Satyaranjan Saha, Harirampur, Manikganj
Manikganj district is rich in biodiversity being surrounded by canals, wetlands, and rivers. Farmers of the area have been cultivating crops for centuries in clayey and silt-mixed loamy soil beautifying the fields with diverse crops; which sometimes has the shape of lush green, sometimes golden yellow. Farmers of this region have been practicing crop rotation and cultivating diverse crops to increase soil fertility. Additionally, they grow Sesbania (Dhaincha) and Grass Pea (Khesari) to enrich soil fertility. According to the, cultivating Dhaincha and Khesari as green manure helps improve soil health and fertility. Preparing green manure naturally, soil health can be preserved effectively.
Recognizing the role of BARCIK in facilitating farmers of the area cultivating mix crop and enrich soil fertility Baidhyanath Sarkar, a farmer from Barundi village in Manikganj Sadar Upazila, said, ‘BARCIK facilitates experience sharing, information exchange, and provides advices to farmers, which significantly contributes to improving soil health.’
Other farmer Gosaidas Roy, from Barundi, mentioned, “For the past 15 years, our local farmer organization, with the facilitating support of BARCIK, has been practicing organic cultivation in participatory rice research plots led by farmers themselves. We consistently use organic fertilizers, vermicompost, and mustard oil cake for rice farming.’ He went on saying, ‘after harvesting, Dhaincha and Khesari are cultivated in the fields and later incorporated into the soil. This process enhances soil fertility, reducing the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides and this has been done with the advice of BARCIK’.
Sunil Biswas, the supervisor of the Andharmanik Agroecological Learning Center, emphasizing on the practice of Agroecology said, ‘Green manure plays a crucial role in improving soil health. With BARCIK’s support, we have been producing green manure through pit composting, vermicomposting, and Dhaincha cultivation. This practice reduces production costs of farmers, retains soil moisture, and helps farmers to deal with drought impact. It also enables the production of quality seeds.’
Shahidur Rahman, a young agricultural entrepreneur said, “I cultivate crops naturally to enhance soil fertility. During the monsoon, I grow Dhaincha in lowlands, which provides support for leafy vegetables and biomass for mulching. Growing Khesari in the fields improves soil health and reduces production costs.’ ‘Healthy soil ensures good crop yields, promoting safe food production and environmental balance- he added.’
However, in order to enhance soil fertility naturally, farmers must adopt green manure cultivation. It is a cost-effective and simple method. Practicing crop rotation allows for safe food production while conserving seed diversity. When flood waters flow over the fields, the deposited silt further improves soil health. A well-maintained soil ecosystem supports diverse crop cultivation, playing a vital role in sustainable agriculture.
