Innovative farming: Makhana seeds sown in village pond
This pond earlier had lotus. This was the best indication that makhana crop will grow successfully. Precautions were taken to ensure that the seeds germinate and there was a crop.
Barely a few kilometres from Lucknow, an innovative farming experiment is underway in a pond. Foxnut seeds (makhana) brought from Darbhanga in Bihar have been sown here and the villagers are busy taking care of them to ensure good crop.
The idea came from former director of Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) SP Khanuja who has adopted Itaunja village and decided to make it a model village through innovative farming ideas.
“Makhana is a crop from Bihar and is not sown in Uttar Pradesh. As the agro-climatic conditions are similar in Bihar and Itaunja, we decided to introduce makhana farming here. The crop has been sown in April under the guidance of experts from the Makhana Research Centre in Darbhanga,” said Khanuja.
The seeds were also brought from the research centre, he added.
Talking about the possibility of crop in the region, Khanuja said, “This pond earlier had lotus. This was the best indication that makhana crop will grow successfully. We have taken all precautions to ensure that the seeds germinate and we get a crop.”
As per the plan, the earnings from the crop would go to a corpus made at the village level for welfare activities.
Khanuja, along with a group of experts, has formed a flora-fauna foundation through which such experiments are being undertaken.
After the success of this crop, the plan is to take the crop to a pond near Chandrika devi temple.
Makhana isn’t all to innovations in the village. The group of scientists has also decided to introduce carrot farming in the area. “The farmers of the village said they have tried carrot farming once, but discontinued due to lack of market. We have contacted one company that supplies carrots to hotels etc and have ensured a market for farmers of the village. So this October, the sowing of carrot will also be done in the village,” added Khanuja.
