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When Tomichan M. Thomas and Sharad Patil started Elamala Bio Tech Lab at Chellarkovil nearly a decade back, they were not sure whether cardamom farmers, extensively using toxic pesticides, could take to bio-farming.
After field studies and trials, with the support of Sivaprasad, former head of the department of Agriculture Microbiology at Kerala Agriculture University, the lab was developed to supply biofungicides and biofertilizers to cardamom farmers.
Cardamom plants are sensitive to inputs and absorb pesticides and fertilizers in a short period resulting in high production, a factor which prompts farmers to widely use pesticides even after its ban in the State. However, bio-farming focusses on rejuvenation of soil and developing microorganisms to counter pests.
Bio-farming helps in reducing the cost of production and supplying the best quality cardamom in the market, says K.P. Anirudhan, a farmer at Karunapuram following biofarming for five years on his five acres. He says it is highly effective if followed continuously.
“I had applied chemical pesticides and it was found that roots of the plant got weakened slowly, affecting absorption from soil. So, farmers use large quantities of chemical pesticides and fertilizers resulting in the high cost of cardamom production. By moving to bio-farming, production cost can be reduced while keeping plants healthy,” he says.
He says bio-farming has helped in reducing pest attacks in his farm. Bio-farming rejuvenates soil by allowing dead leaves to decay and develop micronutrients in the soil.
Mr. Thomas says there are nearly a dozen biotech labs in cardamom-cultivating areas in Idukki and it is a sign that farmers are moving to biofarming in the face of high production cost. He says bio-farming is totally organic.
Varghese Joseph, a farmer, says he has nine acres under cardamom on leased land at Mlamala. He shifted to bio-farming a year back. He says he had monitored plant growth and found it more effective in countering capsule rot, root tip rot, and capsule brown spot.
The high use of toxic pesticides results in high production cost. By reducing the production cost and increasing the quality of cardamom, farmers get better income, he says.
Bio-farming may make a change in the cardamom sector known for the extensive use of toxic pesticides impacting the Cardamom Hill Reserve ecosystem.
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