for nutrient and soil fertility management, year green cover, multi-species green manuring, use of on-farm desi cow dung-urine formulations (such as Bijamrit, Jivamrit, Ghanjivamrit etc) use of diversity, multi-cropping systems and on-farm made botanical extracts for plant protection and maintaining soil aeration in exclusion of all purchased synthetic chemical inputs directly or indirectly. As natural farming is aimed at reduction in cost of cultivation and providing freedom to farmers from purchased inputs, use of external purchased inputs including organic, biological or otherwise are also avoided. Natural Farming mainly relies on adoption of diversified multi-cropping systems, desi cow based on-farm inputs for nutrient and soil enrichment and various botanical concoctions for plant protection.

These were initially thought to be main pillars and promoted as components of Natural Farming. However, the practices have evolved with time and farmers are also using innovations like Pre Monsoon Dry Sowing (a method of multi-species green manuring), Green manuring and applying Farm Yard Manure (FYM), vermi-compost, etc. along with the desi-cow based components of Natural Farming. In some areas farmer groups have come forward and are preparing desi cow derived inputs for Natural Farming and making it available to other end using farmers who don’t own livestock.