Organic Farming and its Ecology

Organic Farming is a type of agriculture that avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemical inputs or even any kind of growth regulators and livestock feed additives. The organic farming system relies on crop rotation, crop residues, animal manures, legumes, green manures, bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, etc.

26% of the cultivable area in India is under Organic Cultivation. Even, Sikkim has recently been declared as the first organic state of India.

• Organic Farming is a production system where all kinds of agricultural products are produced organically, including grains, meat, dairy, eggs, fibers such as cotton, flowers, and processed food products.

Sustainable Agriculture

It is a form of agriculture aimed at meeting the needs of the present generation without endangering the resource base of future generations. It is considered a system of cultivation with the use of manure, crop rotation, and minimal tillage and with minimum dependence on synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and antibiotics. It is a balanced management system of renewable resources including soil, wildlife, forests, crops, fish, livestock, plant genetic resources, and ecosystems without degradation and to provide food, and livelihood for current and future generations maintaining or improving productivity and ecosystem services of these resources.

Ecological Management as well as Economical Development:-

1. Organic farming sustains bio-diversity, soil fertility and natural ecosystem processes, and other services that underpin agriculture.

2. In an organic state, farmers are encouraged to turn crop residues into manures and animal feed instead of burning them.

3. Organic farming enriches the soil with bio-fertilizers and earthworms which improve the soil structure and soil's water-holding capacity.

4. Scientific organic farming practices have the potential to increase yield in the long run.

5. It allows the farmers to overcome the risk of crop failures and increased cost of production, encouraging the production of healthy food and fiber of high quality.

6. Organic agriculture products eliminate the risk of the presence of toxic elements in the food.

7. Since Organic farming does not use chemical fertilizers and pesticides the agriculture run-off water is free of excessive amounts of nitrates and phosphates. Thus, lakes, rivers, and other water bodies will be less vulnerable to algal blooms and associated ecological problems.

8. Reduced stubble burning and encouragement of viable alternatives.

Eco-Farming

It is the farming mutually reinforcing ecological approaches to food production. It aims at the maintenance of soil chemically, biologically, and physically in the way nature would do if left alone. Soil would then take proper care of plants growing on it. Feeding the soil, not the plant is the watchword and slogan of ecological farming.

-A Blog by Jitisha Shashi Hiremath