How Cover Crops Build Healthy Soil for Organic Millet Farming скачать в хорошем качестве

How Cover Crops Build Healthy Soil for Organic Millet Farming

Welcome to the first episode of the Ragi Masterclass by the Good Food Movement — where we take you through how to grow ragi the right way, step by step. In this episode, we begin long before the ragi is sown — by preparing the soil with cover crops. Cover crops are plants grown not for harvest, but to feed and heal the land. They protect the soil from erosion, keep weeds in check, hold water, and create a healthy home for insects and microbes. Instead of selling these plants, farmers either mix them back into the soil or leave them as a protective layer. Over time, this improves soil fertility, balances pH, increases moisture, and boosts biodiversity. Before planting ragi, we first grow cover crops because ragi is a monocot and needs high nitrogen and organic carbon. Rather than buying chemical fertilizers, we grow a mix of legume and non-legume plants to naturally fix nitrogen, add biomass, and manage weeds. Our mix includes sunnhemp (Senabu), dhaincha, horse gram (Huruli), cowpea (Alasande), sesame (Ellu), and mustard (Sasive). 1. Seeds: There’s no fixed rule for seed selection, but we use an 80:20 ratio — 80% legumes (sunnhemp/Senabu and dhaincha) for nitrogen-fixing and 20% non-legumes (horse gram/Huruli, cowpea/Alasande, sesame/Ellu, mustard/Sasive) for diversity, pest control, and soil health. 2. Soil & Rain (The cover crop mix changes based on soil type and rainfall): Red, gravelly soils / low rainfall → sunnhemp (Senabu) works best. Black soils / medium-high rainfall → dhaincha produces more biomass and nitrogen. Other plants in the mix bring variety, break pest cycles, and improve soil biology. 3. Timing In Indian farming, sowing is often guided by nakshatras and rainfall. Cover crops are best sown after the first summer rains during periods like Revati, Ashwini, Bharani, Kritika, or Rohini — when soil has just enough moisture. In our Ragi Masterclass field in Tiptur, we sowed cover crops on April 15, two days after the Ashwini rains. Seeds were scattered by hand — short throws (sannkalu) for near rows, long throws (dappkalu) for far ones — then lightly mixed into the top 2 inches of soil with a rotavator. Within a week, the field was green. By day 20, a thick canopy had formed, shading the soil and suppressing weeds. Legume roots had developed nodules full of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. By day 54, plants were 6 feet tall. We measured productivity using a 1 m² PVC frame, sampling in a Z-pattern to avoid bias. The results: about 4.1 kg/m², or 16 tons of fresh biomass per acre. Half of this weight is carbon, which, when returned to the soil, feeds microbes, improves structure, and helps the soil hold more water. Mustard (Sasive) and sesame (Ellu) in the mix also release natural bio-fumigants that control pests and diseases — a big plus for the upcoming ragi crop. Seventeen days after mulching, we tested soil again. Our baseline soil organic carbon in February was 0.6. Using the quartering method, we collected 2–4 samples per plot, digging to a depth of 15 cm. The biomass had already started breaking down, adding organic matter. We then brought in cow dung manure, placing it in small, covered heaps to preserve nutrients. The field rested until the next rains, which help integrate biomass into the soil, break pest cycles, regulate temperature, and reduce the need for costly fertilizers — making the farm more resilient to erratic weather. Next, we’ll prepare the land for ragi sowing. By investing in soil health first, we give the crop the best chance to thrive — without depending on chemicals. #goodfoodmovement #organicfarming #covercrops