Thursday, November 5, 2009

Manure for Plenty

The agricultural production in the Ziro valley is known to be one of the highest when calculated on per square area basis. It is because of the enormous labor inputs plus indigenous techniques of preserving the fertility of the soil. This is one of the techniques - paddy husks spread over the field after the harvest.

Sadly, and contrary to what I have been believing, more numbers of farmers are said to be using chemical fertilizers these days. Looking for short term benefits may result in long term destruction of the soil preserved for decades now.