Natural farming offers opportunities to strengthen agricultural sustainability through indigenous knowledge, crop diversification and locally available resources. West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya possesses a rich tradition of mixed cropping, minimum tillage, agroforestry and crop-livestock integration. Recent research identified the district as the most sustainable among five surveyed districts of the North-Eastern Hill Region under natural farming. However, soil fertility constraints, pest and disease incidence, inadequate planting materials and marketing difficulties continue to affect productivity and profitability. Experimental evidence from Meghalaya indicates that crop responses to natural farming differ according to crop species and management practices. Integrating traditional knowledge with scientifically validated biological inputs, soil conservation, crop diversification and farmer-oriented extension services could strengthen agricultural production. A locally adapted approach is essential for improving farm livelihoods while conserving the ecological resources of West Garo Hills.
Mahanta, J., Chakraborty, P., 2026. Exploring the scenario of natural farming in enhancing production in West Garo Hills. Biotica Research Today 8(10), 175-178.
Crop diversification, Indigenous knowledge, Natural farming, West Garo Hills
Athawale, S., Singh, R., 2026. Exploring the sustainability of natural farming in the North-Eastern Hill region of India. Indian Journal of Economics and Development 22(3), 436-451. DOI: https://doi.org/10.35716/IJED-25214
Das, T., Samajdar, T., Islam, M., Singh, N.A., Marak, G., 2016. Traditional farming system: A case study of Garo Tribe in West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, North-Eastern India. International Journal of Agriculture Sciences 8(50), 2140-2145.
Das, T.K., Chetry, S., Saha, P., Singh, M.S., Singh, N.A., 2026. Yield gap analysis of toria under cluster front line demonstration in plain belt of West Garo Hills, Meghalaya, India. Journal of Experimental Agriculture International 48(3), 130-138. DOI: https://doi.org/10.9734/jeai/2026/v48i34108
Sangma, C.B.K., Biswakarma, N., Nongtdu, D., Makdoh, B., Hazarika, S., Mishra, V.K., 2025. Production techniques in natural farming. Indian Farming 75(8), 18-22.
Sharma, V., Longkumer, J., Mary, N.O., Sentinungshi., Das, S., 2023. Constraints in ginger cultivation by farmers of West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya. International Journal of Economic Plants 10(3), 252-255. DOI: https://doi.org/10.23910/2/2023.526d
