Prayagraj: In the race to boost food grain production, the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers has led to rising cultivation costs while simultaneously causing the fertile soil to gradually lose its productivity.However, the union and state governments have launched the ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ (Save the Farm Campaign) to tackle the future challenge. Assistant Director at the Regional Soil Testing Laboratory, in Prayagraj, Piyush Rai, said that analysis of soil samples collected from farmers in the district reveals that levels of organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus have dropped significantly below the prescribed minimum standard of 0.5.Consequently, the soil is becoming increasingly infertile and barren. Alarmed by reports, the government and agricultural scientists have taken measures. Pawan Kumar Vishwakarma, Deputy Director (Agriculture) said that in response to the alarming situation, the ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ is being launched across 98 gram panchayats in the district, running from Friday (June 12) to June 30. Under this campaign, teams of agricultural scientists and officials will visit villages to interact with farmers, explaining the adverse effects of excessive chemical fertilizer use and suggesting alternatives. They will also encourage farmers to obtain ‘Soil Health Cards’. In the pursuit of higher production, urea and other chemical fertilizers are being applied to fields in excess of actual requirements. This practice is destroying beneficial insects and bacteria present in the soil.Obtaining a ‘Soil Health Card’ is essential to assess and address the issue. Kumar states that ‘Soil Health Cards’ have been prepared for 100 farmers in each of the 20 villages across every tehsil in the district. So far, 46,000 farmers in the district have received these cards. Dedicated soil testing centres have been opened in five tehsils to analyze six soil parameters, while the remaining six parameters are tested at the Soil Conservation Laboratory located at the district headquarters.In addition to improving soil quality, this campaign is educating farmers on ‘smart farming’ techniques suited to changing weather patterns. Farmers are being encouraged to use organic inputs—such as ‘Trichoderma’—and green manure instead of heavy chemicals. They are also being mentally prepared to adopt organic farming practices, utilizing fertilizers and pesticides derived from cattle. Given the declining groundwater levels, the campaign provides live training on modern water conservation techniques such as drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, and the ‘Per Drop More Crop’ approach.To ensure wider acceptance and expansion, the participation of rural women has been secured; 24 ‘Krishi Sakhis’ (farm facilitators) are actively supporting the initiative in the district.Dr. M.P. Singh, a scientist at the ‘Krishi Vigyan Kendra ‘ , notes that a long-term objective of this campaign is to create a viable alternative to the current global scenario of fertilizer imports, thereby reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers.
