Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat
Recently on December 5th World Soil Day was observed across the globe. The aim of observing this day is to ensure better soil for better agricultural productivity. This year’s World Soil Day theme revolves round pulses. UN’s Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) has given a special focus on cultivation of pulses as this crop enhances soil health through nitrogen fixation from atmosphere. In our state also Agriculture department keeps organizing functions to commemorate this International soil day. I remember last year several programmes were organized in this connection by Agriculture department at district and sub division level across J&K. One fails to understand why does Government organizations commemorate World Soil Day ? Isn’t it hypocrisy as Government both at state and centre allows the use and sale of chemical fertilizers which is responsible for Soil Death.
The International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), in 2002, made a resolution proposing the 5th of December as World Soil Day to celebrate the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system and as a vital contributor to human wellbeing. Since then Government of India and State Governments are celebrating this day. But when it comes to stopping the soil death, nobody is bothered to take any concrete steps in this regard.
No Policy for Organic farming :
We have been hearing about the importance of organic farming. But all this is limited to print,electronic and social media. J&K Government has not developed any policy for promotion of Organic farming in the state. The promotion of pesticides and chemical fertilizers is on the top agenda of our Agriculture and Horticulture departments plus our Agriculture Universities. Do our Government organizations especially the Agriculture / Horticulture departments and Agriculture Universities have right to celebrate world soil day ? These departments and institutions have been on the forefront of promoting chemical fertilizers and pesticides among farmers of J&K. It is these pesticides and chemical fertilizers which have not only destroyed our soil but has caused several health problems among the residents of our state.
Organic farming studies:
Several scientific studies show that without a diverse solid food web our gardens and agriculture fields gravitate toward being a desert. The soil food web refers to the organisms living in and on the soil. This includes plants and animals, especially micro organism. Having a healthy, diverse soil food web is critical if we need a healthy agricultural produce. They do the work of creating excellent soil structure, making nutrients available to plants and even protecting plants from predators. As discussed above, there are special bacteria that take nitrogen out of the air and convert it into a form plants can use. There are special fungi that can get phosphorus out of the soil and bring it to plants, something plants have a difficult time getting themselves. In return, the plants send a huge amount of carbohydrates produced during photosynthesis down into the soil to feed these beneficial microorganisms. We definitely need these organisms in our vegetable gardens, apple orchards and paddy fields. This effect on soil is one important reason that we want to avoid chemical fertilizers in our agriculture fields. Farmers need a healthy soil food web in order to have a healthy agriculture produce. This means no pesticides and no chemical fertilizers have to be put in use. I am so sad to say that our apple orchardists use 6 to 8 sprays of deadly chemicals from February onwards in their apple fields. These chemical sprays definitely make our apple red and crispy, but at the same time , it causes severe liver and kidney ailments as well. Same is the case with grapes ,bananas and mangos. All these fruits are grown with excessive use of pesticides and other chemicals which includes some carcinogenic powders as well.
It is better to add organic matter in the form of compost, mulch and plants, cow dung, plus the occasional fertilizers and bio stimulants to fill in the gaps. For pest control, it means creating plants which are so healthy that plant predators won’t attack them in the first place. Researches done in recent years has shown that use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers has damaged the soil health to a large extent.
Experts say that vegetables grown with chemical fertilizers cause severe kidney and liver diseases and the increased instances of cancer are directly related to excessive use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
Conclusion :
I appeal to the Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister to make some drastic changes in the agriculture & horticulture policies of our state by gradually banning the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Before doing so , organic fertilizers should be introduced in the market. Agriculture Universities should be asked to make more and more research on bio fertilizers, so that it is made available to farmers. On one side, we promote Kashmiri apple as a brand in outside markets , but in reality, we are cheating the buyers. Same is the case with oranges imported from Nagpur or Mangoes grown in UP, Himachal or Ratnagiri. If use of chemical fertilizers continue and departments of horticulture and agriculture plus SK Agriculture University Srinagar and Jammu continues to propagate fungicides, pesticides and other chemical fertilizers , the day is not far when our soil will be converted into a poison and it will yield only carcinogenic fruits and vegetables. In view of the fragile environmental conditions, J&K must be declared as an organic state by the Government and complete ban should be imposed on the sale and use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
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