Zero Budget Natural Farming With Reference to Punjab Conditions A Review

Abstract:

Sixty percent of the Indian population will experience severe food deficiencies by 2050. Increased food production is urgently needed, but the high cost of production; fluctuating prices in the market are driving farmers into debt. Zero budget natural farming (ZBNF) is the best solution to reduce the input cost of farmers. The word zero budget means “no credit,” and natural farming means “growing of crops without chemicals.” Soil and Health are degraded continuously by Using conventional techniques in agriculture. It makes soil barren, as well as farmer, goes under debt. Hence, the only approach to deal with this ever-rising problem is zero-budget natural farming (ZBNF). 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 without using chemicals. Subhash Palekar, the explorer of ZBNF, introduces many principles and methods of ZBNF. Zero Budget Farmers use natural pesticides and fertilizers. The principal techniques of ZBNF include crop rotation, green manures, and compost, biological pest control. There are 4 pillars of ZBNF, i.e., Jivamrita, Bijamrita, Acchhadana, and Whappasa.