Zero-budget natural farming

Why in news?

• Researches have shown that Zero-budget natural farming brought big gains in energy, water saving and profit for farmers in Andhra Pradesh.

What is it?

• Zero Budget Natural Farming is a method of farming where the cost of growing and harvesting plants is zero.
• It believes in natural growth of crops without adding any fertilizers and pesticides or any other foreign elements.
• It is also a grass root level movement evolved in Karnataka as a result of Mr. Subhash Palekar.
• He has provided four important non-negotiable guidelines: Bijamrita (Seed Treatment using local cowdung and cow urine), Jiwamrita (applying inoculation made of local cowdung and cow urine without any fertilizers and pesticides), Mulching (activities to ensure favorable microclimate in the soil), and Waaphasa (soil aeration).

Decoding the term

• The word ‘budget’ refers to credit and expenses.
• Thus, the phrase 'Zero Budget' means without using any credit and without spending any money on purchased inputs.
• 'Natural farming' means farming with nature and without chemicals.

ZBNF Practices:

• It uses biological pesticides instead of chemical-based fertilizers.
• Farmers use earthworms, cow dung, urine, plants, human excreta and such biological fertilizers for crop protection.

Benefits:

• A ZBNF practicing farmer has lower cost of inputs & investments and thus has better capacity to increase the incomes.
• At the same time, ZBNF crops helps in retaining soil fertility and is climate change resilient.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Consider the following statements regarding Zero Budget Natural Farming:
1.It does not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
2.It is a practice first formulated in Japanese agricultural industry.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to prelims question