NATIONAL 9 (Spotlight Weelky)]

Organic Vs Chemical Farming

Farmers prefer chemical fertilizers instead of organic farming for higher production. Is it a good practice?

BY AKSHAY SHARMA

Shambhu Khatiwada, a resident of Suntole VDC of Palubari, 15 km east of Kathmandu, uses chemical fertilizers for higher Yield. Shambhu's son, Kumar, yielded record holding growth of vegetables using chemical fertilizers. However, Rajan Nath Sudedi of the same village is cultivating fruits, wheat and potatoes without chemical fertilizers.

A women farmer : In a dilemma

Among villagers, Subediís annual agricultural production is lower than those in his village. This is why others donít see organic farming as a viable alternative to meet the demand.

Experts argue that the use of high -yielding varieties and chemical inputs in agriculture has ushered into the ëgreen revolution.í Subsequently, this technology of using pesticides and fertilizers was extensively adopted. Since Urea, a nitrogenous fertilizer, manifests prompt and impressive crop growth, farmers have developed a special basis for its application.

Nitrogen is one of the 14 elements that take part in plant nutrition. Out of these, six (nitrogen, phosphorous, potash, calcium, magnesium, sulfur) are needed in substantial quantities and the rest (iron, zinc, boron, molybdenum, manganese, copper, nickel and chlorine) in traces. The former group is known as a major nutrient and the latter group as a micro-nutrient. Experts see both groups as essential for balanced growth and production. The deficiency of only one element, whether major or micro, impedes the development process.

Chemical fertilizers contain only one of the few nutrients (e.g. Urea contains only nitrogen) and constitute incomplete plant food whereas, organic manure ( farmyard manure, town compost, sewage, sludge, oil cake, bone meal ,fish meal etc.) which are produced from the waste of plants and animals, possess all the 14 elements, and hence represent complete plant food. Purna Bahadur , a farmer from Nagarkot, says, "we have no other choice than to rely upon chemical fertilizers to ensure higher production."

The recent views in agriculture has switched by 175 degrees. The new theory in agriculture suggests that it is better to use organic waste instead of chemical fertilizers.

But high yield against these odds necessitated the use of more nitrogen. This raised the production cost, and the law of diminishing return has started to operate. In many cases, in spite of the application of more nitrogen, the yield is showing a downward trend.

Cheap foreign rice, which has entered the country, will throw the rice growers in the country in complete disarray. One of the ways to solve this problem is to substitute rice production by suitable crops. Rice occupies a vast area, some high but mostly lowlands. In high lands it may be replaced by remunerative vegetables or short term fruits. But the danger of over- production will keep down their acreage. There is no substitute of rainy season rice on low land. The rational approach lies in making the cultivation of rice itself lucrative. The way to reach this target is to raise the yield, simultaneously lowering the cost of production. China has obtained an average yield of nearly six tons per hectare by applying 50 to 60 quintals of organic manure along with ten tons of chemical fertilizers. They use every bit of organized waste including human excreta.

As utilization of machinery for ploughing remains a rare practice in Nepal animal power is the only feasible answer.

In integrated farming , where both crops and animals ( also birds, honey bees, fish etc.) are raised simultaneously, in the same farms. Computed together the cost of production in this system of farming is around 50 percent of the output as against 75 to 50 percent in chemical farming.

In addition, this system is a step to minimize global pollution and health hazards brought by modern farming through its chemical inputs like fertilizers and pesticides. Scientists have found that the spill over of excess chemical nitrogen from the crop land, when it enters the human body, changes to nitrate and causes "blue baby syndrome' in children and " cyanosis" in adults. These diseases are characterized by the development of bluish/purplish coloration, and often lead to fatal consequences. Frequent use of herbicides (chemicals that kill weed) has increased the risk of Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer. To escape the danger we must reduce the chemical inputs in agriculture. Regular application of organic manure improves soil fertility. The environment does not get polluted under this system. Thatís why, farmers in Nepal should be encouraged to maintain the high level of output of chemicals with high input of labor and management, say Scientists.