Skip to content Skip to navigation

NE ideal soil for organic farming

The government is planning an organic revolution for the country, and the ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP) has come to its aid by identifying areas holding high potential for the same.

After completing scientific research that started in 2011, the bureau along with ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, and Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has prepared a geo-spatial digital map showing organic carbon stock in the soils of all states.

Apart from Sikkim, which became India's first fully organic state last year, almost the entire North-Eastern India, including Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur are perfectly fit for organic farming, the study of NBSS&LUP reveals.

During the research, two lakh soil samples from all over the country were collected and analysed for determining the content of organic carbon. Organic farming will give best results in areas having high quantity of organic carbon, which is a rich source of nutrients. In conventional farming, urea, nitrogen, phosphorous, insecticides and pesticides are used. But in organic farming, only natural manure is used and thus soils with adequate nutrients as evidenced by high organic carbon content are likely to produce high yield, informs ICAR-NBSS&LUP.

The map shows that parts of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra, also falling under the Western Ghats, possess rich organic carbon and are ideal for organic farming. In northern India, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand and parts of Jammu and Kashmir are the best zones to support organic farming. On the other hand, states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have low potential for organic farming due to "intensive cultivation". In case of intensive farming, nutrients are mined from soils without adequate replenishment. This results in the depletion of organic carbon.

Though Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra's black soil hold potential for organic farming, this type of agriculture should not deplete organic carbon. Regions having good source of organic carbon will face erosion threat when the soil is exposed to intensive agriculture. To ensure that the condition of these states does not become similar to Rajasthan, which has very low organic carbon, proper soil and water conservation plan should be implemented.

The research also aims at developing strategies for sustainable agriculture to combat climate change. When carbon is depleted from the soil, it goes into the atmosphere in the form of carbon-dioxide. This leads to a significant increase in the ambient temperature, and to avoid this, proper land use planning is needed. Strategies to enhance carbon sequestration should be developed.

ICAR-NBSS&LUP plans to publish the data and share it with the Prime Minister's Office, Planning Commission, and other concerned departments. The Institute are talking about it at various platforms, and highlighting how it could be best used in promoting knowledge-based agriculture.

Add new comment

Random Stories

Poaching clues unearthed

14 May 2015 - 5:44am | AT News
Yet another vital clue on rampant rhino poaching in Kaziranga surfaces when police interrogated three poachers after being captured in Jorhat on Wednesday. Policemen tracing the development told...

Gold for Assam cyclists

24 Dec 2015 - 2:44pm | AT News
Assam cyclists team at the 68th National Track Cycling Championship held at Ludhiana, Punjab from December 16-20 won several awards.  Gold Medal in 3000 meters Team Pursuit  for...

Ayushman Bharat launches in Hojai District

23 Sep 2018 - 9:14pm | Nikhil Mundra
Hojai:-"Ayushman Bharat"- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana   (AB-PMJAY)' deemed as the "worlds largest government funded healthcare programme" launched at Swarna Jayanti Bhawan in Hojai on...

New society formed at Nazira

30 Oct 2012 - 2:34pm | SK Hasan
A group of local residents of Nazira has formed a society called "Human Welfare Society" with a 13-member committee. P.C. Baruah and Md. Nasar Khan were selected as the President and General...

Other Contents by Author

An undying orgy of violence in Manipur puts Chief Minister N Biren Singh in a tough time to continue his second consecutive term.  Highly placed sources have said the escalating tension in the BJP-ruled north eastern state is forcing the party leadership to consider a change in the state government leadership as an urgent measure to help the state bail out of the crisis that has left 53000 people homeless so far. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is on a four-day visit to the restive state, is learnt to have been considering all  possible aspects to quell the situation.  The symbolic anthem “We Shall Overcome” reverberated the air filled with tears and fears. All...
Guwahati: Expressing profound grief at the demise of seven brilliant students of Assam Engineering College (AEC) in a tragic late-night accident on 29 May 2023, All Assam Engineer’s Association (AAEA) urges the college authority to impose some basic disciplinary measures urgently. The forum of graduate engineers (many of them AECians) also wishes an early recovery to all the injured students and others in the fatal road mishap.  The AEC Hostel 7 boarders were returning to the residential college campus from western part of the city and faced the accident near the Jalukbari overbridge. The luxury car carrying ten students hit the divider first and then a goods carrier on the other...
In Manipur, tensions have reached a critical point as demands for the removal of Chief Minister Biren Singh or the appointment of a Kuki MLA as Deputy Chief Minister have escalated. The situation took a turn for the worse a day before the scheduled visit of Home Minister Amit Shah, as sporadic gunshots were reported throughout the region. Chief Minister Biren Singh, amidst the growing unrest, has made a bold claim, stating that security forces have successfully eliminated 40 militants since the conflict began. However, these assertions have not been independently verified, leaving room for skepticism and further fueling the already volatile atmosphere. A surge in violence was...
In a tragic road accident that occurred in the Jalukbari area of Guwahati seven engineering students died at spot last night. According to reports, a group of 10 Assam Engineering College (AEC) students traveled in a scorpio car. Seven of the students died after their vehicle colliding with a bolero pick-up van.  Besides, five others including the driver and handyman of the pick-up van were seriously injured in the accident. The deceased students hailed from different parts of the state including Guwahati. They were identified as Kaushik Barua (Mangaldoi), Kaushik Mohan (Sivasagar), Raj Kiran Bhuyan (Majuli), Imon Barua (Dibrugah), Arindam Bhowal (Guwahati), Upanshu Sarma (Nagaon), and...
In a show of solidarity, Manipur fire service personnel commenced an indefinite cease-work strike on Tuesday to protest against the assault on their colleagues by personnel belonging to the 16 Jat Regiment. Firefighters are demanding immediate action against the individuals responsible for the incident, which involved a lathi charge on the firemen. Salam Jiban, the Sub-Officer of Manipur Fire Service Headquarters, stated that the strike was initiated in response to the assault on five firemen near the City Convention Centre, located just a few meters from the new check post in Imphal East. He emphasized that the fire personnel were simply carrying out their duty to extinguish a fire in the...
Guwahati: WWF-India Assam State Office marked the International Day for Biological Diversity on 22nd May with an engaging awareness program held at the Aquaculture and Biodiversity Centre, supported by the Zoology Department of Gauhati University. The event aimed to educate students from various colleges and universities about the significance of biodiversity conservation. Mrs. Archita Baruah Bhattacharyya, the State Coordinator of WWF-India Assam State Office, delivered a warm welcome address to the participants, which included students from esteemed institutions such as the Department of Environment Science, Gauhati University, National Law University & Judicial Academy, Assam...
The North-East Forum for International Solidarity (NEFIS) has strongly criticized the Manipur state government for its inability to maintain peace and normalcy in the region. NEFIS demands the immediate resignation of the Chief Minister of Manipur on moral grounds, holding the government accountable for its failure to ensure peace in the state. The organization has called upon all communities in Manipur to prioritize communal harmony amidst the current atmosphere of communal rift, urging them to engage in dialogue to resolve their differences. NEFIS expressed concern over the role of the state government in sowing animosity among different communities for cheap political gains. The...
The National Federation for New States (NFNS) has expressed deep anguish and concern regarding the ongoing violence in Manipur. The organization has called for an immediate end to the mindless acts of violence which have caused immense suffering to vulnerable sections of society, including the elderly, women, and children. Additionally, the NFNS strongly condemns the destruction of homes, properties, and places of worship. While acknowledging its longstanding relationship with the Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC), the NFNS appeals to all people groups involved to abandon violence and instead seek peaceful and democratic means to find a lasting solution. The organization believes...
NEHU Campus, 20th April, 2023 - The National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), GoI, has kicked off the Entrepreneurship Awareness Camp (EAC) at the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) campus. The three-day program, organized by the Department of Biomedical Engineering, NEHU and sponsored by the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI), Ahmedabad, aims to equip over 75 students from diverse backgrounds with the knowledge and skills required for entrepreneurship. Esteemed experts from both industry and academia have gathered to interact with the participants, shedding light on crucial topics such as...
Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, a veteran journalist, will receive the Parag Kumar Das Journalism Award 2023. The award includes a cash prize of Rs 25,000, a citation, and a memento. The award ceremony will take place on May 17. Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty currently serves as the National Affairs Editor for the digital news publication 'The Wire.' The Parag Kumar Das Journalism Award was established to honor the courageous journalist Parag Kumar Das, who lost his life while fighting for the truth. The award recognizes and encourages journalists who tirelessly uncover the truth and bring it to the public.