The natural tiller and friend to the organic farmers

Preserving eco-system is possible through Organic farming: we protect earthworms in the soil and in return they give us soil fertility. In fact, this amazing small creature helps us to make our own “vermicompsot” Bio-fertilizer.

A long time ago, we could find EarthWorms in any farming soils during the mouldboard ploughing. Today, it is no longer the case. The depletion can find its explanation on chemicals farming as the usage of fertilizers and excessive pesticides have progressively kill them. Added to the actual drought in Tamil Nadu, also exacerbated by inorganic farming the small farmer's friend slowly disappeared.

However, Earthworm are known to have a significant positive impact on crop yield as they act as a natural waste manager of the land, as it can improve the water holding capacity, and the moisture content. Compared to any other species, Earthworms have a specifical metabolism molecule called "drilodefensis" that can decay and breakdown some roots and leaves that other animals cannot digest. For the farmers, it means that 50 to 70% of soil borne diseases present in various vegetables can be avoid just by the silent presence in the soil.

In conventional farming, the harvesting season let place to fire in order to return the soil easily. The practice  is not only bad for the air pollution but also for the land, while collecting dry leaves can provide nutrients to the Earthworms and helping them to naturally recycling the waste. In small Organic Farms, it is possible to produce their proper vermicompost by keeping fresh banana leaves in shedding area, protecting from the light.

The fresh leaves can be covered by semi-decomposed cow dung which will procure direct nutrients for the worms. Next step consists on spreading water in order to keep moisture level and a best environment for worms. The temperature levels should not increase or decreased suddenly as the worm are too sensitive to this change.

You can now introduce the earthworms to their new habitats, and recover them with dry leaves to protect them from dry and predators. After 25 days, the surface can be carefully removed and filtered in order to remove worms and stones. The vermicompost is now ready to act as a bio-input for vegetables and fruits plants.

Water scarcity can be tackled only by Organic Farming

Drought has started spread in Tamil Nadu, and the WaterAid Trust has just dropped a bomb shell regarding global warming in their statement: "Rural Farming communities will struggle to grow food and feed livestock amid soaring temperatures". To combat drought in Tamil Nadu, organic farming could be one of the solutions to reduce water consumption. In the World Water Day, let us go greener and healthier.

Tamil Nadu is facing the worst drought since 140 years, a calamity for the conventional farmers. Monsoon one more time failed to quench the soil and did not re-fill the ground water sources. A strike wasorganized recently in Jantar Mantar (New-Delhi) by 170 farmers to reclaim government assistance taking the skulls of farmers who committed suicide, as a witness of their distress.

If El- Nino phenomena can be blamed for this natural disaster, some external factors made the problem even worst.  With the city rising, real estates have been largely profitable at the expense of forests. Scientists recently found that vegetation could contribute to almost 90% of the moisture in the atmosphere that can provoke precipitation. The same study shows that winds travelling through the forest rather than the open-land produce twice as much rain.

Organic farming is another way to not overload the environment. First of all, agripreneurs checked out the carbon level of the land, higher it is, healthier the soil is. Micro-organism will contribute to the oxygenation of the land, making it more fertile. In the opposite excessive amount of pesticides removes the natural ability of the land to absorb water and to stay oxygenated. When organic farmers follow the natural path of the environment, the land is progressively re-energized.

In organic farming practices every products is re-used in the land as Panchakavya or fish fertilizer. Rain water can also be harvested and stock as it was previously by tanks. Few time before his death, G.Nammalvar decided to restore old tank in a village, in order to harvest water during monsoon time, necessary to face rude summer. However, the improper constructions allied to the lack of tank management have made difficult these oldest practices. The few amount of water coming from the rain is simply lost in an unquenchable thirst for the cultivated lands.

After three years of efforts, and without needed any additional cost, the soil will be able to absorb less water for a better and healthier production. With natural bio-inputs, farmers do not need to get credit from bank, and do not risk their life. The work is harder than traditional farmers and constant efforts are necessary to achieve sustainability, but in the era of drought it is one of the solutions, each one can find to reduce water consumption.