systems to own seed, own patents and own food system is putting in minds to reap benefits in coming futures.  It is not exaggeration to say that owning of seeds and privatisation of resources would hijack all the Indian agricultural system analogous to East India Company. We really need to check encroachment of seed companies and foreign institutions in our agricultural institutions which are trespassing in name of project funding, research collaborations or in other ways. Otherwise we will come across Indian blood-flesh with invisible foreign brains working for corporations and seeds giants. It is well designed game plan played by corrupt and capitalist minds. I am not xenophobic and anti-corporate, but we really need to discover why agricultural graduates toil so hard in farms or labs of MNCs or on foreign lands and not in Indian farms? As Thou said Indians work in all the great MNCs but why Google and Microsoft could not born out of Indian Womb, so is valid in Indian Agriculture? Why our cotton institutions did not able to breed single cotton variety to provide alternative variety to death knell Bt cotton? Why alternatives and choice of varieties are disappearing to farmers? Why markets are being designed to reap benefits by MNCs? As monopoly of cotton seeds caused destruction to cotton farmers so would be in case of potato in future, definitely. It is better to take steps now otherwise we will miss the opportunity to save our legacy of agriculture which was noble once and narcotic now. And one more thing real farming happens in farms not in designed labs.

Whoreally is feeding the world?

A false story and illusion is being spread among the minds by scientific elites that monoculture, industrialized farming, mechanized farming can only feed the world. In doing so sectarian, traditional, indigenous and regional agriculture systems have been destroyed. Seeds, soils and straws [biomass] which have been remained nature dependent are forced to purchase from markets. And this is the result market dependence of farmers forced them to sink in debt and ultimately pushing them to commit suicides. The Mother Nature has blessed us great diversity in food crops [India is primary and secondary centre of biodiversity to great number of crops] according to every need and region wise. Today more than 95% of cotton seed is owned by single giant corporation, Monsanto. Cotton which is always grown with pulses is now being grown as single crop as monoculture. When Bt cotton has increased the yields then why farmers are committing suicides? Only looking through yield figures cannot make the farmers rich, many auxiliary things are pushing them in debt and destruction. Why there is hue and cry of soils becoming hard to plough, weeds becoming uncontrollable and emergence of new pests which are no longer controlled? Because modern seeds are just like brat kids of rich parents, looking so good and intelligent but overall [when consider output entailing all ecological parameters] low in productivity, relied on costly inputs, having low biotic and abiotic resistance. India has remained soil of saints and sages and agriculture is always being venerated here. Nature has blessed us with great diversity in every form whether food crops, medicinal crops, fodders, timbers, fruits, vegetables and most majestic thing is that nature has breed these crops over long span of period according to region wise. We have never been grown single crop in our fields, many crops has been cultivated all together like a joint family complementing each other. Animals, birds and micro flora-fauna always played special roles in farming system. All the resources has been used and consumed on the basis of indigenous knowledge. So there is high need to promote indigenous and traditional agriculture on the large scale totally independent on market based inputs.

Promotion of organic states led agricultural tourism

Every Indian boasts the uniqueness of India because of its plurality, diversity and natural landscape. This huge diversity is only because of indigenous, regional, sectarian diverse farming systems. Farming has remained backbone of Indian rural landscape and culture. We have huge variety of within food crops, people and farming systems. Due to diversity of crops our ancestors have created magnificent and beautiful agricultural systems totally in spirit with local climate, soil type and Mother Nature. We have unique system of bamboo cultivation along with crops in north east where bamboos are used as pipes to take water from one place to another. We have vibrant variety of rice cultivation in Kerala where rice and prawns are cultivated below sea level in unique system of ‘Kuttanad Below Sea-Level Farming System’. We have great farming systems created by our tribal peoples whether in Koraput, Seshachalm hills, Niyamgiri hills, Western Ghats or in Kerawa soils of Kashmir valley. Really Indian agriculture is magical and awe-inspiring. The terrible thing is that we even did not focused on over own discourse of traditional agriculture and just emulating the others like all SAUs are working on Land Grant system borrowed from USA. I feel like many others indigenous agriculture especially tribal agriculture or primitive agriculture needs to promote in spirit with natural farming to preserve our spiritual grooves and forests. Recently Gujrat has started the concept of industrial tourism, why on similar prototype we could not rope in ICAR to promote agricultural tourism and promote organic states? We need to promote activism, journalism and tourism in agriculture through agricultural universities and student swapping programmes among SAUs. We need to promote concepts of medicinal gardening, forest gardening, urban gardening, village gardening, school gardening, desert gardening totally dependent of nature and local inputs. We need to demarcate unique and important diversity conserving farming systems and nominate them as IAHS (Indian Agricultural Heritage Sites) based on the concept of GIAHS (Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Sites). These unique farming systems can be revived as agricultural heritage centres to promote local biodiversity and incomes to local farmers. Every state in India has its own speciality about agriculture. We need to tap eco-friendly concepts to make India true agrarian economy, a natural and magical masterpiece to whole world. For this we need downright overhauling of agricultural system of India which is really difficult to conceive but we have blessed with many creative people across the India who can hit on these concepts, especially local farmers. First and foremost we need to change our agricultural education system which is impractical and disconnected from soils and farmers. We do not need to emulate the west atleast in agriculture because agriculture is rural landscape and roots which connects us all. It is legacy to us by our ancestors and it is our duty to sustain, preserve and conserve it.

I congratulate Thou and Thy government for completing one year in office. In this small time Thou as Pradan Sevak have raised the spirit and standard of nation. Most of the youth has feeling inspired and confident from Thy never dying energy and enthusiasm. I really wish to meet and work along with Thou to promote indigenous and traditional farming. I am in favour of complete overhaul of Indian education system which is hollow, artificial and devoid of values and morals. 87^th anniversary of ICAR is approaching in July i hope you will pick some treads to promote organic and indigenous techniques of agriculture. Recently on the inauguration of DD Farmers channel promotion speaking of genetic engineering to improve the overall productivity and wellbeing of Indian farmers is found illogical idea. I feel certain that soils and human body is analogous. As diversity of micro flora and fauna in soil is diminishing so is in human guts. As chemicals and fertilizers have become food to soils so are allopath medicines among us. In next letter I will try to write how health of soils and humans are inter-related. May universe bless Thou green health and never dying energy to serve the Mother Nation!

Kind regards

Fragmentation emerging crisis in Indian agriculture

Fragmentation crisis in Indian agriculture

Originally this article has been published on vijayvani.com 

Agriculture has always being viewed as an integrated activity, including crop production, resource conservation, and livestock, in one seamless whole. The present scenario in Indian agricultural academia has witnessed fragmentation and division over the years. The rising trend of inter-disciplinary specialisation and compartmentalisation of related disciplines as subsidiary occupations calls for immediate attention to save the integrity of agriculture.

The loss of integration within the agricultural system as a whole tends to invite another agrarian crisis across India, the evidence of which can be felt with the lack of sustainability in farming, leading to over-exploitation of valuable natural resources and increasing cases of farmer suicides.

The State Agricultural Universities, created on the pattern of the land grant system of education in the United States, has been acclaimed worldwide for ushering in the a “Green revolution” in India in the mid-1960’s. The introduction of high yielding cultivars and improved crop production practices led to monoculture with the aim of filling the buffer stock and increase foreign exchange. The prosperity thus brought by the green revolution resulted in the sacrifice of natural resources, with no thought given to sustainable farming and resource conservation practices. Over time, crop production has come to be viewed as a primary occupation and the once integrated disciplines are being viewed as subsidiary occupations.

This dramatic shift has led to compartmentalisation of integrated disciplines with emphasis on specialization of individual enterprises (dairy, fishery, piggery, mushroom, resource conservation et al) leaving to the neglect of the age-old integrated natural concept of farming as proposed by Masanabu Fukuoka, a Japanese farmer and pioneer of natural farming.

Presently, the administrative and academic agricultural setup decides upon a specific discipline for bestowing grants to undertake rigorous research and popularize a technology or ‘improved’ practice among state farmers without much analysis of socio-economics factors and long term benefits. Certainly, advancements in science and technology have brought some relief to state farmers, but these are short term and temporary gains.

The rising crises for resource conservation and replenishing sick soils are now evident, and can only be attributed due to discretionary practices and lack of interdisciplinary approach in farming systems. Lack of integration and compartmentalization also shift blame on each other in times of crisis, as agriculture as a whole is impacted by many uncalculated factors.

The current crisis in agriculture calls for immediate attention of policy makers, administrators, university academicians and farmers, to analyze the grim situation and put forth concrete steps to safeguard the ailing economic backbone of our country. There is need to review the present system of budgetary allocations in agriculture, specifically in the interest of replenishing sick soils. A segment of the grants should be devoted to motivate individual farmers practicing in-situ resource conservation strategies.

In recent decades, agriculture and veterinary science were separated, and two separate universities for these studies have been established without much inter-operability. State agricultural universities (SAUs) are now being further bifurcated into agriculture and horticulture universities. In the states of Haryana and Punjab, efforts are being made to allocate a special grant to carve out a separate horticultural university from the mother agricultural university; this will divert energy and resources in research of specialised compartments and further destroy the integrity of agriculture as a holistic enterprise.

Presently, most agricultural and animal science subjects are taught separately. To be more specific, separate departments have been carved out to conduct research, teach and do extension work independently, regardless of the emphasis given to the inter-dependence of these subjects as observed in natural ecosystems. With the availability of more grants, various departments have been separated to undertake their teaching, research and extension activities independently without paying much heed to inter-operability of natural agricultural systems as a whole.

As a result of this segregation, a student undertaking research on crop production, emphasises only narrowly laid objectives, without taking into consideration the several factors that are imperative to the net yield of a given crop. This fixed pattern and design restricts inter-operability and inter-linking as observed in natural agri-ecosystems. This is one of the crucial factors that is responsible for our inability to solve the emerging crisis in agriculture.

Acquisition and merging (A&M), consolidation and integration are becoming a new trend in every sector of the economy in order to compete and survive market forces. Several agricultural seed and chemical companies such as Bayer, Monsanto, Syngenta, ChemChina, DuPont and Dew, and several public sector banks; telecom companies, oil companies, higher education regulation agencies and so on are merging and integrating together. Even the Government keeps harping upon minimum government, maximum governance through consolidation and centralised systems; so why is there fragmentation in the agriculture sector?

We need to stop splitting universities as this will breed excessive bureaucracy, corruption, and friction. We need to focus upon the performance and footprints of exiting universities at the farmer or field level, rather creating more universities. Agriculture should not be viewed as a venture invented by man, rather it should be perceived as a wonderful gift of Mother Nature to satisfy the needs of man.

(Views are personal and written in individual capacity)

irrigation tips from an arid country

This is response to article titled Irrigation tips from and arid country published in The Indian Express, written by Ashok Gulati and Gayathri Mohan. 



Dear Dr Ashok Gulati Ji

I always read and try to learn from your columns appeared in the The Indian Express. Your articles always provide me food for thought to question myself and try to think how I can contribute to Indian agriculture as a whole through my ideas and works. 

I found your above mentioned article in TIE daily dated July 3, 2017. Some my sincere opinion and questions which I am putting before you.

On 17th of June world celebrate UN desertification and drought day. I was to participate in the workshop held in soil and water conservation department head office in Chandigarh on behalf of my department. This workshop was organised the S&T council of Punjab and Dept. of soil and water conservation, Punjab to educate few of officers like me. It was just eye wash and formality to celebrate the day as was being celebrated in the other parts. After workshop I was left with question that 'Are we moving in the right direction?' and jotted my feelings in form of blog and shared with concerned dept people and scientists. 

After reading your piece I am questioning myself 'whether we really helping the cause to solve the problem of water crisis in Indian?' and 

'Why our policy-makers and intellectuals are missing the forest for the woods?'

How we can help the India to water self-sufficient?

India is water scarce country with water availability less than 1500 cum and 78 percent of fresh water consumption in agriculture. As demand of food production is increasing to feed large population and fresh-water is becoming scare qualitatively and quantitatively with climate change further putting us in the dark zone. We need to augment the water supplies and use water efficiently but do we following the right steps?

There is not water literacy in the agriculture universities specifically. There is not sensitivity and awareness among scientific and student communities, about value of water as precious resource. I have always writing and discussing that do not we need to integrate and dovetail the conservation of water with every component of agriculture? I have written many a times and discussing with people of agricultural community to start thinking about xeri-agriculture, xeri-landscaping, less water intensive agriculture, which is going to be the future. I have written in my above blog how water has been saved, conserved and used efficiently in IIAS, Shimla since Viceregal time, and what is happening in Punjab. Down the famous Mall road of Shimla is large water tanks to conserve water and then to supply water to city. So, is the efficient water system established in IIAS, Shimla for fire-proofing and to irrigate the Dufferin's prized English gardens. This is just mere one example how we can think and impart such thinking among our agricultural graduates and scientific community. 

Our traditional knowledge about water conservation is so much diverse, eclectic and sophisticated that it does not come into the picture and is not trusted upon to solve the problem of water scarcity of country. So, bottom line is that we need to integrate the water conservation and efficient use with the agriculture curricula and need to trust the traditional earthen engineering to solve the problems, rather over relying on the technology for over populated nation like India with poor resources in terms of finance. 

Any scaling up of technologies needs the right policy environment is prime factor if really want to serve the discussed cause. Free electricity and water whole set of people and farmers free riders in the state like Punjab and pushed the state in the dark zone and over exploitation of water. The story of Punjab and its water-use-policy do not require much to elaborate. Now, I find mentioning of can Modi government usher in reforms to price water and power appropriately for irrigation purpose is insipid and poor in taste. How can Modi government or any central government only can bring the reform and change when power and water is state subject?

Despite well documentation and lot of socio-economic studies of water-use policy of states like Punjab and their crop pattern, does any state government tried to reform it? During the inauguration of last Kisan Mela vice-chancellor of PAU, Ludhiana was mentioning that Punjab can not shift area from rice to other less water intensive crops. Rice has not less that prime place in the research and development works in the plant breeding and genetics and biotechnology departments of state. Students are illiterate about the water scarcity and challenges. Kandi area in Punjab is coming under water guzzling rice crop with availability of water. Institutions like PAU and state departments are water dependent and poorly used water as resource, how Modi govt can usher in reform?

You are correct as per Israel's water law, all water is country's common property resource and 62 percent of irrigation water they use is recycle. Do you think we can even think of such laws and integration? Do not you know how our states are fighting for the water and farmer at the end is not even getting his share of water? Israel is 2.5 times less of Punjab in size and unique in her own terms, then how we can replicate the Israel model to Indian context. This lack of common sense which really think me how we are governed by un-grounded policy makers and intellectuals? We are ready to ape and replicate the things of other world without thinking that whether it suits our country structure and needs.
Our whole political, social and economic system is outrightly different from Israel. For our politicians vote-bank politics, power comes first, who cares about water and scarcity? Even who among common people and society cares about water and efficient use? So, I am really in whirl-pool sir, where we are moving?

why not to trust the community and common people to conserve the water, and make them integral part of national programmes of water conservation? Why not to teach and integrate water conservation to agricultural scientists and students, and every form of relevant education?

How can Modi and his government only can do the reform? Do not you know basic structure and plan of smart cities? How can Modi government only make recycling of waste water for use in peri-urban agriculture an integral part of smart city initiatives? It requires will of local administration to whole set of community to make city smart. It requires awareness  and teaching of recycling, reuse and conservation since from school education to higher studies and then community education system. State govts, local govt and most important society can only bring the change. Without community participation all measures taken by govt dilute in short time frame. 

I fully support technological interventions of desalinization and potential use of long coast line. But we really need to focus on the 'small steps and big revolution' by integrating water conservation to every form of education especially main-stream agricultural education, community participation, trusting and rewarding age-old water conservation programmes, amending basic policies at the ground to really serve the cause. 

The integrated approach to solving the India's emerging water crisis involves imparting knowledge and sensitivity of recycling, reuse and conservation of natural inputs from schooling to higher studies, participating the common man in the water conservation through rain-water conservation to efficient use, rewarding and trusting the water conservation heritage of India. All other things comes second. Modi alone can not do anything.

Please take a look how department of soil and water conservation in Punjab made water available in the water scarce Kandi areas, and poor policies of state govt. encouraged the people to grow rice in the Kandi area, so this the fate our poor administration and political system.