The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has been conducting a comprehensive study on natural farming since 2020-21 through the All India Network Programme on Natural Farming, previously known as AINP-Organic Farming. The program involves 20 cooperating centers across 16 states, with participation from 11 State Agricultural Universities, 8 ICAR institutes/centers, and 1 deemed university, evaluating 8 major cropping systems to develop natural farming practices.
Study findings demonstrate that natural farming, when implemented with proper techniques, improves yields and offers multiple benefits. In Bajaura (Himachal Pradesh), Almora (Uttarakhand), and Gangtok (Sikkim), the soybean + maize – vegetable pea + coriander crop system under natural farming achieved an average system productivity of 6,475 kg/ha/year over 5 years, approximately 5% higher than organic farming or integrated crop management. In Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (Bhopal, Jabalpur, Raipur), the soybean + maize – wheat + mustard system yielded 3,346 kg/ha/year, equivalent to integrated crop management and organic farming. Gujarat and Rajasthan locations (S.K. Nagar, Ajmer, Udaipur) recorded 9,209 kg/ha/year in cowpea + maize/peanut + sesame – fennel + cauliflower/cabbage systems under natural farming, comparable to integrated crop management.
Natural farming has shown significant improvements in soil health indicators, with soil organic carbon levels increasing from approximately 0.90% to 1.15% over 2-3 years in Himalayan region trials. The approach also enhanced microbial diversity and activity, with higher numbers and diversity indices of beneficial bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes observed in natural farming soils compared to chemically fertilized soils, indicating development of a healthier soil ecosystem.
According to NITI Aayog's assessment report, approximately 91.2% of farmers adopting natural farming experienced increased crop productivity and significantly improved soil health, while 90.1% reported reduced input costs. Under the mission, there is provision for an Output Based Incentive of ₹4,000 per acre per year for 2 years (up to 1 acre per farmer) to support natural farming practice, training, livestock upkeep, and preparation of natural farming inputs including purchase of mixing & storage containers or inputs from Bio-input Resource Centers.