With people becoming aware about the benefits of organic farming, more
and more farmers are opting for this trend. But Anil Sawhney
experimented with this concept much before it became popular.
At a time when a majority of farmers laughed at him, Sawhney was busy cultivating rare herbs and plants without a trace of chemicals. Today, after experiencing the benefits, many others are following in his footsteps.
Talking to TOI, Sawhney says, "It took me four long years to prove myself to other farmers in the village who prefer conventional chemical farming over organic farming. I don't use pesticides or fertilizers, yet the yield of my crops is far better than that of traditional farmers. Now, a few other farmers, after seeing good results have decided to go with organic farming as well."
He says that while conventional farming practices promote soil erosion, increased salinization, danger to food quality, reduced socio economic values and other problems, organic farming increases productivity and leads to growth of healthy plants.
An environmentalist and genetic farmer from Tigra village, Sawhney wanted to make textbook knowledge a ground reality and motivate thousands dependent on farming as an occupation to start organic farming. Soon after completing his environmental engineering, he took up farming as his profession and at present is engaged in producing and preserving rare herbs that are on the verge of extinction or are difficult to come across. He is also a life time member of the Quality Council of India (QCI) along with Sugarcane Technologist Association of India (STAI).
Today in his farm stretches over an area of 40 acres. Some of the herbs that can be found here include, Passion fruit (passiflora edulis), red sandalwood (pterocarpus santolinus), Black turmeric (curcuma caesia), Kausanda(cassia sophera), Salparni (desmodium gangeticum), Putranjiva (putranjiva roxburghii), Nirgundi (vitex negunda), Sahadevi (vernonia cinereum), Sarpgandha (withania somnifera), Citronella grass - an oil yielding herb, Jal Neem (bacopa monnieri), Punarnava (boerhavia diffusa). These and many others herbs, irrespective of their climatic conditions, are grown successfully at his farm, much to the surprise of other farmers.
Talking about the motive behind cultivating herbs Sawhney says, "Mother Nature has an answer to all ailments be it for a human being or an animal. Even before modern medicines came into existence, it was the power of herbs that gave miraculous cure without any side effects. Today I have around 400 species of herbs growing in the farm, some of which are extremely difficult to find."
He adds, "It took me years to collect herbs from far off places including Himalayan trains and others and now after so many years majority of the herbs have started yielding desired results. At present I don't just want to grow and sell them in market, but I want to motivate other farmers too to take up this cause and save these herbs from becoming extinct."
Seed banks are the answer to the humans' increasing penetration of various ecosystem, he says, claiming that the seeds of herbs grown organically can be preserved for much longer as compared to genetically engineered seeds or ones with pesticide. "Genetically modified seeds can be used only during specific period and duration, falling which no yield is obtained," says Sawhney.
Organic farming is a time taking process and drying seeds naturally is science as well as an art, the scientist and farmer says. He adds, "Majority of herbs are in good health and their seeds are collected and then naturally dried for further use."
Experimentation comes naturally to him. Following the recent development of 'Lemon Tulsi' by the Lucknow based Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Sawhney also developed a variety of the plant which has the fragrance of lemons and the medicinal properties of Tulsi. He also discovered another plant called 'Lemon Pudina' i.e. lemon mint (Monarda citriodora).
Apart from accidental discovery of 'Lemon Pudhina', he recently developed a special variety of rice which has the fragrance of rose. This rice, which is short in height and has been termed 'Tigra basmati', is a mix of Basmati rice with a local variety of rose, which gives it the unique taste and fragrance. The species is with the patent department at present.
Sawhney gives credit to Japanese monk Masanobu Fukuoka's book on natural farming - 'The one straw revolution' - for changing his life. "Teaching is an integral part and very important activity for keeping oneself up to date with latest developments in the field of science and for disseminating scientific knowledge in society," he says.
Source : TOI , 24th Oct 2014
At a time when a majority of farmers laughed at him, Sawhney was busy cultivating rare herbs and plants without a trace of chemicals. Today, after experiencing the benefits, many others are following in his footsteps.
Talking to TOI, Sawhney says, "It took me four long years to prove myself to other farmers in the village who prefer conventional chemical farming over organic farming. I don't use pesticides or fertilizers, yet the yield of my crops is far better than that of traditional farmers. Now, a few other farmers, after seeing good results have decided to go with organic farming as well."
He says that while conventional farming practices promote soil erosion, increased salinization, danger to food quality, reduced socio economic values and other problems, organic farming increases productivity and leads to growth of healthy plants.
An environmentalist and genetic farmer from Tigra village, Sawhney wanted to make textbook knowledge a ground reality and motivate thousands dependent on farming as an occupation to start organic farming. Soon after completing his environmental engineering, he took up farming as his profession and at present is engaged in producing and preserving rare herbs that are on the verge of extinction or are difficult to come across. He is also a life time member of the Quality Council of India (QCI) along with Sugarcane Technologist Association of India (STAI).
Today in his farm stretches over an area of 40 acres. Some of the herbs that can be found here include, Passion fruit (passiflora edulis), red sandalwood (pterocarpus santolinus), Black turmeric (curcuma caesia), Kausanda(cassia sophera), Salparni (desmodium gangeticum), Putranjiva (putranjiva roxburghii), Nirgundi (vitex negunda), Sahadevi (vernonia cinereum), Sarpgandha (withania somnifera), Citronella grass - an oil yielding herb, Jal Neem (bacopa monnieri), Punarnava (boerhavia diffusa). These and many others herbs, irrespective of their climatic conditions, are grown successfully at his farm, much to the surprise of other farmers.
Talking about the motive behind cultivating herbs Sawhney says, "Mother Nature has an answer to all ailments be it for a human being or an animal. Even before modern medicines came into existence, it was the power of herbs that gave miraculous cure without any side effects. Today I have around 400 species of herbs growing in the farm, some of which are extremely difficult to find."
He adds, "It took me years to collect herbs from far off places including Himalayan trains and others and now after so many years majority of the herbs have started yielding desired results. At present I don't just want to grow and sell them in market, but I want to motivate other farmers too to take up this cause and save these herbs from becoming extinct."
Seed banks are the answer to the humans' increasing penetration of various ecosystem, he says, claiming that the seeds of herbs grown organically can be preserved for much longer as compared to genetically engineered seeds or ones with pesticide. "Genetically modified seeds can be used only during specific period and duration, falling which no yield is obtained," says Sawhney.
Organic farming is a time taking process and drying seeds naturally is science as well as an art, the scientist and farmer says. He adds, "Majority of herbs are in good health and their seeds are collected and then naturally dried for further use."
Experimentation comes naturally to him. Following the recent development of 'Lemon Tulsi' by the Lucknow based Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Sawhney also developed a variety of the plant which has the fragrance of lemons and the medicinal properties of Tulsi. He also discovered another plant called 'Lemon Pudina' i.e. lemon mint (Monarda citriodora).
Apart from accidental discovery of 'Lemon Pudhina', he recently developed a special variety of rice which has the fragrance of rose. This rice, which is short in height and has been termed 'Tigra basmati', is a mix of Basmati rice with a local variety of rose, which gives it the unique taste and fragrance. The species is with the patent department at present.
Sawhney gives credit to Japanese monk Masanobu Fukuoka's book on natural farming - 'The one straw revolution' - for changing his life. "Teaching is an integral part and very important activity for keeping oneself up to date with latest developments in the field of science and for disseminating scientific knowledge in society," he says.
Source : TOI , 24th Oct 2014
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