Wheat Grown in Western Rajasthan Using Desert Soil Technique

For the first time, successful cultivation of wheat has been done in the arid desert land of Western Rajasthan using a novel ‘desert soil-forming technique’. The desert soil-forming technique is a biotechnology method.

• For the first time, successful cultivation of wheat has been done in the arid desert land of Western Rajasthan using a novel ‘desert soil-forming technique’.
• The desert soil-forming technique is a biotechnology method that converts barren desert sand into a soil-like material capable of sustaining agricultural activities.
• It uses bio-formulations and polymers to bind loose sand particles, enhance soil structure, and significantly improve water retention capacity.
• Amid changes in rainfall patterns, the spread of sand dunes, unscientific plantation drives, and land degradation, researchers from the Central University of Rajasthan (CUOR) have launched an experiment for wheat cultivation, moving ahead while struggling with adverse conditions and adapting to the harsh desert ecology.

‘Desert soil-forming technique’

• Researchers have converted desert sand into soil using polymers to harness its full agricultural potential.
• After laboratory experiments with three bio-formulations and three crops - millet, guar gum, and chickpea - scientific exploration has been transferred to a wheat-growing agricultural field.
• This unprecedented achievement was obtained from 13 kilograms of indigenous variety wheat-4079 seeds, which were grown in November 2024 on 1,000 square meters of desert land in Banseli village near Pushkar in Ajmer district.
• After the application of bio-formulations during the crop cycle, the wheat required only three irrigations, demonstrating the high water retention capacity of this technology.

Key facts

• This project was implemented in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) and the Horticulture Department of the State Government, whose facilities helped scale up field-level trials in a real desert environment. KVK officials prepared a layout plan on land located on the edge of the Thar Desert.
• Using bio-formulations reduced the number of irrigation cycles to four, while normal wheat cultivation required five to six cycles, as the solution converted sand into a soil-like structure.
• In the second phase, 100 tons of sand brought from Jaisalmer was spread to prepare an experimental farm on a 400-square-foot area within the university campus. In the field trial, millet, guar gum, and chickpea were tested, where researchers obtained 54% higher yield in bio-formulation-modified sand.