Embracing Natural Cultivation for a Sustainable Future

Sometimes there is good in doing nothing. Before civilization there was no such thing as agriculture. Nature had its way of providing for the living. The concept of dependence and time played a major role. This was the roots to introduce the traditional and authentic way of agriculture. Current trends to follow a sustainable lifestyle directed us towards natural farming.

What is natural farming? | Natural Cultivation

Farming by doing nothing is called natural cultivation. This approach of farming believes “ nature has its way of giving without external intervention”.It was introduced in the year 1975. This type of farming is more sustainable than organic farming. Sustainable farming is a broader term where organic farming and natural farming are parts of it. It is the most organic form of cultivation. Natural farming is also known as:

• Zero budget farming
• Ecological farming
• Traditional farming

Why natural farming? | Natural Cultivation

Natural farming is considered more environmentally friendly. With global warming, environmental pollution and other economic crises, natural farming acts as a band aid in healing the global problems. This form of cultivating helps to provide food safety and healthy produces. This approach of agriculture inculcates more resistance of farmlands towards extreme weather. A chemical free process of farming which does not affect the quality of soil.

https://naturalfarming.niti.gov.in/benefits/

Advantages of natural farming? | Natural Cultivation

Sustainable way of life has more positive effects that not only reflects on the current situation but also on the future simultaneously. These are few benefits of natural cultivation:

• Budget friendly- this form of farming requires very minimal to no inputs externally.
• Pollution free- as there is no chemical fertiliser or even organic manure, there is no contamination.
• Cost effective: farmers do not require input to enrich the soil or the harvest. This makes it more cost effective.
• Focuses on rural development.
• Aids in preventing global warming as it does not emit greenhouse gases.
• It helps to restore groundwater
• Concentrates on enriching the soil
• Does not require manual labour

Nature always has a way of healing and restoring on its own. All it requires is patience. In this form of farming, nature acts as the farmer and the farmer is the labour.

Limitations of natural cultivation:

This approach of farming has its own drawbacks. These potential disadvantages are faced by the farmers rather than the environment. Obstacles faced by farmers are:

• There is always an uncertainty of no yield which means it has a bad influence on the livelihood of the farmer.
• This approach of farming needs more work to convert the land for natural farming
• Tedious process requires more time and patience.
• Reaping the produce is difficult as the farmland is thick with plants and trees.
• Difficult form of farming as there is no technology used.

Classification of natural farming | Natural Cultivation

As evolution is for everyone and everything, natural farming has variants. Those are:

• Fertility farming which is done similar to organic farming where cover crops are grown to promote the fertility of the land but no chemical or external human forces are involved in farming. It was addressed by Newman Turner.
• Native American farming researchers believe that earlier the ancestors followed natural farming and they believed having a mutual connection with the native plants allowed them to understand natural farming better.
• Mokichi Okada was the first introduction to natural farming. It was launched by a Japanese farmer and the technique was named after him.
• Rishi Kheti is the regional natural farming performed by Indians.Cow produces like milk, butter, cow dung and urine were used to enhance the soil quality before sowing and it is also called non-violent farming.
• Zero budget farming which is method of farming where practices like mulching( protecting the moisture of the soil by applying organic waste on the surface of the soil), intercropping(process of growing two or more variety of crops in the same piece of land at the same time)and grow our farmer’s best buddy (earthworms of course) in the field.

How is natural farming different from organic farming? | Natural Cultivation

How natural farming is done? | Natural Cultivation

This approach of farming requires an in-depth knowledge of the land used for farming. The farmer should follow the history of the land, climatic conditions of the area and the resources surrounding the land. The following measures are taken to do an effective natural farming:

• One must have access to wild seeds or seeds that have the ability to grow without external aid.
• Plant trees or plants that support the soil on nitrogen fixation.
• Should not interrupt the growth of plants and trees.
• Soil should be given time to maintain and restore its quality.
• The arrangement of the soil should not be bothered.
• Do not pot the harvest this can affect its ability to thrive on its own.
• Let the nature do its magic.

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