Agnihotra Farming: A Sustainable Alternative to Chemical-Dependent Agriculture

Modern agriculture's reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides has led to the degradation of soil and the environment. This paper explores Agnihotra farming, an ancient Vedic practice, as a sustainable alternative to conventional agricultural methods. Agnihotra is a fire ceremony that produces ash with potent agricultural benefits, including enhanced soil fertility, crop yield, and natural pest control. For this article "Agnihotra" "Homa" "Agriculture," and "Farming," “Sustainable” have been used as keywords to identify relevant studies. The literature search found a total of 289 articles initially. On applying inclusion-exclusion criteria and removing duplicates, 36 articles were finally selected. The screening process has been presented by PRISMA flow chart in the article. The selected studies were focused on theoretical interpretations of Agnihotra farming based on the use of Agnihotra ash as fertilizer and pesticide. The article analyzes the composition of Agnihotra ash, highlighting its high levels of essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which contribute to improved plant growth, crop yield and quality significantly. Additionally, the practice promotes environmental sustainability by reducing chemical usage, enhancing biodiversity, and mitigating the harmful impact of modern agricultural practices. The findings suggest that Agnihotra farming offers a holistic approach to agriculture that harmonizes human activity with nature, offering a viable solution to the ongoing challenge of ensuring food security along with addressing the issues of environmental degradation and economic burden on farmers. The use of Agnihotra ash as fertilizer and pesticide requires further scientific exploration.