AHMEDABAD: Gujarat’s natural farming model has delivered a major boost to turmeric cultivation, with a biotechnology-backed field study finding that one natural farming treatment produced more than 40 tonnes of fresh turmeric rhizomes per hectare, nearly double the 19.3 tonnes recorded under conventional chemical farming.
The productivity gain also translated into a sharp improvement in farm economics. According to the study, natural farming generated net returns of more than Rs 10.5 lakh per hectare, compared with around Rs 3.61 lakh under conventional farming, highlighting the potential of low-input agriculture to improve both yields and farm profitability.
The findings emerged from the Network Research Programme on Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati through Biotechnology Interventions, which combines traditional Indian farming practices with modern scientific analysis. Field trials at Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University (SDAU) were conducted jointly by the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre and SDAU.
“The study, published in BMC Plant Biology in 2026, compared conventional chemical farming with nine natural farming treatment combinations. One treatment crossed 40 tonnes of fresh turmeric per hectare, against 19.3 tonnes under conventional farming, showing the significant production potential of scientifically evaluated natural farming,” said Arjun Modhwadia, Gujarat Minister for Science and Technology.
The findings are significant because the “golden spice” has strong demand across the food, pharmaceutical and traditional medicine sectors, while curcumin has further expanded its domestic and international market potential. At the same time, intensive farming dependent on synthetic fertilisers and pesticides can increase input costs and put pressure on soil ecosystems.
Against this backdrop, Gujarat has been promoting natural and low-input farming to reduce farmers’ dependence on costly external inputs while improving soil health. Governor Acharya Devavrat has been promoting cow-based natural farming across villages.
SDAU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Rajeshwar Sinh Chandel said the turmeric experiment had produced encouraging results, with similar positive outcomes being observed in fruit crops. He described natural farming as an important foundation of the government’s One Health Mission.
The programme uses biotechnology to examine why natural farming systems may improve crop performance. Agriculture Minister Jitubhai Vaghani said the research programme is designed to combine India’s traditional agricultural knowledge with modern scientific tools to improve productivity, restore soil health and develop environmentally sustainable farming systems.
The programme covers 18 crops across eight agro-climatic zones, allowing researchers to examine how natural farming and biotechnology can work together under different agricultural conditions.
At SDAU, researchers tested cow-based natural farming inputs, including Beejamrit for seed treatment, Jeevamrit as a liquid biostimulant and Ghanjeevamrit as a solid input. Wheat-straw mulch was also used to add organic matter and support favourable soil conditions for microbial activity.
According to Digvijaysinh Jadeja, Mission Director, Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission, repeated field trials showed that turmeric performed substantially better under natural farming, with some treatment plots producing about twice the yield achieved through chemical farming.
The programme has also moved beyond experimental conditions. Following repeated trials, farmers were trained to prepare natural farming inputs and adopt the cultivation practices. Farmers in Banaskantha district subsequently began using the methods for turmeric production.
Biotechnology research has provided further clues about the soil and microbial changes associated with the system. The Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) conducted microbial and metabolomic analysis of Beejamrit, Jeevamrit, Ghanjeevamrit and other natural farming formulations.
Dr Snehal Bagatharia, Joint Director, GBRC, said the analysis identified several beneficial microorganisms and around 300–500 important metabolites across 11 classes, some of which could contribute to soil health, plant growth and crop resilience.
The scientific investigation also extended to soil microbial communities. Scientists at CSIR-Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSIR-CSMCRI), Bhavnagar, isolated several plant-growth-promoting microorganisms from soils under natural farming.
These microbial resources could eventually support the development of biological inputs such as natural biofertilisers and help reduce dependence on synthetic agricultural chemicals.
At the soil level, researchers observed an increase in beneficial microorganisms, including plant-growth-promoting bacteria such as Priestia and members of Acidobacteria, along with beneficial fungi including Humicola, Mortierella and Trichoderma. Together, these microorganisms can support organic matter decomposition, nutrient recycling and suppression of plant pathogens.
The economic findings, combined with the field and microbial results, make the Gujarat experiment a case study in how traditional natural farming, farmer-level adoption and biotechnology can be brought together to develop a higher-yield, lower-input and more sustainable agricultural system.
