Farmers in the Phulpur and Shringverpur blocks of Prayagraj district's trans Ganga pocket are quickly learning about multi-layer farming techniques.
Momi Dey, who is also the Vibhag Sharirik Pramukh of Rastra Sevika Samiti (RSS woman's wing, Prayagraj Vibhag), has taken initiatives to help farmers cultivate vegetables through multi-layer farming in the district's Phulpur and Shringverur blocks. Farmers, however, exclusively use cow dung and urine as manure in their vegetable gardens.
Crops and vegetables of various heights are seeded in the same field as part of the initiative. "Under multi-layer farming, different crops of variable heights and rooting patterns are farmed together," added Dey.
Over 100 farmers have already learned the technology and are employing it in over six 'bighas' of land in twin blocks. Farmers are also fully aware of the technique's advantages.
The goal of multi-layer farming is to make better use of vertical, horizontal, and underground space. The tallest components in this approach have foliage with a lot of light and a lot of evaporative demand. The shorter leaf components demand less shade and/or a higher level of humidity. Meanwhile, Dey said that she had brought similar farming practices to the neighbouring Kaushambi district four years ago, and that it had helped other farmer groups make higher income. "By employing these techniques, farmers' earnings have increased by 2-3 times. "Farmers are using organic techniques to cultivate crops," she continued.
Meanwhile, a city-based agriculture expert claims that the technique improves soil fertility.
What is Multi-Layer Farming?
Growing 2 or more crops together at the same time on the same land is called Multi-Layer Farming. In this, farmers grow plants and crops that are of different heights on the same field at the same time. The plants and crops should be compatible with each other. It is mostly practiced in plantation crops and orchards for maximum use of solar energy even under high planting density. 4-5 crops can be grown together very easily by this method.
