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8/14/2019 Organic Farming BHATT
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Organic farming - the need of present India
Rajan Bhatt
Assistant Professor (Soil Scinece)
Krishi Vigyan Kendra,[email protected]
(98159-63858)
With the increase in crop production resulting from the latest technology, reaching a
plateau and environmental problem due to the excessive use of chemicals i.e fertilizers
and pesticides become a matter of concern to the agriculturist, farmers and the policy
makers. Because of the increasing food demand, emphasis was laid on the intensive
agricultural practices and our present technology have proved detrimental to the naturalresources such as soil, water etc.
The natural resources are being exploited to the maximum and are depleting at great pace
forwarding a great threat to sustainable agriculture as indicated by the following factors :
1. Fertilization and pesticide contamination: Soil and underground pollution or
contamination is one of the greatest hazards in the present agriculture. In a will to
get greater yield from his crop land, every farmer apply large dose of fertilizers
and pesticides than actually required. When his crop land receives large quantity
of water (through rain or irrigation), then these get dissolved in water go
underground and pollute the underground water which is used for drinking
purpose which further causes many health problems. Addition of heavy metals to
soils and thus their uptake in crops had impose the environmental and human
health hazards.
2. Soil erosion: As per USDA has informed that on an average about 15 tons per
hectare. Top soil got lost through the soil erosion. Further, United Nations using
satellite to track soil erosion estimated that in northern India the loss of soil per
hectare exceeded than that of United Nations. Both water and wind erosion
removes top fertile soil, the subsoil left is courser, less productive and thus more
chemical fertilizers needed to support plan growth. Eroded soil can become
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useless for plant growth. It is commonly observed in light textured soils and
which are low in organic matter.
3. Salinization: When water use and evaporations excessive then water table rises
through the action of capillarity and bring dissolved salts with it at the surface
which make the soil totally useless for the production point of view until drastic
and expensive measures are taken to remove the salts. There are many reports
from different parts of the world that salinization impairs crop yields e.g in
Bangladesh, salinization decreasing yield in on-third of the crops.
4. Water availability: Water is an essential input for the plant growth and in the arid
regions, the availability of water is improved through irrigation by which water is
artificially pumped up from the underground aquifers which are recharged
through rain. But currently, rate of water removal is much higher than its
recharging. Hence the level of water table is falling day per day which is a great
threat to the future agriculture. In Punjab, there are reports that water table has
depleted many meters and this has alarmed the farmers in the state.
Principles of the Natural farming
Natural or organic farming is not based exclusively on the short term economies, but also
consider ecological concepts It utilizes appropriate technology and appropriate traditional
farming methods. This form, of farming well known as sustainable agriculture. Theprinciples of this method of farming includes
1. Organize the production of crops and livestock and the management of farm
resources so that they harmonize rather than conflict with natural system
2. Use and development of appropriate technology based upon an understanding of
biological system.
3. Achieve and maintain soil fertility for optimum production by relying primarily
on renewable resources.
4. Use of diversification to pursue optimum production.
5. Aim for optimum nutritional value of staple food.
6. Use decentralized structures for processing, distributing and marketing of the
products.
7. Strive for equitable relationships between those who work and live on land.
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8. Create a system which is aesthetically pleasing for those working in this system
and for those viewing it from the outside, e.g it should enhance rather than scare
the landscape of which it forms a part.
9. Maintain and preserve wildlife and their habitat.
To implement these principles in the farmers field, several techniques are being used.
Natural Farming and its feasibility
Natural farming or more commonly Organic farming is the best answer to this
situation as natural farming is the farming through the soils inherent powers. The
basis of natural farming is use of natural resources upto a certain limit for sustaining
crop yields. It not only reduces input cost for the poor farmers of the country but also
avoids any detrimental effect on environment. Organic materials like compost,
manure etc. are the good source of not only nutrients but also checks soil erosion and
soil contamination from heavy metals. Discrete crop rotation, moderate tilling of the
land and covering top soil with a layer of organic material which is commonly known
as mulching can be adopted for natural farming. These inputs are low in cost and their
regular use keeps the soil in good and healthy conditions. Thus we can think of
sustaining crop yields from these soils. Practicing natural farming, we generally stress
upon two points
1. The use of manure and other organic amendments instead of inorganic fertilizers.2. The applications of the biological pest control instead of chemical pesticides.
It is learnt that Natural Farming has acted as catalyst in triggering interest in organic
agricultural system. Farmers adopting natural farming system, stress on the use of the
organic fertilizers for the maintenance of the soil fertility and totally avoid the use of
chemical pest control methods. The net yield is usually lower in the natural farming (5-
15%) than the conventional system of farming even though net return is usually higher in
former system of farming, because they dont consume the expensive fertilizers and
pesticides and when environmental cost are taken into consideration then natural farming
is clearly superior. It is increasingly recognized that who produces food and where it is
produced than how much is produced. Food can be produced in a more sustainable way
that protects the resource base. These techniques are known and used by some farmers.
Among various amendments which can be used in the natural system of farming are :
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1) Bulky organic manures which includes farmyard manure, sewage and sludge, night
soil, urban compost and other composted manure. 2) Concentrated organic manures like
oil cakes, meat meal, fish meal, blood meal, horn and hoof meal.
Green manuring is also a well known practice which is generally used in the organic
farming and is defined as the practice of ploughing or turning into the soil undecomposed
plant tissues for the purpose of improving physical structure as well as fertility of the soil.
It consist in the growing of a quick growing crop such as Dhaincha and ploughing it
under to incorporate it into the soil which further supplies organic matter as well as
additional nitrogen. A leguminous crop producing 8 to 25 tonnes of green manure per
hectare. Will add about 60 to 90 kg of nitrogen when ploughed under. The crop most
commonly used for green manuring are Dhaincha (Sesbania aculeanta), Sunhemp
(Crotalaria juncea), Cowpea (Vigna catjang), Senji (Melilotus parviflora) etc.
Also use of biodegraded coir pith can be used as organic manure especially in southern
India.
Along with this, the need for alternate farming system in view of emerging environmental
and energy problems will have a bearing on agricultural structure in general and adoption
for organic farming in particular.
However, awareness about degradation of earths natural resources at an alarming rate
and mans quest to survive and keep his planet green and healthy should go in favour of
world wide adoption of natural or organic farming. These techniques could find more
widespread use given the proper incentives. However, currently the incentives such as
price support, tax policies and export subsidies etc. Society need to replace them with
incentives that favour sustainable agriculture. Because sustainable agriculture uses less
input, this may causes some dislocation in the industrial sector and will strongly resisted.
The technological and economic possibility of organic farming will certainly influence its
large scale adoption and promotion.
The time has come to be active in improving crop yields for the burgeoning population of
the national but without producing any environmental hazards. It is a challenge for not
only the farmers or scientists but for the stake holders and policy makers too.
According to Dr.M.S Swaminathan, The greening of agriculture requires the greening
of both technology and public policy. Producing more food and agricultural commodities
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from less land, water and energy is a task that will call for the integration of the best in
modern technology, with the ecological strengths of traditional farming practices.
PUNJAB AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
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Department of Soils, Ludhiana -141004, Punjab, India
Mr. Rajan Bhatt Phone (O): +91-161-2401961 to 2401979
M. Sc., (Soils) Ext. 317Phone (R): +91-98155 79133
FAX: +91-161-2400945
Email:[email protected]
Date: 01, Feb. 2004
The Editor
Indian Farmers Digest
Subject : Publication of article in Indian Farmers Digest
Sir,
Please find enclosed an article entitled Natural Farming practice for sustainable
agriculture for publication in the Indian Farmers Digest . The same is also sent to you
through e-mail attachment. Please arrange for its publication at the earliest. Hope for
consideration and positive action.
Kindly acknowledge its receipt.
Thanking you
Yours sincerely
(Rajan Bhatt)
Encls : an article
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