The crops in most parts of Mewat region have been limited to wheat, mustard, sorghum, millet and few varieties of vegetables. These crops deplete the soil of some critical micro nutrients like Zinc, and Phosphorus. Whereas an ideal crop cycle should include legumes as they have a natural ability to fix nitrogen in the soil. The Sehgal Foundation in an effort to protect soil depletion and promote diversification of crops has invited scientists from International Crop Research Institute of Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) , to analyze the soil quality and recommend suitable legumes for this region.

Dr. Suhas Wani, Principal Scientist - Watershed, and his assistant from ICRISAT visited the villages Ghaghas and Agon. After studying the soil testing results they suggested groundnuts and red gram (C ajanus cajan) as suitable crops. They also recommended the use of a nutrient kit consisting Boron, Zinc and Phosphorus to nourish the land for better yield.

In Ghaghas, when the Foundation's team was educating the farmers on legumes and their impact, Haji Saahb Khan, was the only farmer who agreed to try out cultivating groundnut in one acre of his fallow land. Haji Saahb Khan is a village volunteer and the President of the Village Level Institution (VLI) formed by the Foundation to undertake the development activities of the village

Haji Khan purchased the nutrient kit and the recommended variety of groundnut at a subsidized rate from ICRISAT. He followed the best practices that he had learned from the farmers' trainings. There was a yield of nine quintals of high quality groundnut which he thinks could have been about 14 quintals if sowing was done timely. In an interview he said, "So far whatever Sehgal Foundation has introduced in our village, has been beneficial; so I was confident that this initiative will also be successful". He also shared his recent understanding on chiseling, "I was surprised that the crop required only two irrigations with the use of chisel; we used to irrigate the fields 6-7 times (depending on the crop and the rainfall) before."

He wants to save his superior quality groundnut produce for subsequent production and also sell it to other farmers. "Promoting this new crop will generate additional income within the village" says Khan. He further added, "Cultivating groundnuts is easy, it requires less labor and maintenance, I earned Rs.2000 by just selling the fodder of the crop which paid back all the input costs."

This is a big success to Haji Khan Saahb, a champion in the village, who boldly ventured into a new path. He is assured of the profits his nine quintals seed is going to bring in. This research has also opened gates for the Foundation's income enhancement program. Now, farmers are approaching Haji Khan Saahb and the Foundation's team for assistance to grow groundnut.

For further information please contact:

The Sehgal Foundation
Veena Sehgal
289, Sector 17A,
Gurgaon, Haryana-122001, India