CUMILLA, Aug 23, 2023 (BSS) - Farmers of the district are benefiting from the use of the organic fertilizers on their land. They are happy as crop production has increased due to the use of organic fertilizers.

Organic fertilizers are made from fungi. The land becomes fertile with that manure.

According to experts, fungicides are soil and crop friendly. This fertilizer has almost all the qualities beneficial for a crop. The use of this fertilizer, known as tricho compost, improves soil structure and texture. It increases water retention and prevents wastage. This fertilizer controls soil acidity and salinity. It increases the yield and quality of crops. That fertilizer feeds the harmful fungi in the soil, eating the beneficial fungi. It protects crops from fungal attack. Farmers benefit by increasing yield.

According to the sources of Upazila Agriculture Office, tricho compost is a type of organic fertilizer, whose main ingredient is a type of beneficial fungus called Trichoderma. Tricho compost is made by mixing various organic materials, such as cow dung, chicken droppings, vegetable waste, cow dung, wood powder, corn bran, chitagur, ash, neem leaves and Trichoderma fungus spores in specific proportions and keeping them in the house for 40-45 days in a special way.

Main Uddin, a young entrepreneur, and others are producing organic fertilizer from fungi in Laksam upazila of the district. Others young entrepreneur are also being inspired by them.

His Tricho compost fertilizer factory is in Gunti village under Laksam upazila of the district. He is busy packing fertilizer there. Farmers are buying organic fertilizer from his factory. There are nurseries and fruit orchards next to the factory. Tricho compost fertilizer is applied in papaya plantation.

Main Uddin said he started producing compost fertilizer at the advice of the agriculture department. He produces 20 tonnes of fertilizer per month. It has been used by him and other farmers in nurseries and fields with good yields. Entrepreneurs and farmers will benefit more if the field level agricultural officers promote organic fertilizer more.

The liquid extract from the house during composting is called tricho leachate. Farmers benefit from tricho compost production in two ways. Firstly, farmers are getting good yield by using this fertilizer on the land. Apart from this, tricho leachate is being used to increase crop production as well as control diseases. So, farmers don't have to use pesticides to control disease.

Sources also said that under the National Agricultural Technology Program Phase-2 (NATP-2) project, 'Tricho Compost' production demonstrations have been set up in different areas of the upazila. Farmers got good yield by using the fertilizer produced from there.

Siraj Uddin Hossain, training officer of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said, 'Farmers are benefiting by using the manure and leachate produced from tricho compost fertilizers. For this, farmers are being advised to produce tricho compost and use leachate'.