Organic inputs like farmyard manure, poultry manure, vermicompost, green manuring, and biofertilizers play an important role in maintaining soil health and fertility. Research has found that organic inputs improve the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil by increasing porosity, water holding capacity, and nutrient availability. Specifically, vermicompost application has been shown to improve soil structure, infiltration, and resistance to erosion compared to inorganic fertilizers. Maintaining soil organic matter through organic inputs is vital for sustaining agricultural productivity without harmful chemical inputs.

2. ROLE OF ORGANIC INPUTS IN MAINTAINING SOIL HEALTH
Umesh Kumar
Id No: A-12270/21 (M.Sc.(Ag) 1st Year , 2nd Sem.)
Department of Soil Science & Agril. Chemistry
Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology Kumarganj, Ayodhya UP. (224229)

3. OUTLINE
• Introduction
• Organic Inputs
a) Farmyard Manure
b) Poultry Manures
c) Vermicompost
d) Green Manuring
e) Biofertilizers
• Organic special inputs
• Role of Organic Inputs
• Research Findings
• Conclusion

4. INTRODUCTION
• The agricultural production system have retain the fertility of the soil by adding
organic inputs (compost, green manure, panchagavya, biofertilizers) is one of the best
remedies. Through organic inputs the productivity can be optimised without use of
the harmful chemicals in agriculture.
• Ecologically and economically sustainable organic inputs is the required for
enabling wider adoptability, secured livelihoods and ensuring affordability of the
common men (Barik, 2017).
• The practice of organic farming in India is from the ancient period, but due to the
development of science and technology in agriculture, mainly due to green revolution
most of the farmers have adopted the intensive farming practices by using different
chemicals and synthetic fertilizers in last century.

5. • Soil and water are two most important natural resources to agriculture. Due to the
enormous use of synthetic fertilizers, plant protection chemicals and growth regulators
these natural resources are getting polluted and becoming less efficient.
• The inherent fertility of the soil is reducing and it is becoming barren. The main reason
behind all these problems is higher demand of food to feed the increasing human
population.
• Due to increase in population, demand for food is increasing but the natural resources for
production like area of land is limited and fixed, which can’t be increased. So, from the
fixed area the production is to be increased and for to solve this problem the only solution
is to improve the productivity.
• The productivity can be increased by using improved crop varieties, use of agrochemicals
and synthetic fertilizers. Therefore, global population growth is a major threat to the
sustainability of the agricultural production system.

6. • To save the agricultural production system and retain the fertility of the soil,
organic farming is one of the best remedies. Through organic farming the
productivity can be optimized without use of the harmful chemicals in
agriculture.
Purohit 2020,Agriculture& Food E-News Letter

7.  Organic inputs It is estimated that 300, 375 and 16.5 million tonnes of crop residues, livestock
dung and human excreta per annum, respectively are available in the country as organic sources.
Of this, around one third of crop residues and half of the livestock dung and 80% of human excreta
are available for usage in agriculture.
 The greater use of these materials in agriculture can ensure better soil fertility and sustained high
productivity. The availability of these organic sources is likely to increase in future. It is 178
estimated that every million tonne increase in food grain production will produce 1.2-1.5 million
tonnes of crop residue and every million increase in cattle population will provide additional 1.2
million tonnes of dry dung per annum.
 Thus the estimated NPK supply from all the wastes including crop residues is 5.0, 6.25 and 10.25
million tonnes, respectively during 1991, 2011 and 2030.
 A greater use of organic input has the potential to decrease the expected negative balance since
greater availability of alternative fuel such as LPG in rural households in future may make the
more organics available for use in agriculture. However, the potential benefits of some of the
organic inputs are highlighted below
ORGANIC INPUTS
Ramanjaneyulu et al 2017

8. Organic
inputs
Special
inputs
Bio
fertilizers
Green
manure
Vermico
mposting
Poultry
manure
FYM

9.  Farmyard manure refers to the decomposed
mixture of dung and urine of farm animals
along with litter and left over material from
roughages or fodder fed to the cattle.
 It contains all nutrients such as macro (N, P,
K), secondary (Ca, Mg, S) and micro-
nutrients (Fe, Mn, Zn, B, Cu, Mo) but in
small quantities. On an average well
decomposed farmyard manure contains 0.5
per cent N, 0.2 per cent P2O5 and 0.5 percent
K2O.
 Results of several field experiments have
clearly shown that 25-50% of fertilizer
requirement of rainy season (kharif) crops
and about 25% of the winter (rabi) crops can
be easily saved through use of FYM without
causing any adverse effect on productivity.
Further, it improves soil health and
productivity.
FARMYARD MANURE
Ramanjaneyulu et al 2017

10.  Poultry manure contains all 13 of the essential
plant nutrients that are used by plants. These
include nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P),
potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg),
sulphur (S), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc
(Zn), chlorine (Cl), boron (B), iron (Fe), and
molybdenum (Mo). Plant nutrients originate
from the feed, supplements, medications, and
water consumed by the animals.
 Poultry manure contains all solid and liquid
portions of excretions of poultry birds. This
manure should not be exposed to sun due to
quick decomposition rate resulting in 50% ‘N’
loss in a month time. It contains 3.5% ‘N’,
1.2% P2O5 and 0.5% K2O.
POULTRY MANURE
Ramanjaneyulu et al 2017

11.  Aristotle called worms the “intestines of the earth”
and Charles Darwin wrote a book on worms and
their activities, in which he stated that there may
not be any other creature that has played so
important a role in the history of life on earth
(Bogdanov, 1996) and called them as ‘unheralded
soldiers’ of mankind and ‘friends of farmers’.
 Vermiculture is the production or culture of
earthworms. On the other hand, vermicomposting
is the process by which worms are used to convert
organic materials (usually wastes) into humus like
material known as vermicompost. The most
common earthworm species used is Eisenia
foetida. Nutrients in vermicompost are often much
higher than traditional garden compost.
VERMICOMPOSTING
Ramanjaneyulu et al., 2017

12. CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GARDEN COMPOST AND
VERMICOMPOST
PARAMETER GARDEN COMPOST VERMICOMPOST
PARAMETERS GARDEN COMPOST VERMICOMPOST
pH 7.80 6.80
EC(dsm-1) 3.60 7.11
Total Nitrate Nitrogen(ppm) 156.5 902.2
Phosphorus ((%) 0.35 0.47
Potassium ((%) 0.48 0.78
Calcium (%) 2.27 4.40
Sodium ((%) 0.01 0.02
Iron ((ppm) 11690.0 7563.0
Zinc ((ppm) 128.0 278.0
Manganese ((ppm) 414.0 475.0
Copper ((ppm) 17.0 27.0
Boron ((ppm) 25.0 34.0
Aluminium ((ppm) 7380.0 7012.0
George et al 1994

13.  The crop or plant (generally leguminous) grown and
ploughed in situ is called a ‘green manure’.
 The modern agricultural technology has brought-in the
concept of chemical fertilizers and further, intensified
cropping system and did not leave any time lag for
raising or incorporation of green manures, thus farmers
green manuring was almost given up.
 The declining soil fertility over the years, there is a
renewed interest on this concept. Now, green manuring is
practiced in India in about 2.7 m ha (Chanda et al., 2011).
 Green manuring helps to improve soil fertility and protect
soil health. The crops most commonly used for green
manuring in India are dhaincha (Sesbania aculeata), 180
sunhemp (Crotolaria juncea), cowpea (Vigna
unguiculata), wild indigo (Tephrosia purpurea) etc.
GREEN MANURING
Ramanjaneyulu et al 2017

14.  Dhaincha is an ideal for rice based cropping system and is versatile, drought and flood
tolerant green manure crop that can be adapted to varying soil and climatic conditions.
 Green leaf manure crops may be leguminous or non-leguminous in nature that is
generally grown on bunds or wastelands with the prime objective of utilizing their
foliage as green manure. The important green leaf manure crops are glyearicidia
(Glyearicidia maculeata), Karanj (Pongamia glabra), neem (Azadirachta indica) and
calotropis (Calotropis gigantea).

15. Nutrient content of important green manure and green leaf manure crops
Crop Nutrient Content (% on
dry weight basis)
N P K
Nitrogen accumulation
(kg ha-1)
Green manure
Sesbania aculeate 3.3 0.7 1.3 130-185
Crotolaria juncea 2.6 0.6 2.0 80-130
Tephrosia purpurea 2.4 0.3 0.8 70-115
Phaseolus trilobus 2.1 0.5 - 85-125
Green leaf manure
Glyearicidia maculeata 2.9 0.5 2.8 -
Pongamia glabra 3.2 0.3 1.3 -
Azadirachta indica 2.8 0.3 1.3 -
Calotropis gigantean 2.1 0.7 3.6 -
Ramanjaneyulu et al 2017

16.  Bio-fertilizers are defined as preparations containing
living cells or latent cells of efficient strains of micro-
organisms that promotes growth by increasing the
supply or availability of nutrients or uptake of nutrients
by their interactions in the rhizosphere to the host plant
when applied through seed, soil or plant surface
(Vessey, 2003).
 Bio-fertilizers add nutrients through the natural
processes of nitrogen fixation, solubilizing and
mobilizing phosphorus, and stimulating plant growth
through the synthesis of growth-promoting substances.
 Bio-fertilizers can be expected to reduce the use of
chemical fertilizers and pesticides. They are
ecofriendly and cheaper than organic inputs. They can
be grouped in different ways based on their nature and
function.
BIO-FERTILIZER

17. S.No Groups Examples
N2 fixing Biofertilizers
1. Free-living Azotobacter, Beijerinkia, Clostridium, Klebsiella,
Anabaena, Nostoc.
2. Symbiotic Rhizobium, Frankia, Anabaena azollae
3. Associative Symbiotic Azospirillum
‘P’ Solubilizing Bio-fertilizers
1. Bacteria Bacillus megaterium var. phosphaticum, Bacillus
subtilis Bacillus circulans, Pseudomonas striata
2. Fungi Penicillium sp, Aspergillus awamori
‘P’ Mobilizing Bio-fertilizers
1. Arbuscular mycorrhiza Glomus sp. ,Gigaspora sp., Acaulospora sp.,
Scutellospora sp. & Sclerocystis sp.
2. Ectomycorrhiza Laccaria sp., Pisolithus sp., Boletus sp., Amanita sp.
3. Ericoid mycorrhizae Pezizellaericae
Ramanjaneyulu et al 2017

18. SPECIAL ORGANIC INPUTS
Panchagavya is an efficient plant growth stimulant that enhances the biological efficiency
of crops. It is used to activate soil and to protect the plants from diseases and also increase the
nutritional quality of fruits and vegetables. It is used as a foliar spray, as soil application along with
irrigation water, seed or seedling treatment etc. 3% Panchagavya is an ideal concentration for the foliar
spray.
 Jeevamrit promotes immense biological activity in soil and makes the nutrients available to
crop and jeevamrit protect the crop from soil borne and seed borne pathogens and it improves seed
germination also. (Devakumar et al., 2008)
 Biochar is black carbon produced from biomass sources [i.e., wood chips, plant residues,
manure or other agricultural waste products] for the purpose of transforming the biomass carbon
into a more stable form (carbon sequestration). Black carbon is the name of the range of solid
residual products resulting from the chemical and/or thermal conversion of any carbon containing
material (e.g., fossil fuels and biomass) (Jones et al., 1997). Biochar does not refer to a singular
product with a given set of chemical and physical characteristics. Rather, biochar spans the spectrum
of black carbon forms (Spokas, 2010) and it is chemically and physically unique as a function of
the feedstock, creation process (pyrolysis unit), cooling, and storage conditions. agritech.tnau.ac.in

19. Chemical composition of Panchgavya
pH 5.45
EC (dS/m) 10.22
Total N (kg/ha) 229
Total P (kg/ha) 209
Total K (kg/ha) 232
Sodium 90
Calcium 25
IAA (ppm) 8.5
GA (ppm) 3.5
Jeevamrit Composition
agritech.tnau.ac.in

20.  The main characteristics of organic farming include
protecting the long-term fertility of soils by maintaining
organic matter levels.
 Nurturing soil biological activity, careful mechanical
interference, nitrogen self-sufficiency by using the
legumes and biological nitrogen fixation, efficient
recycling of organic matters including crop residues and
livestock wastes and management of weeds, diseases and
pest primarily through crop rotations, natural predators,
crop diversification, organic manuring and resistant
varieties.
 Nutrient sources like FYM, vermicompost, compost
from domestic waste, livestock shed waste, crop residue,
green manure etc. are used to fertilize the soil for crop
production.
 These organic sources supply many micronutrients
and growth regulators besides supplying the
primary plant nutrients.
ROLE OF ORGANIC INPUTS IN
ENHANCING SOIL FERTILITY
Ramanjaneyulu et al 2017

21.  Role of organic inputs like vermicompost in improving
the physical, chemical and biological properties thus
soil fertility is proved well beyond doubt. Its’
application increases soil porosity in the range of 30-50
µm and 50-500 µm size thus improves aeration (Lunt
and Jacobson, 1994), decreases particle and bulk
density (Singh et al., 2007; Gopinath et al., 2008).
 Parthasarathy et al., 2008; Gonzalez et al., 2010),
improvement in hydraulic conductivity by 8% and six
fold increase in water holding capacity (Lee, 1985).
 Development of good soil structure, increase in
infiltration and resistance to erosion (Rose and wood,
1980) as compared to inorganic fertilizer application.
 Gopinath et al., (2008), Drinkwater et al., (1995) and
Bhaskaran et al., (2009) reported significant increase in
soil pH in vermicompost added soils as compared to
FYM or mineral fertilizer added soils.Bhaskaran et al.,
(2009) noticed perceptible increase in cationic
exchange capacity, C/N ratio and available N, P and K
in vermicompost amended soils.
Ramanjaneyulu et al 2017

23.  Increased availability of nutrients in enriched
vermicompost especially ‘P’ would have enhanced root
proliferation which helped in more uptake of ‘K’. Higher
amounts of ‘Ca’ and other bases present in worm casts.
Maximum ‘Ca’ and ‘Mg’ uptake was recorded by plants
treated with enriched vermicompost.
 The higher content of these cations present in plants
treated with enriched vermicompost may be due to
increased uptake through enhanced availability from the
soil. When compared to FYM treated plots,
vermicompost treated plots showed an enhanced
micronutrient uptake (Sailaja Kumari and Usha Kumari,
2002).
 Vermicompost provides nourishment for the growth of
several micro-organisms, hence, is used as a carrier
medium for bio-fertilizers. Its’ incorporation into
agricultural fields enhanced the soil microbial biomass
carbon (Ramanajaneyulu et al., 2013; Singh et al.,
2007), enzymatic activity of phosphatase and
dehydrogenase (Ramanajaneyulu et al., 2013; Bhaskaran
et al., 2009; Gopinath et al., 2008.
Murmu et al 2013

24. RESEARCH FINDINGS

25. Ganti S (2018) Vermicomposting. Int J Waste Resour
Vermicomposting features of different worms

27. Bio-fertilizer effect on crop yields
Abd El-Lattief, 2016

28. Nutrient contents of green manuring and green leaf manuring plants
Kumar & Adholeya 2016

29. Improvement in biochar surface property by different modification methods
Rajapaksha et al 2016

30.  Organic farming is the best option, in which quality food can be produced by maintaining
the soil health in a sustainable way.
 It is eco-friendly and doesn’t deteriorate the soil quality rather improves it by adding
different macro and micro nutrients to the soil nutrient pool along with beneficial micro-
organisms. Due to the slow release of nutrients from the sources in organic farming, it
improves the use efficiency and reduces loss of different nutrients.
 India is endowed with various types of naturally viable organic form of nutrients across
different agro-climatic regions of the country which will be helpful in organic cultivation
of crops. Besides, India has a strong traditional farming system with innovative farmers,
vast drylands and least use of chemicals.
 In fact, the rainfed tribal, North-East and hilly regions of the country where negligible
chemicals are used in agriculture, have been practicing subsistence agriculture for a long
period and such areas are organic by default.
CONCLUSION

31.  Soil and climatic conditions in India’s drylands make them particularly well suited to
organic agriculture.
 These are actually better suited to low-input farming systems that make ample use of the
biodiversity.
 Organic farming with its central focus on maintaining and improving soil health, its
avoidance of pollutants, and its reliance on local inputs and labour, can materially advance
the economic and ecological health of the drylands, as well as people who live there.
 Semi-arid and arid dryland soils typically are poor in water-holding capacity as well as
organic matter. In some areas, depth of the soil is another limiting factor for agricultural
production.