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| NATURAL FARMING: WORKING WITH NATURE | | |
Dr. Parveen Kumar
Nature has solutions to all our problems. Human interference with nature especially in the agricultural sector in the form of indiscriminate use of chemicals, clearing of large tracts of land for raising crops, misuse of its natural resources have already led us to a catastrophic situation. If immediate steps are not taken to halt or reverse the preset scenario, situation may soon go out of our hands. Already under threatened conditions, where soils have lost their fertility, water bodies have become polluted, air has become unfit to breathe in, rich biodiversity has been lost and climate change has already started showing its impact on agriculture sector, the sector needs a focused and renewed attention. It needs an overhauling, where the existing methods and approaches have to be replaced with new sustainable and ecological practices and approaches. One such approach is the ‘Natural Farming’ approach. Natural farming is a system where the laws of nature are applied to agricultural practices. This method works along with the natural biodiversity of each farmed area, encouraging the complexity of living organisms, both plants, and animals that shape each particular ecosystem to thrive along with food plants. Natural Farming is an ecological farming approach established by Masanobu Fukuoka, A Japanese farmer and philosopher who introduced it in his 1975 book, ‘One Straw Revolution’. It is thus also known as ‘The Fukuoka Method’, ‘The Natural Way of Farming’ or ‘Do Nothing Farming’.
NATURAL FARMING VS ORGANIC FARMING: Both of these are ecological approaches that are chemical and more or less poison free farming methods. Both of these approaches discourage farmers’ from using any chemical fertilizers, pesticides on plants and in all agricultural practices. Both of these also use farming methods that encourage farmers to use local breeds of seeds, and native varieties of vegetables, grains, pulses and other crops. Organic and natural farming methods promote nonchemical and homemade pest control methods. However there are some basic differences between the two.
In organic farming, organic fertilizers and manures like compost, vermicompost, cow dung manure, etc. are used and added to farmlands from external sources. In natural farming, neither chemical nor organic fertilizers are added to the soil. In fact, no external fertilizers are added to soil or give to plants whatsoever. In natural farming, decomposition of organic matter by microbes and earthworms is encouraged right on the soil surface itself, which gradually adds nutrition in the soil, over the period. Organic farming still requires basic agro practices like plowing, tilting, mixing of manures, weeding, etc. to be performed. In natural farming there no plowing, no tilting of soil and no fertilizers, and no weeding is done just the way it would be in natural ecosystems. Organic farming is still expensive due to the requirement of bulk manures, and it has an ecological impact on surrounding environments; whereas, natural agriculture is an extremely low-cost farming method, completely molding with local biodiversity.
There are many working models of natural farming all over the world. One of them is Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) as promoted by Subhash Palekar in India. In the recent times, the Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) has emerged as the most popular model in India. This comprehensive, natural, and spiritual farming system has been developed by Padma Shri Subhash Palekar. Even commercial level farming can be done in almost Zero Budget through Natural Farming techniques even by using locally available and farm-based resources. According to ‘Natural Farming’ principles, plants get 98% of their supply of nutrients from the air, water, and sunlight. And the remaining 2% can be fulfilled by good quality soil with plenty of friendly microorganisms just like that exist in forests and other natural systems. A Natural Farming system believes that the soil is always supposed to be covered with organic mulch which creates humus and encourages the growth of friendly microorganisms.
Desi cow is also an indispensible part of ‘Natural Farming’ system. The system requires cow dung and cow urine (Gomutra) obtained from Indian breed cow only. Desi cow is apparently the purest as far as the microbial content of cow dung, and urine goes. Another important aspect is that of Cultures. A farm made bio-culture named ‘Jeevamrutha’ is added to the soil instead of any fertilizers to improve micro flora of soil. Jeevamrutha is derived from very little cow dung and cow urine of desi cow breed. Natural, farm-made pesticides like Dashparni ark and Neem Astra are used to control pests and diseases. Weeds are considered essential and used as living or dead mulch layer. In ZBNF, multi-cropping is encouraged over single crop method.
In India, Natural farming is promoted as Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati Programme (BPKP) under centrally sponsored scheme-Parampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY). The BPKP is aimed at promoting traditional indigenous practices which reduces externally purchased inputs. It is largely based on on-farm biomass recycling with major stress on biomass mulching, use of on-farm cow dung-urine formulations; periodic soil aeration and exclusion of all synthetic chemical inputs. This programme has been adopted in State of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. Several studies have reported the effectiveness of natural farming-BPKP in terms of increase in production, sustainability, saving of water use, improvement in soil health and farmland ecosystem. It is considered as a cost- effective farming practices with scope for raising employment and rural development.
In the country, National Institute for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog along with Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (MoA & FW), GoI has also started working on this farming. Recently NITI Aayog had a two day national-level consultation on the ‘Principles and Practices of BPKP (Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati) Natural Farming’, chaired by Hon’ble Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog from 29–30 September 2020. It was to foster an exchange of information on the potential and challenges in the adoption of natural farming in India. It is roughly estimated that around 2.5 million farmers in India are already practicing such type of regenerative agriculture. In the next 5 years, it is expected to reach 20 lakh hectares in any form of organic farming, including natural farming, of which 12 lakh hectares are under BPKP.
Organic/natural farming is native to India. The farmers of ancient India were known to have evolved nature-friendly farming systems and practices such as mixed farming, mixed cropping and crop rotation. States such as Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka and Kerala are promoting natural farming. Andhra Pradesh is the frontrunner among all states in implementing natural farming programme at a mass scale. According to the Andhra Pradesh government, as of March 2020, 0.62 million farmers (10.5 per cent of all farmers) were enrolled in the programme. Of the enrolled farmers, 0.44 million farmers (7.5 per cent), were actually practicing natural farming on an area of 0.45 million acres, which works out to 2.9 per cent of the net sown area spread across 3,011 gram Panchayats. In the last few decades, natural-farming movement led by farmers and civil society has spread to states such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, among others. More than one lakh farmers have been estimated to follow natural farming practices.
The government has now decided to make natural farming a part of the course curriculum of graduate and post graduate studies.
An eight-member committee has also been set up with different stakeholders to prepare a syllabus for students of Under Graduate and Post Graduate students in various agricultural colleges and universities. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has decided to equip the students with knowledge and skills required to promote natural farming. This decision came close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocating for chemical-free farming. The Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has also issued a notification to all ICAR institutes and Vice-Chancellors of agriculture universities to take initiatives for the promotion of natural farming in India. |
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