Farmers told to improve soil fertility through intercropping

Guntur: Executive vice chairman of AP Rytu Sadhikara Samstha K Vijay Kumar said intercropping and mulching with crop residues significantly improve water retention and soil fertility. He along with an international delegation went to natural farming fields managed under AP Community-managed Natural Farming (APCMNF) initiative implemented by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha at Nutakki village under Mangalagiri mandal in the district on Saturday.

A team from the Global Initiative for Sustainability and Transformation led by its chairman André Hoffmann, Rosalie Hoffmann, its CEO Pavan Sukhdev, and its secretary general Satya S Tripathi, visited the village to study the transformation brought about through natural farming.

Vijay Kumar explained that keeping the soil covered throughout the year helps retain soil moisture, improves fertility and restores the natural ecosystem. Natural farming was first introduced in Nutakki in 2016 with just four farmers; today, nearly 92 percent of farmers in the village have adopted it.

The delegation visited banana and turmeric fields cultivated by farmer Srinivasa Reddy, where they observed chemical-free cultivation methods. They compared natural farming fields with conventional chemical farming plots and noted reduced water consumption and an increase in soil organic matter.

The delegation also interacted with the Padmashree Mahila Sangham, where women farmers explained how self-help group loans are enabling collective adoption of natural farming. Later, the team visited compact paddy block fields at Peddapalem, where SC tenant farmers are achieving better yields through natural practices.

Global Initiative for Sustainability and Transformation chairman Andre Hoffman and his team, AP Rytu Sadhikara Samstha executive vice-chairman K Vijaya Kumar visit natural farming fields at Nutakki village in Guntur district on Saturday