NATURAL FARMING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
What is natural farming-
“It is agricultural production system which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives. To the maximum extent feasible organic farming system rely upon crop rotation, crop residues, and animal manure, legumes, green manure, mineral-bearing rocks and aspects of biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and tilth to supply plant nutrients and to control insects, weeds and other pests”.
Aims of natural farming-
1. To cultivate a grain with a high nutritional value.
2. To protect and enhance farm land’s long-term productivity and sustainability.
• Ananth Agri services are aimed to improve agricultural productivity by promoting natural farming in farmers community through services like sell, buy, return, on rent of farming machines, organic fertilizers, pesticides, Agri education, etc to improve farmers income by natural farming and stability of environment by on farm resources.
Organic farming has the following characteristics:
1. Long-term soil fertility is protected by preserving organic matter levels, promoting soil biological activity, and careful and deliberate mechanical action.
2. Providing crop nutrients indirectly through the activity of soil microorganisms, which make relatively insoluble nutrient sources available to the plant.
3. Usage of legumes and biological nitrogen fixation, as well as efficient disposal of organic materials such as crop residues and livestock manures, to achieve nitrogen self-sufficiency.
4. Crop rotations, natural predators, variety, organic manuring, resistant varieties, and restricted (preferably minimal) thermal, biological, and chemical action are used to combat weeds, diseases, and pests.
5. Comprehensive livestock care, taking into account genetic adaptations, behavioural demands, and animal welfare considerations in terms of diet, shelter, hygiene, breeding, and rearing.
6. The effect of the agricultural method on the broader ecosystem, as well as the protection of biodiversity and natural ecosystems, must be carefully considered.
Natural farming is mostly focused on:
1. Crop rotations
2. Use of crop residues
3. Animal manures
4. Legumes
5. Green manures
6. Off farm organic wastes
7. Bio fertilizers
8. Mechanical Cultivation
9. Mineral bearing rocks
10.Control of insect, weeds and other pests.
Advantages of natural farming:
• It contributes to environmental sustainability by lowering emissions levels.
• By lowering the amount of residues in the food, it decreases the risk of human and
animal illness.
• It contributes to the long-term viability of agricultural production.
• It lowers agricultural production costs while also improving soil quality.
• It allows the most efficient use of natural resources for immediate gain while also
assisting in their conservation for future generations.
• It not only saves both animal and machine resources, but it also lowers the probability
of crop failure.
• It increases the physical properties of the soil, such as granulation, tilth, aeration, and
root penetration, as well as increasing the water-holding potential and reducing
erosion.
• It increases the chemical properties of the soil, such as nutrient availability and
accumulation, nutrient leakage into water sources and the atmosphere, and favourable
chemical reactions.