Agroforestry Assisted Natural Farming in India: Challenges and Implications for Diversification and Restoration of Agroecosystem

Abstract

The Government of India is promoting natural farming (NF) which is evolved from our ancient heritage and traditional cultivation practices. Though NF has many advantages, it is facing several challenges like low yield in initial years, expecting high outputs from low cost of cultivation, lack of local cultivars and livestock, less availability of tree based diverse inputs, dependency on purchase or exchange inputs from other farm hold and dispute in farming type and crop composition. On these backdrops, sustainable and/or resilient agroforestry (AF) systems can be synergized by using principles and practices of AF with NF. This AF assisted NF hybrid model is helpful in diversification and restoration of agroecosystem. AF includes at least one livestock components along with perennial trees and agricultural crops. Trees and livestock based NF is the foremost nature based solution (NBS) for climate change mitigation, food security and land degradation neutrality. In NF, to prepare various plant protection formulations neem, pongamia and various perennial species byproducts are essential which can be substituted by tree components in AF. It also provides continues supply of inputs for jeevamrut and beejamrut preparations along with continuous biomass mulching through nitrogen fixing trees. In addition, AF assisted NF practices reduce methane emission from ruminating livestock by reducing heat stress and increasing the feed quality. Some studies on NF have indicated that yield levels were drastically reduced in several cropping systems. Instead of integrating tree and animal components, these studies focused solely on the multi-location evaluation of various cropping systems. Therefore, it would be premature to recommend its wide-spread adaption or adoption prior to scientific validation of this NF. This review provides detail information and implications of AF assistance in NF and recommends preferentially, climate resilient, economical, native and naturalized trees and livestock incorporation, along with amalgamation of traditional and improved AF practices.