“PANCHAMITRA” literally means, combination of panch i.e. five elements. A simple mixture of these elements, generally used in Hindu rituals can be more than an entity which is offered to god. “Panchamrit” which is a mixture of five products namely — honey, milk, yogurt, ghee, and sugar (garnished with basil leaves), often used in Hindu rituals, can now be offered to the life givers on earth i.e. plants/crops.
Few researchers from Gujarat University conducted a research on the usability of this liquid at the field, by using it as a substitute for fertilizers. In a study titled 'Comparative effect of chemical, organic fertilizer and Panchamrit (bio-fertilizer) on growth and yield of Fenugreek', a team of three professors of the Department of Botany — Heppy Patel, Jahanvi Pandya, and Nainesh Modi emphasized on the use of panchamitra as fertilizer.
Professor Modi was quoted as saying , "In Ayurveda, Panchamrit is said to cure many diseases. High input practices, such as heavy use of chemical fertilizers, have given rise to many economical, environmental, and social problems.
This coupled with increasing cost of chemical inputs has left farmers helpless, resulting to deterioration in seed quality of certain crops and a subsequent fall in sales price. Peasants are becoming increasingly dependent on off-farm supplies, which require cash and may not always be available on time. These were the reasons we took up this study."
The researchers conducted a field trial at the botanical garden of GU to assess the comparative effect of chemical and organic fertilizers and Panchamrit (a bio fertiliser).
As part of the study, fenugreek was planted in pots and watered and maintained regularly over 66 days. The seeds were sown in 12 pots in the winters of 2017 and were treated with fertilizers on the interval of every 10 days. The data of growth and yield was collated meticulously.
Overall bacterial analysis indicated high prevalence of rhizobium bacteria, which is one of the factors which signifies good soil health, in Panchamrit treated soil. Study showed that the growth parameters are better in the panchamitra treated soil.
Months of study and field trials proved that this mixture can be used as a viable source of fertilizer. According to the study the preparation can act as a wonderful fertilizer. If this research is to be trusted upon, This liquid can be a good alternative to the available range of chemical fertilizers.
