With a view to encourage organic farming along with ripening of fruits in natural ways, Chhattisgarh’s horticulture and agriculture department has come up with advanced method of organic cultivation and ripening of fruits termed ‘Star Technology’. Under ‘Star Technology’, farmers are trained on avail the new organic methods of farming.
Talking to TOI, horticulture department’s assistant director, RM Pandey said, “To impart the natural methods of banana fruit ripening and for robust growth of plants, the horticulture and agriculture department have constituted a group of innovative farmers in different regions of Chhattisgarh under the banner Star Technology.” The farmers are of the view that chemical farming promotes plant growth as compared to organic methods of farming, which yields meagre harvest. To dispel the myth, officials of horticulture department introduced time-tested techniques to the farmers for promoting healthy growth in plants. The method includes the marking and cutting of buds, which grows on stems and after its removal, it enhances growth of a plant. For ripening banana in natural way, the horticulture department official explained the procedure to farmers. As per the method, a deep pit is dug and bananas are covered in paddy straw and placed in an earthen pot. A coin-size hole is made on the top of the pot and covered with straw. The pot is then placed on fire for ripening bananas in 48 hours.”
Similarly, the farmers are trained to make natural vermi-compost in their farms with cow dung, cow urine and chickpea flour with clarified butter. This composition is then soaked in 200 litre drum for 48 hours. Thereafter, it would be mixed with cow dung and left for fermentation for another three months. Horticulture experts said t organic compost is ideal for survival of worms used in preparing vermi-compost.
Source: Times of India