<p>But farmer N R Chandrashekhar is counting the days to harvest groundnut in his field. <br />In his one acre field, Chandrashekhar has grown groundnut and now, each plant bears at least 25 seeds. <br /><br />Chandrashekhar who believed in treading the less trodden path, is happy today.<br />While most of the farmers are yet to switch to organic farming in the district, it did not take much time for Chandrashekhar to do the wise thing. <br /><br />He has been practicing organic farming for the past four years, and he has had good yield, despite less rainfall. <br /><br />According to him, he had sown the groundnut in the first week of June. As there were slight showers in June and July, it has helped the crop. <br /><br />Most of the farmers in the taluk who began farming activities after the recent rain, have been disappointed a lot. <br /><br />“But the fields which were tilled after the first rain are showing promises of good yield,” he said. <br /><br />“Despite the delayed rain, we are expecting good yield, thanks to organic farming. Even if there is no rain for the next 20 days also, the crop will not dry up,” he told Deccan Herald. <br /><br />He has toally shunned chemical fertiliser and applies only natural manure. <br />Apart from groundnut, he has also grown tur dal and rice in organic methods. <br />Fertility of the ground has increased because of organic farming. So, the crops can grow even when there is no rain, he explained.<br /><br />‘ in turn, usage of fertilisers reduces the fertility and in case there is no rain it is not possible to grow crops. But I do not have to face such a situation”, he adds. <br />groundnuts will be ready to be reaped by the beginning of September, Tur will be ready to be taken to the market by the second week of September. If there is rain the yield will be higher than expected, he says.<br /><br />Alternative crops<br />According to me growing only one type of crop throughout is not profitable. I grow groundnut on half of the land and tur, beans and other crops on the other part. <br />When the yield is taken, alternatively raagi and other crop seeds are sown. <br />This increases the fertility of the land. Even if there is delay in arrival of rain, the land does not dry up and they yield is not lost.<br /><br />The land should be ploughed through the tractor only once and at least five times the crops can be grown with manual ploughing. This also helps in getting a healthy and dense yield.<br /><br />Ploughing the farms with buffaloes has reduced drastically as the number of buffaloes has also come down.<br /><br />Even scarcity of rain has led to the farmers depending more on tractor for ploughing, Chandrashekhar adds.<br /><br /></p>
<p>But farmer N R Chandrashekhar is counting the days to harvest groundnut in his field. <br />In his one acre field, Chandrashekhar has grown groundnut and now, each plant bears at least 25 seeds. <br /><br />Chandrashekhar who believed in treading the less trodden path, is happy today.<br />While most of the farmers are yet to switch to organic farming in the district, it did not take much time for Chandrashekhar to do the wise thing. <br /><br />He has been practicing organic farming for the past four years, and he has had good yield, despite less rainfall. <br /><br />According to him, he had sown the groundnut in the first week of June. As there were slight showers in June and July, it has helped the crop. <br /><br />Most of the farmers in the taluk who began farming activities after the recent rain, have been disappointed a lot. <br /><br />“But the fields which were tilled after the first rain are showing promises of good yield,” he said. <br /><br />“Despite the delayed rain, we are expecting good yield, thanks to organic farming. Even if there is no rain for the next 20 days also, the crop will not dry up,” he told Deccan Herald. <br /><br />He has toally shunned chemical fertiliser and applies only natural manure. <br />Apart from groundnut, he has also grown tur dal and rice in organic methods. <br />Fertility of the ground has increased because of organic farming. So, the crops can grow even when there is no rain, he explained.<br /><br />‘ in turn, usage of fertilisers reduces the fertility and in case there is no rain it is not possible to grow crops. But I do not have to face such a situation”, he adds. <br />groundnuts will be ready to be reaped by the beginning of September, Tur will be ready to be taken to the market by the second week of September. If there is rain the yield will be higher than expected, he says.<br /><br />Alternative crops<br />According to me growing only one type of crop throughout is not profitable. I grow groundnut on half of the land and tur, beans and other crops on the other part. <br />When the yield is taken, alternatively raagi and other crop seeds are sown. <br />This increases the fertility of the land. Even if there is delay in arrival of rain, the land does not dry up and they yield is not lost.<br /><br />The land should be ploughed through the tractor only once and at least five times the crops can be grown with manual ploughing. This also helps in getting a healthy and dense yield.<br /><br />Ploughing the farms with buffaloes has reduced drastically as the number of buffaloes has also come down.<br /><br />Even scarcity of rain has led to the farmers depending more on tractor for ploughing, Chandrashekhar adds.<br /><br /></p>
