Agrotech beats wheat straw

Even as environmentalists gear up for their annual battle against the burning of wheat straw, a handful of farmers are quietly pushing their...

Even as environmentalists gear up for their annual battle against the burning of wheat straw, a handful of farmers are quietly pushing their case for an alternate solution.

Located on the banks of the Sutlej, the 200 acres of land still boasts of standing wheat. Yet, look closer, and the fields reveal mentha (mint) crop about a foot tall.

All around lie barren fields, land lying fallow after the wheat harvest. These plots, however, are producing a second crop—while simultaneously preparing the ground for the next round of sowing.

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‘‘Like all farmers, I too used to burn wheat straw. But then I met Daler Singh, an agricultural technocrat, who now leads an organisation called the Society for Sustainable Development,’’ says Bhupinder Singh of Bhatiyan village.

‘‘He suggested two changes in my wheat-sowing process: that I grow it on beds, and that I intercrop it with mentha. I have been following his advice for three years and now the health of my fields speaks for itself—all around the soil is crusty and hard, while my land is porous and soft, just ready for the next crop.’’

Alongwith Bhupinder Singh, farmers like Hira Singh, Kuldip Singh Billo, Mohinder and Balwinder—all residents of village Panj Dhera—are following Daler Singh’s advice.

EXplaining the process, Daler Singh says, ‘‘The straw that remains after the wheat harvest is very hard. But burning it not only causes immense pollution, but also ruins the biodiversity of the soil. So I suggested that farmers grow wheat in beds, and use the furrows for mentha, okra, even cotton.

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‘‘The wheat crops grows as it is supposed to and can be harvested either by hand or by combines. And when just the straw is left, we simply follow the agronomic practices of the intercrop, such as watering the fields and using fertilisers.’’

In the process, the wheat straw weakens and, in due course, returns to the soil, thus enriching biodiversity.

‘‘As per traditional methods of agriculture, what is grown at a spot must die at the same place,’’ says Daler Singh. ‘‘Also, there are practical advantages to keeping the wheat straw standing—insects have to deal with the straw before it can attack the intercrop.’’