Engineering Transformation

through Zero Budget Natural

Farming (ZBNF)
60 Lakh Happy Farm-families across 12,924 GPs in
Andhra Pradesh

By
D.V. Raidu, I.A.S (Rtd)
Former Advisor, Farm Livelihoods (NRLM)
1
& Senior Consultant, RySS, AP
Agriculture Crisis
• Increasing cost of production
• Inappropriate use of fertilizers
• Yield – Almost stagnant
• Decrease in Net Income
• Depletion of groundwater
• Inadequate Extension system
 Key Challenges
in Agriculture
Farming has become very risky and
non-viable - increasing costs of
cultivation, uncertain yields and
instability in prices
More frequent Crop losses due to
droughts, floods and pest attacks

•Pesticide residues in food having

negative health impacts
•Degradation of soil quality, water
table levels and ecosystem services

•Youth are deserting agriculture and

migrating to towns
 Problems created by Green revolution

 Reduced genetic diversity

 Increased vulnerability to pests
 Soil erosion
 Water shortages
 Reduced soil fertility
 Micronutrient deficiencies
 Soil contamination
 Reduced availability of nutritious
food crops
 The displacement of vast numbers
of small farmers
 Rural impoverishment and
increased tensions and conflicts.
 Declining Soil Health – A Cause of Concern
Falling productivity growth rate (% per annum) of major crops in India

Crop Productivity
1980-81 to 1990-91 to 2000-01 to
1989-90 1999-2000 2002-03
Rice 3.19 1.27 -0.72
Wheat 3.10 2.11 0.73
Pulses 1.61 0.96 -1.84
All Food grains 2.74 1.52 -0.69
Oilseeds 2.43 1.25 -3.83
Non-food grain 2.31 1.04 -1.02
 Declining Fertilizer Response

Low Fertilizer Response - Irrigated Areas

16
14 13.4
Response ratio (kg
grain/kg NPK)

12 11
10
8.2
8 7
6 5.8
4.9
4.1
4 3.7

2
0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
 Low nutrient use efficiency

Nutrient Efficiency Cause of low efficiency

(%)
Nitrogen 30-50 Immobilization, volatilization,
denitrification, Leaching
Phosphorus 15-20 Fixation in soils Al – P, Fe – P,
Ca – P
Potassium 70-80 Fixation in clay - lattices
Sulphur 8-10 Immobilization, Leaching with
water
Micro 1-2 Fixation in soils
nutrients
(Zn, Fe, Cu,
Mn, B)
 Transformation through Climate
Resilient ZBNF
For farmers – viable livelihoods:
• Reduce costs of cultivation and risks
• Improve yields
• Fair prices
• Climate resilience

For consumers – more food, safe food, and

nutritious food

Tremendous impacts on health of citizens

For the ecosystem: better soil fertility,

water retention, biodiversity, greenhouse
gases reduction

For future generations – food, nutrition

and health security
8 8
ZBNF Paradigm shift in Thought Process
• Looking agriculture as livelihoods of farmers
• Supporting existing extension systems with farmer experts
• Shift from input subsidies to Community subsidies for knowledge
dissemination
• Restoring Balance between beneficial and harmful insects
• Dung to be looked as source of Microbes
• Restoring soil health by graded reduction of fertilizers
• Internalization of inputs
• Using CBOs platform
• Brining trees to the center stage of Rainfed agriculture
• Sun light harvesting with appropriate crop geometry
• In situ rain water harvesting
ZBNF Principles
JEEVAMRUTHAM BEEJAMRUTHAM
Enhance soil Microbial seed coating
microbiome through through cow urine and
application of cow
dung based
dung, cow urine and
other local ingredients
formulations.

COVER CROPS and WAAPHSA

Fast build up of soil humus
MULCHING: Ground
through ZBNF leads to
to be kept covered enhanced water vapor
with crops and also condensation on the soil
crop residues surface

PEST MANAGEMENT: No chemicals.

Formulations based on cow urine, dung, botanical extracts,
etc.
Regenerative Agriculture is a holistic land management practice
that leverages the power of photosynthesis in plants to close the
carbon cycle, and build soil health, crop resilience and nutrient
10
density.
 Core Philosophy of ZBNF
The nutrients in Plants exude around 40%
Soil has allthe nutrients, and, in the soil however of ‘food’ they produce
abundant quantities. There is through photosynthesis
absolutely no need to add chemical
are in a ‘locked’ through the root hair, and,
fertilizers or ‘organic’ fertilizers form – and as such along with it they also
from outside. plants cannot use exude enzymes, unique to
them. their DNA.

The exudates are the food for the This triggers the
soil microbes, and they multiply, ‘exchange’ process The plentiful ‘locked’
their predators multiply, and the between plants, soil minerals are made bio -
entire soil food web gets microbes and soil available to plants.
activated. nutrients.

ZBNF’s practices – Jeevamrutham and “Achadana” (live cover

crops and crop residue mulch) stimulate this process and build
soil fertility rapidly on a continuous basis.
11
 The Soil
Food Web
 Technology frame work
• Understanding Natural Processes –
Sailing with it, synergized with
scientific knowledge
• Understanding pest life cycle
• Soil is treated as living medium
• Blend of cutting edge technology with
traditional wisdom
• Local natural resource based
• Knowledge centric than product
centric
• Technology transfer through
Community Resource Persons
• Farmers are encouraged to take-up
experiments
 Program strategies
• Reducing cost of cultivation (by adopting practices
which involve low or no expenditure), improve net
incomes without yield reduction
• Decentralized Extension System: Resource persons
to provide regular technical support in the village
– Weekly group meetings (FFS) in the fields for
reviewing, researching, trouble shooting and
capacity building
– Variety of resource material
– Best practicing farmers as CRPs
• Program anchored and regularly reviewed by the
Federation of F- SHGs at village, Mandal and
District level
 Main objectives of ZBNF Programme
•To sustain agriculture based livelihoods
•Special focus on small and marginal farmers, Women,
tenants, agriculture workers
•Technology
− Understanding Natural Processes – Sailing with it,
synergized with scientific knowledge
− Local natural resource based
− Knowledge centric than product centric, hence support
only in the form of knowledge
− Technology transfer through Community Resource
Persons
•Management by Community managed (SHGs)-financial
and personnel
Decentralized Extension System – Farmer Field
Schools Stabilized
• Sub group for every 20 – 25
farmers fixed day every week
• Convener, Co-convener for every
sub-group
• Best practicing farmers
• Out of 2, one woman farmer

• Field Based activity

• Study of beneficial Insects
• Preparation of Life Cycle of Harmful
Insects

• Sharing of learning's in the village

• Trained Convener, Co-convener
 Decentralized Extension System – Institutional
Strengthening
• ZBNF sub-committees at Village,
Mandal, Zilla formed.
• Meetings / Discussions every month.
• Performance of CRPs reviewed.
• Field inspection by members of F-
SHGs
• Budget provision for monitoring,
field visits, reviews by Samakhyas
• Video conferences - Every Fortnight
• CUG phone connections used to
monitor progress of
FFS/subcommittee meetings
• Alerts through “Way to SMS” to the
cell phones
• E-mail connectivity upto Mandal
Samkhyas, NGOs, DPMs - Separate
group mails
• MANA TV – Every fourth Saturday
Concept – 1
Soil fertility management through natural
means
• Soil to be treated as living
media
• Returning crop residues to
soil through animal route /
directly
• Dung to be viewed as source
of microbial inoculum
• Enabling environment for
returning of earthworms
18
Temporary NADEP Compost Building & Filling
 Unique features of NADEP Compost
· Foliage (tree leaves) is major input
· Low Dung requirement of 60 to 100
kg/pit of size 10’x6’x3’
· Ideally one pit per acre
· 2.4 tons of compost in 90 days
· Will supply
24 kg N, 18 kg P, 36 Kg K
• In addition supplies all micro nutrients/
plant growth promoting factors and
enzymes for crop growth.
Contd…. Additional Soil
Fertility Management
methods

• Green leaf Manure

• Ghana Jeevamrutham

• Drava Jeevamrutham

• Neem Cake
 Concept 2 - IPM Graduated to NPM

Community B Friendly Insect

onfires
Sticky Plates

Pheromo
ne
Traps

Trap Crops Bird Perches

Concept 3 RFSA & Tree Based farming
• Soil and Moisture conservation
• Tree based agriculture for sustainability (linked
to Neeru chettu/MGNREGA)
• One good rain captures 5 Lakh litres of Capture rain
water/acre drop where it
➢ Conservative or deep furrows for every four falls
meters.
➢ Trench around the field.
➢ Farm ponds.

• To recharge ground
water levels
• Prevent siltation of
tanks
 Contd… Crop Management in Rain-fed
areas

• Perennials on conservation
furrows including green leaf
manure plants.
• Trees all around trench on
farm boundary.
• Cropping pattern with red
gram in between the
conservation furrows in 2:1
and 5:1 with millets and
groundnut respectively.
 Freshly made Conservation furrow in CF in horsegram at Golladhi village in
pigeonpea in Prakasham District Vizianagaram

Effective conservation trenches in Cashew Effect of CF in Groundnut + Redgram

Orchard, Visakhapatnam cropping system at Papasanipalli,
  Madakasira, Anantapur
Botanical Extracts as Last resort
1. NEEMASTHRAM
2. BRAHMASTHRAM
3. COW
DUNG + URINE+ ASAFOE
TIDA concoction
4. CHILLI - GARLIC SOLUTI
ON
5. 5% NEEM
KERNEL EXTRACTION
6. PANCHAGAVYA
29
 Village green (NPM) Shop –
internalization of inputs
• For providing ZBNF inputs
to the farmers
• Low Investment –
Rs.50,000 per village
• Ensures timely local supply
botanical extracts and
other “green” inputs.
• Also acts as knowledge
center
30
Custom Hiring
Centers
• Lower HP machines i.e
Pulverizers, Power
Weeders, Sprayers as
enterprise
• Timely availability at
village level
• Reducing drudgery
(Women)
31
Concept 4 - Nutrition Garden
(36x36 Model)

• Seven tier intensive

cropping model.
• To harvest maximum
sunlight
• Tool to achieve
nutritional security
at the households
level
Contd… 36x36 Model

1. Tier 1 – Bulbous root plants

2. Tier 2- Creepers
3. Tier 3 - Leafy Vegetables
4. Tier 4 – Vegetables
5. Tier 5 – Trap and Border Crops
6. Tier 6 –Short Canopy plants
7. Tier 7 - Fruit Plants
Concept 5
Water conservation – SRI
Good Entry Level Activity
• Cost effective and resource
efficient
• Higher productivity
• Wide Planting – low pest
buildup
• Less Seed (5 kg per ha)
• Less water requirement
(40% saving)
• Turning back weed into soil
– improves fertility
Swarna under SRI
POP strategy
• Converting “wage seekers into “net
food producers”
• Providing regular income – Annual
income Rs.50,000/-
• ½ Acre irrigated land on lease
• ¼ th Acre SRI and ¼ th Acre of Poly
crops
• Rs.10 Crores provided as CIF to take
5,000 Acres land on lease
• 10,000 families covered in 2000 MKSP
intensive villages
• Separate module is built in mobile
application to capture MIS and for
decision making at field level
• 36X36 models for household
nutritional security
 Journey of POP family from “wage seekers” to “net food
producers”
• Smt. Punyavathi, belongs to Pedarama
village of Seethampeta mandal in
Srikakulam district.
• She hails from a tribal family.
• The village Organization provided a loan
amount of Rs.7,000/- for leasing in 0.5
Acre land
• Incomes
– SRI Paddy – Rs. 20,000/-
– Kharif Vegetables- Rs.20,200/-
– Rabi Vegetables - Rs.24,500/-
– Total gross incomes – Rs.64,700/-
• Total cost of cultivation – Rs. 12,200/-
• Net income from 0.5 Acre – Rs. 52,500/-
Concept-6: Mulching
Concept -7: Integrated Farming Systems
• With primacy to dung-based
inoculants livestock/dairy/
poultry/small ruminants, getting
integrated with crop husbandry
• Fishes making appearance in
paddy fields following the
withdrawal of pesticides
– Pisciculture can be practiced in
farm ponds
• With Biodiversity
– horticulture and silvi pasture
getting integrated
– With year round flowering,
convergence with APIARY
– With castor and mulberry part
of the system, ericulture and
sericulture
Integrated Farming Systems
సమీకృత వ్యవసాయ వ్యవస్థలు
Concept -8: Seed banks for seed sovereignty
• Identifying high yield genome
with the farmers – local and
improved
• Organizing seed production plots
with 2 – 3 farmers initially
• Soon after harvest and drying
needy farmers lift their own seed,
preserve
• Seeds to meet production to
biodiversity ensured
• Graduation from monetary
transaction to payment in kind
with premium (i.e., 50% more
seeds at harvesting time)
• Access to Foundation Seed Chain
periodically by communities
 మెట్ట, మాగాణి
వ్యవసాయంలో
రాజీలేని అంశాలు
 1. వేసవి దుక్కులు
11. ఎర
పంటలు 2. సాముహిక మంటలు

10. రక్షక పంటలు/ సరిహద్దు పంటలు/

3. విత్తన శుద్ది/నారు శుద్ధి
వరి గట్ల పై కంది
రాజీ లేని
సూత్రాలు 4. జిగురు పూసిన పసుపు,
9. కాలి బాటలు (వరి లో)
తెలుపు పళ్ళాలు

8. కొసలు తుంచి నాటడం (వరి లో)

5. పక్షి స్థా వరాలు

6.లింగాకర్షక బుట్టలు
7. వరి లో అజోల్లా
 వేసవి దుక్కులు
• ఎప్పుడు: మే, జూన్ తొలకరి వర్షాలు పడిన వెంటనే
 దీపపు ఎరలు
• ఎప్పుడు : సాయంత్రం నుండి.
• ఎందుకు: ఎగిరే పిల్ల పురుగులు
(Nymphs), రెక్కల పురుగులైన ఆకు
ముడత, కాండము మరియు కాయ
తొలుచు పురుగులు, తెనేమంచు పురుగులు,
ఆకు పచ్చ దోమలు, ముక్కుపురుగులు
(వీవిల్స్), బీటిల్స్ మొ.. దీపపు ఎరలు
కాంతికి ఆకర్షించబడి కింద అమర్చిన నీటి
తొట్టిలో పడి చనిపోతాయి.
• ఎలా : రైతులు విడిగా లేదా సామూహికంగా
వారి పొలాల్లో దీపపు ఎరలు పెట్టు కోవాలి.
 విత్తన శుద్ది/నారు శుద్ది
• ఎప్పుడు: విత్తనాలు విత్తే
ముందు

• ఎందుకు: విత్తనం ద్వారా

ఆశించే తెగుళ్ల
నివారించడానికి

• ఎలా: బిజామ్రు తంలో

చెయ్యాలి
జిగురు పూసిన పసుపు, తెలుపు పళ్ళాలు
• ఎప్పుడు: వరి నాట్లు వేసిన తరువాత, మెట్ట పంటలలో
విత్తనాలు మొలకెత్తిన తరువాత.
• ఎలా: పసుపు, తెలుపు పళ్ళాలకు గ్రీసు లేదా ఆముదం
పూసి మొక్కలకన్నా కొంచం ఎత్తు లో పెట్టు కోవాలి
• ఎందుకు: చిన్న చిన్న రసం పిల్చే పురుగుల యొక్క
ఉద్రితిని తెలుసుకోడానికి మరియు వాటిని
నివారించడానికి
కొసలు తుంచి నాటడం (వరి
లో)
 ఎప్పుడు: వరి నాట్లు
వేసేముందు
 ఎందుకు: కాండం తొలుచు
పురుగు గుడ్ల సముదాయం
నివారణకొరకు
 ఎలా: నాటే ముందు కొసలు
తుంచి నాటాలి.
కాలి బాటలు
(వరి లో)
 ఎప్పుడు: నాట్లు వేసే సమయంలో
 ఎందుకు: దోమ పోటు
నియంత్రించడానికి
 ఎలా: ప్రతీ 2 మీ.లకు 20 సెం.మీ.
కాలి బాటలు వదలాలి
వరిలో అజోల్లా

పంటకు నత్రజని అందించడానికి,

కలుపు రాకుండా చూడడానికి
ఉపయోగపడుతుంది.
 ఎర పంటలు
– ఎప్పుడు: ముక్య పంట
విత్తనాలు చల్లెటప్పుడు బంతి,
ఆముదం మొదలగు
విత్తనాలను అక్కడక్కక
చల్లు కోవాలి
– ఎందుకు: లద్దెపురుగు, పచ్చ
పురుగులు గుడ్లను ఎర
పంటల పై పెడతాయి. ఆ
గుడ్లను గమనించి వెంటనే
వాటిని నాశనం చెయ్యాలి
– ఎలా: పంట నలములలా
ఉండేటట్లు చల్లు కోవాలి.
 రక్షక పంటలు/ సరిహద్దు పంటలు
– ఎప్పుడు: ప్రధాన పంట
విత్తనాలను చల్లడానికి 7-10
రోజులముందు జొన్న,
మొక్కజొన్న సజ్జ మొదలగు
పంటల విత్తనాలను చల్లు కోవాలి
– ఎందుకు: పురుగుల, తెగుళ్ల
వ్యాప్తిని నివారించడానికి. మిత్ర
పురుగుల అభివృద్ధి
– ఎలా: ప్రధాన పంట చుట్టూ 3
లేదా 4 వరసలలో చల్లు కోవాలి.
 పక్షి స్థా వరాలు
– ఎప్పుడు: వరిలో నాట్లు వేసిన
10-15 రోజుల తరువాత, మెట్ట
పంటలో విత్తనాలు మొలకెత్తిన
15-20 రోజుల తరువాత
– ఎందుకు: శత్రు పురుగులను
పక్షులు ఏరుకుని తింటాయి
– ఎలా: ఎకరానికి 15-20 పక్షి
స్ధా వరాలను పంట కంటే కొంచం
ఎత్తు లో పెట్టా లి.
 లింగాకర్షక బుట్టలు
– ఎప్పుడు: పూత దశలో, వరిలో ఆయితే
నాట్లు వేసిన నెలరోజుల తరువాత.
– ఎందుకు: వరిలో కాండం తొలుచు,
వంగ లో తలనత్త పురుగు, అపరాలలో
శనగ పచ్చ పురుగు, మిరపలో పొగాకు
లద్దె పురుగు నివారించడానికి
– ఎలా: ఎకరాకు 10-15 లింగాకర్షక
బుట్టలు పెట్టా లి
Increase in Presence of
earthworm beneficiary
movement insects

Impact on Bio Diversity

Increased Increase in
number of birds and
honey birds nest
bees

59 59
Marketing of ZBNF Products by
Farmers
 Farmers SHGs
Farmers who are practicing S.No Name of the district No of local groups
ZBNF/ organic/Pesticide free formed
farming are grouped in local 1 Srikakulam 454
groups
2 Vizianagaram 477
3 Vizag 536
• These groups will develop into
4 East Godavari 341
producer
5 West Godavari 461
cooperatives/commodity
interest groups. 6 Krishna 497
7 Guntur 508

• All these groups were trained 8 Prakasam 631

on ZBNF methods, farm 9 Nellore 465

appraisals etc 10 Kurnool 691
11 Kadapa 518
• All these groups are meeting 12 Ananthapur 517
regularly 13 Chittor 585
14 Total 6804
Comprehensive strategy to produce export quality pesticide free Chilies
• Internationally recognized lab checking quality

• International buyers paid Rs.1650 -1850/qtl additional amount to market

price

• 1550 tonnes of chillies exported to Germany, Holland etc :

• ITC – 450tones, Bharath agency – 950 tonnes, Anand & Co – 150 tones

• Chillies producers and traders are connected facilitated by Samakhyas -

Initial hand holding by SERP for two years for the last three years it is totally
self managed by Samakhyas
• Initial quality check is done by samakhyas – village level quality centers –
charge Rs.100 / sample

• Pre/mid season trainings organized to staff, farmers and samakhyas on

Chilies

• All NPM methods including border crops, white and yellow plates from
nursery stage are achieved in 100% fields
 Organic Certification through PGS
• 300 farmers in 129 groups are No.of groups eligible for
PGS certification
eligible for organic certification S.No Name of the District

• The crops covered under PGS 1 Srikakulam

are Paddy, Ground nut, 2 Viziayanagaram

vegetables, maize, black gram 3 Vishakapatnam
etc. 4 East Godavari
• To access better prices 5 West Godavari
registering brand at state level -
6 Krishna
KRuSHE
7 Guntur
• Efforts are on to establish retail
outlets at district and mandal 8 Prakasham

levels for selling PGS products 9 Nellore

• This year scaling up in 2,240 10 Chittor

villages in all districts with 11 Kadapa
20,000 farmers 12 Kurnool

13 Ananthapur

  Total:
 ZBNF and Climate change
• Tool for Adaptation to climate change

• It also work towards mitigation of climate

change
 Adaptation to climate change
Effect of climate change CMSA adaptation methods

Increased droughts and Mulching

floods Conservative / dead furrow
Crop diversity
Improved drainage systems
Selection of contingent crops
Comprehensive drought proofing
Extreme temperatures Multistoried cropping based on photo candle
and diurnal variations light requirement

Increased incidence of Building of pest ecology

pests and diseases Managing pests by understanding them
(NPM)
Crop diversity
 Contd…
Decline in water Rain water harvesting – Farm ponds
resources Selection of crops
Bund plantation – develops micro climate
and reduces evaporation
In situ moisture conservation
Zero tillage
SRI in Paddy

Increased risk Crop diversity – Spreading risk

Increased yield frequency
Agro forestry
 Adaptation contd…..
Soil nutrient depletion Soil fertility management by
due to high monocot/dicot crop combinations
temperatures Mulching
Azolla in Paddy
Creating enabling atmosphere for local
deep borrowing earth worm
Dung based inoculants
Recycling of biomass
In situ Soil fertility management
Tank silt application
Green manure crops
Green leaf manure
Increased weed Weed as source of mulching
problems
 Mitigating climate change
Contributing factor for climatic Mitigation method in CMSA
change
GHG emissions SRI in Paddy
Using biomass for composting
rather than burning
Eliminating chemical fertilizer
usage
Aerobic composting methods like
NADEP
Energy use Low or no fossil fuels
Animal power or human power
No machinery using fossil fuels
Increased Co2 in atmosphere Bund plantation of green leaf
manure and other plants
 Resilience to Climate Change

Improved ability of ZBNF farms to A Case of

withstand extreme weather Paddy Crop in
conditions and seasonal changes Vishakapatnam
district

Non
ZBN
ZBN
F
F

Cyclone-damaged non-ZBNF conventional paddy plot adjacent to

69
unaffected ZBNF paddy plot
 Drought Resilience: Case Studies in Ananthapuramu

Yield in Increase in Rs. Rs.

Kg/ha yield 20,000/ha
696 100% 2,500/ Net
696 kg/ha ha
ZBNF; increase in
100% increase Costs reduced
342 kg/ha in yield; by
income in a
Non-ZBNF Rs.17500/ha. Rs.2500/ha. drought
year
Kharif 2016 Season – Drought Year

Non
ZBNF
ZBNF
Kharif 2017 – Anantapuramu dist - Groundnut crop condition after
70
dry spell of 29 days
Drought Resilience: Case Studies in Kurnool District

Non-
ZBNF
ZBNF Plant struggling
to revive from
the 30 days dry
spell.
Kondapuram village, Chanugondla cluster, Gudur Mandal
Kondapuram village, Chanugondla cluster, Gudur Mandal

ZBNF plot withstands dry spell, has 3 to 4 inflorescence

71
with double the number of berries per ear head
 Way Forward &
Scale up strategy
 Implementation at GP level
• One GP = 5 Zones with 5 internal
CRPs (Community Resource
Persons) to organize 40 Farmer Zone 5 Zone 1
SHGs (@10 farmers per SHG) in a
GP that adhere to Saptasutra:
– Meetings, Savings, Internal-lending, Zone Zone
Repayments, Book-keeping, ZBNF 4 2
Discussion and ZBNF Practice
Zone
3
• FSHGs to federate as Village
Federation and Cluster Federation

73
 Implementation at Cluster-level
• Total Clusters in the
State: 2,585 Clus
ter
• A Cluster comprises of GP
5 GPs. It takes 5 years 5

to saturate into all 5

GPs in a Cluster GP GP
4 1
• Each Cluster shall have:
– 5 CRPs per cluster (@ one per GP)
GP GP
– 25 ICRPs (@ 5 per GP) 3 2
– 1 NFF (Natural Farming Fellow), 1
SMP (Social Mobilization
Professional)

74
 Farmer- Community Resource Persons
driven (CRPs): Farmer-to-Farmer

Agriculture Department Ownership

Extension Farmers Institutions

Government Commitment
(FSHGs, Federations, FPOs)

Human-mediated
Video dissemination
ZBNF:
A program Farmer-Friendly Content
of the farmers,
for the farmers,
and Inspirational Training by
Subhash Palekar
by the farmers

75
 60 lakh
farmers
60 lakh
farmers
2024
2027
Cover Achieving
36 lakh entire
farmers Reach All
Farm
cultivable
area in AP
Hon’ble
300,000 2022 Families
farmers Reach All CM’s
GPs

2018-19
(12,924) Vision
Reach All
Mandals

76
Convergence with other Agencies
• APDMP (IFAD)
• Horticulture/Social forestry
department
• ATMA
• MGNREGS
•Marketing Dept
Achieving the SDGs through ZBNF

Collabo

mes
rative e
Eq

inco
uit
ab
Co

ved
le

s
co nscio

fforts

op
im

Di Impro
ns

cr
um us

pa

d
fie
c ts
pti s
on cide

rsi
esti

ve
d p
uce
Nature co Red
nservatio
n
ZBN Social capital created
rity
ds secu F
iho o
Livel
Wo
me
ns

De nm
Efficie
i

ast
ha

bs

er f
cr
ec

ea
nt jo

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va

nt pro

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ee

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Gr

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Gre

78
 THANK
YOU
Government of Andhra Pradesh
Rythu Sadhikara Samstha
Zero Budget Natural Farming
Monitoring yields through Crop Cut Experiments
 Paddy (Irrigated) Paddy (Rainfed)

Yields are ZBNF NON-ZBNF ZBNF NON-ZBNF

increasing 5,418 4,960 5,545 4,934

across crops + 10% + 12%
Guli Ragi Ragi

ZBNF NON-ZBNF ZBNF NON-ZBNF

ZBNF and Non-ZBNF Yields in

kgs/ha 2,007 1,434 1,539 1,313
Food Crops:
Kharif 2017
+ 40% + 17%
Maize Blackgram Greengram

ZBNF NON-ZBNF ZBNF NON-ZBNF ZBNF NON-ZBNF

5,691 5,102 860 708 4,304 3,513

+ 37% + 20% + 23% 81
 Groundnut (Irrigated) Groundnut (Rainfed)

ZBNF NON-ZBNF ZBNF NON-ZBNF

Yields are 2,555 2,034 2,286 1,680

increasing across + 35% + 35%
crops
Cotton Chillies

ZBNF NON-ZBNF ZBNF NON-ZBNF

ZBNF and Non-ZBNF Yields in kgs/ha

Cash Crops: 4,516 4,009 6,832 5,427
Kharif 2017
+ 11% + 26%

82
 Acid lime Papaya

Yields are ZBNF NON-ZBNF ZBNF NON-ZBNF

increasing 16,904 13,963 5,000 3,720

across crops + 21% + 34%
Banana Okra
ZBNF NON-ZBNF ZBNF NON-ZBNF

ZBNF and Non-ZBNF Yields in

kgs/ha 27 25 5,904 5,113
Horticulture Crops:
Kharif 2017 + 8% + 15%
Eggplant (Brinjal) Bitter gourd
ZBNF NON-ZBNF ZBNF NON-ZBNF

5,652 3,307 10,504 9,380

+ 69% + 12% 83
Net Crop
Costs in Costs in
Net
ZBNF non ZBNF income in
Net
income in
% Change
in Net
incomes
Non
ZBNF Income
ZBNF

have Paddy
(irrigated 30,983 43,839 60,743 40,355 51%
increased )

Paddy
(rainfed) 25,503 34,538 61,174 42,412 44%

ZBNF and Non-ZBNF Yields in Guli Ragi 7,375 8,125 42,789 27,717 54%
Rs/ha
Food Crops:
Kharif 2017 Ragi 6,875 7,625 31,590 25,195 25%

Maize 24,523 29,518 95,304 62,050 54%

Blackgra
m 15,776 18,595 39,034 27,243 43%

Greengra
m 2,000 6,627 48,000 34,186 40%
 Net
Net incomes Crop
Costs
in
Net
Costs in income in
non ZBNF
income
in Non
% Change
in Net
have ZBNF ZBNF ZBNF Income

increased Groundnut
(rainfed) 23,253 31,072 41,820 17,791 135%

Groundnut
45,866 59,800 97,383 60,303 61%
(irrigated)
Cotton 40,368 58,658 2,49,393 1,99,036 25%
ZBNF and Non-ZBNF Yields in Chillies 32,883 48,215 2,41,390 1,57,337 53%
Cash Crops:
Rs/ha
Kharif 2017
ZBNF and Non-ZBNF Yields
in Rs/ha Net Net % Change
Costs in Costs in
Crop ZBNF non ZBNF income in income in in Net
Horticulture ZBNF Non ZBNF Income
Crops: Acid lime 6,776 14,038 91,736 69,161 33%
Kharif 2017
Pappaya 72,500 1,14,000 1,17,500 27,360 329%

Banana 1,37,500 2,37,500 5,58,750 4,18,750 33%

Okra 2,800 5,400 38,350 30,264 27%

Eggplant 22,200 38,250 56,700 7,096 699%

Bitter 19,958 35,350 70,282 43,986 60%
gourd
 Overall Benefits of ZBNF

Eco-system benefits and health benefits to citizens

86 86