Azolla Farming: The increasing cost of paddy cultivation is becoming a big problem for the farmers. Especially the increasing expenditure on urea and other fertilizers also affects the pockets of farmers. In such a situation, agricultural scientists advise farmers to use Azolla. According to experts, Azolla is a natural organic fertilizer which along with providing essential nutrients to the paddy crop, also helps in improving the health of the soil. In such a situation, let us now tell you why Azolla is left in the field after planting paddy and how it reduces the cost of farming and how the health of the soil will improve.

What is Azolla?

Azolla is a small water-growing plant, which spreads rapidly on the surface of water. Its biggest specialty is that it absorbs the nitrogen present in the atmosphere and converts it into useful form through that crop. For this reason it is considered organic fertilizer.

How is it used in paddy field?

According to experts, Azolla is sown in the field about 15 to 20 days after transplantation of paddy. When there is sufficient water in the field, Azolla starts spreading on the surface of the water. It grows slowly and releases many nutrients including nitrogen into the soil. When Azolla grows, it acts like green manure and increases the amount of organic matter in the soil.

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How is the cost of farming reduced?

Paddy cultivation requires a large amount of nitrogen for good growth, which farmers usually fulfill through urea. Azolla provides nitrogen naturally, which can reduce the need for urea and other chemical fertilizers by 25 to 30 percent. This reduces the expenditure on fertilizers and makes farming more profitable. Apart from this, continuous use of chemical fertilizers can affect the quality of soil. Azolla helps in increasing organic carbon and nutrients in the soil. This improves the fertility of the soil and maintains production capacity for a long time.

Useful in weed problem and also in animal husbandry.

Azolla covers the entire surface of the water. Due to this, sunlight is not able to reach the bottom and the growth of weeds is reduced. As a result, farmers have to spend less on weeding and labor costs also reduce. 20 to 30 percent protein is found in Azolla. This is the reason why it is also used as nutritious fodder for animals. Many farmers are earning extra profit by using it in paddy cultivation as well as animal husbandry.

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