About This Book
| Chapter | Title | Topics to be Covered |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Background and History of Natural Farming | Ancient Indian agricultural knowledge; traditional farming systems; Vedic agricultural practices; evolution of natural farming; Green Revolution and its impacts; global natural farming movements; pioneers of natural farming; Subhash Palekar and ZBNF |
| 2 | Core Concepts and Philosophy of Natural Farming | Definition and principles; ecological foundations; natural farming vs organic and conventional farming; soil as a living ecosystem; soil food web; role of indigenous cattle; self-sustaining farm systems; four pillars of ZBNF |
| 3 | Types of Natural Farming Systems | Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF); Subhash Palekar Natural Farming; Rishi Krishi; Fukuoka farming; biodynamic agriculture; permaculture; agroforestry; traditional ecological farming; comparative features of different systems |
| 4 | Jeevamrit: The Living Microbial Input | Concept and importance; ingredients; preparation; fermentation; application methods; dosage; microbial mechanisms; Ghana Jeevamrit; crop-specific use; scientific evidence; precautions and limitations |
| 5 | Beejamrit: Seed Treatment and Seedling Protection | Concept and principles; ingredients; preparation; seed treatment methods; seed-borne diseases; seedling protection; nursery management; crop-specific applications; advantages and limitations |
| 6 | Natural Farming Preparations and Botanical Inputs | Panchagavya; Dashaparni Ark; Agniastra; Brahmastra; botanical extracts; natural growth promoters; preparation methods; application; storage; efficacy; safety considerations |
| 7 | Whapasa, Mulching and Natural Soil Management | Whapasa concept; soil moisture management; soil structure; soil organic matter; mulching; crop residues; composting; green manuring; biological soil restoration; microbial activity |
| 8 | Water Management in Natural Farming | Soil–water–plant relationships; water-use efficiency; irrigation principles; rainwater harvesting; farm ponds; contour bunds; trenches; check dams; moisture conservation; drip and other efficient irrigation methods |
| 9 | Natural Pest and Disease Management | Ecological pest management; pest–plant relationships; preventive approaches; beneficial insects; biological control; botanical pesticides; natural disease management; pest monitoring; integrated approaches; safety |
| 10 | Biodiversity, Polyculture and Farm Design | Agricultural biodiversity; crop diversification; intercropping; polyculture; multilayer farming; agroforestry; livestock integration; habitat management; pollinators; farm ecosystem design; resilient farming systems |
| 11 | Quality and Safety of Natural Farming Products | Nutritional quality; phytochemicals; antioxidants; taste and aroma; pesticide residues; food safety; shelf life; quality of cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables; comparison with conventional products; scientific evidence |
| 12 | Soil Health Assessment and Transition to Natural Farming | Soil health indicators; physical, chemical and biological assessment; simple field tests; soil testing; transition planning; year-wise transition; yield and economic risks; farmer adaptation; monitoring transition outcomes |
| 13 | Economics and Farm-Level Profitability of Natural Farming | Cost of cultivation; input economics; labour requirements; yield and productivity; gross and net returns; benefit–cost ratio; break-even analysis; profitability comparison; transition economics; risk and resilience; farm-size considerations |
| 14 | Value Addition and Diversification of Natural Farming Products | Concept and importance of value addition; post-harvest management; cleaning; grading; sorting; primary and secondary processing; packaging; storage; product diversification; rural processing enterprises; cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruits, vegetables, spices and traditional products |
Keywords
Natural farming
Sustainable agriculture
Agroecology
Regenerative agriculture
Soil health
Traditional agricultural knowledge
Natural farming inputs