Management Principals - A living soil is the basis of organic farming. A live, healthy soil with proper cropping pattern, crop residue management and effective crop rotation can sustain optimum productivity over the years, without any loss in soil fertility. Organic farming envisages a comprehensive management approach to improve soil health, the ecosystem of the region and the quality of produce. It includes all agricultural systems that promote environmentally sound production of food and fibres. These systems take local soil fertility as a key to successful
production, by respecting the natural capacity of plants, animals and the landscape; they aim to optimize quality in all aspects of agriculture and environment. A living soil can be maintained by continuous incorporation of crop and weed biomass, use of animal dung, urine-based manures (FYM, NADEP, vermicompost), biofertilisers and bioenhancers, special liquid formulations (like
vermiwash, compost tea etc) during a crop’s duration.
As a thumb rule, crop residues should be returned to the plot, directly or indirectly. Cattle droppings may be returned to the field as compost. As a strategy, the quantity of biomass removed for human food and fiber, cattle feed or firewood from an organic farm should be replaced with any other bio-waste on the farm. But it is important to account for it for preparing the balance sheet of nutrients for each crop being cultivated on the farm. In phosphorous-deficient and acidic soils, some quantity of mineral grade rock phosphate and lime can also be added either by direct application to the field or through addition to compost. The compost can be further enriched by incorporation of biofertilisers, microbial inoculants, etc. Special composts like biodynamic compost, cowpat pit compost, biodynamic preparations such as BD-500 and BD-501, special formulations like Panchgavya, Dashgavya, Biosol etc are also useful and ensure optimum productivity. Use of EM formulation has also been found effective in soil enrichment and compost making. For high nutrient demanding crops and for intermittent soil enrichment use of oilcakes, poultry manure, concentrated manures (mixture of oil cakes, poultry manure and rock phosphate) can also be an ideal low-cost option of manuring.
Important steps
While turning towards organic it is essential that the basic requirements of the system and the area are properly understood and long term strategies are addressed first. In most parts of the country poor soil health due to loss of organic matter and soil microbial load is a major problem. Reducing water availability and increasing temperature is further adding to the problems. Too much dependence on market for supply of inputs and energy has made the agriculture a cost intensive high input enterprise with diminishing returns. We need to address all these concerns and develop a system, which is not only productive and low cost but also resource conserving and sustainable for centuries to come. To start with, following parameters need to be addressed:
• Enrichment of soil
• Management of temperature
• Conservation of rain water
• Maximum harvesting of sun energy
• Self reliance in inputs
• Maintenance of natural cycles and life forms
• Integration of animals
• Maximum reliance on renewable energy sources, such as solar power and animal power
How to achieve
1. Enrichment of soil –Use crop residue as mulch, use organic and biological fertilizers, adopt crop rotation and multiple cropping, avoid excessive tilling and keep soil covered with green cover or biological mulch. Do not use any chemicals.
2. Management of temperature - Keep soil covered, Plant trees and bushes on bunds.
3. Conservation of soil and rain water – Dig percolation tanks, maintain contour bunds, farm ponds in sloppy lands and adopt contour row cultivation, maintain low height plantation on bunds.
4. Harvesting of sun energy – Maintain green stand throughout the year through combination of different crops and plantation schedules.
5. Self reliance in inputs – develop your own seed, on-farm production of compost, vermin compost, vermin wash, liquid manures and botanical extracts.
6. Maintenance of life forms – Develop habitat for sustenance of life forms, never use pesticides, create enough diversity.
7. Integration of animals – Animals are important components of organic management and not only provide animal products but also provide enough dung and urine for use in soil.
8. Use of renewable energy – Use solar energy, bio-gas and bullock driven pumps, generator and other machine.
The article will continue tomorrow.
Our Product Details with regard to Organic Farming:
We are producing the following two products.
Panchagavya – an organic fertilizer
Agnihastra – an organic pesticides / insecticides / fungicides.
The details about this product and the certificates can be viewed in our website Welcome to Pasuthai.com: Buy Panchagavya | Organic Fertilizer Online
Please contact us for any requirement of this product.
V Sudhindranath
Advocate
LTA Trading Private Limited
No.51/7/1, Chitrakoot, Ratna Avenue,
Richmond Road,
Bangalore 560 025.
Ph: 080 41138389
Mobile: +91 99450 66699
Email: vsudhin@yahoo.com
Website: pasuthai.com
production, by respecting the natural capacity of plants, animals and the landscape; they aim to optimize quality in all aspects of agriculture and environment. A living soil can be maintained by continuous incorporation of crop and weed biomass, use of animal dung, urine-based manures (FYM, NADEP, vermicompost), biofertilisers and bioenhancers, special liquid formulations (like
vermiwash, compost tea etc) during a crop’s duration.
As a thumb rule, crop residues should be returned to the plot, directly or indirectly. Cattle droppings may be returned to the field as compost. As a strategy, the quantity of biomass removed for human food and fiber, cattle feed or firewood from an organic farm should be replaced with any other bio-waste on the farm. But it is important to account for it for preparing the balance sheet of nutrients for each crop being cultivated on the farm. In phosphorous-deficient and acidic soils, some quantity of mineral grade rock phosphate and lime can also be added either by direct application to the field or through addition to compost. The compost can be further enriched by incorporation of biofertilisers, microbial inoculants, etc. Special composts like biodynamic compost, cowpat pit compost, biodynamic preparations such as BD-500 and BD-501, special formulations like Panchgavya, Dashgavya, Biosol etc are also useful and ensure optimum productivity. Use of EM formulation has also been found effective in soil enrichment and compost making. For high nutrient demanding crops and for intermittent soil enrichment use of oilcakes, poultry manure, concentrated manures (mixture of oil cakes, poultry manure and rock phosphate) can also be an ideal low-cost option of manuring.
Important steps
While turning towards organic it is essential that the basic requirements of the system and the area are properly understood and long term strategies are addressed first. In most parts of the country poor soil health due to loss of organic matter and soil microbial load is a major problem. Reducing water availability and increasing temperature is further adding to the problems. Too much dependence on market for supply of inputs and energy has made the agriculture a cost intensive high input enterprise with diminishing returns. We need to address all these concerns and develop a system, which is not only productive and low cost but also resource conserving and sustainable for centuries to come. To start with, following parameters need to be addressed:
• Enrichment of soil
• Management of temperature
• Conservation of rain water
• Maximum harvesting of sun energy
• Self reliance in inputs
• Maintenance of natural cycles and life forms
• Integration of animals
• Maximum reliance on renewable energy sources, such as solar power and animal power
How to achieve
1. Enrichment of soil –Use crop residue as mulch, use organic and biological fertilizers, adopt crop rotation and multiple cropping, avoid excessive tilling and keep soil covered with green cover or biological mulch. Do not use any chemicals.
2. Management of temperature - Keep soil covered, Plant trees and bushes on bunds.
3. Conservation of soil and rain water – Dig percolation tanks, maintain contour bunds, farm ponds in sloppy lands and adopt contour row cultivation, maintain low height plantation on bunds.
4. Harvesting of sun energy – Maintain green stand throughout the year through combination of different crops and plantation schedules.
5. Self reliance in inputs – develop your own seed, on-farm production of compost, vermin compost, vermin wash, liquid manures and botanical extracts.
6. Maintenance of life forms – Develop habitat for sustenance of life forms, never use pesticides, create enough diversity.
7. Integration of animals – Animals are important components of organic management and not only provide animal products but also provide enough dung and urine for use in soil.
8. Use of renewable energy – Use solar energy, bio-gas and bullock driven pumps, generator and other machine.
The article will continue tomorrow.
Our Product Details with regard to Organic Farming:
We are producing the following two products.
Panchagavya – an organic fertilizer
Agnihastra – an organic pesticides / insecticides / fungicides.
The details about this product and the certificates can be viewed in our website Welcome to Pasuthai.com: Buy Panchagavya | Organic Fertilizer Online
Please contact us for any requirement of this product.
V Sudhindranath
Advocate
LTA Trading Private Limited
No.51/7/1, Chitrakoot, Ratna Avenue,
Richmond Road,
Bangalore 560 025.
Ph: 080 41138389
Mobile: +91 99450 66699
Email: vsudhin@yahoo.com
Website: pasuthai.com