In Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district, shifting weather patterns, growing reliance on chemical fertilizers and steadily declining soil fertility have become a serious source of worry for farmers. The 'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' (Save the Farmland campaign) has been launched to tackle exactly this problem, offering farmers simple, effective ways to improve soil health, cut farming costs and raise crop yields.
Get your soil tested every 2 to 3 years
Dr. Chandramani Tripathi, president of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Gopal Gram and a senior agricultural scientist, says farmers should get their farmland's soil tested at least once every two to three years. The test shows exactly which nutrients are missing from the soil and which ones are already at healthy levels, allowing farmers to apply fertilizers and manure accordingly. Applying fertilizer by guesswork, without a soil test, usually means either overspending on inputs the land doesn't need or under-feeding the crop. Testing first and then applying the right quantity of fertilizer ensures crops get complete nutrition while the farmer avoids unnecessary expense.
Cut back on chemical fertilizer, lean on organic manure
According to Dr. Tripathi, continuous and excessive use of chemical fertilizers gradually weakens soil quality, and over time this steadily erodes the land's productive capacity. That's why farmers are being urged to increase their use of organic alternatives such as well-rotted cow dung manure, vermicompost and green manure. These inputs raise the organic carbon content of the soil, which keeps the land fertile for a much longer stretch of time and also improves the soil's overall structure.
Rotate crops and stop burning stubble
Dr. Tripathi explains that planting the same crop in the same field year after year gradually depletes specific nutrients from the soil, since every crop draws a different set of nutrients from the ground. Crop rotation, growing a different type of crop each season, helps prevent this kind of depletion. Farmers are also being advised to mix leftover crop residue back into the soil after harvest instead of burning it, a practice that both improves soil health and cuts down on the pollution caused by stubble burning.
The payoff: better yields, lower costs
Dr. Chandramani Tripathi says adopting the Khet Bachao Abhiyan keeps soil fertile over the long run, which improves crop quality, boosts production and brings down the overall cost of farming. He has appealed to farmers to follow scientific advice while farming and to rely more heavily on balanced fertilizers along with organic manure to protect their soil. In his view, healthy soil is the strongest foundation for both better harvests and better income for farmers, which is why soil care deserves to be treated as one of the most important parts of farming itself.
Campaign reaches 8 blocks and village councils
Dr. Tripathi said that under the Khet Bachao Abhiyan, the Deendayal Sansthan has helped spread information about the campaign to farmers across 8 blocks of Gonda district. Alongside this, awareness programmes tied to the campaign are being held in 2 gram sabhas every single day, an effort aimed at carrying the message from village to village and bringing as many farmers as possible into the campaign to save their soil.
