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Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF)

Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) is a chemical-free, low-external-input farming system codified by Maharashtra agriculturist Subhash Palekar in the mid-1990s. The system relies on on-farm preparations made from cow dung, cow urine, jaggery and pulse flour in place of purchased fertilisers, with mulch and seed treatment as additional pillars.

Principle

ZBNF rests on four pillars (the "four wheels"):

  • Jeevamrutham — a fermented microbial brew of cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour and soil, applied to soil or crops as a microbial inoculum and nutrient source.
  • Beejamrutham — seed treatment with cow dung, urine, lime and soil to protect against soil-borne pathogens at germination.
  • Achhadana — permanent organic soil cover (mulching) to conserve moisture, moderate temperature and add organic matter.
  • Waaphasa — soil aeration through moisture management rather than tillage, maintaining soil air-water balance through irrigation discipline.

The doctrine targets a "zero budget" in the sense that all critical inputs are produced on-farm, eliminating the cash outlay that conventional input-intensive agriculture requires.

Implementation

Andhra Pradesh scaled the system from 2016 under Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) as Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF). Programme footprint reached 4,116 gram panchayats, 2.31 lakh SHGs and 662 mandals by 2024. The Government of India later mainstreamed natural farming through the National Mission on Natural Farming. Implementation works through farmer-trainer cascades that demonstrate jeevamrutham preparation, mulching and bio-input formulation at village level.

Adoption context

ZBNF and its state-level variants — APCNF in Andhra Pradesh, Subhash Palekar Krishi in Karnataka — are now the largest community-managed natural-farming programmes in the world. Documented outcomes from the APCNF impact assessment cover yield, input cost, soil health and farm income. Adoption is concentrated in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and parts of Telangana, Maharashtra and Sikkim.

Limitations

Yield response varies by crop, soil and the discipline of bio-input preparation; ZBNF doctrine itself has been criticised by some agricultural scientists as lacking peer-reviewed yield evidence across all crop systems. The system requires access to indigenous cattle (desi gau) for jeevamrutham, restricting adoption among landless and dairy-free households. Labour intensity is high, particularly for mulching at scale.

See also Bio Digester Jeevamrutham, Mulching Organic Residue, In Situ Residue Decomposition, Integrated Farming System and Organic Vegetable Marketing.

References

  1. APCNF Impact Assessment Final Report 2021-22. Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming.
  2. Andhra Pradesh Zero Budget Natural Farming — A Concept Note. Future of Food.