Puducherry farmers embrace agro-homeopathy for sustainable, chemical-free farming
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.
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.”