Trichomes are the real heros in natural farming

1. TRICHOMES: THE REAL HERO IN NATURAL FARMING
*S.Majeed Ahmed Msc(Ag), PGDCA,
Assistant Director of Agriculture (R), Piler and
Ex District Project Manager (DPM) Kadapa and
*K.S.Bodeesha vali M.sc.,Biotech, M.B.A., B.Ed.,(Expert in Zero Budget Natural Farming) .
Trichome is a small hair (or) other outgrowth from the epidermis of a
plant, typically unicellular and glandular. In natural farming, this Trichome hairs
are strong enough to defend sap sucking by sucking insects, avoid leaf eating by
caterpillar and avoid spore germination of fungus. In chemical farming Trichomes
are present on all above ground parts of the plants, but we can’t fell them as they
are very smooth. Due to application of urea and other chemical fertilizers faster
vegetative growth makes the natural defending mechanisms of the plants i.e.
Trichomes very smooth, so that they can’t defend sucking insect, leaf eating
caterpillar and will allow fungal spore to germinate. This we can compare with a
human baby born immaturely in seventh month instead of ninth month. The
immune system of the baby is under developed and may be susceptible to virus
and bacteria.
The plants grown in natural farming method with application of
jeevamrutham, panchagavya, fish amino acid, egg amino acid, mulching are
comparable with full grown baby born in ninth month with completely developed
immune system. In plants Trichomes are the representives of immune system. We
can feel the presence of Trichomes on all parts of plants above the ground level.
The silica content in fully grown Trichomes is very high which gives them the
toughness. When trichomes are fully grown and hard they can resist sucking
insects like trips, mite, jassid, mealy bug, aphids, whitefly etc, from feeding on
new flesh due to their hardness. The probosis of sucking insect will not reach leaf
(or) stem, as Trichome length is more than length of the probosis. The leaves
and stems are not hard enough to resist it in chemical farming, as Trichomes are

2. under developed and smooth. They will easily allow the probosis of sucking insect
to reach growing leaf and stem.
The leaf eating caterpillar can’t feed on leaves of plants growing in
natural farming due to presence of high silica content in Trichomes which are
hard to chew. It will be like chewing sand in mouth of a caterpillar. Naturally,
caterpillar will avoid such plants and move to plants grown in chemical farming
where Trichomes are very smooth and easy to chew (or) otherwise it will die.
Like wise a spore of fungal mycelium, will not germinate easily on
leaf or stem substrate as trichomes which are fully developed in natural farming,
will not allow fungal spore to reach leaf or stem substrate. In due course, the
fungal spore will loose its viability and can’t germinate. In case of chemical
farming, a fungal spore can germinate easily, as the natural immune system i.e.
Trichomes are very smooth will allow fungal spore to touch substrate germinate
and cause disease. The viral diseases are also very low in natural farming due to
reason that, the propagativeagent i.e. thrips, mites, aphids, etc can’t suck the sap
from leaf or stem and can’t translocate the virus a healthy plant to a unhealthy
plant.
The presence of hard Trichomes can also be seen in kitchen garden
plants grow naturally or plants which grown themselves wherever moisture is
available. The reason for immunity system in natural farming and chemical
farming is in development of Trichomes. Hence trichomes are the real hero’s in
natural farming.