Opportunity waits for no one

Indian agriculture can emerge as an example for the rest of the world that's looking for ecologically supportive practices to pull back our planet from the edge of the cliff

Zero budget natural farming’s (ZBNF) core principles include complete elimination of all chemical fertilisers and pesticides; rearing of only indigenous breeds of cows which are used as principle source of nutrients with one cow sufficing for 30 acres of farmland; botanical extracts prepared by using only locally available inputs and minimum tillage, which makes the soil soft and porous. All the four pillars and their related practices put together increases the humus content in the soil that fuels the vast number of organisms above and below the soil. This entire soil food web is what enhances agriculture productivity, biodiversity, carbon sequestration and water availability. This scientific understanding was rooted in Indian tradition.
 
There is an important process in which the “sugars” (produced by plants through photosynthesis) are actively fed to the soil microorganisms. Plants use around 30-40 per cent of the sugar produced by photosynthesis for its shoot development (development of new leaves, stems, branches, flowers, fruits etc). Another 30 per cent is used for the root system development (branching of roots, root elongation root hairs etc). The remaining 30-40 per cent of the sugar are released into the soil by the root system. This release of sugar and other substances into soil by roots is called root exudation. The substances exuded serve as food for the soil micro-organisms. The micro-organisms increase in number and associate with the roots and help in humus formation in the soil.
 
Practicing all the four wheels of ZBNF enhances this process efficiently. Keeping the ground covered with multi-layered crops for 365 days and increased porosity of soils and microbial action increases water use efficiency, water conservation, and increased absorption of water from atmosphere. Together, farm productivity increases, risks are diversified, costs reduced and food-nutrition-health security of the farmers and citizens is enhanced. Carbon sequestration comes as the huge positive externality.
 
However, practicing ZBNF is knowledge-intensive. While a week-long training camp, under Subhash Palekar’s guidance, exposes the farmers to ZBNF practices, they need hand holding before making a successful transition from chemical input based farming to ZBNF. The agro-extension network needs to be thoroughly revived and preferably run through self-help groups (SHGs), which constitute an enormous volume of social capital. SHGs could work with champion farmers who have successfully transited to ZBNF for demonstrating the technology to other farmers. Such a combination of champion farmers and SHGs can scale up ZBNF across India in the next 15 years.
 

Indian agriculture would emerge as an example for the rest of the world, which is today desperately looking for ecologically supportive agriculture practices to try and pull back our planet from the edge of the cliff, where we find ourselves today.
 
ZBNF’s claims about carbon sequestration and enriching the organic carbon (OC) content of the soil have recently been certified by the CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, and the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. These institutions have pioneered the first green revolution in India and have the highest credibility in the agro-scientific circles. In their evaluation of the land quality in a 180 acre farm (Gurukul) in Kurukshetra district of Haryana they have certified that OC increased by 49 per cent from 0.61 per cent to 0.91 per cent in one year and was maintained at 0.75 per cent across all seasons. It was further found that while yields in ZBNF remained comparable to those achieved by farms using chemical inputs, the level of micronutrients like zinc, manganese, iron and copper also increased and potassium and phosphorus content in the soil were also higher. ZBNF achieves this increase in micronutrient levels by promoting the symbiotic relationship between plants and soil, which generates the micro-organisms that work with newly-grown fungi to release the micro-nutrients locked up in the soil.

 
ZBNF’s positive features have begun to attract international attention. The UNEP is now working closely with the movement and so is the FAO, which organised a special session on agroecology in one of its recent conferences. The International Council for Research in Agroforestry has also taken it on board. The UK government has reportedly shown interest in the process. France, as we know, has already passed the law to make its agriculture completely free of chemicals in the coming years.
 
This unique and proven solution for comprehensively addressing India’s serious twin problems of accelerating environmental degradation and persistent farmer distress is now within our grasp. It is up to us to harness this indigenously developed technology and scale it across the country. Waiting for a certification from some ‘respected foreign institutions’, which often happens as a result of our inherent diffidence, may see India missing the bus once again. We cannot afford that.
 
(Concluded)
 

The writer is an Indian economist and is currently the vice-chairman of the NITI Aayog. Views are personal