Vishal Kalasannavar, a farmer based in Belagavi, invited Subhash Palekar, a Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) activist, for breakfast. When someone tries to serve him a salad saying it was all grown organically on their farm, Mr. Palekar counters: “I’m against anything organic. We’re all for organic farming.” She laughs and settles for oatmeal and a side of salad.
Mr. Palekar, who hails from Amaravati in Maharashtra, travels across several districts of Karnataka to train farmers in the technique he developed on his farm with experiments spanning four decades. Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) leaders like Chukki Nanjundaswamy are accompanying Mr. Palekar. They conducted day-long workshops in several districts of North and South Karnataka. He argued before them that all kinds of crops – agriculture, horticulture and plantation crops – could be grown using ZBNF. He gave them examples of farmers from all over the country who had adopted his methods and succeeded.
In an interview with The Hindu, he urges farmers to reject both chemical and organic farming. “The Indian government introduced chemical farming techniques in the name of the Green Revolution. It was probably necessary then because we had to ensure the safety of food grains for a large population. But this is not a long-term strategy. The use of chemical fertilizers, insecticides and weedicides injects poisonous substances into the soil and fruits and grains. This circle of mutual poisoning around the food chain,” he says, is why we will never have to give up chemicals.
“Similarly, we are now witnessing a growing trend in organic farming. This is also not sustainable. It requires external inputs, either factory or domestic, which are foreign to the farmer’s original field. They are costly and need constant and gradual increases in inputs. Organic farming will thus increase the cost of cultivation and will not be able to free the farmer from debt.”
“ZBNF, on the other hand, is sustainable in the long term because it is based on natural principles. It can be scaled up and will permanently increase the income of farmers. It will not damage or weaken the soil. This was practiced by our ancestors for more than 10,000 years. We modified it a bit, based on our experience and some scientific principles that I started to use for my farm and biology.” learning from others Today there are at least 70,000 farmers who benefit from ZBNF practices. I would venture to say that every farmer, big or small, should practice it.
Subhash Palekar, ZBNF activist, talks to Vilas Adhyapak, a Marathi writer in Belagavi during a recent visit. | Photo credit: BADIGER PK
Subhash Palekar Krushi
His model, now increasingly referred to as Subhash Palekar Krushi (SPK), consists of seven steps — no cultivation, Beejamrut seed treatment, Jeevamrut nutrition, five-layer farming, no weeding, no use of external inputs such as fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides or weed killers, and integrated farming with livestock and mulching.
All the inputs for SPK-style farming can be generated on the farm and there is no need to venture out or buy from the market, he insists. It is against chemical and organic external inputs.
“I believe that chemical farming is a corporate conspiracy and organic farming is a set of unscientific practices promoted by people who do not understand the principles of agriculture,” he says. “All inputs required for SPK can be prepared on the farm. Beejamrut disinfects seeds and promotes healthy germination. Jeevamrut is a catalyst for fermentation and microbial support. Both can be prepared using minimal amounts of cow dung and urine and inputs like lime, pulse meal, jaggery and topsoil. Insecticides and pesticides, oils and other useful herbs can be prepared using unhealthy herbs.”
However, ZBNF or SPK is not for the lazy farmer. “It doesn’t mean zero-management farming. It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s relaxing and spiritually liberating,” he says.
SPK as ‘Adhyatmik Krishi’
Mr. Palekar passed out from BSc Agriculture in his final year. This realization came after his pro-bono work with the Adivasis of Maharashtra. “I realized that all our practices, right from land preparation, cultivation, crop management and harvesting, were far removed from nature. I decided to embrace the principles of nature in agriculture and abandon modern farming methods that were heavily influenced by Western models,” he says.
He rejects accusations that he is pushing a right-wing agenda of cow-based politics. “What I am talking about is that the cow is a useful animal and a friend of the farmer. There are certain vested interests who play communal politics for the sake of the cow. They are intellectual fools, nothing else,” he says.
Describing SPK as Adhyatmik Krishi (Spiritual Farming), Mr. Palekar says he does not believe in those who promote Homa Farming, Agnihotra Krushi or Gavya Vishana Krishi or cow horn fermentation method. “I think these are attempts to push a political agenda. I am very clear about my principles. When I say SPK is spiritual farming, I mean it is a means of achieving liberation through hard work. I have found that other methods are neither useful nor sustainable for a country like India,” he says.
Advocates of farmer self-sufficiency
Mr. Palekar opposes the idea of a government-backed minimum support price mechanism or market intervention schemes. “I strongly believe that farmers should become self-sufficient by reducing costs, increasing production and creating a niche market for their produce. I also believe that farmers can escape the clutches of middlemen by adding value to their crop and exploring offline and online direct marketing options,” he says.
Mr. Palekar works closely with the National Committee for Doubling Farmers Welcome. “They contacted me a few months ago. They visited my farm and the farms of some farmers who follow SPK methods. More meetings are planned in Delhi in the next few months,” he says.
Published – 01 Feb 2026 19:01 IST
