NEW DELHI: Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the autonomous body responsible for co-ordinating agricultural education and research in the country, has put a stamp over the use of cow urine in organic farming.
Under its Network Project on Organic Farming, ICAR observed that cow urine can supplement the nutrient value of the soil and help in the management of insects, pests and diseases under the organic production systems. ICAR evaluated cow urine in different cropping systems.
Assistant Director General, ICAR, Dr S Bhaskar said, “Spraying of cow urine has been found to be beneficial as it fulfills the nutrient requirement during the process of organic farming, but more study is needed into this. The spray must be a mixture of 10 per cent cow urine and 90 per cent water. Keeping the same in view, National Dairy Research Institute is conducting further study.”
ICAR officials said that the use of fermented cow urine enhances soil fertility and it can also be turned into liquid fertiliser as a pesticide for crops. Liquid manure from cow urine is easy to make and is good for plants in comparison to artificial fertiliser.
There are many ministers in the current cabinet who have recommended the use of cow urine to cure health issues. Senior BJP leader and Union minister Nitin Gadkari had revealed that he uses cow urine and that it can cure diabetes.
Incidentally, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, has received 50 proposals from different academic and research institutes to study the benefits of cow urine and milk under the Scientific Validation And Research On ‘Panchgavya’ (concoction of cow dung, cow urine, milk, curd and ghee) programme.
According to officials, the government is promoting organic farming in the country through a cluster approach via dedicated schemes namely Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture.
The decision to ask ICAR to conduct a study on use of cow urine in organic farming was taken after a high-level meeting at the NITI Aayog in October last year. Union Minister Giriraj Singh was also called for a study on use of cow urine, dung and bio-waste in organic farming. Sources claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked NITI Aayog officials to consult the minister on popularising organic farming.
Sikkim is the only state that has officially been declared an organic state. It is India’s first fully organic state where cow dung and urine are used for farming and killing pests.
Promoting Productivity
Liquid manure from cow urine is easy to make and is good for plants in comparison to artificial fertiliser.
IIT-Delhi has received 50 proposals from different academic and research institutes to study the benefits of cow urine and milk.
Sikkim is India’s first fully organic state where cow dung and urine are used for farming and killing pests.