Organic Farming

rganic Farming

Presented by group no :-10

Principal Elements of Organic Farming Maintain a living soil. Making available all the essential nutrients. Organic mulching for conservation. Attaining sustainable high yield.

Maximal but sustainable use of local resources. Minimal use of purchased inputs, only as complementary to local resources. Ensuring the basic biological functions of soil-water-nutrientshumus continuum.

Maintaining a diversity of plant and animal species as a basis for ecological balance and economic stability. Creating an attractive overall landscape which gives satisfaction to the local people. Increasing crop and animal diversity in the form of poly-cultures, agro forestry system, integrated crop/livestock system, etc. to minimize risk.

C. Mode of influencing life processes:1.Production is integrated into environment, building healthy landscapes. 2.Balanced conditions for plants and animals ; deficiencies need to be corrected. D. Social Values:1.Optimum input : output ratio. 2.No pollution. 3.Maximum conservation of soils, water quality and wife life.

MANAGEMENT OF ORGANIC FARMING 1. Organization of crop and livestock production, and the management of farm resources. 2. Maintenance of soil fertility for optimum production. 3. Reduction of pest and disease incidence through a carefully designed farm rotation and enterprise structure; use of resistant varieties & use of other biological pest control techniques.

4.Use of forms of animal husbandry which respect the welfare and behavioural needs of farm livestock. 5.Use of appropriate farm machinery and cultivation techniques which reduces nonrenewable resource consumption. 6.Achivement of a closed cycle to the greatest extent possible between soil, plants, animals and people and an avoidance of environmental pollution.

OPTION IN

v. PURE ORGANIC FARMING. vi. INTEGRATED GREEN REVOLUTION FARMING. vii. INTEGRATED FARMING

ORGANIC MANURES 2.Organic materials such as farm yard manure, biogas slurry, compost, straw or other crop residues, biofertilisers, green manures and cover crops can substitute for inorganic fertilizers to maintain the environmental quality. 3.The use of organic manures will increase the organic matter content of the soil increasing the water holding capacity. 4.Erosion is reduced by organic manures. 5.Crop rotation with legumes add to soil fertility.

GREEN MANURING – A BASIC COMPONENT OF ORGANIC FARMING

ADVANTAGE OF GREEN MANURING  It helps to maintain the organic matter status of arable soils.  It improves aeration in the rice soils by stimulating the activities of surface film of algae and bacteria.  Many green manure crops have additional use as sources of food, fuel and feed.

 Green manuring builds up soil structure and improves tilth.  It improves the soil fertility.  Green manuring helps to ameliorate soil problems.  Green manuring increase the yeild of crops to an extent of 15 to 20 percent compared to no green manuring.  Certain green manure like pongamia and neem leaves are reported to have insect control effects.

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Use of resistant varieties . Growing of trap crops . Release of parasites and predators . Use of pheromone traps and light traps . Use of biological insecticides . Use of mechanical weed control Again non chemical, biological pest management is encouraged. Eg.Neem cake, Bacillis thuringiensis Adopting crop rotations to avoid carry over of pests from one season to next season . Ploughing the fields during summer season help in killing pests, larval eggs etc, destruction of weeds and other alternate hosts breaks the carry over of the pest in succession which considerably reduces the pest numbers.

. The nutritional value of food is largely a function of its vitamin and mineral content. •

NUTRITION-

. POISON –FREEA major benefit to consumers of organic food is that it is free of contamination with health harming chemicals such as pesticides, fungicides and herbicides

FOOD TASTE BETTERIt comes as no surprise, therefore, that organically grown food tastes better than that conventionally grown. • Food Keeps Longer • Organically grown plants are nourished naturally, rendering the structural and metabolic integrity of their cellular structure superior to those conventionally grown. As a result, organically grown foods can be stored longer and do not show the latter’s susceptibility to rapid mold and rotting. • •

Disease and Pest Resistance A healthy plant grown organically in properly balanced soil resists most diseases and insect pests. Weed competaivenessThe crops, being healthier, are also better able to compete with those weeds that are present.

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The greater resistance of their crops to pests and the diseases save farmers significantly in expensive insecticides, fungicides and other pesticides.

. Drought Resistance Organically grown plants are more drought tolerant. Because chemical fertilizer is soluble, plants are forced to imbibe it every time they are thirsty for water. They can and do enjoy good growth as long as water is readily available. As soon as water becomes limited, however, the soluble nutrient salts in the cells of chemically fed plants are unable to osmotically draw sufficient water to maintain safe dilution. They soon reach toxic concentrations, and the plant stops growing, hays off and dies earlier than it otherwise would have.

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Added Value There is a discerning market of consumers who recognize the greater food value of organic produce and are willing to pay premium prices for it

• ORGANIC FARMING .. DISADVANTAGES • •

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Productivity-Proponents of industrialized agriculture point to its superior productivity. Skill -It requires considerably more skill to farm organically. However, because professional farming of any sort naturally imparts a close and observant relationship to living things, the best organic farmers are converted agrichemical farmers. GM Crops -Organic growers do not use genetically modified or engineered food crops, some of which are engineered to tolerate herbicides Time -Indeed, organic farming requires greater interaction between a farmer and his crop for observation, timely intervention and weed control for instance.

• Environmental effect of organic farming •

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Climate Friendly -Organic agriculture with its low input needs of naturally derived substances produces less greenhouse gas emissions and is considerably more climate friendly. Eco Friendly-It doesn’t use soluble fertilizers… It doesn’t use pesticides or herbicides

Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved.."