Bhubaneswar
When the advent of high-yielding varieties became the preferred means of boosting rice production during the mid-1960s, the stock of indigenous varieties began to shrink. But Suratha Kisan, a tribal farmer from Dharudihi village in Odisha’s Sundargarh district, established the Singha Bahini Seed Bank (SBSB) in 2014-15 to arrest their slide towards extinction.
With support from the Sambalpur-based non-government organisation Desi Bihana Surakhsya Manch (DBSM), Suratha set up the seed bank on his own to salvage indigenous varieties from slipping into anonymity. Gradually, from 2015-16 onwards, 20 to 25 farmers from his area joined the initiative one after another, strengthening the mission to conserve indigenous seeds.
“Our SBSB started with only 35 indigenous paddy varieties. Now the seed bank has about 110 such varieties. This apart, SBSB has stocked seeds of six indigenous pulse varieties, 18 varieties of millets, 10 vegetable varieties and two oil varieties. Now our seed bank, which has about 80 active farmer members, is still collecting and storing as many indigenous seed varieties as possible,” Suratha, a graduate who belongs to the Kisan tribal community, told The Indian Tribal.
The Kisans are primarily agriculturists who grow paddy, millets and oilseeds. They speak the Kuruk dialect, Odia and Sambalpuri, and also collect and sell various kinds of minor forest produce. A section of the community is engaged in date palm craft, including the making of mats and brooms.
When SBSB was established in 2014-15, its collection included indigenous paddy varieties such as the black Kalajeera, fine Sunakathi, red Lusuri, aromatic Karpura Kranti and the plain non-aromatic Pateni. Since then, the seed bank has added varieties such as the black Kalabati, fine Machcha Kanta, aromatic Karpura Kranti, red Juiguda and the plain non-aromatic Katia. Indigenous vegetable seeds, including red okra, ridge gourd, cucumber, tomato, bitter gourd and cowpea, are also preserved in the seed bank.
Suratha’s late father, Baneswar Kisan, had cultivated indigenous varieties such as Nilamani, Bhoska and Bansbhotta on about five acres. However, in 1995 he switched to high-yielding varieties such as Swarna and Pratikshya to obtain better yields. While high-yielding varieties in the rain-fed region produce 12 to 14 quintals per acre, indigenous varieties yield 8 to 10 quintals per acre.
However, Suratha’s association with DBSM in 2012 made him realise the harmful impact of chemical fertilisers and pesticides used in cultivating high-yielding varieties. According to studies, chemical fertilisers cause soil acidification, loss of soil fertility and soil compaction. On the other hand, several indigenous varieties are naturally pest-resistant and drought-tolerant. According to Suratha, these varieties are also resilient enough to withstand the impacts of climate change.
“Since then, I have been growing indigenous paddy varieties on five acres and vegetables on about 25 decimals. Besides, I had to invest Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 8,000 per acre per year for cultivating high-yielding paddy varieties, while I now spend Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,000 per acre per year to grow indigenous varieties,” said Suratha, who has been felicitated by various NGOs, media organisations and even Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for his relentless efforts.
He not only cultivates indigenous crops through natural farming but has also motivated other farmers to adopt ecological farming methods. Today, indigenous paddy is cultivated on nearly 25 acres and vegetables on around five acres in his village.
“Suratha was initiated into ecological farming during his early phase by DBSM. He was also immensely inspired by Padma Shri Prof. Radhamohan of Nayagarh district, Padma Shri Dr. Subhash Palekar of Maharashtra and noted agriculturist Natabar Sarangi of Cuttack district during 2013-14. These stalwarts not only inspired him to cultivate indigenous varieties but also encouraged him to establish SBSB and earn the tag of a seed saviour,” said DBSM Convener Saroj Kumar Mohanty.
In his quest to become a successful cultivator of indigenous crops and a custodian of native seeds, Suratha underwent several training programmes conducted by DBSM and the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Kirei, in Sundargarh district.
“We trained Suratha in different phases under the ‘Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act’, the ‘National Mission on Natural Farming’ and the government’s ‘Paramparagata Krushi Vikash Yojana’. He was trained in seed treatment, assessment of soil nutrients, seed conservation and mulching, including the preparation of vermi-compost,” said Dr. Manoj Kumar Jena, Scientist (Soil Science), KVK, Kirei.
“During the training, he also learnt the preparation and use of bio-fertilisers such as ‘Bijamruta’ and ‘Jivamruta’, and bio-pesticides including ‘Nimastra’, ‘Bramhastra’, ‘Agniastra’ and ‘Dashaparni’,” he added.
Suratha’s SBSB lends indigenous seeds to farmers in nearby areas. Farmers who borrow seeds repay the loan after harvest with an additional quantity as interest. For example, a farmer who borrows 10 kilograms of seed must return 15 kilograms after harvest.
“The seed bank also sells seeds to farmers in distant areas. For example, it sells paddy varieties such as ‘Kusumkali’ and ‘Machchakanta’ at Rs. 30 and Rs. 40 per kilogram, respectively. However, if any NGO or institution purchases seeds from SBSB under a government-sponsored project, the per-kilogram price increases marginally,” explained Suratha.
“My seed bank also exchanges its seeds with other seed banks in western Odisha if a particular variety is not available in the SBSB stock,” he added.
Suratha also cultivates indigenous seed varieties specifically to replenish the seed bank and ensure adequate supplies during the sowing season. While he grows millet, vegetable and paddy seeds on half an acre to maintain diversity, high-demand varieties such as Machchakanta are cultivated on 1.5 acres.
