- By Kamakshi Bishnoi
- Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:44 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a significant agricultural development, three new organic farming techniques developed by scientists at Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Ayodhya have been approved for use in isabgol and opium cultivation.
These methods are set to avoid the use of chemicals and pesticides by utilising vermicompost. The techniques, developed under the All India Coordinated Research Project on Medicinal, Aromatic Plants and Betelvine, were approved at a national workshop held last month at the Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in Gujarat.
The details of these techniques will soon be available on the website of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The techniques developed by the scientists include:
The first technique involves treating isabgol seeds with a mixture of cow dung and Tricoderma Harzianum before sowing, followed by seed treatment with Beejamrit, a mixture of cow dung, cow urine, and lime. If leaf spots appear, a neem oil spray is recommended.
The second technique, for opium cultivation, involves using a mixture of vermicompost and Tricoderma before sowing, along with seed treatment with Beejamrit. Neem oil spray is recommended for disease management at 30, 45, 60, and 75 days.
The third technique involves spraying a mixture of gibberellic acid and triacontanol, which increases opium yield by 10-15 per cent.