The initiative, which began as a small experiment, is now inspiring a growing number of farmers across Puducherry in India to embrace this low-cost, eco-friendly alternative to conventional farming
PUDUCHERRY: When you pick a bag of rice from your local market, it’s easy to forget the long, complex journey that brought it there. Behind every bite lies a story and one of it is, in the serene farmlands of Bahour and its surrounding villages, a quiet revolution in sustainable agriculture is under way. Led by the Sri Aurobindo Society (SAS), farmers are replacing chemical fertilisers and pesticides with homeopathic formulations—a novel approach known as Agro-Homeopathy for Sustainable Agriculture (AHAR).
The initiative, which began as a small experiment, is now inspiring a growing number of farmers across Puducherry to embrace this low-cost, eco-friendly alternative to conventional farming.
The AHAR project, which started in 2018 under the guidance of Dr Uttareshwar Pachegaonkar, a homeopath, and in collaboration with SAS, explored the potential of homeopathy in agriculture. Supported initially by NABARD and later by the Tata Trusts, the research commenced at the Society’s experimental farm near Ousteri.
Dr F Jayachandran, project coordinator, SAS, said, “We started with laboratory trials and later moved to the field. Our first crop was lady’s finger, and when we saw the improved germination and plant strength, we extended the trials to paddy.”
The experiments used a randomised block design with eight different treatments—six homeopathic combinations, one using standard NPK fertiliser, and one control plot with no fertilisers. The combination with the best result was selected and passed on to the farmers.
Encouraged by the results, SAS began large-scale trials in Bahour. Farmers such as Arjunan from Keezh Parikalpet, Saravanan from Bahour, and Amrithalingam from Kuruvinatham were among the first to participate. Over three agricultural seasons—Navarai, Samba, and Thaladi—the project demonstrated the potential of agro-homeopathy to improve soil fertility, strengthen crop immunity, and reduce dependence on chemicals. The AHAR method involved a combination of five different homeopathic medicines applied in six treatments with varying potencies.
R Mohan, professor of Agronomy at PAJANCOA, and adviser to SAS, said, “When fertilizers are sprayed directly, they often harm the soil’s micro-organisms. But agro-homeopathy, applied through foliar sprays, supports soil biodiversity. Even earthworms—our most sensitive soil creatures—are returning.” This protects beneficial microorganisms, and the soil gradually regains its natural fertility and safeguards human health. “However, after three years, the yield not only stabilises but also improves the soil, and it becomes healthier for further cultivation,” he added.
Jayachandran added, “A farmer who spent Rs 20,000–Rs 30,000 per hectare for chemical fertilizers on average, now spends only Rs 700 per hectare for homeopathic inputs, plus Rs 7,000–Rs 8,000 for labour. Though the yield was low in the first two years, it gradually started increasing in the third year, and the farmers also started getting better prices for their produce.”
A farmer from Kuruvinatham, who has been practising agro-homeopathy for three years, is happy. “Though my yield in the first year dropped from 65 bags per acre to 57 bags, by the third year, I harvested 87 bags from the same land. The grain was heavier, the colour better, and the soil richer. I got a much higher rate for my bags too. Now, I use this method even for vegetables like ladies’ fingers, eggplant, and others.”
The need for pesticides virtually disappeared, he says. “We only use neem oil occasionally, and there are more earthworms in the soil now. My costs have gone down, but my profits remain steady.”
Jayachandran further said that today, around 30 farmers in the Bahour region regularly practice agro-homeopathy and SAS aims to scale up this to 300–400 farmers. The farmers are also in the process of forming a Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) and working towards organic certification, which will help them sell their produce at premium rates.
Mohan said, “While the benefits are clear, challenges remain. Farmers need patience to see long-term results. If the government supports them during the initial years—like it once did with urea by giving subsidies —adoption will accelerate.” Moreover, the farming should be extended gradually, to prevent food security concerns.”
Be the first to comment