organic farming concepts and applications

1. ORGANIC FARMING
CONCEPTS AND
APPLICATIONS
Feed the soil, it will feed the crop

2. HISTORY
Modern organic farming evolved as an alternative to chemical
agriculture in the 1940s, largely in response to publications of J.I. Rodale in the
U.S., Lady Eve Balfour in England, and Sir Albert Howard in India.
In 1980, U.S.D.A. released a landmark report on organic farming as:
“Organic farming is a production system, which avoids or largely
excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth
regulators, and livestock feed additives. To the maximum extent feasible,
organic farming systems rely upon crop rotations, crop residues, animal
manures, legumes, green manures, off-farm organic wastes, mechanical
cultivation, mineral- bearing rocks, and aspects of biological pest control to
maintain soil productivity and tilth, to supply plant nutrients, and to control
insects, weeds, and other pests”

3. Organic farming is a kind of diversified agriculture
wherein crops and livestock are managed through use of
integrated technologies with preference to depend on
resources available either at farm or locally.
The adoption of organic farming is gradually
increasing and now organic agriculture is practiced in
approximately 130 countries of the world and the area under
organic practices is continually growing.
As per Food and Agriculture Organization 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.

4. ECONOMY
According to organic monitor estimates, consumer demand
concentrated in North America and Europe(97%)
Asia, Latin America and Australasia are important producers
and exporters of organic foods In India
Organic farming has grown many folds and number of
initiatives at Government and Non- Government level has
given it a firm direction.
By 2009 India had brought more than 9.2 million ha of land
under certification.
Growing awareness, increasing market demand, increasing
inclination of farmers to go organic and growing
institutional support
As on March 2009, total area under organic certification
process stood at 12.01 lakh ha and the overall market
potential is estimated to be around Rs.1452 crore.

5. AIMS
• To work within a closed system and draw upon local
resources
• To maintain the long term fertility of the soil and to avoid
pollution
• To provide a food stuff of high nutritional quality in
sufficient quantity
• To reduce the use of fossil energy in agricultural practices
• To give to all livestock the conditions of life that confirm to
their physiological needs
• To make it possible for agricultural families to earn a living
• To maintain the rural environment and also preserve non
agriculture ecological habitats

6. Concept
Organic farming systems do not use toxic chemical
pesticides or fertilizer in the agricultural systems, used to
produce food and fiber. Instead, they are based on the
development of biological diversity and the maintenance&
replenishment of soil fertility. Organic foods are minimally
processed to maintain the integrity of the food without
artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation.
Organic farming describes 2 major aspects;
The substitution of manures and other organic matter for
inorganic fertilizers
To use the biological pest control instead of chemical pest
control

7. Harwood (1984) outlines the following assumptions:
Organic agriculture is a reversion to the agriculture
of the 1940s
Organic agriculture is merely conventional
agriculture without the use of chemicals.
Organic agriculture is relevant only to backyard
gardens
Organic agriculture is based on the assumption of a
difference between chemicals produced by
biological organisms and the same chemicals, which
have been synthesized in an industrial process

8. Natural production
system
• Nutrient cycles
• Soil fertility
• Diversity
• Eco- balance in forests
Organic production
system
• Recycling nutrients
• Soil protection
• Crop diversity
• Bio- control in organic farms

9. OPTIONS
Pure organic
farming
• This excludes the use of inorganic but advocates
the use of organic manures and biological pest
control methods
Integrated
green
revolution
farming
• Some organic techniques are developed and combined
with the high input technology in order to create
integrated systems
Integrated
Farming
System
• Farmers have to depend on local resources, ecological
processes, recycling agricultural wastes and crop
residues

10. COMPONENTS
GREEN MANURING
Crops grown for the purpose restoring or
increasing the organic matter content in soil are
called green manure crops. Their use in cropping
system is called green manuring.
Green leaf manuring consists of gathering
green biomass from nearby location and adding it to
the soil. e.g. Cassia sp., Thespesia populnea,
Azadiracta indica.
In both, the organic material should be
worked into the soil while young for easy and rapid
decomposition.

11. There are two types of green manure:
Leguminous green manures
 Like sesbania, daincha, sunhemp.
 Legumes can fix free nitrogen from the atmosphere
and improve physical condition of the soil.
 They are more succulent and less soil moisture is
used for their decomposition.
 They also serve as cover crops by their vigorous
growth and weeds are smothered e.g. clover,
Daincha and cowpea.
 The non- legumes cannot fix free nitrogen except in
specific plants which have root nodules produced by
bacteria or fungi e.g. Casuarina.

12. Non- conventional green manures
 Leguminous or non- leguminous annuals, shrubs
and trees, capable of providing large biomass and
can supply considerable plant nutrients.
 Initial setback may be seen in crops after the
incorporation with wide C:N ratio, high lignin
content and release of higher proportion of organic
acids during decomposition.
 This could be overcome by small extra addition of N
or proper pre- treatment, with suitable microbial
inoculants.

13. COMPONENTS
BIOLOGICAL NITROGEN FIXATION
• Conversion of atmospheric N by living organisms
(group of bacteria or algae) into forms that plants
can use
• Facilitated by enzyme nitrogenase, present in the
nitrogen fixing microorganisms which are marked
with ‘nif’ genes
• Symbiotic- Rhizobium and Azolla
• Associative symbiotic- Azospirillum
• Non- symbiotic- Azotobacter, BGA

14. COMPONENTS
VERMICULTURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
• Use of earthworms for degradation of organic
wastes and production of vermicompost.
• e.g. Eisenia fretida, Peronyx excavatus, Eudrillus spp.
• Versatile natural bioreactors_ Artificial fertilizer
factories.
• They harness beneficial soil microflora, destroy soil
pathogens and convert organic wastes into valuable
products such as proteinous worm biomass .
• Castings contain nutrients in a balanced proportion
and are rich in vitamins, enzymes, antibiotics and
growth hormones.

15. COMPONENTS
AGRICULTURAL WASTES
Livestock and human wastes, crop residues, tree
wastes and aquatic weeds, green manure urban& rural
wastes, agro- industrial by- products, marine wastes
and tank silt.
Problems: wide C: N ratio, phytotoxicity, slow
decomposition, low quantity of nutrients, less
availability; in case of burning the wastes insitu
biological properties of soil and environment will be
affected.

16. COMPONENTS
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
• Which come out as wastes from industries and
factories, commonly called effluents.
• Efficiently processed and utilized (recycling process)
in order to serve as good source of nutrients
• Composting of waste is better than incineration or
land filling for disposal
• Coirpith
• Pressmud
• Effluent

17. WEED MANAGEMENT
CULTURAL
 Tillage
 Tillage combined with
irrigation
 Timing
 Seeding rate
 Cultivar selection
 Cropping system
 Use of animals
METHODS
 Flooding
 Mulching
 Fire
 Composting
 Hoeing
 Hand weeding
 Farmer’s care
 Straw disposal

18. Biological control
Insects
Insects and mites are successfully employed as
natural enemies because of high rate of reproduction,
host specificity and size, against a no. of weeds
Weed suitability;
Characteristic of the weed
Characteristic of the problem
Methods used;
Classical approach
Conservation approach
Augmentation approach

19. Biological control
Mycoherbicides
Fungal pathogens control specific weeds in
agriculture as effectively they could continue to survive
on the weeds over long period. These initiate disease in
specific weeds and kill within 3- 5 weeks.
Mycoherbicide Trade name Country Weed controlled
Cercospora
gloeosporoides
Collego
LUBOA2
USA
China
Aschenomene
virginica
Cuscuta spp.
C. rodmani ABG 5003 USA Eichhornia crassipes
Phytophthora
palmivora
devine USA Milk weed vine
(Morrenia odorata)

20. Biological control
Seed- borne and seed infecting microorganisms
Ungerminated weed seeds are difficult to kill
with chemical herbicides. These will be infested with
microorganisms.
• Seed borne organisms- inhibition of germination,
protection of desirable seeds from harmful MO and
loss of viability
• Seed parasites- seed decay or disease& death of
seedlings
• Avena fatua and Cirsium arvense adversely
influenced by MO in soil and seed surface
• The fungus Pyranophora semeniperda has a wide
host range

21. Biological control
• Parasitic weeds
Parasitic weed Fungus Insects Host plants
Cuscuta (total
stem parasite)
Colletotrichum
gloeosporides
Midge (Melar
agromyza)
Onion, Chillies
and ornamentals
Orobanche
(total root
parasite)
F. Oxysporum
f.sp. Orthoceras
Aphis tabae Brinjal, Tomato
Striga (partial
root parasite)
Fusarium
nygamai
Gall former,
miners, leaf
feeders

22. PEST MANAGEMENT
New molecular development Biotechnology
 Highly activated
compounds that provide
plants with resistance
 New formulations of less
mobile and less volatile to
reduce hazard to man and
the environment
 Biopesticides
 Pheromones
 Genetic engineering
 Plant derived insecticides

23. PEST MANAGEMENT
• Release of exotic parasites and predators
• Conservation & augmentation of natural
enemies
• Mulches, trap crops, cover crops
Biological
alternatives
• Botanical- pyrethrum
• Semio chemicals- pheromones
• Horticultural oils and elemental S
Organically
acceptable chemical
fertilizers
• Removing non- crop and infected host
• Crop rotation
• Tillage, chopping, flaming
Cultural alternatives

24. PEST MANAGEMENT
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
 Botanical- Synthetic pyrethroids (C. cinerifolium)
 Bacterial insecticides- Bt
 Virus- B. thurunginesis var. kurstaki (Dipel L)
 Microbial antibiotics- Streptomycin
 Field crops (rice) - Frogs& toads (predators)
 Botanics for storage pest control- neem leaves,
turmeric powder, mustard oil
 Seed treatment- oil from maize & groundnut seeds
 Active principle- pipercide, eugenol, turmorone

25. PEST MANAGEMENT
CULTURAL/ ECOLOGICAL METHODS
 Optimum site conditions
 Diversity over time- rotations and agronomic
manipulation
 Rotations
 Agronomic manipulation
 Habitant enhancement
 Role of non- crop vegetation
 Trap crops
 Constructed traps
 Plant resistance to pests

26. CROP RESIDUE MANAGEMENT
• Residues are part of the substance that remain after
its initial usage as in the case of nutrients and
unutilized byproducts
• Non- economic plant parts that are left in the field
after harvest and remains
Principle conversion methods;
Thermochemical- direct combustion, pyrolysis,
liquefaction, gasification
Biological- anaerobic digestion, hydrolysis,
fermentation

27. INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEM
FARMING- process of harnessing solar energy in the form of
economic plant and animal products
SYSTEM- a set of inter- related system
Resource management strategy to achieve economic and
sustained agricultural production to meet diverse
requirements of farm household while preserving the
resources base and maintaining high environmental quality.
INTEGRATION OF SUBSYSTEM IN FARMING
Various enterprises that could be included in the
farming system are crops, dairy, poultry, goat rearing, fishery,
sericulture, agro forestry, horticulture, mushroom cultivation.
Thus to minimize risk and increase the production and profit
with better utilization of wastes& residues.

28. BIOLOGICAL FARMING
• Allows the use of selected chemical fertilizers and
adopts low- inputs approaches to use of herbicides
and insecticides
• Based on the LaMotte- Morgan soil test
• Diagnostic instruments to monitor plant and soil
conditions;
Refractometer- sugar content in plant tissue sap
EC meter- Energy Released/ Gram of Soil
Oxygen Reduction Potential of Soil meter

29. MATURE FARMING
• Developed in Japan in 1930s by Mokichi Okada
• Emphasis on soil health through composts rathe
than organic fertilizers
KYUSEI NATURE FARMING
• Emphasizes use of microbial preparations in
addition, is most acive in the Pacific rim, California
and hawaii

30. REGENEARATIVE
AGRICULTURE
• It bunds on nature’ s own inherent capacity to cope
with pests, enhance soil fertility, and increase
productivity
• Uses low- input and organic farming systems
ALTERNATIVE AGRICULTURE
• 1989, the Board on Agriculture of National Research
Council of US
• Emphasis on management practices and on
biological relationship between organisms

31. INTEGRATED INTENSIVE FARMING
SYSTEM
• Provides pathway to achieving an evergreen
revolution in agriculture
• According to Prof. M. S. Swaminathan, this involves
agricultural intensification, diversification and
value- addition
ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE
• Environmental degradation
• Natural resources
• Meet food needs of increasing population

32. LOW EXTERNAL INPUT SUPPLY
AGRICULTURE (LEISA)
• Poultry litter can replace N fertilizers in watermelon
• Legume cover crops supply N to pecan trees
• Compost amended potting mixes produce superior
vegetable transplants
• No till vegetable system feasible using reduced
herbicide to kill cover crops
• Subterranean clover living mulches supply nitrogen
& weed control in peach orchards

33. APPLICATIONS
• Discourages Environmental Exposure to Pesticides
and Chemicals
• Builds Healthy Soil
• Helps Combat Erosion
• Supports Water Conservation and Water Health
• Fights the Effects of Global Warming
• Algae Blooms
• Encourages Biodiversity
• Supports Animal Health and Welfare

34. REFERENCES
• Gupta. P. K./ 2011/ A Handbook of Soil, Fertilizer
and Manure_ second edition/ Agrobios (India),
Jodhpur 342 002.
• http://tnau.ac.in/organic13.pdf
• https://www.thebalance.com
• http://www.hillagric.ac.in