What's in Seed...

Seed is the natures gift to this land. Do you know that there were more than a lakh variety of indegeneous seeds in rice and vegetables in Bharat ? Most of them were rich in medicinal values. Bharat was by nature agriculture rich country given its diverse nature of soil and climate. Desi Cows and bulls were part of the farmer's family. Agriculture without them was unimaginable. Cow based agriculture was normal in those days. Be it soil strengthening, preparation of natural pesticides, plant boosters everything was prepared by the farmer himself using naturally available ingrediants like cow dung, go mutram, neem leaves, red chillies, jaggery etc..Once the yield has come, the seeds out of the same yield will be sown for next crop. Crop grown out of desi seeds are more resilient against many crop diseases and could withstand any natural calamities. Many farmers used to practice multi traditional crop model. Hence farmer was self reliant and independent in his life style.

Post independence as part of the green revolution to meet the demands of rapidly growing population, govt has introduced usage of lab invented hybrid seeds for larger yields. Hybrid seeds when supplemented with urea and fertilizers give larger yields. But the hybrid seed is more susceptible to many crop diseases. The only way to fight is to use chemical pesticides. Moreover hybrid seeds' pro-gen cannot be used for further crops. Hence farmer has to buy the seeds, urea and pesticides for each disease there by increasing the production costs.

Hybrid Seed and Chemical Fertilizers

Rampant usage of chemical fertilizers kills the farm friendly insects in the soil and hardens the land and the soil loses its fertility. To get more yields, farmer has to apply more fertilizers. This has become a vicious cycle trapping the farmer into debts. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides have become so normal that many contemporary farmers doesn't even know the alternate approach towards farming.

The chemicals enter into the food from crop and has become part of our diet. This leading to many health hazards.

Greats like Subhash Palekar, Vijay Ram are striving hard to educate and encourage farmers to take up natural farming techniques and give up on chemical based farming. More and more farmers are joining the brigade. Now its consumers' turn to become the part of this revolution to save the environment and ourselves.

Save Soil..