Manish Kumar
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: An organic fertilizer developed by Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Khurda, with formulations learnt from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, has shown promises of helping various crops to achieve better growth and yield, both in quality and quantity.
Christened ‘Panchagavya,’ the fertilizer is made up of a blend of five natural products from plants and animals by scientists at KVK, which functions under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on the premises of Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA). Scientists at KVK started trials of the fertilizer on watermelon plants in July 2015 by administering a solution made from it and were overwhelmed by its salubrious effects.
“The results of our trials were clearly encouraging and overwhelming,” said PN Ananth, a senior scientist who is the head of KVK, Khurda. Ajay Dash, a scientist at KVK who conducted the trials, recommended the administration of Panchagavya solution on watermelon and cucumber plants to ensure a higher yield, better development of colour and enhanced taste.
This fertilizer, he said, is especially good for watermelon plants as they often suffer from natural cracks that affect their quality and demand.
Panchagavya is made up of cow dung, cow urine, cow ghee, cow curd, milk, jaggery, coconut water and well-ripened banana. The trial team later experimented with the administration of the fertilizer on many watermelon plants and was satisfied with its effects. KVK plans to demonstrate the efficacy of the fertilizer to farmers in different blocks of Khurda district in the coming months. KVK also plans to carry out more trials in order to conclusively document the precise effectiveness of the fertilizer. As per the norms, KVK will submit a report to ICAR and the state government after concluding successful trials of the fertilizer. The state government, if it deems fit, is free to take up the technology to spread it across the state for the benefit of farmers.
“The best thing about the technology is that the formulation of the fertilizer is very simple and farmers can easily make it at their homes. Unlike chemical fertilizers, Panchagavya has no side effects,” said Ananth.
