In Chhattisgarh's Surguja district, cultivators are increasingly turning toward natural farming inputs to minimize crop expenses and avoid aggressive chemical pesticides. The adoption of Dashparni Ark, a cost-effective homemade concoction, has emerged as an efficient defense mechanism against damaging sap-sucking insects and caterpillars. Agricultural expert Dr. Sandeep Sharma noted that this simple home-brewed solution enables growers to safeguard their fields efficiently while supporting overall crop productivity.
Selecting Ten Naturally Bitter Foliage Varieties
The core formulation of this organic solution relies on a deliberate combination of ten diverse plant leaves. Explaining the selection criteria, agricultural specialist Dr. Sandeep Sharma highlighted that plants possessing distinct natural bitterness are specifically picked. The primary botanical ingredients include approximately 10 types of leaves, featuring karanj, bael, besharam, turmeric, and papaya. The strong herbal essence of these greens acts as a formidable repellent against intrusive field pests.
Step-By-Step Brewing Process in a Plastic Drum
Preparing the bio-concoction requires straightforward farmyard items. Growers start by taking a standard plastic drum with a 200-litre capacity. Into this drum, 200 litres of clean water are poured along with approximately 10 litres of cow urine and 1 to 2 kilograms of cow dung manure. The mixture is further enriched by adding turmeric powder, chillies, asafoetida, and tobacco leaves, alongside the 10 selected varieties of crushed bitter foliage.
Fermenting Over Forty Days and Straining
Once all raw materials are placed together inside the container, the mixture must be stirred thoroughly every day in a clockwise direction. The entire fermentation cycle takes approximately 40 days to mature fully. After completing this 40-day resting duration, the liquid is carefully filtered using a fine sieve or a clean cloth. The strained aromatic extract obtained from this process is the final Dashparni Ark, ready for agricultural application.
Application Dosage and Recommended Pulse Crops
Outlining the precise field application, Dr. Sharma stated that roughly 5 to 6 litres of Dashparni Ark should be blended into 250 litres of water to treat a one-hectare plot. This diluted spray systematically curbs infestations of voracious caterpillars and sap-draining insects. Growers can deploy this organic defense across various cultivations, notably pulse crops such as pigeon pea, black gram, and green gram.
