In India, winter brings greater than a chill — it challenges the very soil that sustains our crops. From slowing down microbial exercise to rising soil compaction, the colder months reshape the land in methods that may considerably affect crop well being and yield.
Maharashtra’s Savita Sunil Dakle, a seasoned farmer with over 20 years of expertise, has not solely overcome these challenges on her personal farm but in addition skilled lots of of ladies in natural farming methods by on-line platforms and group initiatives. Her Fb group, Ladies in Agriculture, has over seven lakh members.
In response to her, understanding the connection between temperature, soil kind, and crop development is essential to sustaining soil fertility and protecting crop yield constant. Listed here are Savita’s skilled ideas to assist farmers defend and improve their soil well being by the winter’s distinctive calls for.
1. Enhance microbial exercise with compost
Throughout winter, microbial exercise (the work carried out by tiny organisms within the soil) slows down as a result of drop in temperature. This impact is especially noticeable in colder states comparable to Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, the place temperatures can fall beneath 5°C. “Within the winters, after we sow, it takes an additional couple of days for seeds to develop. In distinction, throughout monsoons, they sprout inside 2-3 days,” says Savita.
With fewer organisms breaking down natural matter, the soil’s skill to recycle vitamins slows down, resulting in a scarcity of important vitamins for crops. “To fight this, farmers can add compost or well-decomposed natural matter earlier than winter units in to help wholesome microbial exercise all through the season,” Savita shares.
2. Stop compaction with deep ploughing
When moist soil freezes, it may possibly harden, making it tough for water to soak in and for plant roots to develop correctly. This can be a widespread drawback in clayey soils, particularly in areas like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. It significantly impacts crops like rice and sugarcane, as they require free, well-aerated soil.
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To stop soil compaction, farmers ought to keep away from working the soil when it’s moist. As an alternative, utilizing deep ploughing methods earlier than winter can loosen the soil. “It’s essential to open up and aerate the soil correctly. This additionally helps heat it up within the course of,” Savita says.
3. Use slow-release fertilisers
Chilly climate can scale back the supply of important vitamins like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium within the soil, significantly in black cotton soils (widespread in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat) and alluvial soils (widespread in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab). These soils might also grow to be extra acidic throughout the winter months, which might additional hinder nutrient uptake by crops.
To deal with this, farmers can apply slow-release fertilisers or use natural amendments comparable to neem cake or bone meal to take care of regular nutrient provide for winter crops like chickpeas and mustard.
4. Defend from frost
In areas like Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and the Kashmir Valley, the place temperatures can dip beneath freezing, frost injury turns into a severe concern. Frost could cause the soil to freeze, damaging its construction and affecting root development, significantly for crops like spinach, cauliflower, and cabbage.
Farmers can defend crops through the use of mulching methods, which assist heat the soil, and by overlaying crops with frost blankets or plastic sheets to scale back frost publicity.
5. Retain moisture with mulching
In areas like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and elements of Gujarat, winter usually brings drier situations, which might result in lowered soil moisture. Whereas cool climate reduces evaporation, an absence of rainfall can nonetheless dry out soils, making it tougher for crops to entry water.
“Whereas black or clayey soil has the potential to retain moisture, softer soils don’t, so farmers ought to perceive their soil kind and plan accordingly,” explains Savita. Farmers can use mulches to assist retain moisture and apply water conservation methods like drip irrigation or rainwater harvesting to make sure ample soil moisture.
6. Handle soil pH
Chilly temperatures and winter rains can enhance soil acidity in high-rainfall areas just like the Western Ghats (in Kerala and Karnataka) and the Northeast (in Assam). Elevated acidity can have an effect on nutrient retention, making it tougher to develop crops like rice, soybean, and cotton.
To neutralise acidity, farmers ought to check soil pH repeatedly and apply lime or dolomite to revive a extra impartial surroundings appropriate for a variety of crops.
7. Management erosion with terracing
Heavy rains in winter, significantly in hilly areas just like the Himalayas, Sikkim, and elements of Uttarakhand, can result in elevated soil erosion, washing away priceless topsoil. This will negatively have an effect on crops comparable to tea, espresso, and rice, which are sometimes grown on slopes.
To stop soil erosion, farmers ought to undertake practices like terracing, contour farming, and planting cowl crops comparable to barley or gram, which may also help stabilise soil and defend it from water runoff.
Talking from expertise, Savita shares, “We create a sort of bandh (barrier) to stop topsoil from washing away throughout heavy rains. This barrier directs the soil into an extended, slender pit, permitting us to gather and protect it moderately than dropping it to runoff.”
8. Rotate crops for soil well being
Winter temperatures have an effect on when and which crops could be planted in numerous areas. Savita advises farmers to comply with correct crop rotation practices. “We must always preserve altering the crops grown on any plot of land to keep away from yield loss and stop pests from damaging the crops or soil,” she explains. As an illustration, planting legumes like chickpeas or lentils after wheat can enhance soil nitrogen ranges and break pest cycles.
To comply with Savita, click on right here.
Edited by Khushi Arora
