01/12/2019
This is not always easy to explain what 'biodiversity-based ecological agriculture' means to people who are not familiar with the art of farming and space design. So, let's have a look at a picture frame one usually experiences when visiting Nayakrishi.
One key element of biodiversity-based ecological farming is the conspicuous absence of monoculture. Nayakrishi will always use multiple and different species and varieties of plants to maximize the benefits and harvests from farming. Bio-diverse farming ensures the management of insects, fungus or other invisible life-forms that may turn into 'pest'. In fact Nayakrishi's aim is to turn 'pests' into biological resources. Nayakrishi allows all lifeforms to occupy their ecological space in order to strikes a natural balance between them. Use of pesticide, herbicide or chemicals to 'kill' any life is strictly prohibited. Yes, pest may attack in some forms, so farmers use plants with smell and colored flowers as insect repellent.
Secondly, the plots have a mix of different crops. This is a strategy to ensure proper nutrition for different plants of vegetables, spices, lentils, so that they don't compete for the same nutrition from the soil on the one hand and to ensure nutrition to the soil from the plants. Management of soil fertility is the key to higher productivity. Obviously productivity in Nayakrishi is higher than conventional farming.
And more importantly, food crops are nutritious and taste better from a mixed crop field.
This is not always easy to explain what 'biodiversity-based ecological agriculture' means to people who are not familiar with the art of farming and space design. So, let's have a look at a picture frame one usually experiences when visiting Nayakrishi.
One key element of biodiversity-based ecological farming is the conspicuous absence of monoculture. Nayakrishi will always use multiple and different species and varieties of plants to maximize the benefits and harvests from farming. Bio-diverse farming ensures the management of insects, fungus or other invisible life-forms that may turn into 'pest'. In fact Nayakrishi's aim is to turn 'pests' into biological resources. Nayakrishi allows all lifeforms to occupy their ecological space in order to strikes a natural balance between them. Use of pesticide, herbicide or chemicals to 'kill' any life is strictly prohibited. Yes, pest may attack in some forms, so farmers use plants with smell and colored flowers as insect repellent.
Secondly, the plots have a mix of different crops. This is a strategy to ensure proper nutrition for different plants of vegetables, spices, lentils, so that they don't compete for the same nutrition from the soil on the one hand and to ensure nutrition to the soil from the plants. Management of soil fertility is the key to higher productivity. Obviously productivity in Nayakrishi is higher than conventional farming.
And more importantly, food crops are nutritious and taste better from a mixed crop field.
