Patanjali University Swasth Dhara: A two-day national conference on ‘Sustainable Cultivation of Quality Medicinal Herbs through Soil Health Testing and Management’ was held at Patanjali University, Haridwar on Sunday. The program was jointly organized by Ministry of AYUSH, Patanjali Organic Research Institute, RCSCNR-1, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), and Bharua Agriscience.
The event held on October 27–28 under the ‘Swasth Dhara’ (Healthy Land) program was aimed at strengthening sustainable agriculture. NABARD Chairman and Chief Guest Shaji KV addressed the meeting. He described the company’s partnership with Patanjali as an important step towards promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development.
“NABARD’s objective is to provide credit support to programs that promote sustainable agriculture and rural growth. This collaboration will help implement innovative projects more efficiently,” he said.
Highlighting NABARD’s long-term vision, Shaji KV stated that this year is crucial for achieving the goal of a developed India 2027. Negative effects of monocultural practices are also discussed. This has led to reduced soil fertility and loss of biodiversity, he said.
‘Crop health is key to human health’: Acharya Balakrishna
Patanjali University Vice-Chancellor Acharya Balakrishna emphasized that soil and human well-being are mutually dependent. “Protecting crops is essential to protect human health,” he said, urging efforts to restore the soil to its original, natural state. He called soil management as the current need. He stressed the importance of revitalizing universal resources to truly achieve ‘Swast Dhara’.
The ‘Dhatri Ka Doctor’ Yantra that grabbed everyone’s attention
The main attraction at the conference was an automated soil-testing machine designed by Patanjali, ‘Dhatri Ka Doctor (DKD)’, which became the center of attraction. Acharya Balakrishna explained that this innovation will help in solving soil related challenges and help in making the land disease free.
Using the DKD test kit, key soil nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, pH levels, organic carbon, electrical conductivity can be accurately analyzed in just 30 minutes. Dr KN Sharma, director of Bharua Agriscience, said the DKD machine will help farmers overcome challenges in producing high-quality crops.
In this event, two publications ‘Swasth Dhara’ and ‘Medicinal Plants: International Journal of Phytomedicines and Related Industries’ were also released.
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