MP Farmer News: The Farmer Welfare and Agriculture Development Department of Madhya Pradesh has told the farmers a new recipe to increase the production of paddy crop. The department has advised to use Azolla to fulfill the natural nitrogen requirement. Farmers have been told that Azolla is a bio-fertilizer and by adding it to paddy fields before transplantation, production can be increased by 5 to 15 percent.
Ravi Amravanshi, Deputy Director of Farmer Welfare and Agriculture Development Department, Jabalpur, said that Azolla is a floating fern, which resembles algae. Azolla is usually grown in paddy fields or shallow water. It grows rapidly. Azolla is a bio-fertilizer. On one hand, it increases paddy production, on the other hand, it is used as fodder for poultry, fish and animals.
Supplies nitrogen to the crop
Let us tell you that Azolla is a species of small plants that grow in water. It is called fern in scientific language. Azolla petals contain a microorganism of the blue-green algae species called Anabaena, which synthesizes atmospheric nitrogen in sunlight. It supplies nitrogen to the crop like green manure.
According to Deputy Director Kisan Kalyan Amravanshi, the specialty of Azolla is that it doubles in 5 days in a favorable environment. If it is allowed to grow throughout the year, more than 300 tons of organic matter i.e. 40 kg nitrogen can be produced per hectare. Azolla contains 3 to 5 percent nitrogen and many types of organic substances, which increase the fertility of the soil.
Production can be increased
It can be easily used in paddy fields. By putting ten tons of fresh Azolla in a field filled with two to four inches of water before transplanting, the production of paddy crop can be increased by about five to fifteen percent. The color of this fern is dark red or brown. It is often seen in paddy fields, small puddles or ponds.
Method of making Azolla
According to the Department of Farmer Welfare and Agricultural Development, Azolla culture can be made in a water pond or iron tray. Azolla culture grows very fast by mixing 100 to 400 grams of culture per square meter in 5 to 7 centimeters of water in a water pond or iron tray. It doubles in 2 to 3 days. After adding Azolla culture, a thick layer of Azolla starts forming in a tray or pond from the second day itself, which works for nitrogen fixation. In this way, by using Azolla, farmers can get good production even by using less chemical fertilizer.
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