Natural farming has significantly reduced farmers’ dependence on chemical fertilizers, enabling them to earn more profit at lower input costs. One such example is a progressive farmer from Mado village in Sirmaur tehsil, who transitioned from conventional farming to natural methods.
The farmer shared that conventional farming required heavy use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides, which not only increased the cost of cultivation but also degraded the fertility of the soil over time. In the year 2023–24, he began practicing natural farming. He used treated seeds of the Pusa wheat variety (Type 3386) and sowed them using a Super Seeder machine. Irrigation was done every 20–21 days as needed, and after weeding and hoeing, a "Jeevamrit" bio-solution was sprayed.
Using the Super Seeder brought multiple benefits. Crop residues were mixed back into the soil, enriching it with organic matter. Water usage was reduced, and there was no need to burn crop stubble, thereby minimizing pollution. These methods also contributed to increased crop yield. The farmer emphasized that wheat requires relatively low fertilizer input compared to other crops and is suitable for crop diversification. By efficiently using natural resources, he achieved higher profits at a lower cost and is now encouraging other farmers in the area to adopt natural farming practices.
