Joyful mixed crops in winter
UBINIG
Nayakrishi villages are very colourful during winter season. From the beginning of the winter season as early as December- the Bangla month of Poush, the fields are yellow with mustard crops. While commercial mustard growing is done mostly as a monocrop, Nayakrishi farmers have a mix of vegetables and spices. Cultivated crops of radish, onion, garlic – and a combination of uncultivated partner crops are mixed and grown, so that different crops do not compete for the same nutrition from the soil and are designed to prevent pest attacks. This creates a beautiful biodiverse field.
Mixed cropping or multicropping is one of the ten principles of Nayakrishi farming. This practice mirrors the diversity of the forest and retains and enhances soil fertility and productivity. It i...