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Natural Farming: New Horizon of the Agricultural Sector

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Natural Farming: New Horizon of the Agricultural Sector Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2020) 9(6): 774-780 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 9 Number 6 (2020) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Review Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2020.906.099 Natural Farming: New Horizon of the Agricultural Sector Hardik N. Lakhani*, Rohit K. jalu, Kalpeshkumar J. Parmar, Jaydip U. Patoliya and Mukesh M. Kasondra Agricultural Technology Management Agency, Junagadh, Gujarat, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT K eyw or ds Chemical farming is not good for the soil health and the soil is becoming unfertile day by day. Chemical farming also harms to the environment. Natural farming, Bijamruta, People's health is also deteriorating due to chemical farming product. Such Jivamuta, Achhadan farming is also causing economic loss to the farmers so the natural farming and Wapsa is only way to recover from this type of severe problems. Most of the things Article Info in natural farming are made by the farmers using the residue of their farms and animal husbandry. The four main principles used in natural farming are Accepted: 15 May 2020 Bijamruta, Jivamuta, Achhadan and Wapsa. In natural farming, different Available Online: leaf extracts are used for pest control. Thus the quality of farm produce is 10 June 2020 also increased as the farm is completely chemical free. Introduction agricultural technology among the farmers is Natural Farming, also called Zero Budget The policy of new liberalization of India's Natural Farming (ZBNF). It had its first economy is inaccessible and costly for small success in India, especially in Karnataka and marginal farmers to privatized seeds, where it was first developed (Kumar, 2016) pesticides and farm implements. Expensive and is now spreading rapidly across in India. hybrid seeds, pesticides, rising fuel costs and Natural farming is a new approach of farming volatile market prices are currently a major where the cost from growing the plants to concern for Indian farmers. Small and harvesting is minimum. Natural farming marginal farmers having debt and many promises to reduce farmers' dependence on farmers are committing suicide because of it. farm credit and production costs and ending This is a big problem for Indian farmers and a the debt cycle for frustrated farmers. Thus in serious issue for the agro-industry. People's natural farming farmers cultivate using the health is also deteriorating due to chemical residue of their own farm and animal farming. In view of the harmful effects of husbandry. So that farmers do not have to chemical farming, the newly introduced take expensive seeds, pesticides from market. 774 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2020) 9(6): 774-780 This method of farming was introduced by pulse flour, jaggery and fertile soil which was Shri Subhash Palekar for which he was given the name Jivamruta by him. The cow awarded Padma Shri in 2016. Subhash having less milk production, the more Palekar natural farming campaign was started beneficial its dung is towards soil in the state of Karnataka by the Karnataka’s regeneration (Babu, 2008). One acre of land Rajya Raita Sangha (KRRS). Subhas Palekar requires 10 kg of dung per month. The was trained in natural farming by Tao in this average cow gives 11 kg of dung per day, so campaign and most of the farmers of the dung from one cow can be enough to Sangha were engaged in natural farming and fertilized in 30 acres of land per month encouraged other farmers to do natural (Palekar, 2014). Thus the cost of farming is farming as well. In which a model farm has reduced. been prepared by the progressive farmers of the union who are seeing other farmers taking Saurabh Tripathi et al., (2018) revealed that inspiration to do such farming. It can be said natural farming is resource efficient as it that the farmers of the organization are minimises the use of financial and natural promoting natural farming and trying to reach resources while increasing crop yield. By out to every farmer in the state. Palekar was restoring the quality of soil and water-related invited for training in this state of Gujarat ecosystems, it decouples agricultural during the year 2019 by the state government productivity and growth from ecosystem in which seven farmers from each block and degradation and biodiversity loss. one ATMA project staff were trained and this training programme was live broadcasted The big problem for Indian farmers is that through BISAG. One farmer from each they are constantly mired in debt due to high village of Gujarat state prepared as master production costs. In such times natural trainer and they are promoting natural farming will help farmers to overcome their farming on their own villages. dependence on loans and sharply reduce production costs so that a ray of hope appears What is natural farming? in the mental stress of farmers (Mural, 2016). Palekar has written and published books in 60 The concept of natural farming was put different languages. As mentioned four pillars forward by Mr. Subhas Palekar. Mr. Subhas in natural farming are basically, Bijamrut, Palekar is a native of Amravati, a small Jivamut, Achhadan and Vapsa which are village in the state of Maharashtra. Palekar is mentioned in the table 1. also entitled as "Krishi Ka Rishi" by many farmers of Mysore. Primary success in Palekar also gave the formulas of Agnistra, Andhra Pradesh is encouraging. Who Brahmastra, Nimastra for pest control, which conducted experiments on his farm and stated are mentioned in Table 2. that the constant use of chemicals affects the fertility of the soil and makes the farm Other important principles are intercropping, unfertile. In 1966-88, Palekar conducted Contours and bunds, local species of many experiments on his farm and after a lot earthworms. which are mentioned in Table 3. of hard work, he introduced natural farming to the farmers in which he showed that barren Panwar et al., (2013) reported that the use of land could be recovered by using the dung FYM 5 t / ha + vermicompost 2.5 t / ha + and urine of Deshi (Indian) cows. So he jivamruta 2 times (30 and 45 days) has prepared a solution using cow dung, urine, resulted in significant increase in production 775 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2020) 9(6): 774-780 of sweet corn and green fodder. Jannora et al., value gaps, i.e., how large they are, where (2014) reported that the use of organic they occur, and what their biophysical and fertilizers increased nodules, plant weight, socioeconomic causes are, is needed at sub photosynthesis rate, nitrogen fixation as well national and local levels. Progress has as nitrogen levels in many crops. Ramesh and recently been made in establishing better Rao (2009) have also reported that organic methodologies for yield gap analysis, nutrition can maintain soil health due to mapping the yield gaps of major crops at various micro-organisms in the soil. Rao et global and regional scales, and understanding al., (2013) observed that the mobility of their different contexts. Although this is various soil fertility parameters such as soil encouraging, a lot more remains to be done to organic carbon, available phosphorus, obtain a deep understanding of yield and available potassium was observed to efficiency gaps in the world’s major significantly increase the use of organic agricultural systems, at a scale that enables manure in maize and sunflower crops. Khadse people to use this knowledge for concrete et al., (2017) surveyed 97 farmers who adopt action in farmers’ fields. Advantages of natural farming and the reasons for adopting natural farming has low cost, no chemical subsistence farming include family health consumption, use of local seeds, low water (54%), environmental factors 2%, reduction requirement, zero budget facilitates income in production costs (38%), reduction in throughout the year and reduces risk. It is also financial debt ( 30%) and many other reasons. mentioned here that natural farming Reduces pathogen infestation by up to 3%, exemplifies agro-ecology. A survey production costs by 21% and credit conducted by suggests that natural farming requirements by 93%. The Andhra Pradesh not only works from an agronomic point of government (GOAP) had invited Palekar to view, but also brings a variety of social and conduct training camps in January, 2016 and economic benefits. Most of the adopters September 2016. 48565 farmers were respond that by using natural farming, they participated for natural farming training. have seen improvements in yield, soil GOAP, 2017 reported that paddy production conservation, seed diversity, product quality, in natural farming increased to 6416 kg / ha as domestic food autonomy, income and health. compared to 5816 kg / ha in non-natural farming. And the cost has been reduced to Palekar does not use the term 'agroecology' 5000-15000, so the net additional income for natural farming. Yet we believe that from natural farming in paddy is 14000- natural farming exemplifies the principles of 25000 kg / ha. The highest positive balance of agricultural science. As La Via Campesina soil nitrogen was associated with application points out. A number of names exist for of neem leaf manure followed by neem leaf natural farming. It is based on almost all the manure + Panchagavya spraying. Reduced same principles. We are concerned with the losses of N from neem leaf manuring due to key ecological and political principles that presence of nitrification inhibitors in neem underlie Natural Farming, and we find those leaf manure. Nitrification inhibiting alkaloids to be consonant with agroecology (La Via released from neem leaf manuring checks the Campesina 2013). faster rate of N mineralization (Srinivasulu Reddy, 1988). Tittonell and Giller, (2013) Because agroecology is based on careful revealed that the right Natural Farming observation of ecological processes.
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