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A two-day National Conference on “Sustainable Cultivation of Quality Herbs through Soil Health Monitoring and Management” was held on October 27-28 at Patanjali University, Haridwar. The workshop was organized under the “Swasth Dhara” initiative, a joint effort of Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, Patanjali Organic Research Institute, RCSCNR-1, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), and Bharu Agriscience.
Shaji KV, Chairman of NABARD and Chief Guest of the event, described the collaboration with Patanjali as important. “NABARD’s mission is to provide credit to promote sustainable agriculture and rural development in the country and this collaboration can effectively drive creative work,” he said. He described this year as important for achieving the goal of Developed India 2027. They also drew attention to the decline in soil fertility and the negative impact on biodiversity due to monoculture agriculture.
At the event, Patanjali University Vice Chancellor, Acharya Balakrishna said, “Protection of human health is possible only through crop protection.” He called for bringing the soil back to its original form, correcting the “original error”. He emphasized that soil management is a modern necessity for a “healthy earth”, and revitalizing this universal and inherent wealth is essential.
The highlight of the workshop was Patanjali’s automated soil testing machine, “Dharti Ka Doctor” (DKD). Acharya Balakrishna said that this machine helps to overcome soil related challenges and make the earth disease free. This kit accurately tests essential soil nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, pH, organic carbon and electrical conductivity in just half an hour. Director of Bharuva Agri Science Dr. K.N. DKD helps farmers meet the challenges of producing high-quality crops, Sharma said.
On this occasion, the books ‘Swasth Dhara’ and ‘Medicinal Plants: International Journal of Phytomedicines and Related Industries’ were also released.
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