Tech company offers farmers alternative to burning stubble

Disposing stubble after a yield is necessary to facilitate the next crop cycle, but constributes to air pollution

A farmer sets fire to stubble (crop residue) on the outskirts of Mohali, Punjab. These fires contribute to air pollution.

 

A Bengaluru-based firm is offering a microbial bioenzyme developed by Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) to help farmers across India dispose stubble (crop residue) on their farms responsibly.

Stubble decomposes within 25 days of spraying the bioenzyme, named Pusa Decomposer, and gets converted into manure, thereby improving the quality of soil, claims the company, which is also offering a free spraying service.

nurture.farm, a technology-led solutions provider for sustainable agriculture, claims to have already signed up with more than 25,000 farmers, mostly in Punjab and Haryana, covering an area of over 5,00,000 acres.

Every year, burning rice paddy stubble on around 5.7 million acres of land contributes to polluting the air. The burning of stubble also impacts the quality of soil as the process kills nutrients and microbes. Flora and fauna are also destroyed in the fire.

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Dhruv Sawhney, COO and Business Head, nurture.farm said, “Around 75% of Indian farmers own land, which spans a hectare or less. They are aware of the negative implications of crop burning, but lack of access to the latest technology, and farm mechanisation pushes them to burn stubble. Any delay in disposing stubble directly affects their next crop cycle, which has a domino effect on their yield and ultimately their income.”