Alternative food crops to rice and wheat that can control weeds and grow even during harshest droughts

Author : Ayyappa Masagi

Raagi, Jola, Saavi, Harka, Udlu, Navane, Sajje, Korle, Baragu, etc. are the alternative crops to rice and wheat which Sri. Ayyappa Masagi, a progressive farmer, recently harvested at his 6 acre farm at Veerapur village in Northern Karnataka. Despite of this year's drought and non-irrigational facilities, his field was full of lush greenery (image attached); thanks to the spirit of these traditional crops  that effectively control weeds and grow healthily even during the worst droughts. His mission did not end with the harvesting. He wanted the non-irrigation agricultural farming and alternative crops message to spread to the nearby farmers. In this connection, an exposure visit and an awareness program was conducted at his farm presided by His Holiness Sri Sri Tontadarya Swamiji of Tontadarya Math, Gadag Dist, Karnataka on October 3rd.

The farm

This program witnessed the presence of Ex-MLA of Ron Taluk Sri. G S Patil, Sri. Mallikarjun Hosapalya, Sri G Krishnaprasad and nearby progressive farmers.  Sri Sri Tontadarya Swamiji appealed the attendees to grow these farmer friendly crops henceforth to obtain assured crops every year.

(Sri. Ayyappa Masagi is a progressive farmer and the Founder Director of Water Literacy Foundation, Bangalore. He firmly believes in non-irrigational agricultural systems (organic farming is a part of this system) is the best way towards nation's food and water security. These systems enable farmers to grow crops in any pattern rain and assure crops even during the harshest droughts.

To know more on non-irrigational agricultural systems (farming without the need of borewells and other irrigational systems) and the traditional crops, please contact Sri. Ayyappa Masagi – 09448379497 or email: waterliteracyfoundation@yahoo.com)