Long before ‘organic’ became a buzzword, several farmers across the country practised holistic farming where nothing was considered useless. Most farmers had cattlen on their farms. While the milk was consumed by the family, the cow dung and urine were recycled back into the farm.
Panchagavya is one such concoction where cow dung and urine is allowed to ferment with a host of other ingredients, all sourced from the farm. Read on to learn how to make Panchagavya.
Practicing organic farming for over a decade and a half now, Kalaivani has come to be respected as one of the more innovative farmers in the Erode region as well as an avid promoter of the organic movement in Tamilnadu. She keeps herself busy preparing all the inputs for her farm which include Panchagavya and Jeevamrutham among others to keep the crop healthy and prevent insects and pests from ruining the harvest.
Panchagavya
Cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, bananas, tender coconut, cow’s curd, ghee and milk are all you need to prepare Panchagavya. In this video, Kalaivani explains in easy steps, a method to prepare Panchagavya and a couple of other organic inputs to promote plant growth, boost immunity and ward off insects and pests.
Leaves of locally available plants which are usually considered useless can very well be put into exceptional use. A portion of this video also has information on how to prepare insect and pest repellents using leaves and herbs available locally. Some of the leaves and herbs which can are used to prepare the potion include the leaves of Sitaphal (Annona squamosa), Jackfruit, Neem, Tulsi (Basil - Ocimum sps), Thumbai (Leucas aspera) and Aadathodai (Aadhatoda vasica).
Panchagavya can be used either as a foliar spray or as liquid fertilizer after dilution while the pest repellent can be sprayed over the plants. Panchagavya is known to increase farm yield and boost immunity. Both these concoctions will be ready for use within 20 days of preparation and can be replenished regularly if there is ample amount of cow dung and urine supply in the farm.
Instead of anticipating a brutal pest attack or praying against all odds for a mediocre yield, it is better to opt for preventive measures to ensure a healthy and robust crop growth.
Recommended reading
TNAU Agritech Portal’s page on Panchagavya