Biodynamic Agriculture : A Climate Smart Approach

Biodynamic Agriculture is a holistic system of farming developed by Dr. Rudolf Steiner in 1924. This system of farming is based on the lines of traditional systems being practiced in India since ages. It is based on systematic and synergistic harnessing of energies from cosmos, earth, plants and cow. In addition to the basic biological practices of cultivation biodynamic agriculture comprises of dynamic practices like;

i) Biodynamic (BD) preparations numbered from 500-508

ii) Liquid manures

iii) Cow Pat Pit manure (CPP)

iv) Use of planting calendar to utilize the planetary influences on plants                     

The biodynamic preparations are numbered from 500 to 508. Preparation 500 and 501 are made by using cow dung and quartz silica respectively. The other seven preparations are made by fermenting herbs in a peculiar manner. These herbs are yarrow, chamomile, stinging nettle, oak bark, dandelion, valerian and equisetum respectively.  These preparations 502-507 are called the compost preparations and are utilized in making the Biodynamic compost, liquid manures and Cow Pat Pit. These preparations activate synthesis of different nutrients in the final biodynamic compost. These are the components of biological agriculture, capable of affording long-term sustainability to agriculture and particularly to the ecosystem.

Students undergoing training on  Biodynamic Preparation making

Other preparations like liquid manures, CPP and biodynamic stem paste are utilized for a number of cultural practices in farming. Another unique feature in biodynamic agriculture system is the use of biodynamic planting calendar for various farm operations. Efforts are made to enliven the soil and restore its fertility in the form of humus, increase the living system of soil by skilful application of appropriate crop rotation.

Biodynamic Preparations in Bhutan

Use of cosmic rhythms in agriculture

The life patterns of all living organisms are woven into the cosmic rhythms. The present scientific world may not accept the fact regarding the influence of the cosmic rhythms and the constellations on the life forms. Human life, as well as animal and plant life, is strongly dependent on the rhythms of the earth. The plant and animal life is instantly influenced by the sidereal and synodic relationships of the sun, earth, moon and other planets. On the basis of such influences the planting calendar is prepared for agricultural operations during different timings of the year based on astronomical ephemeris.

There are many experiences and scientific studies from different parts of the globe which prove the efficacy of  using the cosmic rhythms in farming. Moreover it is a low-cost input and rediscovers the tradition of living in tandem with nature.

Composting: Climate Smart approach for Carbon Sequestration

Good soil is an important factor in agriculture. Soil is not just mass of inert material that supports plant growth. In addition to the physical components like the sand, silt and clay, soil has a universe of its own comprising abundant micro and macro fauna. I would like to abbreviate SOIL as Source Of Infinite Life.

It’s very important that the fertility of the soil is maintained through the regular addition of appropriate compost and other suitable organic manures to enhance the organic matter and humus contents in the soil. It helps to build a fertile soil structure which facilitates the plants to optimize the use of water and nutrients. Microorganisms make soil alive and productive besides aiding disease and pest resistance. Compost enhances the population of such beneficial microbes in the soil.

Studies have shown that every increase in 0.5% of organic matter in soil can conserve 80,000 litres of water in one hectare of farm land. Water crisis in agriculture is a major problem globally which can be addressed locally by enhancing the soil organic matter.

What is Composting?

Composting is the microbiological decomposition of organic matter into a relatively stable humus-like material. It is a natural biological process, carried out under controlled aerobic conditions (need oxygen). In this process, various microorganisms like bacteria and fungi, break down organic matter into simpler substances. The effectiveness of the composting process is dependent on the environmental conditions present within the composting system i.e., oxygen, temperature, moisture, material disturbance, organic matter and the size and activity of microbial populations.

It is an efficient method to recycle the agro-wastes to valuable organic manures. Organic manure influences the plant growth and improves the soil structure and water holding capacity. A variety of biodegradable wastes that are available in the region like forest litter, poultry, sheep, goat and pig droppings, biogas slurry, fish pond sludge, weeds, oilcakes, green manures etc. can be used in composting. When organic matter is allowed to decompose it undergoes a series of changes resulting in a granular, humus rich material called compost.

In nature natural recycling of organic matter occurs on a continuous basis. Organic matter is metabolized by microorganisms and consumed by invertebrates. The resulting nutrients are returned to the soil to support plant growth. The composting process is carried out by three classes of microbes -

1.  Psychrophiles - low temperature microbes

2. Mesophiles -medium temperature microbes

3. Thermophiles - high temperature microbes

Generally, composting begins at mesophilic temperature and progresses into the thermophilic range. In later stages of composting different organisms and insects like  actinomycetes, centipedes, millipedes, fungi, bugs, and earthworms assist the process.

Aerobic Composting

When organic materials are broken down in the presence of oxygen the process is known as aerobic decomposition. Under these conditions microorganisms which utilize oxygen to decompose organic matter and assimilate carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and other nutrients for synthesizing their cell protoplast. Heterotrophic organisms take energy from the decomposition of organic matter (OM), resulting in production of CO, and humus and releases some of essential plant nutrients. Carbon functions as energy source required for cell protoplast.

In the aerobic composting process, the temperature of the compost heap reaches about 70-80 degrees centigrade which aids in killing weed seeds and pathogens. In addition there will be no foul odour during composting unlike the anaerobic composting.

Selection of the Site

Important criteria of selecting the site for composting are as follows,

(a)  The kind of materials to be used.

(b)  Collection and transportation of the material.

(c)  Sources of water supply.

(d)  Transportation of the finished compost to the field.

(e)  Distance of the field from the site of composting.

           

The compost heap should be located with the long side at right angles to the direction of the prevailing wind and use the existing wind breaks (buildings, trees) as shelter to prevent drying of composting materials. The shade helps in preserving the moisture. Also there should be enough space for the turning of the compost heap.

Choice of structure

Basically there are two structures in which wastes can be decomposed. Mainly composting is done in a heap or tank like structure with perforations for air flow. Any one of these can be used. Heap does not require any cost and is easy to manage.

Preparation of the material

Although many materials can be used directly, some may need pre-treatment before adding to heap, as given below;

1.  Too wet material containing high moisture (eg. Fresh green plants) should be

allowed to wither a little.

2.    Rough and coarse materials such as stalks of maize, cotton, millets etc. must be broken or chopped before use. The ideal length is around 5 cm. These materials can be broken by spreading them in the cattle shed, it will also help in collecting urine and dung properly. Plants like water hyacinth and Ipomea sp. can be used as these decompose fast.

3.    Woody materials such as sugarcane trash, tree bark and saw dust should be moistened before putting to the heap, preferably by soaking them in water for 3-4 days.

 

Construction of the heap

The dimensions of the heap are width 2m, height 1m and the length depends on the quantity of the material. At the base of the heap a layer of old branches should be laid as this would provide aeration and prevent water logging. On the top of it alternate layers of different types of plant materials and dung are laid which have high C: N ratio. The layers should be about 30 cms for plant material and about 10 cms for the manures. Also little soil should also be added in the heap in between. Layers should be watered if material is very dry. When the heap reaches the desired height ventilation holes are made by pushing pointed wooden  or bamboo poles vertically into the heap about 1 m apart. When the heap is finished it can be covered with soil or straw. The ventilation poles can be removed on the second day. After 4-5 days these holes should be plastered to prevent the loss of heat and moisture.

Compost making 

Building the compost heap

Turning the heap

The heap is turned so that the material from the edges where the temperature is lower is moved to the centre where it is warm, while centre of heap does not suffer from overheating. All the materials in the heap should be exposed to the heat in order to kill germs, weed seeds, insects and also to speed up the decomposition.

Turning also improves aeration of the heap. The first turning should be done after 2-3 weeks of heaping, when temperature has started to drop after reaching a peak. The heap can be turned again after three weeks of first turning. If the heap is prepared properly, not made compactly, holes are made and proper ratios of residues having different C: N ratio, is maintained; only one turning of the heap is enough.

Maturing of compost

The time required for the heap to mature and become good compost, depends on the local climatic conditions and the materials used. If the weather is warm, the heap is moist, well aerated and good combination of materials is used for building the heap, the compost is ready in three months time. In colder or dry conditions and dominance of materials with high C: N ratio, heap usually takes 2-3 months to ripe. When the compost is ripe the material is converted from dark brown to grey colour, gives an earthy smell and is coarse. The volume of the mature heap is reduced to half of the original.   

Factors Affecting Composting

Some of the important factors that affect the decomposition of organic materials are carbon/nitrogen (C:N) ratio, shredding, moisture, aeration, temperature and p^H.

C:N Ratio of the Materials

The ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C: N ratio) defines the relative quantities of these two elements in the crop residues. The process of converting organic materials into the manures is chiefly microbial and therefore influenced by the proportions of carbonaceous and nitrogenous materials. Wider C: N ratio materials will take long duration to decompose. The C: N ratio of organic materials range from 30: 1 to 80: 1. However the C: N ratio of  compost is less than 20: 1. Thus to reduce the time of composting when hardy materials (high C:N ratio) it is advisable to use organic nitrogen sources like legume residues and green plant biomass. To activate the composting process the cellulolytic fungus like Trichoderma sp. can be used.

Shredding and Blending

Microbial decomposition of organic materials can be hastened by increasing the surface area of the materials by shredding the materials. Blending refers to mixing of different types of organic residues to create favourable conditions for decomposition.

Moisture

Moisture is essential for the degradation of the organic materials. Optimum range of moisture for the composting is between 50 to 60 per cent. If moisture exceeds 60 per cent in the pile, the structural stability of the compost pile is reduced. The materials begin to compact and inhibit the aeration resulting in anaerobic condition within the compost pile. Too less moisture (below 40%) in the compost heap delays the composting process.

Temperature

Temperature is one of the key factor influencing biological activities in the composting process. With the increasing microbial activities the temperature increases. If temperature reaches beyond 40°C then mesophilic bacteria are replaced by thermophilic bacteria. Temperature may go up to 70-80 degree centigrade for 2 to 5 davs and then it cools down to ambient temperature. Temperature should be monitored closely during composting.

Oxygen or Aeration

Aerobic conditions are essential in composting to facilitate the activity of aerobic microorganisms. If the content of oxygen falls below 5 percent in the piles, the aerobes or aerobic microbes starts dying.

The amount of oxygen required during composting depends upon:

1.  Stage of process-high oxygen levels is required early in the compost process.

2. Types of feedstock- the higher nitrogen content in the feedstock, the greater is oxygen requirement.

3.  Moisture content- materials with high moisture levels will require large quantities

of oxygen.

pH

pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. Aqueous solutions at 25°C with a pH less than 7 are considered acidic, while those with a pH greater than 7 are considered basic (alkaline).The optimum pH range for most of the biological reactions is between 5.5 to 8.0. As the biological decomposition proceeds, the pH shifts to neutral. At lower pH, fungi are most dominant organisms facilitating the decomposition. At pH 6.5 to 7.5, bacteria dominate. If the compost heap has higher pH, ammonia gas may be generated and this may cause adverse odour resulting in the decline of microbial population decline and poor quality compost.

Fortification with Lime 

Compost Heap

Advantages of Compost:

1.    Composts are excellent soil conditioner.

2.    It improves soil structure, decreases soil bulk density and increases infiltration rate of water.

3.    It increases soil buffering capacity.

4.    Reduces Aluminum and Iron toxicity in acid soils.

5.    It supplies growth promoting substances such as hormones.

6.    Acts as a source of food for soil microbes and maintains microbial activity.

7.    Increases soil organic, humic matter contents and overall fertility.

8.    Reduces soil bulk density, facilitates plants to develop deeper roots.

9.  Improves the Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) which increases nutrient availability and reduces leaching.

10. Lead to overall soil aggregate stability, which allows the soil to function at optimum levels and get optimum yield.

There are different methods of composting which can be tailormade  according to the region, 

altitude, crops being cultivated, considering many such local factors.

Climate Smart Seeds

Since civilization farmers, fishers, pastoralists and forest dwellers have been managing genetic diversity by selecting plants and animals to meet environmental conditions and food needs. Such abundant body of priceless knowledge is transferred from one generation to the next. Today we are the beneficiaries of such traditional knowledge on crops, cultivation, storage, processing, cuisine and associated gastronomy.

 Do we really appreciate the tireless efforts of our ancestors?

Unfortunately the monocultures of crops world over has resulted in the monoculture of mind. Large acreage of one crop variety is grown for years and all efforts are put in to encounter the associated problems of monoculture like, loss of fertility of soils, pests and disease outbreaks and reduction in the nutritional value of food.

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of United Nations estimates, about three-quarters of the genetic diversity of agricultural crops have been lost over the last century. An equally important task is to maintain biodiversity on farms, where it can evolve and adapt to changing climatic conditions. As custodians of the world's biodiversity, farmers can develop and maintain native plants and trees and reproduce indigenous animals, ensuring their survival.

Most of the developing countries are blessed with a rich bio-diversity and wide range of agro-ecological zones with great genetic wealth providing opportunities for cultivating a variety of crops and rearing a wide range of livestock. The farmers of poor countries depend on the use of genetic biodiversity for their income and living. Experience and knowledge gained over many generations have made possible the development and conservation of thousands of agricultural crop varieties which otherwise would have been lost forever. Despite the efforts of farmers, there has been a dramatic reduction of biodiversity.

About 10,000 species have been used in food and fodder production world over since the beginning of agriculture. Today just 150 crops feed most human beings and just 12 crops provide 80% of food calories (wheat, rice, maize and potato alone provide 60%).

Low productivity and profitability are the root causes of poverty among farming communities wherein the poor quality seeds and planting materials make the situation still worse. However, large number of poor-farmers all over the world depend on the biodiversity for their livelihood.

Seed is the basic and the most important input in agricultural development. The pace of progress in crop production will, therefore, largely depend upon the pace with which good quality seeds and planting materials are multiplied and easily available to farmers. The time has come now for the farmers to rediscover the ancient wisdom of seed sharing and conservation and be least dependant on the seed companies. The control of seeds should not be in the hands of few organizations who would dictate terms on farmer’s sovereignty. 

How to utilize biodiversity to diversify incomes/livelihoods?

In the present era of changing climate one needs to make smart choices for the selection of cultivars which can adapt to climate change. The hybrid seeds which are bred to yield under ideal conditions of weather, water and fertilizers/pesticides are not a viable solution. Hybrid seeds may be an option for the intensive synthetic agro-chemical based subsidised agriculture but not for poor small famers of the world who contribute more than 75% of the global food requirements.

At present repeated sowing has become a norm due to irregular weather patterns which in fact is a common trend seen nowadays in many regions. This translates into repeated seed purchases by farmers which pushes them into the vicious cycle of debt resulting in a sequel of socio-economic issues.

Moot questions

How can farmers adapt themselves in the changing weather patterns and be least dependant on the expensive seeds?

Is seed production a complex process which farmers cannot comprehend?

  

Obviously NO.

Farmers can produce their own seeds with basic training on simple practices of seed production like pollination patterns, isolation, seed harvesting and threshing, drying, cleaning, grading, seed treatment and packaging. Seed production on farm is easy by using the time-tested open pollinated seeds. They are also called as heirloom seeds or native seeds or traditional seeds.

Misconceptions of Open Pollinated (OP) seeds

Many people are superstitious about OP seeds and believe that they are low yielding and may not be in a position to feed the hungry mouths. As the dictum “Seeing is believing”, please see the following photographs to falsify the prophets of doom.

Turnips weighing 3 kilograms each

Radish weighing 8 and 6 kilograms

Brinjal or egg plant weighing 1.5  Kilograms

Heirloom Tomatoes 

          

                          Pumpkin weighing 305 kilograms  

Courtesy: Kokopelli Foundation

Benefits of open pollinated seeds

Open pollinated or traditional/native varieties breed "true to type" and adapt well to low input farming using organic practices. The advantages of open pollinated seeds are many:

i. They  are climate smart approaches for adaptation

ii.  It insures seeds for the small  scale farmers for their next season.

iii. Traditional varieties are not   

  adapted to industrial chemical farming but to small scale farming which rely on crop rotation, crop diversification and systematic varietals mix up of crops from different genetic makeup.

iv.  They are characterized by polygenic resistance to pest and diseases as they are genetically diverse (multi gene resistance) and ensures the farmer against pest outbreak, crop losses, biotic and abiotic stresses.

v. They contain more micro nutrients which combat malnutrition and micro nutrient deficiency in the diet of rural/poor people. They are suited to home gardening which is at the forefront of the struggle against malnutrition and can provide approximately half of the nutritional requirement for the marginalized population.

vi.  Open-pollinated seeds when produced on-farm, or mutually shared, has  

  minimal cost implication on cost of production while conventional and commercial seeds (such as hybrids) can cost the farmers about 30% of their total investment for cultivating a crop.

Seed production is not a rocket technology. Any farmer who has the experience of cultivation of a crop with some basic training on pollination patters of crops can produce their own seeds.

However, development organizations can facilitate the process by building capacities in seed production, selection, breeding and conservation of seeds. In addition there is a need to create awareness highlighting the synergies between genetic resources, nutrition, health, cooking and conservation.  

"The Happiest People On This Planet Are 
Not Those Who Live On Their Own Terms

But Are Those Who Change Their Terms 
For The Ones Whom They Love "

Climate Smart Management of Crop Pests

Crop protection plays a very important role in agriculture. Like human beings, plants are also affected by pests. A ‘pest’ is any organism that is responsible for significant losses both in production and profits in agriculture and the term may include insects, micro-organisms, weeds, rodents, etc. The incidence of the pest is an indication of poor health of the plant and soil. A healthy soil always produces a healthy plant. The root cause of the incidence of pests is the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers that makes the plant soft and succulent which attracts the pests. In the conventional synthetic chemical based farming system, toxic pesticides are used to manage the pests. These toxic chemicals have a great impact on the soil, water, food, health and the environment.

 In Climate smart agriculture based on organic farming approaches, the synthetic toxic pesticides are not used instead, natural methods which are non-polluting are employed to manage the pests. A variety of plants and micro-organisms have an ability to manage pests efficiently. In addition, cultural and mechanical methods are also utilized. All insects are not pests. Less than one percent of insects are pests, while a large majority of insects are beneficial. There are many natural enemies of pests like, insects, spiders, birds and other organisms which prey and predate on them. These natural enemies which are very important get killed by the toxic synthetic pesticides resulting in the turning a pest into pandemic. In organic farming it is very important to understand the intricate prey-predator relationship of the food web.

The common characteristics of different approaches in crop protection in organic agriculture are,

1.    Multi-portaged approach to manage the pest/disease.

2.    Focus on improving soil health thereby increasing its resistance capacity of plants.

3.     Utilization of the biodiversity of the region and traditional knowledge.

There are different approaches of managing pests like cultural and mechanical methods, use of botanicals and biological pest management.

Let me discuss on how plants can be used in the management of pests at the field level.

Euphorbia sp.

The first question arises is that how to identify these plants which are effective on pests. Quick solution comes from the traditional knowledge. The farming communities of any region have a vast knowledge on a variety of plants that are used in traditional medicine. The rule of thumb is, any plant that has strong odour preferably a wild plant has most of the properties to manage pests.

Infact most of the obnoxious weeds can be used to manage pests in farming. For example, Parthenuim (Parthenium hysterophorus) a major weed in agriculture is an excellent plant for pest management. Unfortunately research on managing Parthenium has failed as the common approach is to halt the growth and spread of this plant which the scientific fraternity has failed miserable amidst inventing toxic weedicides.

As I mentioned in my earlier blog that ‘weeds’ are the plants whose uses are not known to human beings. There is no plant on earth which is useless. In Climate smart Agriculture, we make smart choices. Instead of wasting our efforts in controlling the weeds, we try to use the weeds in a variety of preparations for managing pests. Also weeds can be a good natural resource for composting.

Tagetes sp

Equesetium sp.

How to use these weeds or plants for managing pests?              

 These weeds or plants needs to be fermented in an appropriate way to transform into liquid formulations for managing pests.  In a container or barrel, the weeds are well chopped fermented with cattle urine and cattle dung. Care should be taken that the container should be stirred regularly to facilitate active fermentation. The preparation is ready in 30-45 days and can be used on crops. Generally, I recommend a dilution of one part of the concentrated fermented solution with 10 parts of water and sprayed on crops to manage a variety of pests. Even these sprays can be used as a prophylactic sprays. These preparations needs to be tailor-made to suit different crops and climatic regions.

Melia fruits

Separating the Melia fruits

Crushed Melia fruits ready for fermentation

Likewise a variety of plants which are weeds can be efficiently used in agriculture which will have twin benefits; managing weeds and pests. 

Climate smart Agriculture is all about "common sense". Wish and pray, may common sense prevail in the minds of those who are into research and promotion of toxic pesticides. 

........Wish you all a Climate Smart and a Wonderful New Year 2012......

Climate Smart Agriculture : Building Resilience through Organic Techniques

Climate smart Agriculture is about making smart choices in agriculture techniques to address climate change. Organic agriculture technologies blended with traditional knowledge provides many  low-cost options. Moreover these low-cost approaches can empower the farmers by being less dependant on the external farm inputs resulting in empowering them.

Bhutan is highly vulnerable to the impact of climate change. It is widely recognized that Himalayan countries will suffer disproportionally. Agriculture is one of the sectors which will need to brace itself for unpredictable rainfall patterns, droughts, untimely hot and cold spells, irregular water supply from rivers and natural sources, increased pests and diseases and increased disruptions from wildlife.

But agriculture is also a cause of climate change: it accounts for about 14 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, or approximately 30 percent when considering land-use change, including deforestation driven by agricultural expansion for food, fiber and fuel (IPCC, 2007).

However, agriculture can be a part of the solution if climate smart agriculture technologies and approaches are introduced. Climate smart agriculture can contribute to both climate change adaptation and mitigation. Moreover, it befits Gross national Happiness (GNH), an unique paradigm of development of Bhutan.

The livelihoods of farmers can be improved by climate smart technologies, which integrate the need for sustainable food production and economic development while also increasing agro-ecosystem resilience to climate change impacts (adaptation) and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by agricultural production systems (mitigation).

Capacity building of stakeholders is key to sustainable impact ; climate smart agriculture approaches and technologies are ‘knowledge intensive’ rather than input intensive.

I presented a talk on 14th November, 2011 during the 'Climate Summit for a Living Himalayas' at Thimphu, Bhutan

The presentation can be viewed at

Climate Smart Agriculture : Building Resilience through Organic Techniques

I am sure you will like my presentation.

Smart Technologies for Climate Smart Agriculture

Bio-digestor: A Smart Low-cost Technology for Farmers

Agriculture is a source of livelihoods for 1.5 billion smallholders and landless laborers. The vast majority of the farmers in the developing countries (about 85%) are farming with land holdings with less than 2 hectares (ha). Moreover 75% of the rural poor of which 2.1 billion live on less than $ 2 per day and 880 million on less than $1 a day, and most depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. (World Bank, 2007). According to the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), climate change is anticipated to have severe effects on food security, environmental sustainability and equity, possibly increasing the number of hungry people from 100 million to 380 million by 2080 (Easterling et al. 2007). The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge (IAASTD) report stated that “the way the world grows its food will have to change radically to better serve the poor and hungry if the world is to cope with growing population and climate change while avoiding social breakdown and environmental collapse.” (IAASTD, 2008)

The use of fossil fuel in agriculture is very high in agriculture. About 10 calories of fossil energy is required to produce one calorie of food energy by the modern high input agriculture systems. With the Climate smart agriculture technologies the energy requirement can be reduced by 20 to 50 percent and if well designed even more. Reduction or elimination of fossil fuel use in agricultural production will soon be crucial in the fight against hunger in a world where fossil fuels are in short supply (Tim et. al., 2008).

Reducing the cost of production and transforming agriculture into sustainable, productive and profitable by low-cost technologies is the need of the hour. Amongst different technologies available, bio-digesters are low-cost and apt for the resource poor small farmers.

What are Bio-digestors?

Bio-digesters are waterproof containers made using bricks and cement to ferment the biomass like weeds and crop residues that are available in the farm to prepare liquid manures to address the crop nutrition and pest management of a variety of crops. This low cost technology not only reduces the cost of production but also empowers the small holder farmers. It can be constructed by an individual farmer or group of farmers in one village and can become even more economical. This technology is promoted in Bhutan by the National Organic Program (NoP) to support and facilitate the small holder farmers to reduce the cost of production by efficiently utilizing the local natural resources and build capacities of farming communities to produce all inputs on-farm.

The liquid manure that is produced by the bio-digester is very effective in addressing crop nutrition in organic agriculture. The solution is diluted in 10 parts of water and sprayed on the foliage of the crops. The solution can also be used through irrigation water and also linked to drip and sprinkler irrigation systems.

In crops wherein the pests are a major problem, traditional medicinal plants or weeds that have strong odour like, Argemone mexicana, Artemesia sp., Calotropis gigantea, Clitoria terneata, Croton sparsiflorus, Eupatorium sp., Gomphrena globosa, Leucas aspera, Lantana camara, Ocimum canum and Parthenium hysterophorus are very effective.

Bio-digester can offer lot of benefits to small farmers. The liquid manure that is produced after the fermentation in a bio-digester can be used to,

a.      to provide nutrients to crops by foliar sprays

b.      to protect crops from pests and diseases

c.       help to avoid the use of synthetic chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides.

d.      the local resources can be used efficiently

e.      helps to save costs in crop production

f.       the preparations are environmentally friendly and protects the beneficial organisms

g.      helps to use the local and traditional knowledge

h.      empowers the farmers to be self reliant

Climate smart agriculture technologies are regenerative as they restore nutrients and carbon in the soil, resulting in higher nutrient density in crops and increased yields resulting in improving the capacity of the farming systems.

 

If these regenerative climate smart farming practices are applied to all the world’s 3.5 billion tillable acres, close to 40 percent of all global CO2 emissions can be mitigated. In addition the farmers of the developed and developing world can be empowered by being least dependant on the transnational agribusiness companies for all the farming inputs.

 

Extracts from the paper “Bio-digester: A low-cost technology for small holder farmers”presented at 17^th IFOAM Organic World Congress , Republic of South Korea, 28 Sept – 2^nd October, 2011