Objectives of  NF

  • Ensuring food security and producing more with less resources.
  • For building the resilience of smallholder farmers for creating a food-secure future.
  • ZBNF is the right solution to fight climate change and create resilient food systems.
  • Fighting drought is one of the main objectives of ZBNF.
  • The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN advocates environmentally-friendly farming methods that can take us to a more sustainable future.
  • Importance for chemical free food consumption is growing rapidly.
  • Chemical farming has made food a poison and also has reduced the yield by making lands barren.
  • Farmers’ welfare and sustainable practices are vital for a sustainable and productive economy.
  • ZBNF constitutes an effective strategy for achieving SDGs targets.

Features of NF

  • It is a farming practice that believes in natural growth of crops without adding any chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
  • The four wheels of ZBNF are Bijamrita, Jiwamrita, Mulching and Waaphasa.
  • Bijamrita is a natural way of seed treatment using local cow urine and cow dung.
  • Jiwamrita is made using water, local cow dung, local cow urine, jaggery, dal flour and soil.
  • Waaphasa is the aeration in the soil.
  • ZBNF is different from organic farming.
  • Intercropping is an important feature of ZBNF.
  • Practising composting on the farm itself, so that soil organic matter increases.
  • Storing water in the farm ponds for use in adverse conditions.
  • Insects and pests are managed using neem leaves, neem pulp and green chillies.
  • Establishing farmers’ federations and self-help groups, and placing farmers at the forefront of knowledge creation and dissemination.

Advantages

  • Besides reduced input cost, farmers practising ZBNF gets higher yields.
  • Elimination of chemical pesticides and promotion of good agronomic practices.
  • Promote regenerative agriculture, improve soil biodiversity and productivity.
  • Ensure decent livelihoods to smallholder farmers.
  • Restore ecosystem health through diverse, multi-layered cropping systems.
  • Anyone who is having half an acre of land can start ZBNF.
  • Using ZBNF techniques, one can convert even the most infertile land into a fertile one.
  • Women’s empowerment and nutrition.

Inputs used in Natural farming

  • Bijamrut
  • Ghan Jeevamrut
  • Jeevamrut
  • Neemastra
  • Brahmastra
  • Agniastra
  • Dashaparni Ark
  • Sapta Dhanyankur Ark
  • Buttermilk

Constraints in  dissemination & adoption of Natural Farming practices

  • Natural farming practices are cumbersome & time consuming.
  • Need to develop separate market policy.
  • Special certification scheme
  • Hard efforts required to change the mind set of farmers from conventional to natural farming
  • Unavailability of urine & dung of Desi cow.
  • Special Govt. scheme required for motivation of farmers.