At a time when climatic variations are troubling farmers especially those into rain-fed farming, an agricultural researcher and entrepreneur has come up with a product that could boost the water-holding capacity of soil and provide required nutrients to the crop.
Manjunath Purushottam Sanu of Hubballi, a graduate of agricultural sciences, who has already developed various herbal products, has developed the new product to help farmers.
As per initial trials conducted by Mr. Sanu, who has won national awards for his research, one gram of the product has the capacity to hold 50 ml of water and also provides the plant with nutrients during a dry spell.
Named ‘Jeevarakshak’, it is water-absorbent, enriched with plant nutrients and seaweed elixir, a herbal plant protector. Mr. Manjunath who after initially serving in fertiliser companies started his own biotechnology company ‘Samarth Biotech’ in 1993 and developed around 30 various herbal and biotech products.
“My objective is to help farmers, especially those in the drought-prone areas. ‘Jeevarakshak’ increases the water holding capacity of the soil. It helps water absorption up to 100 times its own weight, maintains soil structure for better water availability and arability, and enhances chlorophyll content in plants. The active compounds of herbal extracts act as antagonists to soil pests and pathogens,” he told The Hindu.
Already, progressive farmer Mallikarjun from Sulla village has used the product on five acres of his land where he has sown green gram. Shanmukanna Dyamakkanavar of the same village too used the product.
Mr. Sanu says the application of the product is easy as it has flexible treatment periods. “It can be used for seeding, pre-transplantation, post-transplantation treatments,” he said.
Field trials
Considering the need for such a product, Agriculture Minister H.N. Shivashankar Reddy has asked the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) to conduct field trials of the product at a subsidised fee and consequently the Board of Management has recommended for consideration of the proposal. Meanwhile, Mr. Sanu is in the process of completing the modalities required to patent the product.
