Nekram Sharma, a farmer from Karsog valley of Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, India revives along with its community an ancient indigenous farming technique. Nau-Anaj (‘nau’ means nine and ‘anaj’ is crop) is an intercropping or mixed farming method to grow nine foodgrains on the same piece of land. These crops are...

In the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, India water scarcity and poor soil quality forced many farmers to walk away from agriculture. But a few years ago, the state of Andhra Pradesh launched an ambitious program called Andhra Pradesh Community managed Natural Farming (APCNF)  that is transforming the farming practices to stop the...

It is a well-known fact that the use of organic or biological inputs has assumed importance in the promotion of organic agriculture.  In conventional agriculture where the application of chemical inputs is widely known for its direct action to feed and protect the crop,on the contrary, in organic agriculture, inputs...

Women farmers in the hill State of Himachal Pradesh are gradually turning to non-chemical, low cost “natural farming”, which has not only provided them with a sustainable livelihood but also empowered them better. Launched in 2018, the State’s Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Yojana is promoting the climate resilient Subhash Palekar Natural Farming...

A collective vision of scaling Natural Farming in India and beyond that emerged from the workshop organized by RySS and ATECF. The workshop was attended by leaders from multiple organizations keen to scale up Natural Farming in India and beyond. The process enabled a rich evocation of the imaginations and...

The guts, heads, skin or any other part of the fish that people do not eat can be turned into organic fertiliser by fermenting or composting it. Fish waste is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium and vitamins. By applying fish fertiliser, we can increase the good microbes in the soil,...

By combining different organic methods, you will harvest a lot more rice and make more money.

Calcium deficiency is common among high-yielding dairy cows. A calcium deficient cow does not eat much, is cold to touch, looks tired and is unable to stand up. She gives less milk. Untreated cows may die. To prevent calcium deficiency, do not dehorn your cows. Let the cows have some...

A survey of fisherfolk in the Indian state of West Bengal shows that relief measures for natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic must take into account long-standing vulnerabilities. The two most important concepts to set the agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs) are ‘social development’ and ‘sustainable management’. The...

When grains are soaked in water for a while and left to germinate, they will put out shoots or sprouts. By absorbing water sprouted seed more than double their weight. Sprouts are easier to digest than grains, because sprouting converts nearly all of the starch in the grains into sugar....

Though Kerala and Tamil Nadu are top performers on the Human Development Index, their advances in sustainability and social development do not reach small-scale fishers. Social development of fishing communities can be made possible only through policies and services for poverty eradication, employment generation and social inclusion that address the specific...

By applying a range of agroecological practices, you can avoid disease infestation in  your rice crop.

With pitcher irrigation, round porous clay pots are buried into the soil near the crop and filled with water. The water seeps out slowly through the porous walls of the pot and reaches the roots of the plants. As the plants consume the water, more water will seep out from...

On 21 March 2020, ten days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Covid-19 a pandemic, a voluntary closure was imposed on all fishing and fish marketing activities in Kollam in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Shot during the peak of the first wave of Covid-19 in India, this...

Rust diseases spread through wind and can rapidly develop in cool, wet weather. To know if your crop has rust disease, rub over the infected plant part to see if a yellow, brown or black powder sticks to your fingers. By combining organic methods, you will be able to grow...

Livestock including cows, sheep and goats do not come to heat due to lack of hormones and proper nutrition. Inductions of heat by chemical hormone is costly, and their residues can be seen in milk and meat, which can be hazardous. Livestock can be induced to heat by phytohormones. There...

The initiative is located in Central India, encompassing the Vidarbha District and the adjoining districts of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Dietary-based anemia is a widespread problem, especially amongst young women. The area is facing an acute agrarian crisis. One of its causes is climate change and the increasingly unpredictable monsoon...

The mission of the Voluntary Association of Agricultural General Development Health and Reconstruction Alliance in India (VAAGDHARA) is to create and nurture vibrant institutions of poor and tribal peoples in Western India so that they have sustainable livelihoods through scientific, indigenous and appropriate knowledge and technologies and their children are well educated...

Chronic diarrhoea in grazing animals is common in tropical livestock. Infection by bacteria and virus lead to diarrhoea. Use of antibiotics is costly and has residual effects through milk and meat. The traditional use of Chebulic myrobalan (Terminali chebula) along with curd from cow or goat milk is an effective...

Cardamom root grub (Basilepta fulvicorne: Chrysomelidae) is a major pest damaging roots of small cardamom (Elettariacardamomum Maton) causing 29 to 66 percent crop loss under various levels of infestation. Chemical control with agrochemicals viz. Chlorpyrifos and Phorate, though help in managing the pest, repeated application of such chemicals is deleterious to...