Abstract:
The practice of natural farming system significantly reduces the production costs. Currently,
natural farming system is practiced by farmers in various parts of Sri Lanka. A substantial
number of smallholder farmers from Vaharai region of Batticaloa district engaged in natural
farming. A questionnaire survey was carried out among randomly selected farmers
practicing natural farming and not practicing natural farming in Vaharai region to compare the famer's perception on the impact of natural farming practices on soil fertility, soil
erosion and labour input. The results revealed that mainly the women-headed families
engaged in natural farming system in the study area. The practices like, ploughing, mulching,
usage of compost, reduced usages of chemical fertilizer, chemical insecticides and chemical
herbicides were highly adopted by farmers practicing natural farming. Moreover, according to famer's perception,the natural farming practices significantly improved the soil fertility
and reduced soil erosion in the region.
