Soil conservation is a mission of the government, Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy said.
The government is supplying ‘Pachi Rotta’ seeds to farmers at a cost of Rs 76.66 crore paying 65 per cent subsidy. These seeds are available at 1445 DCMS, PACS, and Agro Rythu Seva Kendras across the State. Around 1,46,000 quintals of seeds are ready for distribution, he said.
Niranjan ordered officials to encourage the cultivation of Pachi Rotta seeds at a high-level review held at the Hyderabad Ministers’ Residence Complex on Tuesday in which Agriculture Secretary Raghunandan Rao, Special Commissioner Hanumanthu, Seeds MD Kesavulu and ADD Vijay Kumar were present.
The Minister said that green manure can give healthy yields. Farmers should be constantly sensitized about green manure. Due to the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers the natural fertility of the soil is getting damaged and it is losing its ability to store water.
Organic carbon in the soil is decreasing in the state and throughout the country, he said and added that it is now just around one per cent. In developing countries, it is more than three per cent. Due to the continuous use of chemical fertilizers, the land is now not suitable for cultivation and farmers’ cost of cultivation increases and yields decrease, he said.
Niranjan said farmers should give use organic fertilizers to rejuvenate the soil. Cattle, chickens and sheep have become a burden for farmers. Farmers should cultivate Pachi Rotta such as Jeeluga, Pillipesara and Janumu and mix them in the soil.
Farmers should sow green gram seeds from the second week of May to the second week of June. The use of nitrogen can be reduced by 25 to 30 per cent by increasing phosphorus and sulphur nutrients, he added.
