Natural farming more than doubles turmeric yield in Gujarat field study

The findings were published in BMC Plant Biology in a study titled "Metagenomic insights reveal the impact of natural farming on soil nutrients, enzyme activities, microbial communities, and yield in turmeric cultivation." The research compared nine natural farming treatments with a conventional farming system at SDAU in Banaskantha district.

According to the study, the highest-yielding natural farming treatment recorded 40.66 tonnes of fresh turmeric rhizomes per hectare, while the conventional farming system recorded 19.3 tonnes per hectare. Another natural farming treatment recorded 40.47 tonnes per hectare.

The study was conducted from June 2023 to January 2024 using turmeric variety GNT-3. Researchers evaluated natural farming practices involving inputs such as Beejamrit, Jeevamrit and Ghanjeevamrit, along with mulching, and compared them with recommended conventional fertiliser and pesticide practices.

Science and Technology Minister Arjun Modhwadia said, "The study, published in BMC Plant Biology in 2026, compared conventional chemical farming with nine different natural farming treatment combinations. One of the natural farming treatments produced more than 40 tonnes of fresh turmeric rhizomes per hectare, compared with 19.3 tonnes per hectare under conventional farming."

He said, "Turmeric, often described as the 'golden spice', plays a major role in India's food, pharmaceutical and traditional medicine sectors. Its active compound, curcumin, has also driven growing demand in domestic and international markets."

The economic assessment also reported higher returns under natural farming. The study found net returns of up to Rs 11.04 lakh per hectare under one natural farming treatment when the farmer owned a cow, compared with Rs 3.61 lakh per hectare under conventional farming. Even when farmers did not own a cow and had to purchase the inputs, the highest natural farming treatment recorded net returns of Rs 10.51 lakh per hectare.

Agriculture Minister Jitubhai Vaghani said, "The findings have emerged from a Network Research Programme on Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati through Biotechnology Interventions, which seeks to combine traditional Indian farming practices with modern scientific tools to improve crop productivity, restore soil health and promote environmentally sustainable agriculture."

The research programme covers multiple crops and agro-climatic conditions, with the Gujarat initiative examining how natural farming practices and biotechnology can be combined to assess their impact on crop productivity and soil health.

At SDAU, researchers examined natural farming inputs including Beejamrit, used for seed treatment; Jeevamrit, a liquid bio-input; and Ghanjeevamrit, a solid natural farming input. Wheat-straw mulch was also used in the treatments. The researchers found that several natural farming treatments improved soil organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus levels, along with soil enzyme activity.

The study also used high-throughput 16S rRNA and ITS metagenomic analysis to examine bacterial and fungal communities in the soil. Natural farming treatments were associated with greater microbial richness and evenness, with beneficial bacterial groups such as Priestia and Acidobacteria and saprophytic fungal genera including Humicola and Mortierella becoming more prominent.

Researchers also analysed the microbial composition of natural farming inputs and identified diverse bacterial and fungal communities. The study noted that these microbial communities and associated changes in soil conditions could contribute to nutrient cycling and soil health.

The research involved scientists from the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre, SDAU and the CSIR-Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute. (ANI)