Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) is a set of farming methods that involves zero credit for agriculture and no use of chemical fertilizers. It is a natural farming technique pioneered by Subhash Palekar, a Maharashtra-based agriculturalist.
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.
As both the social and environmental programme, it aims to ensure that farming - particularly smallholder farming - is economically viable by enhancing farm biodiversity and ecosystem services.
It reduces farmers’ costs through eliminating external inputs and using in situ resources to rejuvenate soils whilst simultaneously increasing incomes and restoring ecosystem health through diverse, multi-layered cropping systems.
ZBNF requires only 10% water and 10% electricity than what is required under chemical and organic farming. Thus, it may improve the potential of crops to adapt to and be produced for evolving climatic conditions.
The ‘four wheels’ of ZBNF are ‘Jiwamrita’, ‘Bijamrita’, ‘Mulching’ and ‘Waaphasa’, says Palekar, a Padma Shri awardee:
Jiwamrita – It is prepared by mixing fresh cow dung and aged cow urine (both from India’s indigenous cow breed), jaggery, water, pulse flour, and soil; to be applied on farmland.
Bijamrita – A concoction of neem pulp & leaves, green chilies, and tobacco prepared for pest and insect management. It can be used to treat seeds as well.
Waaphasa – A condition where both water and air molecules are present in the soil, which reduces the irrigation requirement.
Acchadana (Mulching) - Protects the topsoil during cultivation and does not destroy it by tilling.
One of the biggest reasons behind the need for ZBNF was the rising cost of external inputs causing indebtedness and suicide among the farmers. Additionally, the impact of chemicals on the soil is devastating.
The need for this intensified because it promotes farming that does not require high production costs, it can break the debt cycle for small farmers. Furthermore, it does not take a toll on the environment. It promotes soil aeration and intercropping and requires minimal watering and bunds.
In Andhra Pradesh, the ZBNF has led to significantly higher crop yield compared to organic or conventional farming. The state has been pushing 100% chemical free agriculture under the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) programme it launched in 2016.
Apart from higher yield, nutrient availability was also unaffected in ZBNF.
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