What is ZBNF

ZBNF/ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING

Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF)

Meaning

"Zero Budget" literally means without using any credit or spending any money on purchased inputs.

 'Natural farming' here means farming with nature and without use of chemicals like herbicides and pesticides .

who developed the method ?

It was Subhash Palekar who developed the practice of ZBNF after his own efforts at chemical farming failed.

Subash Palekar

Image credits - Indian Express

ZBNF has four aspects that are integral to the process and it relies on  locally available materials:

1.Jivamrita 

Soil rejuvenated with cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, pulses flour and other local materials to increase microbes that can convert all the necessary “non-available” nutrients into “available” form.

2.Bijamrita 

 Seeds treated with cow dung and urine, bund soil and lime

3.Acchadana

 Cover crops, straw and other organic matter to retain soil moisture and build humus

4.Whapasa

Providing water to maintain the required moisture-air balance.