- It is of no use to plants if we simply dump dung and other wastes next to the plant.
- We have to process them properly before plants can make use of these.
- Microorganisms exist precisely to carry out this task.
- Archaebacteria are the best such microorganisms.
- These thrive in anaerobic conditions and are considered to be the earliest microorganisms that came into being in the course of the evolution of life on earth.
- We could reap good harvests if we make use of these microorganisms in the proper manner.
- We will not need to use chemical fertilizers al all.
- This solution is easy to make using a simple method devised by Mr.G.Balakrishnan.
Water Myrobalan Liquorice Jaggery Cow dung
Table of Contents
Ingredients:
- 20 kg dung
- 200 liters water
- 3 kg jaggery
- 100 grams Myrobalan (kadukkai) powder,
- 10 grams Liquorice (adhimadhuram).
Preperation:
- Mix cow dung, Jaggery and water well in a container.
- Add Myrobalan (kadukkAi) powder to it and mix well.
- Boil the Liquorice(adhimadhuram) powder in 250 ml water and let it cool.
- Add the cooled Liquorice (adhimadhuram) solution to the above solution.
- Fill the rest of the container with water so that there will be no air left inside and close it air-tight.
- Methane will be formed inside the container.
- Let the air out of it once in a while by slightly unscrewing the cap for a moment.
- The solutions will be ready in ten days.
- The solution will be light brown in colour and having a pleasant smell.
- This enhances plant growth.
- The archaebacteria are directly absorbed by plants as well.
- Other microorganisms also ingest it.
- We could use this to grow blue-green algae.
- Mr. Balakrishnan, the expert who invented this, has recorded 15-20% increase in the leaf area.
- Such an increase in area leads to a corresponding increase in photosynthesis (harvesting of solar energy as Dhabolkar says) and enhances yield.
Usage:
- Mix a liter of it with ten liters water to spray.
- Or, for use in irrigation, mix 200-300 liters per acre of this solution with one of the following solutions:
- (a) 30 to 50 liters concentrated Amudham Solution,
- (b) 5-20 liters Panchakavy
- (c) 5-10 liters coconut-buttermilk /arappu-buttermilk / soap nut-buttermilk solution,
- (d) 3 liters fish extract (given in 4.7).
- With this mix the following microorganisms for disease control depending on the prevailing diseases.
- To control deseases which damage the rhizosphere/ rhizomes and to control fussarium wilt, we have to use beneficial fungi like Pseudomonas fluorescens, Trichoderma viridi, Trichoderma harzianum and Bascillus subtillus;
- To control root knot nematodes use Paecilomyces lilacinus;
- To control root grubs use Beauveria brongniartii and Metarhizium .
Note:
- Farmers have to buy these from outside.
- To reduce the cost, farmers could buy in small quantities (100-500gms) and increase the population using the archaebacterial solution and these can be mixed at the time of irrigation.
- (Each of the fungi should be developed in a separate container).
- We have developed specific solutions for specific crops and diseases.
- Farmers should select a subset of the above ingredients depending on the crop and the disease.
- Let the mixture (of the powders and the archaebacteria solution) ferment for a day before mixing with irrigation water.
- You may also use each of the above five mixtures one after the other.
- This is a very good and simple method of enhancing soil health and to increase the population of all beneficial organisms in the soil.