HISTORY
Sir Albert Howard and his wife Giabrille Howard , both botanists in the late 1930s and early 1840s developed organic farming. and Sir Albert Howard is widely considered as the father of organic farming.
Organic agriculture is the production system that sustains the
health of soil, ecosystem and people, by relying on ecological process,
biodiversity and natural cycles and adapted to local condition than the use of
inputs with adverse effects. It is a system that avoids or largely excludes
the use of synthetic inputs (such as fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, feed
additives etc. ) and to the maximum extent feasible rely upon crop rotations,
crop residues, animal manures, off-farm organic waste, mineral grade rock
additives and biological system of nutrient mobilization and plant protection.
Problems associated with the use of inorganic fertilizer or pesticides :
- compaction of soil
- loss of organic matter
- reduction of microbial population of the soil
- loss of soil fertility
- pollution of each sphere
- health hazard to man and animal
Principles of Organic farming :
- The crop production should be based on nutrients supplied from soil.
- The pests & diseases should be controlled through natural enemies or by natural products.
- Preference should be given to the crops which are less susceptible to pests & diseases.
- Organic materials should be used for nutrient supplement-off farm or on farm production.
- Leguminous crop should be included in crop rotation for biological nitrogen fixation.
- The farming process should be harmonious rather conflicting with natural process.
- Biomass should be managed properly to encourage strong natural system.
- Protection nature’s friend like ants, beetles, earthworms, reptiles etc which are soil
dwelling organisms and help to maintain organic matter, aeration and soil structure.
Types of Organic farming
1.Natural farming
2.Zero-Chemical farming
3.Biodynamic farming
4.Biological farming
5.Humus farming
6.Homa farming
7.Sewage farming
GLOBAL SHARE OF ORGANIC FARMING
| North America | 6% |
| South America | 13% |
| Europe | 25% |
| Africa | 3% |
| Asia | 8% |
| Oceania | 45% |
CHALLENGES OF ORGANIC FARMING
1.Shortage of Biomass: They are of the view that the available organic matter is not simply enough to meet the requirement.
2. Disparity of Supply and Demand: Non-perishable grains can be grown anywhere and transported to any location but this is not the case with fruits and vegetables. It should be produced locally for which there should be willing companies, aggregators and farmers around that particular area of demand.
3. Time: Organic farming requires more time for crop observations like timely
intervention & weed control .Indeed, organic farming requires greater interaction between a farmer and his crop for observation. It is inherently more labor intensive than inorganic farming as industrial methods can produce more crops in less time.
4. High MRP: Due to the extreme care taken ,the price remains high. Once sold to the market, most of the place is devoted to the sale of these organic fruits and vegetables. But with the rise in supply, the price shrink to half the price of non-organic product.
5. Lack of special infrastructure: Most large organic farms still operate in an industrialized agriculture style, including industrial transportation of the food from field to plate. Unfortunately, this involves the adoption of the same environmentally
harmful practices as those of factory farms which are however hidden
under the cover of being organic.
agriculture and health 