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Mahesh

14/04/23 13:08 PM IST

Zero Budget Natural Farming

In News
  • Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) in Andhra Pradesh has led to significantly higher crop yield compared to organic or conventional (synthetic fertilisers and pesticides) farming, a new study of the state’s natural farming programme has found. 
Major Findings
  • ZBNF yields were higher than both conventional and organic treatments in several districts in Andhra Pradesh
  • This helped farmers on short-term land leases, as they may not be able to farm the same land every season
  • Previously it was thought that conventional agriculture (which uses synthetic fertilisers), increases extractable nutrient concentrations compared to organic and ZBNF treatments.
  • If ZBNF covered 25% of the total crop area in Andhra Pradesh, $70 million would be saved in fertilizer subsidies every year.
  • The southern state has been pushing 100 per cent chemical-free agriculture under the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) programme it launched in 2016.
Conventional v/s Unconventional
  • Conventional treatment involves the use of synthetic pesticides / fertilisers.
  • Organic treatment does not use any synthetic pesticides or fertilisers and mulch but uses purchased organic inputs, such as farmyard manure and vermicompost.
  • ZBNF involves not using any synthetic pesticides or fertilisers and uses home-made inputs comprising desi cow dung and urine with mulch.
  • It does not involve any purchase of inputs.
About APCNF
  • In 2016, the Agriculture Dept., Govt of A.P initiated the programme that was called ‘A.P Zero budget natural farming’.
  • This programme builds on an earlier programme of the State Govt’s Rural Development Dept , called A.P Community Managed Sustainable Agriculture.
  • This was under implementation from 2004 to 2014. This precursor programme was a State wide programme, covering both A.P and Telangana States. And, it was taken up through the Women S.H.G s.
  • Initially it focused on non chemical pest management, and in later years there were interventions around soil health improvement and water conservation.
Source- DTE

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