ORGANIC FARMING OVERVIEW
Overview
Basic overview on organic farming. information gathered across google
OVERVIEW
2.78 million hectares of farmland are under organic cultivation.
Madhya Pradesh – stands first in organic cultivation
Sikkim became the first state to become fully organic in Indi
Agricultural and processed food products exported during 2020-21
- 8,88,179.69 metric tons of organic food exported, accumulating over Rs.707849.52 lakhs. (1.04 billion USD)
Export Development Authority (APEDA) is a government organisation, providing financial guidelines towards the development of scheduled products like fruits, vegetables, meat and meat products, poultry and poultry products, Dairy products, biscuits, honey, jaggery, sugar products and dry fruits.
“Organic agriculture is a holistic production management system that avoids use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and genetically modified organisms, minimizes pollution of air, soil and water, and optimizes health and productivity of interdependent communities of plants, animals and people.”
Organic farming is a production scheme, which mainly prohibits or avoids the utilization of artificial pesticides, fertilizers, livestock feed additives, and growth regulators.
The objectives of environmental, financial, and social sustainability are the fundamentals of organic farming.
The major features include protecting long-lasting fertility of soil by preserving organic matter level, nitrogen self-sufficiency through the use of biological nitrogen fixation and legumes, careful mechanical intervention, fostering soil biological activity, successful recycling of organic materials including livestock wastes and crop residues, and pest control relying mainly on crop rotation, diversity, natural predators, resistant varieties, and organic manuring.
A huge emphasis is made on preserving the soil fertility by returning all the wastes to it primarily through compost to reduce the gap between nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (NPK) addition and its removal from the soil.
Organic farming approach involves steps like: (i) conversion of land from conventional management to organic management, (ii) management of the entire surrounding system to ensure biodiversity and sustainability of the system (iii) crop production with the use of alternative sources of nutrients such as crop rotation, residue management, organic manures and biological inputs (iv) management of weeds and pests by better management practices, physical and cultural means and by biological control system, and, (v) maintenance of live stock in tandem with organic concept and make them an integral part of the entire system.
Priniciple of Health, ecology, fairness, care
Organic Farming – Manures
1. Compost, Vermicompost – solid
vermi-wash, panchakavya, jeevaamirtham - liquid
2. Green leaf manures
3. Biofertilizers – such as azolla
4. Cow dung – manures
cluster bean, cowpea (legume plant), sesbania, crotalaria juncea