ORGANIC AGRICULTURE & LIVESTOCK FARMING IN INDIA:BIRD’S EYE VIEW
By DR. Venkatramana Hegde, Hosagadde. Director, Shramajeevi Television Pvt. Ltd. Bengaluru Source- shramajeewiki
Agriculture has completed one cycle and is turning its phase. Green revolution proved detrimental in 5 decades. Indiscriminate use of pesticides and chemicals polluted the soil, water and the whole eco system. Off late our farmers are looking back. Now we find organic movement everywhere. But most of the farmers are in confusion about both the systems. They question whether total organic is possible and feasible. This article will discuss the necessity, possibility and opportunity for organic farming in detail.
Agriculture started along with human civilization. But it was totally dependent on nature. Use of chemical fertilizers started during 1850 itself in western countries. But in India chemical farming became popular with green revolution started during 1965. High yielding hybrids entered our farms. Chemical fertilizers became inevitable to get higher yield from these hybrids. This paved the way for indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers. The scientific community supported chemical farming neglecting the possible bad effects of chemicals in long run. Government departments promoted this on priority. It is true that this green revolution produced enough food for the nation. But in due course of time pests and diseases started attacking the crops. Poisonous pesticides entered the scene for crop protection. The hazardous effects of these poisons were quite evident very soon.
Side effects of Green Revolution
Soft top soil started getting hardened due to chemical residues. Ground water was polluted with nitrates, sulfides and other chemical impurities. Balance of nature was lost and pest attack ran out of control. Cabbage and cauliflower need 8 to 10 sprays, cotton needs 13 to 15 sprays and grape consumes 30 to 40 sprays in a season. Then imagine the effect of chemicals. Consumers using these produce and the farmer spraying these pesticides are affected with asthma, allergy, cancer and with many more health problems. A train runs in Punjab full of cancer patients and is locally known as cancer train! We lost rich bio-diversity and balanced nature before we got alerted.
Volume of chemicals used has grown many times from 1965 to 2010. But the increase in production is only 4 times. Even this increase is not just due to chemicals. Increase in cultivated area and irrigation contributed a lot. Off course, only the chemicals are not the culprits. Excess tillage, hybrids targeted only towards high yield, genetically modified crops and varieties, excess irrigation, un-season crop cultivation, un-acclimatized crops and varieties, tendency of easy crop production etc. are also the reasons for the pathetic situation of todays agriculture. Green revolution has become the war against nature. But now we lost the war. Only option with us is to surrender to the nature again.
Bad effects of chemical farming
Crop and varietal diversity is lost due to the popularity of hybrids. Mono-cropping is common everywhere. Quality of food has come down even though the production is more. Use of organic manures decreased with the application of high amount of chemical fertilizers. Hence the humus content of the soil is reduced. This affected the soil structure and hence the aeration. It led to decline in the population of useful aerobic microbes in the soil. Water holding capacity of the soil and percolation of rainwater decreased. Runoff water eroded fertile top soil. Absorption of nutrient was affected due to imbalanced soil pH. Soil microbial activity is quite essential to make the nutrients available for plants. Destruction of soil micro-flora badly affected the nutrient uptake by plants. In chemical farming only 20 to 30% of the nutrients get absorbed. Remaining portion dissolves in the water quickly creating ground water pollution. Chemical residues of the fertilizers accumulated in the soil making it useless for crop production. Excess irrigation created saline and marshy lands. Decrease in organic matter and imbalanced chemical nutrition led to micronutrient deficiency. Due to mass destruction of useful predators and decrease in disease resistance of the plants, crops became easily susceptible for pest and diseases. This increased the application of chemical pesticides again. Even then the productivity is coming down year by year. Chemical residues like nitrates, sulfides and heavy metals have accumulated in soil, water and crops. Ultimately the produce from chemical farming has lost the food value. Chemically adulterated food led to serious health problems of the consumers. Just born baby gets diabetes; hair turns grey by 20 years of age itself. Cancer, the most common deadly disease of today has direct link with pesticide adulteration of the food. Farmer has to purchase hybrid seeds, fertilizers and pesticides from outside. Hence the cost of production has gone up. Profit from farming became illusive. This is the major reason for sudden increase in suicide cases of farmers. Younger generations of farmers are searching opportunity in cities. Government is announcing loan packages instead of attending the real cause for the situation. Even the millionaire has to eat food only and not the money. If the situation continues for long poor people may have to die due to hunger. Sustainable agriculture is the only solution for this complicated situation. Direction is very clear. But reaching the destination is not so easy. However, for the survival of 7.5 billion people on this earth this U turn is inevitable.
Non-chemical farming
Now let us study the non-chemical methods of farming. Again, many new terminologies like organic, natural, zero tillage, sustainable, bio-dynamic, Vedic agriculture etc. have created confusion in the minds of farmers. We have to find alternative ways of nourishing and protecting the crops after avoiding the usage of chemicals. The methods mentioned above follow different ways for this purpose. The basic principles of all these methods are the same. That is using locally available natural inputs, keeping away from chemicals and following the nature. We have compiled all simple ways of non-chemical farming under the title Organic Farming.
Organic farming should improve the health of plant and other living creature. It must enrich and protect bio-diversity. Hence it is a broad based farm management system. The main features of organic farming include optimum use and conservation of locally available natural inputs, increasing soil fertility over a period of time and protecting soil micro-flora etc. Organic farming should produce healthy food to feed and to protect the health of the consumers. Self- dependence for farm inputs will increase the profitability of the farm. If farming becomes a profitable occupation the migration of population to cities will come down. Thus organic farming can give solution for destruction of environment, pollution and social imbalances also.
Many of us still have a doubt whether this organic farming will feed 1.3 billion people of India. To get the answer one has to go through the production statistics of pre green revolution Indian agriculture. District commissioner of Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu noted that during 1880-85 the paddy yield was 40 quintals per acre. But now with all chemical fertilizers and pesticides the same farmers are not getting even the half of that yield. It is true that the yield drops while changing from chemical to organic method. But organic farming will increase soil fertility and hence the productivity in long run. Even the pest and disease incidence will come down. It is undoubtedly proved that the systematic organic farming gives sustainable higher yield. Hence the agriculture scientists took U turn in recent years and are supporting organic farming movement.
Characteristics of healthy soil
Soil should be soft enough so that it can be opened by hand easily. It must have sufficient organic matter so that rainwater percolates easily. In scientific terms let the soil pH be between 6.5 and 7.5. Plants can absorb the nutrients only with the help of microbial activity. In very high or low pH soil microbes cannot survive or work efficiently. This affects the availability of nutrients, absorption, seed germination and crop health etc. Other characteristics of good soil are more than 0.5 % organic carbon, 100 kilograms of Nitrogen, 10 kilograms of Phosphorus and 50 kilograms of Potash per acre in available form.
Humus of the soil is the food and shelter for soil microbes. High humus content improves the soil structure. It enables better soil aeration. Thus the plant roots and soil microbes get sufficient oxygen. Soil temperature remains under control. Good volume of rainwater percolates and hence the availability of soil moisture to the plant improves. Water holding capacity of this soil is more. It creates healthy soil microclimate which supports microbial activity. This condition is called as living soil. Ultimately the plant growth and yield improves. Produce from this kind of crop will have better nutrient content and taste.
National guidelines for organic farming
IFOAM is the world federation of organic movement organizations. This was established in 1972 in France. This has member organizations in most of the countries. IFOAM sets the guidelines for organic farming at international level. Indian government formulated national standards for organic production or NSOP in the year 2000. It is mandatory to follow NSOP to get organic certificate. NSOP suggests growing crops and varieties which adopts and comes up well in the locality. These crops must have pest and disease resistance. Organic farmer must protect and enrich crop and varietal diversity. Use the seeds from organically grown crop. If it is not available, use chemically untreated seeds from the conventional crop. There is no objection for the cultivation of hybrids. But genetically modified crops and varieties are not permitted. It is advised to use the manures of plant, animal, microbial and natural origin. Chemical fertilizers, herbicides, hormones, dies and pesticides are strictly not allowed. To be specific, use organic manures such as farm yard manure, poultry manure, cow dung slurry, animal urine, crop residues, green manures etc. produced on organic farm. But human excreta are not permitted. Restricted use of inputs produced outside the organic farm such as blood meal, bone meal, compost, cow dung manure, fish meal, city waste, earthworm compost etc. is allowed after confirming the absence of chemical impurities. Likewise, limited use of calcium and magnesium stone, sulfate of potash, kainite, rock phosphate, wood ash, potassium sulfate, sulfur, boron, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc is allowed. Avoid burning of organic matter and destruction of forest. Take necessary measures for the conservation of soil and water. Use machines and implements used in chemical farming only after cleaning.
Organic manures
Let us see the methods of supply of necessary nutrients in organic farming in detail. The nutrient content of various organic manures is like this
| Manure | % Nitrogen | % Phosphorus | % Potash |
| FYM | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Compost | 1.8 3.2 | 1.2 1.4 | 1.2 2.2 |
| Vermi-Compost | 0.8 1.5 | 0.4 0.9 | 1.0 1.8 |
| Poultry manure | 2.0 3.2 | 1.8 2.0 | 1.6 1.7 |
| Sheep-goat | 2.4 | 0.88 | 1.99 |
| Press mud | 3.0 3.2 | 8.0 8.7 | 0.9 1.0 |
| Biogas slurry | 1.3 1.4 | 1.2 1.4 | 1.0 |
Production of organic manures is a big business now. The producers of organic inputs must get organic input certificate. Only certified inputs are allowed in organic farming. These manures should have brown or black colour and 15 to 25 % moisture. It should not have any bad smell. These manures must have minimum of 12 % organic carbon, 0.8 % nitrogen, 0.4 % phosphorus and 0.4 % potash. Carbon to nitrogen ratio should be at least 20:1 and pH must be in between 6.5 and 7.5. The upper limit of heavy metals in the organic manures is like this
| Heavy metal | Maximum(mg/kg) |
| Arsenic | 10 |
| Chromium | 50 |
| Mercury | 0.15 |
| Lead | 100 |
| Cadmium | 5 |
| Copper | 300 |
| Nickle | 50 |
| Zinc | 1000 |
Now let us know the methods of production and usage of various organic manures. Most of the traditional farmers use substandard manures. In western ghat regions manure pit of 8 to 10 feet depth is common. Since it is the open place it wets in rain and dries up under hot sun loosing most of the nutrients. Excess heat accumulates in deeper layers due to lack of aeration. Useful aerobic microbes die and manure becomes a heap of pathogens. Manure decays instead of decomposition. This manure of poor quality is heaped on the farm well before its incorporation in to the soil. Manure dries up and loses nutrients here also. This substandard manure cannot give expected result. Let the manure pit be of 3 feet depth. Protect it from rainwater and direct sun. It is better if the materials are heaped on the ground itself. Adding sheep and poultry manures, wood ash and di-cot herbages with the farm wastes will improve the nutrient content of the manure.
Japanese method of composting
It is popular for quick and good quality manure production. Here the bricks are used to build the tank above the ground. Let the height and width be 3 feet each. Length is according to your convenience. The main point is to keep hole on the walls for aeration. Even we can use wood instead of bricks to save cost. Put fibrous materials at the bottom. Then put a layer of cow dung. Then spread dry leaves and farm waste in a layer. Spread cow dung again. Repeat these layers till the tank is full. Put di-cot herbage and green materials in top layer. At the end cover it with fertile top soil layer. Spread straw or dry leaves on the pit to avoid drying. Manure will decompose fully within 2 to 3 months in this method. Nutrient content of the compost from this Japanese method is better than the sunken pit.
Aerobic method of composting
In this method raw materials are heaped on the hard floor. Shade net is spread on the pendal to avoid direct sun. Let the height and width of the heap be 5 to 6 feet each. Length is according to your convenience. Spread dry leaves, organic farm waste, di-cot herbage, wood ash etc. in layers. Wet each layer with cow dung slurry and water. It is better if neem and caster cakes, rock phosphate, sheep and poultry manures etc. are added. It is desirable to use organic matter decomposition (OMD) microbial mixture for fast and better decomposition. This contains nitrogen fixing and phosphorus solubilizing bacteria, mycorrhiza for potash, Pleurotus fungus for fiber degradation, Trichoderma for pathogen control. If this OMD microbial mixture is not available, use the compost which was prepared using such mixture. Or at least put a layer of fertile soil. Keep the heap moist by sprinkling water. Spreading cow dung slurry and Panchagavya will give better result. Insert bamboo or perforated PVC pipe in the heap for better aeration. Compost will be ready for use within 1 month itself in this aerobic method. Even the coconut coir pith becomes good compost if OMD mixture is used. But it takes 3-month time for decomposition. Most of the commercial organic manure producers follow this method. Use of 2 tons of this compost gives better result than 10 tons of conventional manures. We can get still better compost by feeding this to earthworms.
Earthworm compost
Vermi-compost is very popular among organic farmers. There are 2 types of earth worms. One type of worm burrows deep in to the soil and the other one lives in top soil. Top soil earthworms feed 10 % of soil and 90 % of organic matter. It eats equal to its body weight and puts out every day. Earthworms add 30 to 40 kilograms of nitrogen per acre per year. Vermi compost is rich in growth regulators and hormones. Hence it is the complete manure. Vermi compost has egg cases too. If the farm has sufficient moisture content and organic matter earthworms develop from the eggs and produce compost there itself. We need not apply vermi compost again.
We may give vermi compost to all crops. Apply 1 ton of vermi compost for field crops at the time of sowing or in the row later. Adding half ton of vermi compost to seed beds will improve the growth and health of the seedling. Then give half kilogram of vermi compost to each plant at the time of re-planting and half kilogram after 45 days. Apply 5 to 10 kilograms of vermi compost per year to bigger trees. Pour water to the vermi tanks and collect the drained water as vermi wash. This is an excellent mixture of major and micro nutrients, growth regulators and hormones. Even it is a good repellent of pests and diseases. We can get excellent crop by spraying vermi wash.
Let us study the method of production of vermi compost now. Bigger earth worms from Africa are in use for this purpose. Vermi compost production capacity of these worms is much higher than our indigenous worms. It grows up to 5 to 6 inches and lives up to 2 years. It prefers 25 to 30˚ centigrade temperature and 40 to 45 % moisture. We may feed these worms with dry leaves, crop residues, sugar cane waste etc. But avoid flowers and tobacco plant. Spray water and mix cow dung to the raw material and heap under shade for 3 to 4 weeks. Then this partially decomposed material is fed to the earthworms. If the fresh farm waste is given directly, heat generated during decomposition may kill the worms.
It is better to provide roof for vermi compost tanks to avoid rain and direct sun. Normally tanks are built with stone or cement for this purpose. However, many farmers follow heap method under shade. Even portable vermi tanks of thick plastic are also seen. It is advised to limit the width of the tanks to 3 to 4 feet and height to 2 to 3 feet. Length is according to your convenience. Provide a hole at the bottom of the tank to drain excess water. Put a layer of course material like coconut husk at the bottom of the tank. This is necessary to drain excess water and vermi wash. Then put a layer of organic waste for half feet height. Spread fresh cow dung or slurry on it. Put another layer of organic material. Repeat these layers till the tank is full. Then spread earthworms on the top at the rate of 25 worms per square feet. If worms are not available spread fresh -moist vermi compost. The eggs in this compost will hatch to produce tiny worms. But it will take more time to produce compost. Spray water to maintain 40 to 45 % moisture. Compost will be ready within 2 to 3 months depending on the raw material used. The worms go deep in to the tank if water is not given for 3 to 4 days. Then collect the vermi compost from the top. Sieve this compost after drying excess moisture. Continue the production of vermi compost by spreading the raw material again in to the tank.
Birds, ants, rats and mice are the enemies of the earthworms. It is better to put stone slab or cement concrete to the floor of the vermi compost shed. Water channel around the vermi tank or spreading wood ash will avoid ants. But do not use any pesticides for the purpose. Production of vermi compost is a rural commercial subsidiary activity now. This can generate an attractive income for small farmers and landless people. Many big dairies sell vermi compost instead of dung to generate additional income.
Panchagavya
Panchagavya for agriculture use is also becoming popular now. This is a Vedic concept. We are giving a representative composition of Panchagavya out of many combinations in use. Take a plastic barrel or cement tank and put 3 liters of cow urine, 2 liters of cooled boiled cow milk, 2 liters of curd, 10 bananas, 3 liters of tender coconut water and 1 kilogram of brown Jaggary or molasses dissolved in 3 liters of water. In another barrel mix 5 kilograms of fresh cow dung and 1 liter of cow ghee. Mix the content of these barrels after keeping them separately for 3 days. Then keep it for 7 days. Keep on stirring the mixture once in a day with a wooden stick. Filter this mixture through a net and keep the barrel covered with a cloth to the open top. This Panchagavya may be used up to 15 to 20 days. This is a rich mixture of micronutrients, hormones, plant growth regulators and useful microorganisms. This is a good repellent of pests and diseases also. Panchagavya may be sprayed to the crops or drenched to the base of the plant. It may be spread at the time of compost production. Excellent result is recorded everywhere with the use of Panchagavya.
Alternate organic ways of nutrition
Let us know one more method of supplying nutrients. Mix 10 kilograms of fresh cow dung, 10 liters of cow urine, 1 kilogram of Jaggary (thick molasses) and 100 liters of water in a tank or barrel. Use this mixture on next day with irrigation water at the rate of 500 liters per acre. For spraying, mix 10 kilograms of cow dung, 10 liters of cow urine, 1 kilogram of Jaggary and
10 liters of water in a tank. Filter this mixture on next day and spray to the crop at the rate of 100 ml per liter of water. Spraying this extract 2 to 3 times for any crop will give good result.
We find bio-digesters in many farms in recent years. Locally available herbages are digested in a tank. Di-cot plants and plants well known for pest and disease control are selected on priority. Some farmers put neem cake, sheep and poultry manure, vermi compost etc. in bags and immerse it in the same tank. Extract collected in the tank or the digester is filtered and given to the crop with irrigation water. Many farmers spray this extract directly to the crop. According to the farmers experience this extract from the bio digester improves crop health and growth.
We find farm houses and cattle shed at a height just next to the garden in western ghat region. Many farmers stopped producing farm yard manure due to labor shortage. Transporting the manure needs lot of manpower and leads to nutrient loss also. Hence these farmers flow biogas slurry directly to the garden through pipe line. Slurry is put to the base of each tree with the help of hose pipe. Slurry is collected in a tank and diluted with additional water. Leaves, straws etc. are cleaned to avoid clogging of pipe line. This mixture flows to the garden by gravity. Farmers without this benefit of slope use slurry pump. Slurry is transported in a tanker to the garden if the distance is more. Organic waste available on the farm is put around the tree base and slurry is poured on it twice a year. This may be called as in situ manure production. Here the wastage of nutrients is very minimal. Earthworms become active and produce vermi compost. This method gives very good result if the moisture is maintained throughout the year in the garden. This method is termed as slurrygation.
Green manuring
Green manuring is one more effective method of supplying nutrients. Leguminous plants are grown on the farm or outside and the herbage is mixed in the soil. This enriches the humus and nutrient content of the soil. It improves the soil structure also. Sun hemp, diancha, Sesbenia etc. are the common green manuring species grown on the farm. These plants are cut and ploughed in to the soil just before flowering. Adding green manures 2 to 3 weeks before planting of the main crop will give good result. Sun hemp is grown between rows of sugarcane, banana, mulberry etc. It is incorporated in to the soil after 4 weeks. Black gram, green gram and cow pea are also in use as green manure crops. Sun hemp, horse gram etc. are grown in open spaces of mango and other plantations. This helps even for weed control. Root knots of these leguminous plants store nitrogen. Subabul, Gliricidia, Sesbenia etc. are grown outside the farm or along the fence. Herbage is cut and used as green manure. Green manuring once in 2 years also brings excellent crop improvement.
Non edible oil cakes are the rich source of plant nutrients. Neem cake is not only useful for nutrient supply but also for pest and disease control. Caster and Pongamia cakes are the other cakes in use. Water fern Azolla is becoming popular in recent years as a green manure and cattle feed. Blue-green algae called Anabaena present in the folds of leaves fixes atmospheric nitrogen. Azolla provides 25 kilograms of nitrogen per acre in a season. It can grow and cover the whole water surface of paddy field in 15 days. It is puddled in to the soil as green manure one week before transplanting the paddy seedlings. Tank silt is lifted after the water dries up in summer and spread in the field. This is a popular practice in plains. Adding tank silt can give good crop for 2 to 3 years. Wood ash is also a good source of plant nutrients.
Bio-fertilizers
Bio fertilizer is another important source of nutrients. This is a mixture of microorganisms supplying plant nutrients by fixation or solublisation. Rhizobium is the most popular bio-fertilizer. This bacterium lives in the root knots of leguminous plant and fixes atmospheric nitrogen. Rhizobium plays an important role in di-cot grams like red gram, black gram, green gram, Bengal gram etc. and in oil seeds like ground nut and soya bean. Rhizobium fixes 20 to 40 kilograms of nitrogen per acre per season. Thus it meets 80 to 90 % of nitrogen requirement of the crop naturally. Rhizobium treatment in these leguminous crops will bring 15 to 30 % improvement in yield. Apart from that sizable amount of nitrogen remains in the soil and is utilized by next crop. However, the effectiveness of bio-fertilizer largely depends on soil type, climatic condition, method of pest and disease management, fertilizer use, sub-species of the microorganism used and method of application etc.
Cost of bio-fertilizer is very less. For seed treatment it will be INR 25 per acre. Rhizobium is grown in the laboratory, mixed with charcoal powder and supplied to the farmers. Prepare Jaggary solution. Smear this sticky solution on the seed. Spread the bio-fertilizer on it and mix thoroughly. It sticks well on the seeds due to Jaggary solution. Dry the seeds under shade and use it for sowing as early as possible. Seed treatment of the bio-fertilizer is the easiest and effective method.
There are few more bio-fertilizers in use. Azotobacter is the free living nitrogen fixing bacteria around the plant roots. It is beneficial for vegetables and all other crop plants. Use of this broad spectrum bio-fertilizer can bring up to 20 % yield improvement in paddy, wheat, sorghum, maize, sugar cane, cotton, potato, sunflower and other crops. Azotobacter can fix 10 kilograms of atmospheric nitrogen per acre in a season. Apart from this it helps for better seed germination, more root proliferation, early flowering and maturity also. Azotobacter is used by seed treatment, dipping plant roots, spreading to the soil or by mixing while preparing compost. Azotobacter synthesis some plant growth substances like vitamin B, IAA, gibberellins, cytokinins etc. and stores in the soil, which improve the crop growth. Azotobacter produces some antibiotic substances which hinder the development of pathogenic fungi, bacteria and viruses. It improves the availability of phosphorus also.
Azospirillum is another bacterium in use as bio-fertilizer. This is also a free living nitrogen fixing microorganism. Application is similar to Azotobacter. Azospirillum gives good result in sorghum, minor millets, maize, sugarcane and wheat. Apart from this nitrogen fixing bacteria VA mycorrhiza is used to improve the availability of phosphorus, zinc, copper and sulfur. This is a hair like primitive plant which lives in association with plant roots. It gets food from the plant and helps the plant to absorb water and nutrients. The main constraint of VAM is that it cannot be cultured separately. It needs to be maintained with host plant itself. Roots of these host plant is applied to add mycorrhiza to the field.
Phosphorus gets fixed and becomes unavailable to the plant at very high or low pH levels. To make it available phosphorus solubilizing bacteria or PSB is in use. This can release 12 kilograms of phosphorus per acre in a season. PSB is effective for paddy, minor millet, oil seeds, di-cot grams and vegetables. This bacterium may be used for seed treatment, dipping roots or spreading to the soil directly. 200 grams of PSB is necessary for seed treatment for medium sized seeds like ground nut or wheat. For small seeds 100 grams of PSB is enough. For root dipping method mix 1 kilogram of PSB bio-fertilizer in 10 to 15 liters of water. Dip the roots of the seedlings in the mixture for 5 minutes and plant as early as possible. This dipping method is useful for transplanted crops like vegetables and paddy. For spreading directly to the field mix 3 to 5 kilograms of PSB with 50 kilograms of farm yard manure and apply.
Keep any bio-fertilizer in cool place without direct sunlight. Avoid contact with fertilizer or any chemical. Do not use any bio-fertilizer after expiry date. In Rhizobium there are separate strains for different crops. Using only the specified strain will give good result.
Cultural practices
Cover crops and mulching are becoming popular again. You find creepers covering the whole area of many gardens. Few farms spread green herbages to cover the soil surface. In banana plantations the wastage of the same crop is spread. Growing cover crops in rubber plantation is a popular practice. It is useful for weed control, soil and moisture conservation. Mulching increases soil microbial activity and hence the soil becomes living soil. Decomposition of mulch adds organic matter to the soil. Percolation of rainwater improves. Selecting leguminous species for the purpose of cover crop is still better.
Agro forestry is the important component of organic farming. Growing useful plants and trees as live fence and in available free spaces provide organic matter for manuring, wood for agriculture use and firewood. Green manure and fodder species are the better choice for agro forestry. It provides food and shelter for honey bees and birds. Hence it enriches the bio-diversity of the farm. Live fence is useful as wind breaker in banana plantation. Thus agro forestry is the integral part of organic farming.
Inter cropping and mixed cropping are also one of the important features of organic farming. Generally leguminous crops are intercropped with mono-cot crops. Sorghum-red gram-cow pea, sugarcane soya bean, maize red gram, banana cowpea etc. is the popular combinations. Planning these combinations depends on crop duration, growth nature, height, spreading of roots etc. Di-cot crops improve the soil fertility apart from crop yield. This improves the growth and yield of mono-cot crops. Mono-cropping leads to deficiency of micro nutrients. Multiple cropping systems are helpful even for weed, pest and disease management. Likewise crop rotation is useful in organic farming. Paddy crop in Kharif season and ground nut, black gram, green gram, cowpea etc. in Raby season is a popular practice in traditional paddy area. Leguminous crop in the crop cycle improves the soil fertility and the next mono-cot crop gets the benefit. Crop rotation helps to break pest and disease build up also. Deep rooted crops in the crop cycle bring nutrients from deeper layer to the top soil.
Deep and excess ploughing is not advisable in organic farming. Unnecessary ploughing disturbs the soil structure and leads to soil erosion. Tilling is inevitable in annual crops. But in plantations avoid inter cultivation and cut off the weed and use it for mulching. This helps for weed control and conservation of moisture. It creates micro climate and adds humus to the soil. Excess irrigation is not good. It leads to the depletion of nutrients apart from the wastage of water. Salts in the deeper layer of alkaline soil come to upper layer due to over irrigation and makes the soil saline. Micro or sprinkler irrigation is better in organic farming to maintain humid micro climate and for better decomposition of organic matter.
Weed is not the enemy of crops. Some weeds bring nutrients from deeper layer of soil to the upper layer. Cutting the weed before flowering is the better practice. We may use small rotary tiller for inter-cultivation. Some weeds like touch me not and cassia tora belong to legume group which have nitrogen storage in root knots to enrich soil fertility.
All creatures on this earth have the right and ability to live and survive. Hence we need not and cannot eradicate any pest, pathogen or weed. It is enough if it is kept under control to avoid economic damage to our crops. We have to follow non-chemical integrated farm management system for this purpose. There are many useful insects and organisms in the nature. There will be one or the other natural enemy for all creatures. This brings the balance in the eco system. But the interference of man disturbed this balance. Indiscriminate use of pesticides killed the predators like spider, frog, snake and bird. This led to the sudden multiplication of some unknown pests and has gone out of control. Coconut mite, sugarcane wooly aphid etc. are the best examples for this. If you stop spraying pesticides and minimize our interference, the situation will recover soon.
According to Indian national standards for organic production (NSOP) we should not use any synthetic insecticide, fungicide or herbicide. Instead of that, we are advised to use substances of plant, animal and microbial origin. We can use plastic mulch, insect nets, polyethylene and polypropylene based materials in protected cultivation in green houses. But we have to collect and clean these materials from the garden after the harvest of the crop. Off course it should not be burnt.
NSOP for pest & disease control
NSOP suggests destroying the original source of pests and diseases as a preventive measure. We can use insect barriers, solar energy, heat, UV rays, nets and plant based substances from neem, garlic, Pongamia etc. as control measure. One may use mechanical and biological methods in addition. But radiation is not allowed. Restricted use of neem oil and other neem products, pyrethrins extracted from chrysanthemum plant, predators and parasites, vinegar etc. is allowed. We can use silt, sodium bi-carbonate, NPV, soft soap, homeopathic and Ayurvedic products, biodynamic preparations, mulch, traps etc. without any restrictions. Further, limited use of calcium chloride, sodium carbonate, copper oxy-chloride, copper sulfate, copper hydroxide, potassium permanganate and Sulphur is allowed. But volume of any of these chemicals should not cross 8 kilograms per hector per year. Use of ethyl alcohol and tobacco is not permitted.
Non-chemical methods for weed, pest and disease control
Let us go through some non-chemical methods of weed control first. Like any other plant weed also prepares food for itself. Hence it adds humus to the soil if it is incorporated in the soil. Weed plays an important role in soil and water conservation. Touch me not, Cassia and many leguminous weeds have root nodules with nitrogen storage to enrich soil fertility. Chopping of the weed is popular in recent years instead of uprooting. Weed cutting machines are popular for this purpose. If the space is less between crop rows to operate brush cutters, we may use small rotary tillers for inter-cultivation. Cover crops or mulching is helpful in gardens for weed control. In wide open field irrigate once before sowing. Plough the land after the germination of weed seeds. This farmer uses simple equipment for paddy weeding. Small cage wheel is attached to the brush cutter itself for the purpose. Apart from weeding this operation helps for better tillering. Flood irrigation encourages weed growth in gardens. But the drip irrigation minimizes the weed growth. Panama wilt of banana spreads with flood irrigation water. But drip irrigation checks this problem.
It is advised to grow crops and varieties adapted to the local conditions. Hybrids can give higher yield under favorable conditions. But it fails with adverse climatic situations. Farmer has to spend every time to purchase hybrid seeds. Generally commercial hybrids have less resistance against pest and diseases. Hence the spending on fertilizers and pesticides is more. But the local varieties are available with the farmers with less cost. Use of these varieties enriches crop and varietal diversity. Varieties respond well to organic farming and can face adverse climatic conditions. Pest and disease problem is also less. There are varieties with resistance or tolerance against specific disease or insect. For example, we have tomato variety resistant to bacterial wilt. Growing resistant variety will bring down the necessity of medicines. Planting time is also important. Incidence and extent of damage depends on the season and climatic condition. Many times we can minimize the loss due to pest and disease by adjusting sowing or planting time. Crop rotation is also an important practice. Repeated growing of any crop will lead to build up of pest and disease and deficiency of micronutrients. Crop rotation with different types of crops will minimize these problems. This improves the health and sturdiness of the crop minimizing pest and disease problem. Leguminous crops in the crop rotation cycle enrich soil fertility benefiting the mono-cot crop of the next season. Intercropping and mixed cropping systems are also useful to bring down pest and disease problem.
Summer ploughing
Most of the insects pupate in the soil after the harvest of crop. Adults emerge by next cropping season. Hence summer ploughing exposes the pupa to direct sun and predators. Even the pathogens get destroyed by direct hot sun. Thus summer ploughing helps a lot for pest and disease control.
Solaraization
Solaraization is another effective method of pest and disease management. Cover the seedbed or planting site tightly with transparent plastic sheet for 8 weeks. It is most effective in hot summer if the soil has sufficient moisture. Heat collected beneath the poly sheet destroys root knot nematodes, soil borne pathogenic fungi, insects and weeds. In this areca garden bunches are covered with poly cover to avoid Kole roga (nut decay) of areca nut. This is a popular and effective method in heavy rainfall areas.
Prevention of pest and diseases
Preventing pest and disease is our priority in organic farming. Follow recommended spacing for crops and varieties. Light penetration and free movement of air between rows and plants of crop will keep the pests away. This is the reason for healthy growth of paddy in SRI method. Uproot excess plants after germination to maintain optimum plant population. This allows remaining plants to grow healthy and sturdy. Vegetables like tomato, bitter gourd, ridge gourd etc. are tied upright with thread. This avoids the contact of leaves and fruits with the soil minimizing soil born infection.
Mulching
Mulching is given importance in organic farming. It is helpful for soil and water conservation. It is also useful for pest and disease management. Mulching avoids splashing of pathogens with rainwater from soil to the upper portion of plants. This is followed in black pepper for the control of wilt disease. Silver colored shining plastic mulch repels aphids by reflection of light. This method minimizes the spreading of mosaic disease of watermelon and wilt disease of tomato and chili. Preventing the entry of vector insects avoids many diseases in vegetable nurseries. Nylon nets are used for this purpose.
Physical methods
It is possible to pick and kill larvae and other insects in kitchen gardens. Kill the pest by putting it in kerosene in a poly bag. Sticky trap is one of the methods of integrated pest management. Paint metal plate or tin with yellow colour and apply grease or castor oil on it. Put this yellow sticky trap in the field. White flies and aphids of brinjal, tomato and cotton are attracted to this trap. Insects get trapped on the sticky surface and die. Likewise, violet colour attracts thrips and lice. Clean the trap once in 2 to 3 days and apply the sticky substance again. Adult insect gets attracted to the lamp in dark hours. Glow an incandescent bulb in the field from 6 to 9 pm. Fill water in an earthen vessel with wide mouth and put a little bit of kerosene. Keep vessel below the bulb. Insect attracted to the bulb die by falling in to water. Switch off the light by 9 pm. Otherwise some useful insects will also die.
Paddy case worm is common if the transplanting is delayed. In western ghat region there is a traditional method for the control of this case worm. Twig of Mukkadaka or Gnidia glauca plant which has insecticidal property is swinged to open the case of the worm. Stop water flowing in and flowing out before this work. Case worms fall down. Put a little amount of kerosene to a gunny bag and keep it in the water outlet. Then leave the stagnant water. Case worms moving with the flowing water die due to kerosene. Some farmers use the twigs with sharp thorns or coconut leaf spoke broom instead of Gnidia glauca plant. There is a traditional method for the control of ear head bugs of paddy. Burning bundle of wooden sticks is swinged just above the crop by 7 to 8 pm. The bugs fly in the dark and die due to burning of wings.
Pheromone traps
Another method of insect control is the use of pheromone trap. Pheromones are the biological substances released by female insect to attract male. Pheromones are specific to each species of insects. These are artificially produced in the lab and supplied as lures. Traps fitted with lure are placed at 2 to 3 feet height above the crop. 5 pheromone traps are enough for 1 acre. Male insects get attracted, trapped in the poly bag and die. This reduces the chance of mating and multiplication is cut to that extent. Originally the pheromone trap is the system of monitoring of pest population. Pheromone traps are popular for the control of helicorpa and spodoptera insects in cotton, sunflower and tomato, and stem borer and fruit borer in brinjal etc. It is commercially used for the control of fruit flies in mango and other fruit crops also.
Insect repellents
Repelling the pest is also a method of crop protection. Put 1 part of neem cake and 3 parts of water in an earthen pot. Cover the mouth with cloth and ferment it for 3 days. Keep 1 pot in each corner of the field. Open the pot and stir well by evening. Bad smell of fermented neem cake will keep the insects away. Cow urine and Panchagavya are also the good repellents of insects. In one more method neem cake is tied in a gunny bag and kept immersed in the water inlet of the farm. Content of neem cake gets dissolved in the water. This protects the roots and tillers of the plant from pest and diseases.
Bird perches
Bird perches are seen in some fields. Otherwise maize or okra plants are grown here and there. Birds sit on these perches and predate on the insects. 20 bird perches per acre can give considerable control of insect pests. However, bird damage is a major problem in some crops. Shining ribbons are tied to protect the ear heads grown or the seeds sown from the birds. Birds damage the pomegranate fruits as well. Cellular tapes are tied across to threaten the birds.
Trap crops
Let us study the trap crop concept now. We find marigold plant rows around cotton fields. Moths of cotton bollworm are attracted to these flowers and lay eggs. Marigold flowers are plucked once in 2 to 3 days and destroyed. Likewise, okra and red gram are also used as trap crops in cotton. Marigold is helpful even in tomato. Apart from these root exudates of marigold controls soil nematodes. Hence crop rotation with marigold in nematode affected field can control nematode effectively. Castor is the trap crop for spodoptera cut worms. Mustered plant is effective for diamond back moth of cabbage. Putting 2 to 3 rows of sorghum around chili crop acts as physical barrier for the entry of the vector insect aphid. 2 rows of red gram and castor around the vegetable crop control most of the larvae.
Biological control of pests and diseases
Parasitoid
Biological control is the method of priority in organic farming. Use of parasitoids is one of them. Trichograma insect belonging to the group of wasps is the popular one. This attacks the eggs of most of the insects. Trichograma female injects its egg in to the eggs of other insects. The larva eats all the content of the host egg. Trichograma is effective on stem borers of paddy and sugarcane and cotton bollworm. Trichograma eggs are produced in the lab. Egg card is stapled to the crop at the rate of 40,000 eggs per acre. Many species of wasps and few species of flies are useful as parasitoids. These insects develop on or inside the body of the other insects and kill the host.
Predators
Use of predator insects is another important method of biological pest control. Natural enemy of the pest insect is identified first. Then it is developed in the lab and released in the crop. Few years ago wooly aphid became a major pest on sugarcane. Micromas insect was used as predator. Eggs of this insect was produced in the lab on large scale and distributed to the farmers. Likewise, lady bird beetles are the well-known predators in the nature. These attractive tiny beetles predate on aphids and scale insects. Green lacewing bugs are also useful predators. Adult lacewing bug lays eggs in groups on leaves and other parts of the plant. Larvae emerging out of these eggs feed on the eggs and larvae of other insects. 1000 eggs of green lacewing bug are sufficient for one acre. It predates on mites, white fly, lice, American bollworm of cotton etc. Snakes, frogs, spiders and dragon fly etc. are the efficient predators in the nature. If we stop spraying pesticides and allow them to survive they will do their work effectively.
NPV
Many species of microorganisms are used for biological control of pests and diseases. NPV is popular for the control of American bollworm of cotton and armyworm. This virus solution is mixed in water and sprayed in evening hours. NPV enters the body of the pest larvae with the food. Affected larvae die within 2 to 5 days by drooping down their head. NPV spreads to the whole crop from these dead larvae. 250 ml of 100 LE NPV is mixed with 250 grams of Jaggary and 100 ml of soft soap. This is sufficient for spraying 1-acre crop. It is recommended to use manual sprayers for this purpose.
Use of bacteria and fungi
Bacillus thurengenisis or BT bacteria is very popular for biological pest control. This enters the body of the pest insect through digestive tract and produces poisonous protein. BT is effective for the control of butterflies, moths, beetles and flies. There are some pathogenic fungi of pest insects. Beauveria bassiana fungus works against white fly, thrips, aphids and weevils. Paecilomyces fumosoroseus fungus controls white fly, aphid and thrips. Metarhizium fungus kills beetles, bugs, spider mites etc.
Certain fungi are useful for the control of diseases also. Trichoderma horzianum is the important one. It inhibits the growth of pathogenic fungi by producing antibiotics, competitive growth and by suppression. Trichoderma is commercially used against Botraitis rot, Fusarium wilt and Phytophthora diseases. Trichoderma cultured in lab is mixed with organic manure and applied around the base of the plant. It is necessary to maintain sufficient organic matter and moisture for further multiplication of Trichoderma in the garden. Do not apply any fertilizer after applying Trichoderma. Likewise, Pseudomonas fungus is also popular for biological control of many diseases.
Organic methods of seed treatment
Let us study the methods of seed treatment in organic farming now. Milk is useful for this purpose. Mix 75 ml of milk with 425 ml of water. Keep the seeds to be treated in a cloth and soak it in the solution for 6 hours. Then drain, dry under shade and use it for sowing. This treatment helps for better germination and for the control of seed borne diseases. In one more method, mix 500 ml of cow urine in 2 liters of water. Soak the seeds for half an hour, drain, dry under shade and use it for sowing. This avoids seed born fungal and bacterial diseases. In another method of seed treatment, mix 500 grams of sweet flag root powder in 2 liters of water. Soak the seeds in this solution for half an hour. Drain the seeds, dry under shade and use it for sowing. In one more method, mix 250 grams of Pseudomonas culture with 1 liter of Jaggary solution. Spread germinated paddy seeds sufficient for 1 acre on the floor and smear the solution. Mix gently and use it for sowing. Trichoderma may be used instead of Pseudomonas. All these methods are effective for the control of seed borne diseases.
Let us study some biological methods for the control of some bacterial and fungal diseases of crops. Ferment the cow urine for 1 week in an earthen pot. Mix 50 to 100 ml of this in 1 liter of water and spray. In another method, mix 1 liter of cow urine and 1 liter of fermented butter milk with 8 liters of water and use it for spraying. Otherwise mix 300 ml of sweet flag root extract and 1 liter of cow urine in 8.7 liters of water and use it for spraying. To prepare sweet flag extract soak 400 grams of sweet flag root powder in 2 liters of water and keep it for 3 hours. Then filter it for the extract. Add one liter of cow urine with 10 liters of water and spray the solution to any crop. This acts as a source of micronutrient and pest repellent. It can control some diseases also.
Plant extracts for the control of pest and diseases
Neem seed extract
We can use some plant extracts for biological control of pests and diseases. First one is the neem seed extract. 3 kilograms of fresh neem seed or 5 kilograms of old neem seed is enough for 1 acre. Pound the seed finely and soak it in earthen pot in 10 liters of water. Cover the mouth with cloth and keep it for 3 days. Neem seed extract is ready after filtering this mixture. Azadirachtin content is less in very fresh and very old seeds. Put 50 ml of neem seed extract in 1 liter of water if the pest population is less and 100 ml extract if the infestation is severe. 60 to 70 liters of this solution is enough for 1 acre. Add 10 ml of soft soap solution for 1 liter of the spray solution. Detergent is not present in this soap. Crush the soap and soak it in water for 1 day to get the soap solution.
Neem leaf extract
5 kilograms of neem leaves is sufficient for 1 acre. Crush the leaves and tie it loosely in a cloth. Soak it in 10 liters of water overnight. Then filter it for neem leaf extract. Put 50 to 100 ml of this extract in 1 liter of water depending on the pest population. Add 10 ml of this solution for 1 liter of spray solution and spray. 60 to 70 liters of solution is enough for 1 acre.
Neem cake extract
5 kilograms of neem cake is enough for 1 acre. Pound the neem cake and tie it in cotton cloth. Soak it in 10 liters of water for 3 days. It will give 7 to 8 liters of extract after squeezing the bag of the cake. Put 50 to 100 ml of this extract in 1 liter of water. Spray it with 10 ml of soap solution. Soil application of neem leaves, seeds and cake is also a popular practice. This controls soil nematode, termite and soil borne diseases. These are good organic manures also.
Neem oil
Use of neem oil is also common in organic farming. 1200 to 1800 ml of neem oil is sufficient for spraying one acre of crop. Add 20 to 30 ml of neem oil and 10 ml of soap solution for 1 liter of water. Stir it well and spray immediately. Neem oil gets separated from water and floats on the top after sometime. It is better to use power sprayers for spraying neem oil solution. Neem oil gives good result before 1 year.
Ginger-Garlic and Chili extract
For spraying 1 acre half kilogram of fresh Ginger, 1 kilogram of garlic and half kilogram of green chili is enough. Crush all these to make it a paste. Mix it in 7 liters of water and filter. Use this extract at the rate of 50 to 100 ml per liter of water and add 10 ml of soap solution. Spraying fresh solution gives better result. It may be kept maximum for 3 days.
Jatropa leaf extract
5 kilograms of leaves is enough for 1 acre. Crush the leaves and keep it in a pot with 10 liters of water for 1 week. Stir the mixture once in a day and cover the mouth with cloth. Filter this and spray the extract at the rate of 50 ml per liter of water. In another method put 1 kilogram of cow dung in 10 liters of water and mix thoroughly. Filter it through a mesh and use it for spraying. This is useful for the control of insect pests.
Five leaves extract
Here the plants with latex like Giant milk weed, Cactus or Jatropa, bitter plants like neem, creat, geloe or Dronapushpi, plants not browsed by animals like malbar nut, plants with good smell like five leaved chaste tree, holy basil or papaya and plants not affected by pest and diseases like morinda or railway creeper are used for this extract preparation. Take 1 kilogram leaves of any one plant from each group. Crush the leaves, add 2 parts of water and keep it in a pot. Add 1 liter of cow urine and 100 grams of Asafetida. Cover the mouth of the pot tightly. Stir the mixture once in a day and keep it for 1 week. Spraying this solution will control the pests and diseases. 50 ml of this extract is sufficient for 1 liter of water. This extract may be kept up to 30 days. Asafetida in this extract prevents flower drop.
Boiled extracts of herbs
Collect the whole plant without root for this purpose. Cut it in to small pieces. 2 kilograms of plant is enough for 1 acre. Add 8 liters of water for 2 kilograms of plant and boil it till the extract evaporates to 2 liters. Mix 300 ml of this boiled extract with 9.6 liters of water and 100 ml of soap solution. Spray this solution to the crop. This can be kept for some time, but stir it once in a day. Spraying this boiled extract with power sprayer is effective against hoppers, ear head bug and white fly. Spraying in the morning before 10 Oclock gives better result. Boiled extract of Creat plant is effective against all types of larvae. For aphids and other sucking pests use Tough weed extract. Boiled extract of Malbar nut plant can control fungal diseases.
Broad spectrum herbal pesticide
Take 100 liters of cow urine, 3 kilograms of neem leaves or cake, 3 kilograms of papaya leaves and 3 kilograms of Pongamia leaves in a plastic barrel. Keep it under shade for 15 days. Use this extract at the rate of 5 to 10 ml or even more with 1 liter of water and spray to any crop. This works against most of the pests and diseases.
Plants for biological control
There are many plants useful for biological pest and disease control.
# Greater Yam or Diascorea alata – It has tubers below the soil surface. This plant is useful for the control of aphids, lice, maggots etc.
# Black night shade or Solanum nigrum – It is an annual plant. Use the whole plant with fruits for the control of aphids and lice.
# Coriander – Leaves, seeds and oil of this plant is useful for the control of aphids.
# Ginger – Rhizome is used against American bollworm, aphid, anthracnose of mango and beetles of grams.
# Turmeric – Extract of the rhizome is useful for the control of armyworm, aphid and for some diseases.
# Lemon grass – Leaves, roots, seeds and oil of this perennial grass is useful. This lemon grass extracts acts as repellent of pest and growth retardant. It is effective against fruit fly, mite, mosquito and storage pests.
# Neem – Leaves, seeds, cake and oil are useful. Neem preparations are effective against aphids, brown and green hoppers, diamond back moth, root knot nematode, termite, stem borer and against most of the insects.
# Onion – Extract of the tuber is effective against nematodes, beetles of grams, ticks and tobacco mosaic virus.
# Garlic – Tuber, leaf, flower and oil is useful. Extract of these works against aphids, armyworm, bacteria, Colorado beetle, mite, root knot nematode and blast disease of paddy. Around 2500 plants in the nature are identified to have insecticidal property. Here we mentioned only few popular herbs. You can try with the plants of your locality. It is better to use different plants in next sprays.
Control of storage pests
Let us study the methods of control of storage pests now. Dip the gunny bag in neem seed extract solution and dry before filling the grain. This will keep away the pests for 4 months. Mixing the dry leaves of neem, Pongamia or five leaved chaste tree with the grain controls the storage pests. Even we may use the powder of these leaves. Spread the leaves in a layer at the bottom. Pour 20 kilograms of seeds on it. Put another layer of leaves. Fill the grain again. Repeat these layers till the bag is full. Spread the leaves at the top and tie the bag. This method will avoid the storage pests for 1 year.
Smoke method in the warehouse
Put ignited charcoal in a metal pan and keep it in the warehouse. Put handful of green leaves of neem or five leaved chaste tree on it. Close all the windows and door so that the smoke accumulates in the entire room. Smoke the room for 1 hour. Moths and all other pest insects will die. Then clean the room and keep it closed. Rats and mice are the permanent pests of any warehouse. A small mouse eats 1 kilogram of grain per year. Apart from this it pollutes the grain with the excreta. Keep traps for the control of rats and mouse. Use of poisons is not allowed even for this in organic farming.
Organic certification
Organic certification is necessary to sell the produce in national and international markets under organic label. This certification is done only by companies approved at national level. SKAL, ECOCERT, INDOCERT and few more companies are working in India as organic certifying agencies. Certification is done for organic crop produce, processing of organic products, product from natural collection, organic farm inputs etc. Subsidiary activities like animal husbandry, bee keeping etc. under organic practice are also being certified.
Conventional farms cannot be certified organic with immediate effect. Residues of chemicals used earlier will remain for some time. Normal time gap specified for certification is 3 years. This is called conversion period. Inspectors from the certification agency visit the farm from time to time to verify whether all the norms of organic farming are followed. They give all necessary information on requirements for certification and suggest necessary changes. If the entire farm is not brought under organic farming farmer has to maintain safer distance and clear separation between organic and inorganic divisions of the farm. In such cases all necessary precautions should be taken to maintain organic and conventional produce separate at the time of harvesting, processing and storage. In field crops for certification 2 years must be over at the time of sowing after implementing organic methods. In plantation crops 3 years should be completed before the harvest of first organic crop. Specific guidelines are laid down for each crop, practice or product for organic certification. One can get such details for their specific requirement from certification agencies.
One should follow organic certification guidelines even for processing and packing. PVC packing materials are not permitted. It is advised to keep away the laminated and aluminum coated packing materials. Organic certification agencies are controlled by APEDA of commerce ministry of government of India. Cost of certification is bit high for an isolated individual farm. Group certification of many farms together works out quite cheap. India Organic is the brand given for organic products of India.
Organic milk production
Let us study the organic practice in animal husbandry now. Animals should have freedom to exercise their natural behavior. They should have enough space for movement, clean air, water and sunlight. The animal should have protection against excess light, heat, rain and wind. Enough space should be provided for rest and the floor should have natural bedding material. Equipment used on the farm must be safe for the animals. Poultry birds and rabbits should not be kept in cages. Farms without sufficient land are not permitted. Animals living in groups or herd should not be reared separately. Breeding should be by natural method. However artificial insemination is allowed. But the technique of embryo transfer is not permitted. Species and breeds from genetic engineering are not allowed in organic farming.
Food provided to the animals on an organic farm should be pure organic. Use of coloring agents is not allowed. All artificial stimulants, preservatives, digestion promoters, urea, oil cakes from solvent extraction etc. are not permitted. But vitamins and minerals from natural sources are acceptable. We may use bacteria, fungi, enzymes and molasses for fodder preservation. Priority should be given for ethno-veterinary practices and medicines, homeopathy, Ayurveda and Yunani medicines for the treatment of health problems. Avoid the chance of illness and cut down the use of medicines. However, one can use conventional medicines, but by considering double time of safety period. All vaccines specified by the animal husbandry department are allowed. But the vaccines of biotechnology are not permitted. Certification agency will consider all these points while certifying animal husbandry units.
Organic honeybee keeping
Bee keeping in organic methods is also picking up in recent years. Foraging area of these honey bees must be either natural forest or the organic farm. Bee boxes should not be kept near the farms using chemicals. Avoid artificial feeding of honey bees unless it is quite essential. Further the food provided should be of organic product. Keep bee species adapted to the locality. Foundation wax sheet tied to the frames must be from organic wax. Veterinary medicines are not allowed. One must not use any restricted substance and chemicals for any purpose in organic bee keeping.
Demand for organic products is increasing in recent years. Organic farming is very popular in Germany, France, Australia and America and in many other countries. It is picking up slowly in India as well. Consumers are getting awareness about the hazardous effects of agro-chemicals. We find organic outlets here and there in big cities now. Organic products are fetching better price. Farmers have also started organic farming on large scale. Organic produce needs systematic marketing network now.
Off course this organic farming is not a new practice for our farmers. Till 1965 chemical farming was not known in India. Even after the popularity of green revolution many traditional and tribal farmers of western ghat region were following organic farming itself. They grow indigenous crops and varieties organically even today. Farmer has to come out of the mindset of chemical farming now and follow the practices that existed earlier to green revolution. This is the necessity of todays Indian agriculture. It is better to stop fighting against the nature. This can bring back the balance in the eco system. This will lead to sustainable crop production also. Organic farming can answer many problems like poor health, environmental pollution, farmers suicide, social stress etc. It is expected from the government to give priority and support for organic farming instead of announcing loan and relief packages. Organic farming can improve the profitability of farming. This will lead to the social stability of rural India.
Organic farming means living as a part of nature. It is the farming method following the nature. There is no confrontation with other creatures in the eco system. No intention to use all resources for ourselves by suppressing other members of the nature. Hence this organic farming will continue forever.
