Components of organic farming
Components of organic farming
Thus organic agriculture is comparatively free from the complex problems identified with modern agriculture. It is basically a farming system, devoid of chemical inputs, in which the biological potential of the soil and the underground water resources are conserved and protected from the natural and human induced degradation or depletion by adopting suitable cropping models including agro-forestry and methods of organic replenishment, besides natural and biological means of pest and disease management, by which both the soil life and beneficial interactions are also stimulated and sustained so that the systemachieves self regulation and stability as well as capacity to produce agricultural outputs at levels which are profitable, enduring over time and consistent with the carrying capacity of the managed agro-ecosystem. Crop production and health in organic farming systems is attained through a combination of structural factors and tactical management components to ensure products of sufficient quality and quantity for human and livestock consumption.
Diverse crop rotations: Crop diversification can deliver many agronomic and ecological benefits simultaneously, while maintaining or enhancing the scale and efficiency of production.Benefits of diverse crop rotations include yield stability, reduction in disease incidence & severity, reduced pest incidence, improved weed control, reduced soil erosion, recycling of nutrient reserves, transfer or nitrogen from nitrogen fixing species, structural improvement etc . There are many different forms of crop diversification viz., rotational cropping, sequential cropping, intercropping, multistoried cropping system etc., and in practice these can be combined within the farming system. Crop and variety choice and their spatial and temporal design are critical in ensuring an effective rotation. The inclusion of crops, which are able to fix atmospheric through symbiotic relationship with N-fixing bacteria that nodulate on crop roots, enables organic farming systems to be self sufficient in nitrogen.
Soil fertility management: The aim of nutrient or soil fertility management within organic farming systems is to work, as far as possible, with in a closed system .Organic farming aims to manage soil fertility through use of organic manures (FYM & farm compost, vermicompost), recycling of crop residues such as straw, plant residues, grasses etc., dung and urine from domesticated animals and wastes from slaughter houses, human excreta & sewage, biomass of weeds, organic wastes from fruit and vegetable production & processing units and household wastes, sugarcane trash, oil cakes, press mud and fly ash from thermal power plant. Biological nitrogen fixation through blue green algae, azolla for rice, rhizobium for legumes, azatobactor & azospirillum for other crops, green manuring & green-leaf manuring, manure form biogas plants, legumes in crop rotations & intercropping systems.
Weed control: Organic farmers often identify weeds as their key problem. Within organic systems an integratedapproach to weed control using a combination of cultural and direct techniques is necessary. Appropriate soil cultivation viz.,deep ploughing in summer, harrowing, inter-cultivation using mechanical hoes and harrows, and the timing of field operations and good crop establishment are vital for successful control ofweeds. Mulching the soil surface can physically suppress weedseedling emergence. Soil solarization, to heat field soil under plastic sheeting to temperatures high enough to kill weed seeds(>65 oC) can also be used for weed, control in some parts of India. Good seedbed preparation, timely sowing, line sowing,crop rotation, smoother crops & intercropping systems etc.,suppress the weed growth and favour normal growth and development of crops in organic systems.
Natural pest and disease control: One of the important features of organic farming is the exclusion of plant protection chemicals for pest and disease control. The system relies on the on-farm diversity, improved health of the soil and crops, protective influence of beneficial soil organisms against soil borne pathogens and use of plant based insecticides and biological control measures. The population of naturally occurring beneficial insects and other organisms which act as bio control agents multiplies making natural control of pests possible
when the system is free from the indiscriminate use of chemicals.
Few examples are:
a) Manipulation of crop rotations, to minimize survival of crop- specific pests (in the form of, for example insect eggs, fungi) which can infest the next crop
b) Strip cropping, to moderate spreading of pests over large areas
c) Manipulation of the moisture level or pH level of the soil (in irrigated areas)
d) Manipulation of planting dates, to plant at a time most optimal for the crop, or least beneficial for the pest
e) Adjustment of seeding rate, to achieve an optimal density given the need to check weeds or avoid insects
f) Use of appropriate plant varieties for local conditions
g) Biological control methods, to encourage natural enemies of pests by providing habitat or by breeding and releasing them in areas where they are required.
• Bacillus thuringensis against caterpillars of Heliothis, Earias, Spodoptera etc
• Pseudomonas fluoroscenes against Pythium spp., Rhizoctonia spp., Fusarium spp.
• Nematodes like Green commandoes and Soil commandoes against caterpillars & grubs
• Nuclear Polyhedrosis virus (NPV) against caterpillars
• Trichoderma virdi against many common diseases of vegetables and spices
• Weevils Neochitina eichorniae & N. bruchi against water hyacinth
• Beetle Zygogramma biocolorata against parthenium
h) Trapping insects, possibly with the use of lures such as pheromones
i) Use of domesticated birds
j) Biological pesticides (for example neem oil, nicotine) of which the active ingredient is short-lasting, and which may be produced locally
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