The One-Straw Revolution - Multiworld India

care in preparing the seed beds for growing strong, healthy riceseedlings. The small beds were tidied up as if they were the family altars.The earth was culti vated, sand and the ashes of burned rice hulls werespread all around, and a prayer was offered that the seedlings wouldthrive.It is not unreasonable, then, that the other villagers around herethought I was out of my mind to broadcast seed while the winter grainwas still standing in the field, with weeds and bits of decomposing strawscattered everywhere.Of course the seeds germinate well when sown directly onto awell-turned field, but if it rains and the field turns to mud, you cannot goin and walk around, and the sowing must be postponed. The noncultivationmethod is safe on this score, but on the other hand, there istrouble with small animals such as moles, crickets, mice, and slugs wholike to eat the seeds. The clay pellet enclosing the seed solves thisproblem.In seeding winter grain, the usual method is to sow the seeds andthen cover them with soil. If the seeds are set in too deeply, they will rot.I used to drop the seeds into tiny holes in the soil, or into furrows withoutcovering them with soil, but I experienced many failures with bothmethods.Lately I have gotten lazy and instead of making furrows or pokingholes in the ground, I wrap the seeds in clay pellets and toss themdirectly onto the field. Germination is best on the surface, where there isexposure to oxygen. I have found that where these pellets are coveredwith straw, the seeds germinate well and will not rot even in years ofheavy rainfall.51