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                                               🌿 What is Organic Farming? Benefits and Methods

In today’s time where peoples are falling to
chronic disease easily, who would like to risk their life with the harmful pesticides and fertilizers? But there is a way to rescue ourselves from these life threatening chemicals and that is Organic Farming.

Organic farming system in India is not new and is being practiced from thousands years ago. It is a method of farming system which primarily aimed at
cultivating the land and raising crops in such a way, where the fertilizers, pesticides etc. are obtained from plant residues and animal products for increased sustainable
production in an eco-friendly pollution free environment.

What is Organic Farming?

“Organic farming is a system of farming or
Agriculture which avoids the use of synthetic inputs ( such
as fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, feed additives and the
maximum extent feasible rely upon crop rotations, crop
residues, animal manures, off farm organic waste and
biological system of nutrient mobilization and plant
protection.”
-United States Department of Agriculture(USDA)

“Organic Farming is the method of crop and
livestock production which involves not to using pesticides,
fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics and
growth hormones.”

Main Objectives of Organic farming

1.  To improve drawbacks of Green Revolution.

2. To improve rapidly degrading soil fertility status for long

   term.

3. To reduce increased input cost of cultivation.

4. To reduce increased environment pollution.

5.  To solve health problems due to using intensively

   chemicals in crop production.

6. To ensure that water stays clean and safe.

7.  Reducing high energy use and emissions of green house

   gases.

8.  To control pest and diseases without harming the

   environment.

9. Effective use of resources which farmers have already.

Types of Organic farming

(1). Pure Organic Farming:- It involves the use of organic
manures and bio-pesticides with complete avoidance of
inorganic chemicals and pesticides.

(2). Integrated Organic Farming:- It involves Integrated
Pest Management and Integrated Nutrient Management. In
this farming type you can grow crops from natural
resources, further having the complete nutritive value and
management of the insect pest.

Principles of Organic Farming
(1). Principles of health:-
Organic
Farming must contribute to be and well being of soil,
plants, animal, human and the Earth.
(2). The principle of ecological balance:-
We must
model on living ecological systems. Moreover the
method of farming must fit the ecological balance and
cycles.

Methods/Techniques of Organic Farming

(1). Crop Rotation:-

It is the method of growing various kind of crops in the same area,
according to different season in a sequential way. Here land is
fixed but crop is rotated year after year. It helps to check the erosion, improves soil fertility and stabilize income.

(2). Green Manuring:-
Refers to the dying plants or crops which are uprooted and turned into soil to make the mact as organic matter and make source of nutrients for the soil to increase its quality.

Ex.- Crotolaria juncea,
cowpea and other
leguminous crops.

(3). Composting:– Compost is highly rich in nutrients and act as organic material which is use as manuring in crops. It can be made by farm waste, vegetables
, food waste and crop residues.

(4). Mulching:- It is a process of covering the soil by any type of medium (crop residues, polythene etc.) It checks evaporation on soil surface and provides more favourable conditions for the best growth of
the plant.

Why India needs Organic Farming?

The main reason farmers state to farm organically istheir concern about working with chemicals in conventional farming systems.

As many farm chemicals require energy intensive manufacturing processes that rely heavily on fossil fuels, there is an issue with the amount of energy used
in agriculture , organic farmers find their method of farming to be profitable and personally rewarding.

Advantages of Organic Farming

Organic farming helps to prevent environmental degradation
and can be used to regenerate degraded areas.

Organic manure produce an ideal condition in the soil for high
yields and good quality of crops.

They reduce the need for purchased inputs.

They improve the soil chemical properties such as supply and
retention of soil nutrients and promote favorable chemical
reactions.

 Organically grown plants are more resistant to disease and
insect and hence only a few chemical sprays or other protective
treatment are required poison-free.

Creates job opportunities for the peoples.

It leads to reduction in farm waste as the is recycled and used
form.

Disadvantages of Organic Farming

 It requires more workers for managing the Organic Farming, so
it become more costly.
It requires more knowledge of making and using effectively
organic manures and other practices.
More time requires for obtain results of Organic Farming.
Food illness may happen more often.
Organic food is more expensive because farmers do not get
much out of their land as conventional farmers do.
Due to low yields, Organic farming can’t produce enough food
for the world’s population needs to survive.

Status of organic farming in India

India holds a unique position among 172 countries
who practicing organic agriculture. India produced around 1.35 MT
(2015-160 of certified organic products which includes all varieties of
food products. The production sector is not limited to the edible sector
but also produces organic cotton fiber, functional food products etc.
In the year 2015, India ranked first in the terms
of the number of organic producers among over 170 countries and 9th
in the terms of area under organic agriculture. India ranked 11th in
organic product export in 2015. India is the home of 30% of total
organic producers in the world but accounts for just 2.59% (1.5 Mha)of
the total organic cultivation.
There are limitations like availability of practical
guidelines, communication gap with small and marginal farmers and
lack of comprehensive approach for integration of technological knowhow,
better marketing options etc. which led to lesser farmer’s
participation in large scale demonstration.

Sikkim: World’s First Organic State

Sikkim presented a model in front of the world by
becoming the first ever organic state in the world. India’s “100%
Organic State” Sikkim has won the “Oscar for Best Policies”
conferred by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the
world’s best policies promoting agro-ecological and sustainable food
systems. Sikkim won the Future Policy Award 2018, beating the 51
nominated policies from 25 countries.
Sikkim became the first state in India officially
announce to adoption of organic farming in the year 2003 to ensure
long term sustainability of soil fertility, protection of environment and
ecology, healthy living and decreasing the risk of health aliments. In
2003 Sikkim stopped imports of chemicals fertilizers in the state and
since then the cultivable land there is practically organic and farmers
of sikkim are traditional users of organic manure.

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