DODDINDUVADI IN KOLLEGAL taluk is like any other village in Karnataka. But a 6.5 acre lush and verdant farm sets the sleepy village apart. It’s not an ordinary farm but a living laboratory of natural farming. The farm that perhaps holds the key to sustainable farming was developed by neither a scientist nor a traditional farmer but an ordinary banker. Kailash Murthy, who was working in Vijaya Bank, had taken to farming in the land owned by his dear wife Bhramaramba in the village in 1984 to supplement his income.

    Like any other farmer, Kailash Murthy started cultivating various crops using fertilizers and pesticides. His first green venture was plantain, which were raised on a chemical diet and, of course, these proved a great success. But it was not to be for long. The diseases developed resistance to chemicals and Murthy was forced to increase the dosage of poison to kill the pests.

    But the situation soon....