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Organic farming is a production system which excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics and livestock feed additives. India is home to 30% of the total organic producers in the world accounting to 2.59% of the total organic cultivated area of 57.8 million ha according to World Organic Agriculture 2018 report. Integrated organic farming involves integrated nutrient management and integrated pest management. Organic farming is practiced to release nutrients to the crops for increased sustainable production in an ecofriendly and pollution free environment. It aims to produce crop with a high nutritional value. Organic farming depends upon the animal manures, organic wastes, crop rotations, legumes, pest control through biological means. It is the ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and biological activities of the soil. The essence of organic farming is to make the soil capable of supplying all the essential nutrients to the crop for its proper growth and development. Organic farming sustains and enhances productivity by improving the soil health and agro-ecosystem. Recently, organic food production is gradually gaining momentum worldwide relying upon the minimal cost of farm inputs and management practices that restore, maintain and sustain ecological harmony. In the organic crop production system, it is found that there is yield drop during the conversion period as it needs certain time for the soil and plants to reach equilibrium. Yield of crops may attain to the satisfactory level once the systems get established. To sustain fertility and productivity of Indian soils there is urgent need to promote liberal application of organic manures by the farmers. The pest and disease management in organic farming are heavily dependent on preventive measures rather than curative practices which are based on the ecologically safer management methods. Broad management of ecosystem through little modification in the cultural practices such as crop rotation, soil quality management through the addition of organic amendments constitute the preliminary defense against the attack of insect pests and diseases followed by use of the curative methods like use of predators, parasitoids, plant products and ecologically safer chemicals forms the next alternatives of defense against the insect pests and diseases. Apart from conventional fungicides and microbial biocontrol agents, plant products or extracts have been found detrimental against a wide range of pathogens. Farming system involving an appropriate combination of farm enterprises like cropping systems, livestock, fisheries, forestry, poultry and the ways available to the farmers to raise them for profitability. Vermicomposting, use of mycorrhiza, IPNS, ITKs, natural growth promoters and agroforestry systems are viable tools for organic agriculture. |
