Project on

ORGANIC FARMING at NIT Rourkela

A WASTE TO WEALTH MECHANISM

REDUCE RECYCLE REUSE (3R’S)

Organic farming Project Investigator Core Team:
NIT Rourkela

Prof. Animesh Biswas Prof. Debayan Sarkar

Director NIT Rourkela
In the 175th meeting of HODs and National Institute of Technology Rourkela
Deans on 04-07-2018, it was decided has already initiated an intramural
to start Organic farming inside the organic farming project with a seed
campus. The main advantages were , money of Rs. 5 lakhs and is presently
it would reduce the dumping cost of running successfully.
biodegradable waste of the campus,
The motto is “Waste to Wealth & 3 R’s-
which was presently dumped in the
Reduce, Recycle and Reuse”. The project
municipal area with Rs. 10,000 per
has already delivered pure organic
month. Union Tribal Affairs Minister
vegetables to campus community and
Jual Oram on November 10,Saturday
the total area under cultivation is 2
launched the organic farming project of
acres. The team is presently working
the National Institute of Technology –
to develop funds for expanding the
Rourkela (NIT-R) in an area of 2 acres. The
organic farming concept in the region
idea was to improvise the techniques
and increase the outreach activities. The
practiced by nearby farmers and also
next outlook is to develop organic(vermi)
improvise them with involvement of
compost from the waste generated
interdisciplinary research in science and
from the 10000 population residing in
engineering. We have also started our
the campus and use it in the organic
efforts to combine the organic farming
farming. At the same time, to sell these
with our activities in Tribal centre and
highly fertile compost to nearby farmers
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan. I believe that this
and generate institute IRG. Training
would not only increase our outreach
sessions of the nearby farmers are
activities but also have an positive
being executed so that the message
impact on strengthening the institute’s
of organic farming would spread in the
contribution to the society.
nearby areas. At the sametime a team
of interdisciplinary scientists is trying
to understand the science involved in
the old techniques being used in the
farming and improvise it. Thus it will not
only deliver value from zero investement
but also develop a cleaner and healthy
ecosystem.

2
 Organic Farming

Prof. Nihar Ranjan Mishra Prof. Rama Chandra Pradhan Shri. Uday Chandra Patra
Advisor
Realizing the relevance of organic Organic farming is a fast growing sector Shri Uday Chandra Patra, is a renowned
farming in contemporary world NIT of the food industry. In India it has farmer in Odisha who has been
Rourkela has taken an initiation in become a matter of extreme importance practicing organic farming and
establishing an organic farm in its these days. Production of organic foods improvising the techniques with his self
campus. The main objective of this involve usage of ingredients that are interest for the last 40 years. He has been
initiation is not justto provide organic manufactured organically. However, it is
a Governor awardee and has been a
vegetables to its campus communities getting harder and harder to find organic
but to promote inter-disciplinary ingredients and also proper norms for recipient of many prestigious accolades.
research in organic farming and organic food production is still at stake. He has been in the charge of the day-
transferring the research output to the Our duty as food process engineers to-day activities of the organic farming
field for sustaining tribal/rural agriculture extends in manufacturing organic project.
with low cost. Establishment of this foods at low cost with proper usage
farm is an attempt topopularise organic of organically produced ingredients.
farming among farming communities. Moreover, the appropriate standards
It will try to remove thinking in the created can help the farmers, food
minds of most of the farmers that manufactures as well as the consumers
organic farming is costly in nature. It to understand organic foods, their
will attempts to persuade farmers to go production, and their health benefits
for multi-cropping and inter cropping in a better way. Our farmers are used
instead of traditional monoculture to conventional practices of farming
and indigenous seed banks created by and their awareness regarding organic
farmers. To train farmers how to prepare farming is still less. However, at the
organic fertiliser using cow dung, cow same time, organic farming, in general,
urine, jaggery (a type of brown sugar is recognized to produce lower yields
made in India) and lentil powder, as compared to conventional agriculture
well as organic pesticides using the which stands as major disadvantage of
leaves of neem (Azadirachtaindica), Organic Farming. As a food processor
karanja (Pongamiapinnata), garlic, creating awareness among people,
jaggery, cow dung and cow urine lowering the production cost and
in different compositions.Taking the improving the yield has turned out to
humanitarian approach into account our be our primary duty concern. We look
technical institute has adopted a social forward for resolving these challenges by
engineering mechanism in serving the conducting research which can improve
people living in its periphery. It will not the status of organic food production in
stop its journey there rather will try in India.
identifying new market opportunities for
the sale of their products.

3
What we want to do? Our Common Goal
OUR MOTO: 3 R’s- REDUCE, RECYCLE &
REUSE
In the 175th meeting of HODs and Deans on 04-07-2018, it was
decided to start Organic farming inside the campus.
The main advanatges are as follows:
It will reduce the dumping cost of biodegradable waste of the
campus, presently, it is dumped in the municipal area with Rs.
10,000 per month
It will make the campus cleaner
The campus residents will be able to get pure organic vegetables
and fruits.
The waste is being used for efficient production thus developing
an greener ecosystem
The project will add to institute revenue generation.
The technology developed will be transferred to nearby farmers
thus helping them to startorganic farming in a larger scale
The chemistry behind the organic compost needs to studied
in detail to understand the reason of the increased productivity. A
group of scientists including organic chemists, Years of poor soil management can lead to
severe erosion.
Food Technologists and other interdisciplinary areas will work
Rotation of annual and perennial crops in
as a team in the institute towards the project implementation.
contour strips, and sufficient organic inputs
keep sloping fields healthy.

Green Revolution

4
 Organic Farming

Nutrient
Management:
the Organic
Approach
Based on soil life: “feed the soil, and the
soil will feed the crop.”
Legumes for N
Slow-release organic fertilizers as
supplements
Less emphasis on soluble fertilizers

Father of
Sweetclover feeds the soil Green Revolution
life, adds N, makes P more
available, recovers leached
nutrients.

3 R’s- Reduce, Recycle & Reuse

Fallen leaves Organic Compost

Present Population in the campus- 10,000 approx.

Organic manure required per year in huge amounts- in Hostels, Guest House, Academic area.
Huge Compostable Waste available

5
Monitoring How we would do it:
during Compost Different Phases of the compost: A site for Multidisciplinary study

Formation is a
Prequisite
For Example: pH Control
pH
Related causes
Solutions
<4,5
Excess of organic acids Plant materials such
as kitchen waste, fruit,
release many organic acids and tend to
acidify the medium. Add material rich in
nitrogen until an appropriate C: N ratio is
achieved. Compost pile or
4,5 – 8,5 ideal range volume- Parameters
>8,5 The size of the compost pile, especially height, directly affects
Excess of N When there is excess of nitrogen the moisture and Oxygen content and temperature.
in the source material, with poor C: N ratio Piles of low height and wide base, despite having good
related to moister and high temperatures, initialmoisture and good C:N ratio, easily lose heat generated
ammonia is produced and the medium is by the microorganisms so, thefew degrees of temperature
alkalised. Add dry material with high carbon achieved, is lost.
content (pruning, dry leaves, sawdust) The size of the pile is determined by theamount of material
to be composted and the available area to perform the process.
Normally, compost piles are 1.5 - 2 meters high to ease turn
over, and 1.5 - 3 meters wide.

Compost Piles

Calculations

6
 Organic Farming

Carbon-Nitrogen Levels
in Organic Compost
High nitrogen level Balanced C:N High carbon level
1:1 - 24:1 25:1 - 40:1 41:1 - 1000:1
Material C:N Material C:N Material C:N
Fresh liquid manure 5 Cattle dung manure 25:1 Recently mown grass 43:1
Poultry litter 7:1 Kidney bean leaves 27:1 Tree leaves 47:1
Pig Manure 10:1 Crotalaria 27:1 Sugar cane straw 49:1
Kitchen wast 14:1 Coffee pulp 29:1 Fresh urban garbage 61:1
Poultry litter with pen bedding 18:1 Cow dung 32:1 Rice husk 66:1
Banana leaves 32:1 Rice straw 77:1
Vegetable wastes 37:1 Dry grass (grasses) 81:1
Coffee leaves 38:1 Bagasse 104:1
Pruning 44:1 Com cob 117:1
Com straw 312:1
Sawdust 638:1

Air Cushion Technique of Compost Preparation

Investment Handling Area Final Material
Horizontal Low Medium Easy Small Heterogeneous
Vertical High Complex Large Heterogeneous

7
VERMI-COMPOST- MORE EFFECTIVE

Parameter Ideal Range

Moisture 70%-80%, this is the maximum mositure, as the worm breathes through the skin, and a
higher moisture may prevent breathing
Temperature 20-30oC
pH 5-8.5. Verify with a pH strip before feeding the earthworm.
Light The earthworm is photosensitive so, it will always prefer a dark environment

Organic Farming Site Development

8
 Organic Farming

Our Initiatives and where we stand :

5
Rs. Lakhs
3.4
Rs. Lakhs
Project Start
Date 24th October
1.5 Acres of
Stony Land
Initial investment Spent 2018
from Institute

Core Team

Starting of Vermi Compost

Shri. Uday Chandra Patra

9
 Organic
Watermelons
Coming up

Stony Land to Greenery

10
 Organic Farming

Press Releases:

NIT Rourkela Goes The Organic Way

Rourkela: The intensive use of chemical-based fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture
calls for a change although most consumers in India are unaware of the harmful
effects of such practices. Annually, the country consumes about 500 lakh tonnes of
chemical and 320 lakh tonnes of indigenous fertiliser every year but the organic route
is still a faraway dream. Realising the gravity of the situation, the National Institute of
Technology, Rourkela, has decided to promote organic farming aiming at a better
future for farmers in the region. The institute has already hired a subject specialist and
has taken up an ambitious initiation to improvise the organic farming research and
provide organic vegetables to the students and campus residents.

Training Programme For Farmers

Having been inaugurated by Jual Oram, Union Minister, Tribal Affairs on November
10, the organic farming project at NIT Rourkela is on its way to become a boon for
farmers in the region. Professor Debayan Sarkar of Chemistry department, who has
been given the charge of looking into the day to day progress of the project along with
Professor Nihar Ranjan Mishra of Humanities and Professor Rama Chandra Pradhan
of Food Process Engineering, said, “We have set-up a research laboratory to intensify
research in organic farming. We have taken this project very seriously. If everything
goes properly, we will organise training programmes for farmers which will help them
in developing vast knowledge about organic farming.” Prof Nihar Ranjan Mishra
further added, “It is because of the hard work of the team led by director Animesh
Biswas that organic farming at NIT Rourkela has become a reality. Hope this project
can help farmers learn the techniques of organic farming.”

Power Of Organic Farming

A known face in the organic farming business, Uday Chandra Patra of Uday Jaivic
Research has been hired by the institute as an advisor for the project implementation.
He has been an expert in this field and has developed his own organic farming site of
three acres at Kuarmunda, Rourkela along with some other1/1sites.
8/2019
Expressing his
strong belief in the power of organic farming, he said, “Many believe that organic
farming is only a dream and in reality, without using chemicals and pesticides,
  one

NIT Ro
urkela
Goes
cannot pursue healthy farming but it is a myth. There are certain compositions in    
The Org
anic Wa
y

organic products and if you mix them, they it will work better than pesticides. Like by
mixing up some dry leaves, better food for saplings can be prepared. Nature has the 

solution for every problem and that is what I am focusing on for this project.”

Better Techniques For Future

The institute aims to improvise the techniques of organic farming by carrying out
exhaustive multidisciplinary research which will involve fields like organic chemistry,
biotechnology, food process, life sciences, chemical engineering and humanities
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11
Research can be multidisciplinary

Neem Oil

Actually

Action N N
Plan H3CO O O N N

Natural O OCH3 CN N
N N
Products, N
Bioactivity, Azoxystrobin Cl
Isolation Fungicide Pyraclonil
Cl Cl
F F O
O F O
N N O
Increased Herbicide Activity
O O N O
Fluazipof-butyl
Oxadiargyl
O O O
H O H F F O
P N H2N N OH
HO OH N F O O
H
HO O

Glycophosphate
O P Bilanaphos O
HO

12
 Organic Farming

Heterocyclic Scaffold: Compost Composition

Deliverables and
Technical Support
Cl Cl
N N N N
O N N
N N N H3CO O O
N
O O O OCH3 CN
Cl
Oxadiargyl Pyraclonil Azoxystrobin
Herbicides Fungicide

The Pyrimidine Core

H
O
Methodology: O O HO H
Although the solution what our research group
prescribes for this problem, is being practised Coumarins
Terpenes
in developed parts of the world, its new to
this part of the Country. A sustainable growth
in Agricultural productivity, but the suggested Also “Operation Allelopathy: An Experiment Investigating
pathways are multidirectional but has a single an Alternative to Synthetic Agrochemicals”- To be explored
destination. The multidirectional approaches in Wider Context- These include Biocommunicators like
can be subdivided into the following two parts: phenolics, terpenoids, alkaloids, coumarins, tannins, flavonoids,
a) Green Chemistry steroids and quinines (Einhellig and Leather 1988). Phenolic
acids and flavonoids show strong inhibition in bioassays, but
b) Considering Operational Allelopathy as a they exhibit weak phytotoxicity in soil and less selectivity- to
major target- Understanding The Soil – Plant be caracterised with NMR, GC and other techniques- BULK
Chemistry PRODUCTION NECESSARY

13
 Plant-based food Animal-based food
Harvesting and grading Procurement
Cleaning Rendering and bleeding
Removal of leaves, skin and seeds Scalding and/ or skin removal
Blanching Internal organ evisceration
Washing and cooling Washing, chilling and cooling
Packaging Packaging
Clean up Clean up

Solid waste Liquid waste

Segregation and
processing

Treatment and land Valorization for

Energy recovery Recycle and reuse market value products
applications

14
 Organic Farming

Processing of Organic Agricultural Products:

Utilization of Oilseed Processing By-Products:
Ø Deoiled Cake/Meal
ü Feed
 Fertilizer
 Oil Cakes as Substrate for Deriving Value-Added Products
Bagasse as Various Value added products:
• Lignin
– A great potential exists for its use in the chemical industry.
• Composites of Natural Fibers
– It can be used as an alternative to synthetic and/or low biodegradable fibers, such as glass, ara-
mid, and carbon.
• Methane
– Use as Biogas
• Low-Cost Sorbent
– Can be used adsorbent in sugar refining, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, water treat-
ment and wastewater treatment, etc
• Hydrogen
– Use as energy
• Cellulase
– The main applications of cellulase enzyme include textile, paper and pulp food, animal feed, fuel,
and chemical industries.
Application of Fruit and Vegetable By-Products:
• Pigments
• Antioxidants
• Fibers
• Adsorbent for Metal and Dye
• Enzymes
• Biofuels
• Organic Acids
• Aroma Compounds

Social Scientific Responsibility Soil Health Card Training Programmes

can be Manyfold

15
 TEAM OF INVESTIGATORS AND OFFICERS

Prof. Anup Kumar Panda Prof. Abanti Sahoo Prof. Seemita Mohanty Prof. Rajeev Kumar Panda

Prof. Binod Bihari Sahu Prof. Ananta Chandra Pradhan Prof. Prakash Nath Viswakarma Prof. Ramakrishna Biswal

Prof. Santos Kumar Das Prof. Subhankar Paul Mr. Rosan Kumar Panda Mr. K.P . Panigrahi

Mr. M N Anandbabu Mr. R K Sahoo