{"id":25756,"date":"2026-08-29T18:23:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T18:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aguli.in\/?p=25756"},"modified":"2026-08-29T18:23:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T18:23:31","slug":"insights-of-natural-farming-in-our-day-to-day-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aguli.in\/index.php\/2026\/08\/29\/insights-of-natural-farming-in-our-day-to-day-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Insights of Natural Farming in Our Day-to-Day Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When discussions on natural and organic farming were still evolving in Manipur and the rest of Northeast India, our traditional Manipuri Yum Ingkhol had already provided a strong foundation for many of the principles that are now associated with natural farming.

A natural farm is a complex, self-regulating and deliberately designed ecosystem comprising a wide variety of interdependent plants, animals, insects, birds and microorganisms. It requires no chemical inputs and minimal physical intervention. Instead, it utilizes and enriches local natural resources while producing food with minimal external inputs.

We have already inherited agroforestry-based living food baskets through our traditional systems. A traditional Manipuri house, as well as many traditional tribal houses across Northeast India, represents a masterclass in eco-friendly and sustainable architecture, perfectly intertwined with nature. Such homes traditionally have a larger homestead compound known as a Yumpham. A core and indispensable element of this setup is the household kitchen garden, or Ingkhol, which provides food security and fresh cooking ingredients directly to the family.

Self-Contained Traditional Meitei Yumjao<\/strong>

The kitchen garden (Ingkhol) is typically situated at the backyard or along the sides of the Yumjao. It functions as a self-sustaining ecosystem where clean, organically grown food can be harvested on a daily basis.

Core Flora and Essential Herbs<\/strong>

The garden traditionally features a dynamic mix of perennial trees, local seasonal vegetables and wild aromatic herbs that form an important part of Manipuri cuisine.

Herbs and aromatics: Maroi Nakupi (Chinese chives), Maroi Napakpi (Hooker chives), Mayang-ton (lemon basil) and Laphrit (mint).

Vegetables: Yongchak (stink beans), Sougri (roselle leaves), pumpkins, chilies, local beans and various gourds.

Perennials: Bamboo groves, which provide both building materials and edible shoots, along with banana trees (Laphoi) and lemon trees, are commonly planted around the periphery.

Layout and Sustainability Principles

Fencing: The garden is neatly partitioned using a Shamban, a traditional live fence made from intertwined bamboo or thick shrubs such as Samballei (Lantana camara spp.).

Waste circularity: Organic kitchen scraps and ash from the Funga (cooking hearth) can be transferred directly to a compost pit located within the garden. This practice allows household waste to return to the soil and naturally enrich its fertility.

Culinary connection: The close proximity of the Ingkhol to the Chakhum Ka enables the cook to harvest fresh herbs and vegetables just minutes before preparing traditional dishes. This intimate connection between the kitchen and garden supports the preparation of traditional foods such as oil-free stews like Kangsoi and boiled side dishes such as Champhut.

Traditional Water Management and Biodiversity<\/strong>

Traditional Manipuri homesteads also incorporated ponds, often located in the northeastern corner of the front courtyard. These ponds served as important household water sources and were traditionally maintained as part of the homestead ecosystem.

Many ponds were planted with flowering aquatic plants such as lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), water lily (Nymphaea stellata) and Eshing Ikaithabi (Mimosa nilotica). Such aquatic vegetation can contribute to maintaining water quality and supporting aquatic biodiversity.

Local fish species, including Channa punctata, Clarias magur, Anabas testudineus and Amblypharyngodon mola, were also reared in these ponds. In the past, ponds were an important source of household water, and many Manipuri households traditionally maintained ponds within their courtyards.

This integrated system demonstrates how water, plants, fish, food production and household activities could coexist within a single homestead ecosystem.

Bamboo: A Multipurpose Natural Resource<\/strong>

Bamboo is another versatile component of the traditional homestead landscape. It has numerous applications, including energy, fodder and fencing.

Dried bamboo can be used as firewood for cooking and heating, while bamboo leaves can serve as fodder for cattle and other ruminants. Bamboo is also highly effective as a natural fencing material for courtyard boundaries.

Because bamboo plants can grow very tall, their placement is important. Planting bamboo on the western side of the courtyard can help reduce excessive exposure to the afternoon sun while also acting as a natural windbreak. Bamboo groves can additionally help filter dust and reduce the impact of high-velocity winds.

Thus, a seemingly simple bamboo grove can perform several ecological and practical functions within a traditional homestead.

Traditional Rice Diversity and Integrated Farming<\/strong>

Manipuri and other Northeastern farmers have also inherited a rich tradition of conserving traditional paddy varieties. Many indigenous cultivars possess characteristics that can contribute to climate resilience and local adaptation.

Traditional farming systems also include integrated practices such as paddy-cum-crab culture, particularly in suitable hilly and wetland environments. Such practices demonstrate how farmers have historically combined multiple forms of production within the same landscape while making efficient use of available natural resources.

Rebuilding Confidence Through Natural Farming<\/strong>

The idea of bringing natural farming into the present context is simple: rebuild farmers\u2019 confidence by strengthening what we already have in our hands.

The journey can begin easily by creating living models within our own homes and communities, training rural youth and demonstrating practical techniques. These may include multi-storeyed cropping, no-till and bio-intensive raised beds, bamboo biochar, liquid organic manures, biodegradable and live mulching, cow-dung cakes and self-made yellow sticky traps.

Such demonstrations can make natural farming more practical, understandable and accessible, particularly for young farmers who are looking for low-cost and locally appropriate approaches.

We can also initiate community-based quality seed production while conserving traditional cultivars. The adoption of agroecological farming practices can strengthen biodiversity, improve nutrition security and support more resilient rural livelihoods.

Every conserved seed is a step towards protecting our rich agricultural heritage. At the same time, every traditional practice that is scientifically understood, strengthened and adapted to present-day needs can contribute to building climate-resilient natural farming systems across Northeast India.

Natural farming, therefore, does not necessarily mean creating something entirely new. In many ways, it means rediscovering, strengthening and scientifically refining the ecological wisdom already embedded in our traditional homes, farms and communities.

The path towards self-reliant farming and rural prosperity may well begin at the very place where our ancestors began\u2014with one farm, one ecosystem and one health.


About the Author<\/strong>

Dr. Chabungbam Victoria Devi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Extension Education, College of Agriculture, Central Agricultural University, Imphal.<\/em>

This article is written for publication on the occasion of the forthcoming three-day National Conference on \u201cNatural Farming: Pathways to Self-Reliant Farming and Rural Prosperity\u201d, with the motto \u201cOne Farm, One Ecosystem and One Health\u201d, to be held from 9\u201311 September 2026 under the aegis of Central Agricultural University (Imphal), at the College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences (CPGSAS), Umiam, Meghalaya.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When discussions on natural and organic farming were still evolving in Manipur and the rest of Northeast India, our traditional Manipuri Yum Ingkhol had already provided a strong foundation for many of the principles that are now associated with natural farming. A natural farm is a complex, self-regulating and deliberately designed ecosystem comprising a wide […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":25755,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[484],"tags":[1379],"ppma_author":[1174],"class_list":["post-25756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-northeast","tag-manipur"],"authors":[{"term_id":1174,"user_id":33,"is_guest":0,"slug":"kamaljamatia","display_name":"kamal jamatia","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/564a074770eb17d36f3af441d462b8a2a809599748f74220740b1d3b52879fcf?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Faguli.in%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F07%2FPHOTO-2023-09-14-08-30-32-3.jpg&r=g","author_category":"","first_name":"kamal","last_name":"jamatia","user_url":"http:\/\/www.aguli.in","job_title":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aguli.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aguli.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aguli.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aguli.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aguli.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25756"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/aguli.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25756\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25757,"href":"https:\/\/aguli.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25756\/revisions\/25757"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aguli.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aguli.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aguli.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aguli.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25756"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aguli.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=25756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}