Detail:

Dr Mulchand Haria from the Kutch district of Gujarat defends termites and believes that the insect should not be controlled as it does not damage the plant. In his 40 years of life Haria has never seen termites damaging the roots of green living plants. So he can't understand why farmers try so hard to control the insect.It is true that termites do attack plants whose roots are affected by some disease or by rotting. However, rather than harming the plant they prove beneficial by nullifying the effect of the disease or the rot. For example, when the cotton plant is affected by wilt which is a fungal disease, termites attack the root and eat away the bark of the affected portion and thus prevent the disease from spreading. Even if the bark of the diseased plant is removed, the plant recovers and new growth occurs. Termites climb up the trunk of neem(Azadirachta indica) tree to eat dry bark. Thus the tree does not dry out. Haria himself follows organic agriculture practices with his mango trees. He does no weeding or interculturing. He spreads dry leaves, farm litter and other available waste and sprays water on it. By doing so Haria provides conducive conditions for the termites. The termites nourish the soil by feeding on the dry leaves. Haria uses drip irrigation and has found that soil fertility is maintained by maintaining population of termite, earthworm and other soil micro-organisms. Spread dry leaves, farm litter and other available waste and spray water on mango trees. The termites nourish the soil by feeding on the dry leaves.

Knowledge Provider / Innovator: Mulchand Haria
Agro-Ecological Zone: Western Plain, Kachchh And Part Of Kathia (2.2, 2.4)
Address: Kutch
State: Gujarat
PIN Code 370625

Crop: Pearl millet
Ingredients: Dry leaves, farm litter, other available waste and water

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PAS 1:

"Managing termites and organic resources to improve soil productivity in the Sahel"
http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/agphome/scpi/SCPI_Compendium/Managing_termites_and_organic_resources_to_improve_soil_productivity_in.pdf

PAS 2:

"Sustainable Termite Management Using an IPM Approach"
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287597141_Sustainable_termite_management_using_an_integrated_pest_management_approach.