Zero budget
farming
Today I am going to write about ZBNF because now a days use of
chemicals ,pesticides is increasing drastically in food items day by day.Our
Govt also trying for a permanent solution for this.
Recently Our Finance minister Nirmala
Sitharaman announced that
her government will promote Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF)
to reduce cost of production of farmers and thereby double
their income.
Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) is a farming practice
that believes in natural growth of crops without adding any fertilizers and
pesticides or any other foreign elements. The word Zero Budget refers to the
zero net cost of production of all crops (inter crops, border crops, multi
crops).
For this one and only one
person in my mind i.e.Rajiv Dixit he was the real originator of this farming
but now one person in my mind that is best person who evolved in this
farming,Mr. Subhash Palekar This Farmer Won the Padmashri for His Zero Budget
Natural Farming Model
Palekar was born on 2nd February,
1949 in Belora, a small village in the district of Amravati, Maharastra. The
son of a farmer, his interest in farming led him to pursue a B.Sc in
Agriculture from Nagpur.
Krishi ka Rishi’ is the title farming communities across the country
have bestowed on Subhash Palekar. This agriculturist is the creator of the
‘Zero Budget Natural Farming’ model, a method that has been creating waves in
the farming community in India.
Shocked by the harmful effects of chemical farming,
Palekar began the hunt for less-destructive alternatives. Thus began the
journey of Zero Budget Natural Farming in India.
.
Below are some of key
learnings from the Zero Budget Natural Farming method:
1. It is
believed that plants only receive 1.5% to 2% of their nutrient requirements
from soil; the remaining is absorbed through water and air. Given that 98% of
the nutrients do not come from soil, using fertilizers is not prudent.
2.
We often come across huge trees in forests, their branches heavy
with the weight of countless fruit despite the lack of fertilizers and
pesticides. These trees are proof that plants can and do grow healthily without
any chemical help.
3.
The reason we do not witness the same in our farms is because
the micro-organisms that convert raw nutrients into easy-to-digest form have
been destroyed by the use of poisonous chemical fertilizers, insecticides and
pesticides. Cultivation of soil by tractor has already proved to be harmful to
these micro-organisms.
Since these micro-organisms help convert nutrients into a
digestible form that plants can absorb and use, it is critical to revive them
in our farms. This can be done by using cow dung from local cows.
Over six years of research, Palekar found that:-
1.
Only dung from local, Indian
cows is effective on the soil. Dung from Jersey and Holstein cows is not as
effective. If one is falling short of dung from local cows, one may use dung
from bullocks or buffaloes.
2.
Dung and urine of the black
coloured Kapila cow is believed to be the most effective.To get the most of the
cow dung and urine, ensure that the dung is as fresh as possible and that the
urine is as old as possible.
3.
An acre of land requires 10
kilograms of local cow dung per month. Since the average cow gives 11 kilograms
of dung a day, dung from one cow can help fertilize 30 acres of land.
4.
Urine, jaggery and dicot
flour can be used as additives.
The lesser milk the cow gives, the more beneficial its dung is towards reviving the soil.
The lesser milk the cow gives, the more beneficial its dung is towards reviving the soil.
5.
Cow dung from local cows has
proven to be a miraculous cure to revive the fertility and nutrient value of
soil. One gram of cow dung is believed to have anywhere between 300 to 500
crore beneficial micro-organisms. These micro-organisms decompose the dried
biomass on the soil and convert it into ready-to-use nutrients for plants.
·
More than 40 lakh farmers
across the country have benefitted greatly from Palekar’s teachings and his
method of natural farming. Palekar spends 25 days a month sharing his knowledge
of farming through seminar, lectures, workshops and field visits.
·
In 2016, in recognition of
his work and the impact he was creating, the Government of India conferred
Palekar with the prestigious Padamashri Award. Palekar also made history for being the
first active farmer to receive the award.
·
Palekar’s Zero Budget
Natural Farming has undoubtedly made an indelible mark on farming in India.
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