Abstract

Agro-ecological principles and low-input farming techniques, known as "Zero Budget Natural Farming," are said to have the potential to increase farm viability and food security. There is a worry that the social movement that is propelling ZBNF adoption has outpaced the science that explains why it performs better than other farming systems. Based on twenty field plot experiments set up across six districts in Andhra Pradesh (SE India) and managed by locally based farmer researchers, we present the first "on the ground" evaluation of ZBNF performance. We demonstrate that there is no short-term yield penalty when using ZBNF in small-scale farming systems when compared to conventional and organic alternatives. Although we noticed variations in treatment effectiveness across agro climatic zones, we are unable to suggest specific solutions adapted to these various contexts at this time

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