In November every year, it is time for farmers across north India to harvest their crops, especially wheat and rice. Due to this mass harvesting of rice, a by-product known as rice husk or "stubble" is created. Farmers in North India  (mainly in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh) regard this stubble as a waste product because they cannot utilize it productively. Thus, they burn it as they have no alternative to getting rid of the waste stubble. This burning leads to an enormous increase in carbon dioxide levels in the air around the winter months, and the air quality is at its worst. 

To combat this issue, the Delhi Government and the Ministry of Agricultural Research created a concoction known as the PUSA Biodecomposer. This PUSA Biodecomposer is exceptionally affordable to the farmers and is an excellent substitute for burning stubble as it is harmful to the atmosphere. The Biodecomposer, which contains cultures made of fungi and bacteria, dissolves the stubble into the soil, which gets rid of the waste and enriches the earth's fertility.

The Bio-Decomposer or microbial solution can decompose agricultural waste and transform it into manure when sprayed in the fields. The decomposers come in capsules generated from fungal strains capable of producing the enzymes required for the breakdown process. These fungal strains eventually aid rice straw decomposition at a higher rate than typical. According to scientists, the "Bio-Decomposer" capsules make a liquid solution that is then sprayed over fields, and it decomposes agricultural debris and transforms it into manure. The experts advised combining four capsules with a liquid solution consisting of gram flour and jaggery and spraying it over one hectare of soil.

According to studies, this solution softens the rigid straw and turns it into manure. This method avoids burning the stubble while improving overall soil fertility. This is because the stubble acts as manure and compost for the crops, requiring fewer fertilizer applications in the future.

 The problem with this solution is that farmers did not widely use it outside New Delhi in rural cities where most of the stubble burning occurs. 

To combat this issue, I contacted the PUSA institute of agricultural research and requested a sample of the liquid version of the PUSA Biodecomposer. Once I obtained this sample, I traveled to a local village in the rural area of Punjab (Patiala), where I conducted a controlled experiment and an informative session for the residents of a particular farm. While there, I explained the benefits of the PUSA Biodecomposer and how it would cater to their direct interests. I also educated the farmers about the consequences of stubble burning. But, the major event that I carried out was the experiment. I got access to 1 acre of farmland and, using this 1 acre, instructed the farmers how to prepare the concoction of the biodecomposer and spray it onto the farmland. We successfully convinced them to undertake the experiment, and they sprayed it onto their farmland. 

Fourteen days after my visit, the experiment results were evident. The PUSA Decomposer removed all the stubble present in the control region. The farmers thanked us for a visit and ensured they would switch to this new innovative method. The visit was a success!

I hope everyone reading this also takes steps towards environmental conservation in their regions. Only if we work together will we indeed be able to make a significant change.