'Amrut Mitti' has turned this MP village into 'agricultural pilgrimage'

Farmers in Bajawada, a remote and quaint little village in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh, are thriving on the benefits drawn from the application of an innovative compost called 'Amrut Mitti' developed under the 'Natueco' farming technique, and have transformed their village into a 'Krishi Teerth' or 'agricultural pilgrimage'.

Dewas (Madhya Pradesh): At a time when the country is going through an agricultural crisis, Bajawada, a remote and quaint little village in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh, has transformed itself into a 'Krishi Teerth' or 'Agricultural pilgrimage'.

The farmers from this village are thriving on the benefits drawn from the application of an innovative compost called 'Amrut Mitti' developed under the 'Natueco' farming technique.

For the past 20 years, 'Amrut Mitti' is being used for cultivation in Bajwada village located on the banks of river Narmada.

This farming technology has proved to be a milestone for farmers in Madhya Pradesh, steadily gaining popularity and grabbing the attention of many farmers all across the world.

Deepak Sachde, a farmer from the area, was introduced to this innovative organic farming method in March 2006 and since then he has been a major practitioner of this technique.

Vatsal Sachde, son of Deepak Sachde has since his father's demise very well cherished the organic agricultural methods practised by his father.

Following the principles of eco-system networking of nature, 'Natueco' was introduced by Prof Shripad A. Dabholkar in the 1980s, which revolutionised the cultivation of grapes, bananas, sugarcane, maize, bamboo, root crops and vegetables.

It encourages farmers to experiment and look around their environment for resources and find their own solutions to problems.

Bajawada emerging as 'Agricultural pilgrimage'

Farmers in Bajawada are bringing life back to their soil by enriching their agricultural fields with soil organic matter without external chemical inputs, and are producing highly diverse nutrient-rich food by harnessing local and natural resources.

Many government officials, Vice-Chancellors of various Agricultural Universities and others associated with the sector have been paying visits to this 'Krishi Teerth' to learn the techniques of organic farming and apply the same in other states.

What is 'Amrut Mitti' all about?

A water-based solution, called 'Amrut', is prepared by mixing one litre of cow urine with 10 litres of water followed by one kg of fresh cow dung. Around 50 grams of jaggery is then added to the mixture which is then loosely covered by a cloth for all the ingredients to absorb well.

The mixture is to be stirred well three times a day in a patient manner so as to make sure that the nutrients are not harmed.

After 72 hours of preparing the mixture, 100 litres of water is added into it and the process results in 111 litres of 'Amrut Jal'.

This solution is then mixed with what is called 'Amrut Mitti'.

How to prepare Amrut Mitti?

• Combine different kinds of dry leaves into 'Amrut Jal' and put the mixture away for 24 hours in a cool place.
• Make a boundary using 3-4 bricks and lay into it a layer of dry leaves followed by soil.
• Level the surface and keep repeating the process until the layers reach up to one foot in height.
• Cover the layer with sugarcane husk or dry grass and leave it for 2-3 days while spraying 'Amrut Jal' into it from time to time in order to keep the moisture alive.
• Let this mixture settle and then turn it after a week.
• After repeating the process for 30 days, the 'Amrut Mitti' will become plant ready for the next 15 years.