Euryale ferox, generally often known as fox nuts, lotus seeds or makhana, has shortly change into a prized crop round India. Bihar alone produces 90% of the world’s makhana, a extremely nutritious seed wanted for its protein, fibre, and vitamin content material. Nevertheless, conventional harvesting strategies have lengthy been labour-intensive, inefficient, and dangerous. Fishermen and farmers dive into deep, muddy ponds — usually as deep as eight to 12 toes — for hours to gather the seeds, risking accidents and infections.
Recognising these points, Dr Manoj Kumar, a senior scientist on the Nationwide Analysis Centre for Makhana (NRCM), has found out a solution to flip makhana cultivation right into a extra sustainable and worthwhile agricultural apply, benefiting 1000’s of farmers within the area.
Perils of an inefficient makhana harvesting course of
For generations, households like Phool Dev Shahni’s in Darbhanga, Bihar, have relied on conventional makhana farming strategies. Shahni would spend seven to eight hours every single day underwater, surfacing each eight to 10 minutes. Sharp thorns on the vegetation induced frequent cuts, whereas the muddy water led to pores and skin infections. This backbreaking course of discouraged youthful generations from persevering with the apply.
Makhana cultivation additionally required particular situations — shallow, low-lying water our bodies with depths starting from 30 cm to over 300 cm. Frequent floods in Bihar usually worn out crops, leaving farmers with no returns. In the meantime, rice farming, the area’s fallback possibility, provided meagre earnings and an unsustainable livelihood.
A imaginative and prescient to alter the face of makhana cultivation
Dr Manoj Kumar spent a decade researching methods to make makhana farming extra environment friendly, sustainable, and fewer labour-intensive. Considered one of his breakthroughs was proving that makhana may thrive in water as shallow as 30 cm, opposite to the standard perception that 5 to 6 toes was essential. This discovery allowed farmers to develop makhana like some other crop in fields, lowering dependence on deep, flood-prone ponds.
Dr Kumar additionally developed a high-yielding number of makhana known as ‘Swarna Vaidehi’, a high-yielding number of makhana. This selection tailored nicely to native situations and considerably elevated productiveness. Moreover, strategies like nursery elevating (rising seedlings individually earlier than transplanting) and line planting (organised sowing in rows) have been launched. These strategies diminished seed necessities and improved yields, making farming extra environment friendly.
Overcoming the flood problem with progressive internet fencing
Floods have lengthy been a serious menace to makhana farming, usually destroying whole crops. Dr Kumar tackled this difficulty by introducing internet fencing, a easy but efficient answer. It includes putting in mesh obstacles round makhana fields to guard crops from being washed away by floodwaters.
Picture Courtesy PTC NEWS
This innovation made it attainable to domesticate makhana in areas beforehand thought-about too dangerous. With the mix of shallow water cultivation and flood safety, Dr Kumar’s strategies have endlessly modified makhana farming in Bihar.
A farmer’s story of reaping rewards with makhana farming
Dhirendra Kumar, a farmer from Belwara village in Darbhanga, is a chief instance of the advantages of Dr Kumar’s improvements. For years, Dhirendra grew rice, incomes solely Rs 20,000 to 25,000 per hectare. Frequent floods usually worn out his crops, leaving him disheartened.
In 2020, Dhirendra attended a ‘Farmer-Scientist Interplay cum Subject Day’ organised by NRCM, the place he discovered about makhana farming. Impressed by the crop’s potential, he determined to change from rice to makhana cultivation on his three-hectare plot, thus turning into a key case research of Dr Kumar. With technical steering from NRCM and Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), he planted Swarna Vaidehi seeds in a nursery and later transplanted them into his fields.
Regardless of preliminary challenges with nutrient administration, Dhirendra harvested 48 quintals of makhana within the first season, incomes a gross revenue of Rs 5.28 lakhs and a internet revenue of Rs 2.58 lakhs. This was a dramatic enchancment in comparison with the Rs 60,000 he earned from rice farming on the identical land in earlier years.
Polythene lining as a easy answer to water administration
One method that additional boosted Dhirendra’s success was polythene lining to stop water loss from lateral seepage. Historically, makhana farmers struggled to take care of constant water ranges of their fields, particularly in the course of the dry pre-monsoon months (March to Could).
Dr Kumar really helpful utilizing 100-micron polythene sheets to seal the bunds (area obstacles). This straightforward, low-cost answer minimised water seepage, lowering the necessity for frequent irrigation. Consequently, Dhirendra saved each water and prices, making his farming course of extra sustainable.
Picture courtesy India At present
A game-changer for Bihar’s farmers
Identical to Dhirendra, many farmers throughout Bihar have embraced Dr Kumar’s improvements, remodeling their livelihoods. With flood-resistant practices, shallow water cultivation, and water-saving strategies like polythene bund lining, makhana farming has change into a viable and worthwhile possibility for farmers within the area.
The Swarna Vaidehi selection’s excessive yield and the rising world demand for makhana have opened new markets for farmers. The GI tag for Mithila makhana ensures premium costs for high-quality produce, additional boosting farmer incomes.
In contrast to water-intensive crops like rice, makhana thrives in shallow water and is healthier suited to Bihar’s unpredictable climate, lowering the danger of crop failure. This makes it a lovely possibility for younger farmers who had been discouraged by the the low returns from typical farming.
Edited by Khushi Arora
Sources:
Makhana Farming for Maximizing Farm Earnings: A Success Story: by Dr Manoj Kumar et al for Biotica Analysis At present, Revealed in September, 2020
Decreasing Water Requirement for Makhana Farming: A Case Report: by Dr Manoj Kumar et al for Biotica Analysis At present, Revealed in June, 2021
The ‘superfood’ taking up fields in northern India: by BBC, Revealed on 13 August 2024
