A peer-reviewed study published in BMC Plant Biology in 2026 has found that natural farming produced more than twice the fresh turmeric yield of conventional chemical farming in field trials at Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University (SDAU) in Banaskantha, Gujarat. The research, conducted jointly by the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) and SDAU, also documented significantly higher farm income and measurable differences in soil microbial communities under natural farming systems.

Key Findings on Yield and Returns

According to the study, two natural farming treatment combinations produced more than 40 tonnes of fresh turmeric rhizomes per hectare, compared with 19.3 tonnes per hectare under the conventional farming system — a difference of more than double. The economic gap was equally striking: natural farming generated net returns of more than ₹10.5 lakh per hectare, against approximately ₹3.61 lakh per hectare under conventional chemical farming. Researchers attributed the income advantage to both higher production and reduced dependence on synthetic agricultural inputs.

Gujarat Science and Technology Minister Arjun Modhwadia confirmed the findings, noting that turmeric — or Curcuma longa — plays a significant role in India's food, pharmaceutical and traditional medicine sectors, and that intensive chemical cultivation has increasingly placed pressure on soil ecosystems and farm economics.

The Farming Inputs Tested

Researchers at SDAU tested natural farming treatments based on cow-derived preparations traditionally associated with Indian natural farming. These included Beejamrit for seed treatment, Jeevamrit as a liquid input and Ghanjeevamrit as a solid input, combined with wheat-straw mulch. Nine natural farming treatment combinations were tested in all against the conventional system.

Digvijaysinh Jadeja, Mission Director of the Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission, said the turmeric crop performed substantially better under natural farming, with natural farming plots recording approximately twice the yield of the chemical-farming system.

Soil Health and Microbial Diversity

Beyond yield, the study examined soil nutrients, enzyme activity and microbial diversity. Natural farming plots showed greater representation of beneficial bacterial groups such as Priestia and unclassified members of Acidobacteria, along with saprophytic fungi including Humicola and Mortierella. The researchers also reported enrichment of Trichoderma — a fungal genus widely studied for plant health benefits — and linked these microbial communities to organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling.

Dr Snehal Bagatharia, Joint Director of GBRC, said the centre conducted in-depth microbial and metabolomic analysis of key natural farming inputs and identified several beneficial microbes along with around 300 to 500 important metabolites belonging to 11 different classes, several of which could play a role in stimulating soil health, plant growth and crop resilience. Researchers from the CSIR-Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSIR-CSMCRI) in Bhavnagar also contributed, isolating plant-growth-promoting microorganisms from soils cultivated under natural farming.

Broader Programme and Policy Context

The study forms part of Gujarat's Network Research Programme on 'Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati' through Biotechnology Interventions, which seeks to examine traditional natural farming practices using modern biological and molecular tools. The programme covers 18 crops across eight agro-climatic zones.

Gujarat Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani said the programme was designed to combine traditional Indian farming practices with modern scientific tools to improve crop productivity, restore soil health and promote environmentally sustainable agriculture. SDAU Vice-Chancellor Rajeshwar Sinh Chandel noted that the results extended beyond research plots — farmers in Banaskantha have since been trained in preparing natural farming inputs and adopting the practices for turmeric cultivation. Chandel described natural farming as 'the main foundation of the One Health Mission initiated by the government.' As the programme expands across more crops and agro-climatic zones, its findings are expected to inform broader agricultural policy in India.