Mulch ado about ‘do nothing’

‘‘(Thirteen years ago), the lack of water frustrated me so much, I cut down 200 of my 400 trees,’’ recalls the agriculture graduate from Yavatmal. ‘‘Then I came to know about the natural farming technique, and I decided to try it. Today, the results are there for all to see. While many others are abandoning orange cultivation altogether because of irrigation problems, I have nothing to worry about on the count.’’

The path from worry to wisdom was a straight, simple one, based on Masanobu Fukuoka’s revolutionary ‘do-nothing’ method of agriculture, a belief that nature takes adequate care of its offspring. (One of Fukuoka’s favourite questions was, how does vegetation grow so well in forests.)

With rainwater as the only input, Uttarwar is now seeing his trees bloom all over again. ‘‘Instead of removing the grass and weeds, I only undertook their mulching, creating 8-9 inch thick layers of mulched waste. That helped retain rainwater,’’ says the orange-grower. ‘‘I also created stone-mulching around the trees for the purpose. Stress situations were not a concern. Nature takes care of stress when there are no rains.’’

Covering the soil with mulched vegetation also ensures survival of necessary ground insects and bacteria which normally die in the ultra-violet rays of the sun.

In keeping with the Fukuoka philosophy, no chemicals are sprayed, ever. In this, though, Uttarwar has his location to thank. Since Yavatmal is basically cotton country, his isolated orange farm does not carry the same disease risks as Nagpur or Amravati.

Today, each of Uttarwar’s orange trees produces up to 1,000 large fruits, and earns him upto Rs 1 lakh per year. Besides, he also grows wheat, pulses, jowar, soyabean and cotton with the same technique.

‘‘I can now guarantee revitalisation of failing orchards,’’ says Uttarwar, now a confirmed natural farming activist. One of the 150 fellows of Ashoka Innovators for Public, a Washington-based NGO, Uttarwar was an invitee at a seminar on control of food systems in Austria two years ago.