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AHAR aims to revolutionize agriculture by promoting a more holistic, agroecological approach that can alleviate the ongoing agri-crisis, characterized by high input requirements and significant carbon and nitrogen footprints. By fostering a friendly ecosystem for beneficial soil bacteria, insects, and improving livelihoods for farmers, AHAR strives to strengthen crops from seed to harvest, creating a more sustainable and environmentally conscious food production system.
As part of the AHAR project (AgroHomeopathy for Sustainable Agriculture), a one-day Farmers Field School was organised for 23 farmers at Aurovanam (Environmental Education Centre of Sri Aurobindo Society) on 31/07/2023 from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm. These farmers are from Bahour, Soriyankuppam, Kuruvinatham , Manapet and Sulliyankuppam who are cultivating vegetables in their farms. The training was conducted by ‘Seed traveller’ Salai Arun. He has travelled around 90000km all over India, during which he has met more than 1000 farmers and collected native seeds from them and shared the native seeds that he has carried with him. During the training Salai Arun had a discussion with the farmers on “The story of the Seed”, where he shared his learnings on Seasons, Seed Selection, Seed Treatment, Sowing, Crop protection, Inter cropping, Harvest, Marketing, Seed storage and his Travel experiences with the farmers. At the end of the training 20 varieties of native vegetable seeds were shared with the farmers which have to be sown during this Aadi pattam (by mid August). All the farmers who have received the seeds have promised that after the harvest they will return the seeds to be shared with many other farmers. The farmers have said that the Farmers Field School was very helpful in understanding the importance of seed and reviving the traditional knowledge on seed selection and storage.
In the Bahour region, the cultivation of the third season of paddy is currently underway, employing agro-homeopathy techniques. The research is being conducted using a randomized block design consisting of eight treatments and three replications. A total of 24 plots have been designated, with each treatment having 15 selected plants as samples, resulting in 360 tagged plants overall. In accordance with the recommendations of agricultural research experts, comprehensive observations are being made on the growth and yield parameters of the paddy plants to determine the effectiveness of each treatment. On August 16, 2022, a team of researchers from Svarnim Puducherry visited the fields of Mr. Arjunan and Mr. Saravanan in Bahour to measure the height and number of panicles in the tagged plants. Based on the results obtained, the best-performing treatment has been selected and offered to 15 farmers in the Bahour region. These farmers will incorporate the treatment in a 7x7 square meter area of their fields, alongside their conventional farming practices, to assess and compare the yield difference between the homeopathic treatment and chemical fertilizer-based farming. During the harvest, the yield will be recorded from a 5x5 meter area of land for both homeopathic treatment and chemical fertilizer-based farming. This comparison will be carried out in the fields of three selected farmers in Bahour.
The Sri Aurobindo Society has been conducting action research on the effects of homeopathy on crops for the last eight years. In the Bahour region of Puducherry, the research team has been working with three participant farmers for the past two years. Randomized control trials for paddy cultivation have been carried out on their fields, yielding highly satisfactory results. The increased yield has not only pleased the participating farmers but has also attracted the attention of neighboring farmers. Encouraged by the outcomes, sixteen more farmers have come forward to try this approach in their own fields. To ensure rigorous evaluation, the trials are conducted on a grid of 5 x 5 meter plots. This approach allows for accurate measurements and comparisons, enabling the team to gather reliable data on the effects of homeopathy on crop growth and yield. Periodic review meetings are held with agriculture scientists to continuously monitor and assess the research progress. During the last review meeting on July 9th, 2022, Prof. Mohan from PAJANCOA expressed satisfaction with the results achieved so far. As a next step, the research team is working towards a joint publication to share the findings with a wider audience.
After the successful implementation of our pilot on-farm research project, which involved three farmers in the Bahour area, Svarnim observed a remarkable increase in the adoption of agro-homeopathy among paddy farmers this season. In September, Svarnim held a planning meeting with Dr. Venkatesh Palla to discuss strategies for scaling up this program to the next level. Anticipating the growing demand, Svarnim also introduced the Farmers Field School program. Initially, these programs aim to promote low-input agricultural practices for paddy cultivation. Thus far, Svarnim has conducted these informative sessions with more than 40 experienced farmers in the Bahour, Soriankuppam, and Koravallimedu panchayat areas.
After successful trials in rice a number of partner-farmers are joining on-farm trials with vegetable crops. Farmers from Soriankuppam, Ariankuppam, Karikalampakkam etc. have started on-farm trials with homeo-inputs instead of chemical fertilizers after seeing the huge benefits of switching over to non-poiosonous homeo medicines as well as economic gains as homeo medicines are very much affordable and eco-friendly. Crops like Bhindi, Brinjal, cucumber, cluster beans, bottle gaurd, leafy vegetables etc.
AHAR places great emphasis on preserving natural resources and promoting agroecological practices. To achieve this, we recognize the importance of reviving traditional knowledge held by local communities and farmers, while also leveraging modern science and technology. Sustainable agriculture should be based on biodiversity, resilience, and productivity, and should benefit poor farmers, while also being adaptable to climate change. At AHAR, we seek to validate the effectiveness of homeopathic preparations in boosting plant growth, thereby paving the way for a sustainable agriculture system that supports both the environment and livelihoods.
In pursuit of this goal, Sri Aurobindo Society conducted a research study to establish the efficacy of homeopathic preparations in agriculture. This preliminary study involved comparing conventional fertilizers with homeopathic alternatives and examining their effects on factors such as yield quantity and quality, soil quality parameters, cost-effectiveness, and environmental impacts. The results of the study were overwhelmingly positive, indicating great potential for homeopathy to improve agriculture in a sustainable and effective manner.
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