New Delhi: Farmers from across the country are gradually showing interest in using PUSA bio-decomposer, which helps turn post-harvest crop residues into manure to deal with stubble-burning issues. After liquid and capsule forms of decomposer, it is now available in ready-to-use powder form, too. Explaining the PUSA bio-decomposer powder, Dr Livleen Shukla, principal scientist, told ETV Bharat, “We have now developed a decomposer in ready-to-use powder form, which is very easy to use for farmers. Earlier, farmers had to wait 10-12 days to make a spray from capsules, but now, they can open the powder packet and mix it with water and get instant decomposer then spray it on farm fields.”
The farmers from various states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Bihar are taking interest in using these forms of decomposer, which help to deal with the annual practice of stubble burning causing air pollution, she said.
The scientists have been working on developing a powder form of bio-decomposer for the last two years as converting the capsule into liquid spray form is a cumbersome process, which takes at least 10 to 12 days to be ready for use. Similarly, liquid form has some transportation issues. “We noticed that farmers were facing some issues during the transporting of liquid decomposers. Similarly, converting capsule to spray form is a time-consuming process, but powder has no such issues. Farmers can get instant spray after mixing powder with water,” Shukla pointed out.
“We have already done trials of this form in several states, including Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh,” she added. As per scientists, the powder form is easy to carry, transport and convert into spray, but liquid and capsule forms are also available there. If farmers demand liquid, capsule or powder of bio-decomposer they can get it as per their requirement.
“Progressive farmers don’t want to burn stubble because they use our decomposers to deal with stubble,” the scientist said. Shukla added, “We always keep in touch with farmers and take their feedback. Our team visits the farmers' fields before and after the spraying of the decomposer to collect soil samples for testing. They guide farmers about the use of PUSA decomposers to get maximum benefits”.
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