ORGANIC FARMING

Definition:

Organic farming can be defined as the production system which largely avoids the extensive use
of synthetically compound fertilizers, pesticides and growth regulators.

Organic farming system, therefore, depends on crop rotation, crop residues, animal manures,
legumes, off farm organic waste and aspect of biological pest control to maintain soil
productivity and tilt to supply plant nutrients and to control disease and weeds.

History

The concepts of organic agriculture were developed in the early 1900s by Sir Albert
Howard, F.H. King, Rudolf Steiner, and others who believed that the use of
animal manures (often made into compost), cover crops, crop rotation, and biologically based
pest controls resulted in a better farming system. Howard, having worked in India as an
agricultural researcher, gained much inspiration from the traditional and sustainable farming
practices he encountered there and advocated for their adoption in the West. Such practices were
further promoted by various advocates—such as J.I. Rodale and his son Robert, in the 1940s and
onward, who published Organic Gardening and Farming magazine and a number of texts on
organic farming. The demand for organic food was stimulated in the 1960s by the publication
of Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson, which documented the extent of environmental damage
caused by insecticides. Organic food sales increased steadily from the late 20th century. Greater
environmental awareness, coupled with concerns over the health impacts of pesticide residues
and consumption of genetically modified (GMO) crops, fostered the growth of the organic
sector.

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Principles of organic farming:

1. Principle of Health:
Organic production is supposed to be a healthy agriculture. It must contribute to the safety and
fitness of soil, plant life, animals, consumers and the land. Not only it provides safety and fitness,
it nourishes the mental, physical, ecological and social well-being of the whole environment. The
final products stay pollution and chemical free and nutritious for human.

2. Principle of Fairness:
Organic production maintains fairness and parity of the whole planet between human and other
organisms. This production offers an extremely better life quality and additionally reduces

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poverty. All of the natural resources are sensibly used that can be conserved for future
generations.

3. Principle of Ecological Balance:

The production methods of organic farming must be modeled on ecological system. Therefore all
of the production methods must fit well the environmental balance and cycles of nature.

4. Principle of Care:
As we have discussed earlier, organic production methods are the same around the world. These
practices are for the reason to better preserve both the current and upcoming peers of the
ecosystem.

Key Features of Organic Farming

1. Protecting soil quality using organic material and encouraging biological activity
2. Indirect provision of crop nutrients using soil microorganisms
3. Nitrogen fixation in soils using legumes
4. Weed and pest control based on methods like crop rotation, biological diversity, natural
predators, organic manures and suitable chemical, thermal and biological intervention
5. Rearing of livestock, taking care of housing, nutrition, health, rearing and breeding
6. Care for the larger environment and conservation of natural habitats and wildlife.

Why is Modern Farming Unsustainable?

1. Loss of soil fertility and due to excessive use of chemical fertilizers and lack of
crop rotation.
2. Nitrates run off during rains contaminates water resources
3. Soil erosion due to deep ploughing and heavy rains.
4. More requirements of fuel for cultivation.
5. Use of poisonous biocide sprays to curb pest and weeds.
6. Loss of biodiversity due to monoculture.
7. Native animals and plants loss space to exotic species and hybrids.

In organic farming, we use the following techniques;

CROP ROTATION: It is the technique to grow various kind of crops in the same area,
according to the different seasons, in a sequential way.

GREEN MANURE: It refers to the dying plants that are uprooted and turned into the soil
to make them act as a nutrient for the soil to increase its quality

BIOLOGICAL PEST CONTROL: With this method, we use living organisms to

control pests with or without the use of chemicals.

COMPOST: Highly rich in nutrients, it is a recycled organic matter used as a fertilizer in

the agricultural farms.

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 METHODS OF ORGANIC FARMING

1. Soil management

After cultivation of crops, the soil loses its nutrients and its quality deplete. Organic
agriculture initiates the use of natural ways to increase the fertility of the soil. Hence, it
focuses on the use of bacteria that is present in animal waste. The bacteria helps in
making the soil nutrients more productive and fertile.

2. Weed management

Weed is the unwanted plant that grows in agricultural fields. Organic agriculture focuses
on lowering weed and not removing it completely. The two most widely used weed
management techniques are;

● Mulching: A process where we use plastic films or plant residue on the surface of the
soil to block the growth of weed.

● Mowing or Cutting: Where there is a removal of weeds top growth.

3. Crop diversity

Monoculture is the practice used in the agricultural fields where we harvest and cultivate
only one type of crop in a particular place. Recently, polyculture has come in existence,
where we harvest and cultivate kinds of crops. To meet the increasing crop demand and
produce the required soil microorganisms.

4. Controlling other organisms

There are both useful and harmful organisms in the agricultural farm which affect the field. So,
we need to control the growth of such organisms to protect the soil and the crops. We can do this
by the use of herbicides and pesticides that contain fewer chemicals or are natural.

Benefits of organic farming/ agriculture:

i. Organic farming practices increase humus lives in the soil, leading to improved water
holding capacity.

ii. Organic farming system utilize practices that avoid or exclude the use of synthetic
compound fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives, resulting
in benefits to the environment and to the human health.

iii. Organic farming system advocates the use of localized resources such as plant and animal
waste.

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 iv. Organic farming aims to maintain the genetic diversity of the agricultural system and its
surroundings, including the protection of plant wildlife habitats.

v. Organic farming aims to meet the consumer demand for food products that are nutrition
low in or free of chemical residues.

Importance of organic farming:

1. Soil conservation and maintenance of soil fertility.

2. To ensure long term fertility of soil.

3. To ensure maintenance of organic matter level of the soil.

4. Less pollution of water.

5. To avoid all form of pollution that may occur from agricultural techniques.

6. Production of nutritional quality.

7. Less utilization of non-renewable external inputs and energy.

8. To allow genetic diversity of the agricultural system including protection and wild
habitat.

Manure is organic matter that is used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Most manure consists
of animal feces; other sources include compost and green manure. Manures contribute to
the fertility of soil by adding organic matter and nutrients, such as nitrogen, that are utilized
by bacteria, fungi and other organisms in the soil.

Green manure is a term used to describe specific plant or crop varieties that are grown and
turned into the soil to improve its overall quality. Examples of green manure crops include grass
mixtures and legume plants. Some of the most commonly used are: Annual ryegrass.

Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed in a process called composting. This
process recycles various organic materials otherwise regarded as waste products and produces a
soil conditioner (the compost).

Vermicomposting is a type of composting in which certain species of earthworms are used to

enhance the process of organic waste conversion and produce a better end-product. ... Simply
speaking, vermicompost is earthworm excrement, called castings, which can improve biological,
chemical, and physical properties of the soil.

Characteristics of organic manure:

 To increase water holding capacity.

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  Long lasting fertility.

 Ensure soil aeration.

 Proper O2 supply to microorganism and soil insect.

 Condition for the easy penetration of roots.

 It is good for soil structure.

 Ensure quality production.

 No residual effect by organic manure.

Various organic manures ( nutrient %)

Organic manure N% P% K%

Well decomposed cowdung 0.5 0.2 0.5

Poultry litter 1.0 1.5 0.8

FYM 0.8 0.3 1.0

Water hyacinth compost 3.0 2.0 3.0

Mustard oil cake (decomposed) 5.2 1.8 1.2

Ash 0 2.0 0.5

Bone meal 4.0 9.0 3.0-3.5

Blood 10-12 1.0-1.5 0.6-0.8

Preparation of organic insecticide used in organic farming:

1. Leaves of Ata and Sharifa:

• A part of Ata leaf or Sharifa leaves are made into paste with 5 parts of water, then it is
kept for 5-10 minutes and filtered.

• After completing filtration, the liquid is sprayed over crop. Besides, 200-250g dried seed
of Ata is grinded first and then mixed with 1 liter of water.

• The mixture is allowed to keep overnight and spraying it to the crops in the next day.

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Control of insect: Aphid, Red pumpkin beetle, moth etc. can be controlled.

2. Biskathali:

The extract of leaves and stem of biskathali is mixed with water maintaining a ratio of 1 kg: 8-10
liter. Then, the mixture is filtered with the help of fine textured cloth. Finally, the filtrate is
sprayed to crop.

Control of insects: Flies, Aphid.

3. Chili (Capsicum fruiticance):

First of all, 100g of ground chili are mixed with 1 liter of water and kept for overnight. In the
next morning, foam water produced by adding 50g of soap with 5 liters of H 2O is mixed with
previously made chili paste. Finally, it is applied to crops.

Control of insects: Ants, Aphid.

Control of disease: TMV and fungal diseases.

4. Neem fruits and leaves:

The neem fruits are collected when it attains a color of green to yellow and sundried. Then the
fruits are ground and 2 handful powders are mixed with 1 liter of water and kept for overnight
with cover. The mixture can be sprayed in the next day as organic insecticide.

Again, 1 kg of neem leaves mixed with 6 liters of water and boiled for 15-20 minutes. Then, the
mixture is cooled and strained. The strained solution is ready to spray.

Control: Flies, beetle, caterpillar.

5. Tomato:

1 kg of tomato leaves and stems are mixed with 5 liters of water and the mixture is boiled for 15-
20 minutes. Then, cooling and straining are done and finally sprayed to crops.

Control of insects: Flies, larvae etc.

6. Urine of animal: The urine is collected in a pot and then covered with polythene for two
weeks. After that, 1part urine is mixed with 2 parts waters and sprayed to plants as
insecticides.

7. Allamanda leaves and flowers: First of all, leaves of Allamanda are boiled for few
minutes and the 1 liter of boiled material is mixed with 5 liters of water. Finally, the solution
is sprayed as plants which acts as a fungicide.

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Limitations: Many farmers are convinced about the importance of organic agriculture and have
accepted to adopt this approach on their homestead area. But they are not always able to use it on
major farming land, which provides most of their livelihood security. Key barriers to the wider
adoption of organic farming are:

1. The availability of organic fertilizer in villages has not been kept up with increases in farm
area and farming intensity. Homestead land gets priority for organic manure and little remains for
big farms.
2. Though the quality of organically grown crops and vegetables is much better, organic farming
produces fewer crops per unit of land compared to modern farming.
3. Media campaigns and untrained neighbors put pressure on trained farmers to use chemical
fertilizers and pesticides for high yields, undermining the adoption of this programme.
4. High yielding seeds, chemical fertilizers and pesticides are more easily available and farmers
can use credit to purchase these.
5. Landless and smallholder farmers depend on sharecropping, which forces them to maximize
the short-term benefits from crop farming. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are therefore more
attractive, offering more immediate returns than organic farming.
6. Farmers are confused by the contradictory messages and conflicting approaches to promote
ecological agriculture by different NGOs .