Panchagavya is a Sanskrit word where Pancha means five and gavya means cow

Ingredients of panchagavya

• Panchagavya is the concoction or derived from 5 major things that we obtain from cow that is, cow dung, cow urine, milk, curd and ghee

• By mixing all these ingredients in equal proportion and allowing the mixture to ferment for 20-30 days will produce Panchagavya.

Method of preparation:

• For making a small quantity of about 4 liters Panchagavya you need the following ingredients
• A wide mouthed earthen pot of about five liters capacity for mixing and fermenting the mixture.
• Wooden stick for mixing
• About 500gm of fresh cow dung
• About half a liter of fresh cow’s urine
• Half a liter of fresh cow’s milk
• 500gm of curd made from cow’s milk
• 500gm of ghee made from cow’s milk
• Take about 500gm of fresh cow dung in a clean earthen pot

Add about half a liter of fresh cow’s urine

• Mix them well in a wooden stick

To the above mixture, add half a liter of fresh cow’s milk and again mix well by using wooden stick. Do not use refrigerated or heated milk

Add curd made from cow’s milk stir or mix it well

Now to this mixture, you can add ghee made from cow’s milk. You can lightly warm the ghee in a water bath, so that it flows freely and mix well with the other ingredients.

Cover the pot containing the mixture with a clean cotton cloth. Keep it in a warm place. You can keep it in a corner of your kitchen also. Do not keep in direct sunlight.

See how the mixture looks in the morning. You need to stir the mixture well using the wooden stick atleast twice or thrice in a day.

• You can also see also see gas bubbles released from the mixture. The mixture has a somewhat pleasant smell like toddy. If it smells bad like sewer, then something went wrong and you have to discard the whole bunch.
• The fermentation process may take place for about 15 to 20 days, sometimes more during winter. You have to stir it regularly to release the gases.
• Panchagavya is ready when the gas formation stops.
• When the gas formation stops, you know that your panchagavya is ready. It has a pleasant smell and is in a semi liquid state. You can keep this stored in the same earthen pot covered with the cotton cloth for about 6 months. If it gets very thick, you can dilute it using a little amount of cow’s urine or milk.
• Panchagavya should be used after diluting with water only. Make sure you use only bore well water and not the chlorinated water, the dilution ratio may be one part of Panchagavya to about 30 to 50 parts of clean, chlorinated free water.

The diluted solution can be used as mentioned below:

• You can hand-spray diluted solution directly on plants either in early morning or in the evening (Once in every 10 to 15 days)
• You can also use a mechanical sprayer for this. Please make sure that the sprayer has not been used for pesticides. When using a mechanical sprayer, you need to filter the diluted solution. Otherwise the sprayer nozzle may get blocked
• For big trees, add the diluted solution at the root zone while watering
• For pest infected plants, spray the entire affected area once in a week
• You will see the difference in your plants by regular use of panchagavya in your home garden.

Panchagavya Dosage:

• Dilute 3 ml of this solution in 100 ml water. Apply the diluted solution over plants and soil. For best results apply regularly- once every 14 days. During winter season, reduce the concentration to about 1.5 ml in 100 ml water.

Time schedule for application of Panchagavya

• Pre-flowering stage, 2 times should be given in span of 2 weeks
• Flowering stage, 2 times should be given in a span of 10 days
• Fruiting stage, 1 time should be given

Uses of Panchagavya

• Boost immunity and promote plant growth.
• Strengthens the plant.
• Enhances the disease, pest & drought resistance.
• Conversion of flower to fruit will be more.
• When plants are provided with panchagvya produce bigger and denser leaves.
• Due to application of panchagvya the system of photosynthesis gets activated which in turn helps in improving the biological efficiency also increase the production of metabolites.
• The plant stem will have a chance to produce side shoots which have the capacity of carrying maximum matured fruits.
• There would be an improvement in profuse and dense rooting which in turn helps them in bring fresh for a large period of time and also which helps in maximum nutrient intake.
• Helps to restore the level of yield.
• The harvest of plant would be advanced by 15-20 days along with shelf life and also increases the taste.

Keywords: Ingredients of panchagavya, method of preparation, and the diluted solution can be used as mentioned below, panchagavya Dosage, Time schedule for application of Panchagavya, Uses of Panchagavya

                                                                              Written by: DARSHAN U

                                                                                 M.sc (Plant pathology)