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Doubles the profits in pigeon pea cultivation with chemical free farming practices and multicropping
“Depending on multi-national companies for farming inputs and lack of knowledge leads to failure in farming,” says Mr. Dnyandev Kisanrao, progressive farmer of pigeon pea. “I have experienced both the worlds where the scientific farming (using chemical inputs and hybrid seeds) gave me escalating debts and worries while natural farming made be progress towards growth with increase in earnings.
Mr. Dnyandev has multicrop farm at Awagan village, Washim district, Maharasthra. Pigeon pea is the main crop grown along with different varieties of pulses, flowers and vegetables. Pigeon pea plants once planted yields for 3-4 years. 20-25 quintal/acre is the produced quantity. Moong, urad and jowar are cultivated on rotation as well as vegetables while flowers and soyabean are grown as seasonal crops.
Pigeon pea can be grown anytime between January to June but irrespective of sowing the harvesting is done in December. “If planted in January/February the row-row distance is 10 feet while plant-plant is 6 feet. In one acre it would need 300 gm seeds. On the contrary if sown in June then row-row distance remains 10 feet but plant-plant distance is reduced to 2 feet. Seed required per acre is 1 kg. January season is good provided farm has good irrigation facility,” he elaborates. The crop is sold as vegetables in raw form while as pulses in dried form. “I used to sell pigeon pea as fresh vegetable and as pulses too. However, now after I have switched to organic farming many farmers buy it as seeds for their farms.”
Mr. Dnyandev grows vegetables in between the rows of pigeon pea trees cultivation. “The veggies namely spinach, coriander and other herbs grow well under the shade of the tree. The yield is good as the pulses fulfill the nutrient requirement in the soil suitably. I also grow marigold in between the pigeon pea trees because it attracts the pest and insects naturally and the food crops are protected,” he adds.
It is been seven years Mr. Dnyandev has quit chemical based farming and now is into 100% organic farming. “When I was into chemical based farming every now and then the crops were infected or some pest used to attack. It was a routine for me to visit the agricultural experts seeking solutions. They used to keep changing the medicines but the farm was never free from the diseases/pest/insects. I was fed up with mounting production cost yet no relief! At last in the year 2009 I decided to stop using all sorts of chemicals in the farm and adopted natural farming practices irrespective of the consequences,” he reminisces. Well the timely decision proved fortunate to the farmer as the farm slowly became sturdy to all sorts of problems and production cost became negligible. He makes panchgavya and jeevamrutham on his own using the native cow dung and urine. “I am having two native cows that are reared only for cow dung and urine. And the quality rich milk is consumed by the family. If we are healthy we can work better,” he says.
When asked about the low yield in organic farming practices he clarifies, “Yes the yield has come down but net profit has increased. Now the produce is quality rich hence it is sold out-and -out before the harvest itself, vegetables are sold directly to the end consumers enabling me to have my own customer network and there is no money spent on any of the farming inputs be it fertilizer, pesticides or even seeds. Everything is managed with the farm itself. Moreover, I could buy additional land with the savings and expansion is on cards.”
When asked about the direct sales, he responds, “I get direct orders for vegetables and pulses from the customers from Washim city. I have hired an autorickshaw who does delivery for me. Prices are fixed at premium cost because I grow organically and it is delivered at the customer doorstep. This model is working fine for me and my profits are increased.”
In time to come farmer wants to discontinue with soyabean cultivation because, “I sell soyabean to the factories. The money earned is less when compared to the income generated from direct sales. So I can utilize the farmland for growing pulses and vegetables. I want to expand my farming acreage and diversify in fruits as well,” he reveals his plans.
Organic farming requires thorough knowledge of the crops grown in the farm. “Farmers are supposed to be well-verse with their cultivated crops and growth process unlike chemical based farming where we are completely dependent on others be it farming inputs, seeds or even the knowledge. If we do farming with 100% commitment it shall never fail. Farmers are actually businessman where our farm is our production house as other manufacturing companies so we have to think and act accordingly. Profits might go up and down but it would never lead to disaster,” concludes Mr. Dnyandev.
Contact details:
Mr. Dnyandev Kisanrao
Awagan At, Pimpri (Awagan) PO Soyata,
Taluk Mngrlnatha,
Washim District 444705,
Maharashtra
Phone: 09637044336, 07756956330
“Depending on multi-national companies for farming inputs and lack of knowledge leads to failure in farming,” says Mr. Dnyandev Kisanrao, progressive farmer of pigeon pea. “I have experienced both the worlds where the scientific farming (using chemical inputs and hybrid seeds) gave me escalating debts and worries while natural farming made be progress towards growth with increase in earnings.
Mr. Dnyandev has multicrop farm at Awagan village, Washim district, Maharasthra. Pigeon pea is the main crop grown along with different varieties of pulses, flowers and vegetables. Pigeon pea plants once planted yields for 3-4 years. 20-25 quintal/acre is the produced quantity. Moong, urad and jowar are cultivated on rotation as well as vegetables while flowers and soyabean are grown as seasonal crops.
Pigeon pea can be grown anytime between January to June but irrespective of sowing the harvesting is done in December. “If planted in January/February the row-row distance is 10 feet while plant-plant is 6 feet. In one acre it would need 300 gm seeds. On the contrary if sown in June then row-row distance remains 10 feet but plant-plant distance is reduced to 2 feet. Seed required per acre is 1 kg. January season is good provided farm has good irrigation facility,” he elaborates. The crop is sold as vegetables in raw form while as pulses in dried form. “I used to sell pigeon pea as fresh vegetable and as pulses too. However, now after I have switched to organic farming many farmers buy it as seeds for their farms.”
Mr. Dnyandev grows vegetables in between the rows of pigeon pea trees cultivation. “The veggies namely spinach, coriander and other herbs grow well under the shade of the tree. The yield is good as the pulses fulfill the nutrient requirement in the soil suitably. I also grow marigold in between the pigeon pea trees because it attracts the pest and insects naturally and the food crops are protected,” he adds.
It is been seven years Mr. Dnyandev has quit chemical based farming and now is into 100% organic farming. “When I was into chemical based farming every now and then the crops were infected or some pest used to attack. It was a routine for me to visit the agricultural experts seeking solutions. They used to keep changing the medicines but the farm was never free from the diseases/pest/insects. I was fed up with mounting production cost yet no relief! At last in the year 2009 I decided to stop using all sorts of chemicals in the farm and adopted natural farming practices irrespective of the consequences,” he reminisces. Well the timely decision proved fortunate to the farmer as the farm slowly became sturdy to all sorts of problems and production cost became negligible. He makes panchgavya and jeevamrutham on his own using the native cow dung and urine. “I am having two native cows that are reared only for cow dung and urine. And the quality rich milk is consumed by the family. If we are healthy we can work better,” he says.
When asked about the low yield in organic farming practices he clarifies, “Yes the yield has come down but net profit has increased. Now the produce is quality rich hence it is sold out-and -out before the harvest itself, vegetables are sold directly to the end consumers enabling me to have my own customer network and there is no money spent on any of the farming inputs be it fertilizer, pesticides or even seeds. Everything is managed with the farm itself. Moreover, I could buy additional land with the savings and expansion is on cards.”
When asked about the direct sales, he responds, “I get direct orders for vegetables and pulses from the customers from Washim city. I have hired an autorickshaw who does delivery for me. Prices are fixed at premium cost because I grow organically and it is delivered at the customer doorstep. This model is working fine for me and my profits are increased.”
In time to come farmer wants to discontinue with soyabean cultivation because, “I sell soyabean to the factories. The money earned is less when compared to the income generated from direct sales. So I can utilize the farmland for growing pulses and vegetables. I want to expand my farming acreage and diversify in fruits as well,” he reveals his plans.
Organic farming requires thorough knowledge of the crops grown in the farm. “Farmers are supposed to be well-verse with their cultivated crops and growth process unlike chemical based farming where we are completely dependent on others be it farming inputs, seeds or even the knowledge. If we do farming with 100% commitment it shall never fail. Farmers are actually businessman where our farm is our production house as other manufacturing companies so we have to think and act accordingly. Profits might go up and down but it would never lead to disaster,” concludes Mr. Dnyandev.
Contact details:
Mr. Dnyandev Kisanrao
Awagan At, Pimpri (Awagan) PO Soyata,
Taluk Mngrlnatha,
Washim District 444705,
Maharashtra
Phone: 09637044336, 07756956330