Shift to Eco-Friendly Organic Farming Crucial for Sustainability and Food Security

Strategic Insights -

Research from the Department of Agronomy highlights the importance of adopting eco-friendly organic farming practices to ensure food security, nutritional balance, and environmental sustainability. The study, conducted in Himachal Pradesh, India, indicates that excessive use of chemical fertilizers can harm soil health and crop productivity, making a shift towards organic farming imperative.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that zero-budget natural farming (ZBNF) is an alternative to conventional farming, promoting low-input, climate-resilient practices such as beejamrit, jeevamrit, achhadana, and whapasa.
  • The experiment, conducted during the kharif seasons of 2020 and 2021, evaluated different intervals of jeevamrit and matka khad in maize-based intercropping systems.
  • The results showed that maize + lobia and jeevamrit spray at 14 days interval during kharif 2020 and maize + soybean and jeevamrit spray at 14 days interval during kharif 2021 yielded significantly higher values of yield attributes and yield.
  • The research concluded that in terms of economics, higher gross returns, net returns, and benefit-cost ratio were recorded under maize + soybean and jeevamrit spray at 14 days interval during kharif 2020, while during kharif 2021, maize + soybean and matka khad spray at 30 days interval resulted in the highest returns.

Statistics:

  • The experiment consisted of 13 treatments, tested in a randomized block design with 3 replications.
  • The study found significant increases in yield attributes and yield of maize under different treatments.
  • The highest gross returns, net returns, and benefit-cost ratio were recorded under maize + soybean and jeevamrit spray at 14 days interval during kharif 2020 (₹ 31,041, ₹ 23,105, and 2.25 respectively).
  • During kharif 2021, maize + soybean and matka khad spray at 30 days interval resulted in the highest returns (₹ 34,819, ₹ 25,629, and 2.31 respectively).

Sources:

  • Optimizing Productivity and Economics of Maize Plus Legumes Intercropping: a Study On the Impact of Natural and Organic Farming Practices. LEGUME RESEARCH - AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, 2025;48:999-1005.
  • Navneet Shilpa, Csk Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Dept. of Agronomy, Palampur 176062, Himachal Prades, India.
  • NewsRx. Study Data from Department of Agronomy Update Knowledge of Organic Farming (Optimizing Productivity and Economics of Maize Plus Legumes Intercropping: a Study On the Impact of Natural and Organic Farming Practices). Agriculture Week. July 10, 2025; p 911.