Submitted to :-
Dr. Ashish Latare
Dr. Sumit Rai
Submitted by :-
Mrityunjay Kumar Rai
ID No. – R – 14023
Enrl. No. - 364510
B.Sc.(Ag.),4th year
Organic movement began in the 1930s and 1940s as a reaction to
agriculture's growing reliance on synthetic fertilizers.
Artificial fertilizers had been created during the 18th century,
initially with superphosphates and then ammonia derived
fertilizers mass-produced using the Haber-Bosch process
developed during World War I.
Sir Albert Howard is widely considered to be the “father of
organic farming”.
Rudolf Steiner , an Austrian philosopher, made important
strides in the earliest organic theory with his biodynamic
agriculture.
“Organic farming is a production system that sustains the health of soils,
ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity
and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with
adverse effects. Organic farming combines tradition, innovation and
science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships
and a good quality of life for all involved.”
IFOAM, 2008
To restore our natural resources.
To safeguard our environment.
And to obtain pesticide-residue free vegetables, fruits,spices and other
commodities.
Organic or ecological farming has been observed to befeasible in the long run in
terms of soil fertility, stability ofcrop yields and economy.
The principle of health – Organic farming should sustain and enhance
the health of soil, plant, animal, human and planet as one and
indivisible.
The principle of ecology – Organic farming should be based on living
ecological systems and cycles, work with them, emulate them and help
sustain them.
The principle of fairness – Organic farming should build on
relationships that ensure fairness with regard to the common
environment and life opportunities.
The principle of care – Organic farming should be managed in a
precautionary and responsible manner to protect the health and wellbeing
of current and future generations and the environment
High nutritional quality
Encourage and enhance the biological
cycles with framing system.
Maintain and increase the long term
fertility of soils.
Avoid all forms of pollution
To maintain the genetic diversity of the
agricultural system
Allow agricultural producers an adequate
return and satisfaction from their work
including a safe working environment
To consider the wider social and ecological
impact of the farming system.
1. Organic manures produce optimal
condition in the soil for high yields and
good quality crops.
2. They supply the entire nutrient required
by the plant (NPK, secondary and
micronutrients).
3. They improve plant growth and
physiological activities of plants.
4. Organic fertilizer are considered as complete
plant food.
5. Organically grown crop are believed to
provide more healthy and nationally superior
food for man and animals that those grown with
commercial fertilizers.
1. Productivity- Low productivity is often reported
as the quantum nutrient used comparatively
Lower.
2. Labour intensive - Cultivation requires more
labour especially for weed control.
3. Skill- requires considerable skill to farm.
4. Lack of convenience in management compared
to easier management like fertilizer application in
conventional methods.
Crop rotation.
Cover cropping.
Addition of compost/FYM.
Application of green manures.
Application of crop residues.
Supplemental application of organically approved
amendments.
Animal manures.
Use of biofertilizers.
Vermicompost
(a) The practice of growing a
sequence of plant species on
the same land.
(b) One of the very basic building
blocks of organic farming
systems.
(c)The crop rotation in organic
farming must provide the soil
fertility required for
maintaining productivity and it
must prevent problems with
weeds, pests and diseases.
(d) A proper sequence of crops in
time and space and through the
use of N2 fixing crops and cover
crops.
Pivotal parts of every organic farmer’s management scheme.
They are crucial to the main goals of building soil health and
preventing soil erosion.
Tools for increasing fertility and controlling weeds, pathogens,
and insects in organic crops.
Non leguminous cover crops, typically grasses or small grains, do
not fix nitrogen but can be effective in recovering mineralized
nitrogen from soil after crops are harvested.
When legume or grass cover crops are killed and incorporated into
the soil, living microorganisms in the soil go to work to decompose
plant residues.
The biomass nitrogen is mineralized and converted first to
ammonium (NH4) and then to nitrate compounds (NO3) that plant
roots can take up and use.
A biological process that requires careful monitoring of air and
moisture levels in compost piles or windrows to produce specific
temperature ranges that promote the growth of beneficial
microorganisms.
The regular addition of compost is one of the best ways to enhance
soil organic and humic content, which helps to build a fertile soil
structure.
Populations of microorganisms that make soil come alive with
productivity and enable plants to battle diseases and pests thrive in
such an environment.
A way to recycle manures and plant residues that otherwise might
present some environmental problems.
Soil with 4% OM contains 4000 lbs total nitrogen/acre.
Cont…….
Average percentage of N, P2O5 and K2O in the fresh excreta of farm
animals.
Animal
Refuse
N% P2O5% K2O%
Cattle dung
and urine
mixed(fresh)
0.60 0.15 0.45
Poultry
manure
(fresh)
1.O-1.8 1.4-1.8 0.8-0.9
FYM(DRY) 0.5-1.5 0.4-0.8 0.5-1.9
Source: Fertilizer statistics. 2008-10
A practice of ploughing or turning into the soil, undecomposed green
plant tissues for the purpose of improving the soil fertility.
Objective: To add an organic matter into the soil and thus, enrich it with
‘N’ which is most important and deficient nutrient.
1. Green manuring in-situ: When green manure crops are grown in the
field itself either as a pure crop or as intercrop with the main crop and
buried in the same field, it is known as Green manuring In-situ. E.g.:
Sannhemp, Dhaicha, Pillipesara, Shervi, Urd, Mung, Cowpea, Berseem,
Senji, etc.
2. Green leaf manuring: It refers to turning into the soil green leaves
and tender green twigs collected from shrubs and tress grown on bunds,
waste lands and nearby forest area. E.g.: Glyricidia, wild Dhaicha,
Karanj.
Serve as soil cover and organic manure.
Both the amounts produced and their nature varies between crop
types.
For example, cereal straw contains only around 35 kg N/ha and
has a wide C:N ratio, compared with more than 150 kg N/ha for
some vegetable residues, with a narrow C:N ratio.
The narrow C:N ratio of green leafy residues means that N is
released much more rapidly than from cereal straw
Soil amendments are also known as conditioners.
Improve a soils structure and ultimately its ability to deliver
water, air, and nutrients to plants.
Encourage nutrient recycling by developing the innate structure of
a soil.
Organic amendments are the safest and most effective means to
promoting soil fertility.
For acidic condition:
• Apply lime but depends on crop rotation and soil conditions.
For alkali condition:
• Apply gypsum
Poultry and animal manures also provide nutrients to the plants.
Fresh manure, especially slurry and poultry manure, contains
considerable proportion of N in readily available (principally
ammonium-N) forms, which can be easily and rapidly lost to the
atmosphere.
Animals and poultry should be fed with organic feeds.
High organic matter and macro nutrients
One of the important components of integrated nutrient
management
Cost effective and renewable source of plant nutrients to
supplement the chemical fertilizers for sustainable agriculture
Accelerate certain microbial processes in the soil which augment
the extent of availability of nutrients in a form easily assimilated
by plants.
Several microorganisms and their association with crop plants are
being exploited in the production of biofertilizers.
Vermicompost is a stable
fine granular organic
matter, when added to soil
loosens the soil and provides
passage to air.
The mucus attached to the
cast being hygroscopic in
nature improve WHC of the
soil.
Organic carbon 9.15 to17.98%
Total nitrogen 1.5 to2.10%
Total phosphorus 1.0 to1.50%
Total potassium 0.60%
Ca and Mg 22.00 to 70.00 m.e\100g
Available S 128 to 548 ppm
Copper 100 ppm
Iron 1800 ppm
Zinc 50 ppm
pH: Range between 6.5 and 7.5
Moisture: 60-70% of the moisture below and above range mortality of worm staking
Aeration: 50% aeration from the total pore space.
Temperature: Range between 18 degree C -35 degree C.
It has high contents of Auxins, Gibberellins, Cytokinin, Vitamins, Amino acid .
Actinomycetes present in it consume antibiotic products bed enhancement of resistance in
plants from various pest.
Earthworms has many enzymes eg. peptose for protein amylase for starch, Lypase, fat,
cellulose .
Do not cover vermicompost beds/ plastic sheets because it may trap heat and gases.
Do not overload the vermicompost heap to avoid high temperature that adversely affect
their population.
Make a drainage channel around the heap to avoid stagnation of water particularly in high
rainfall areas in rainy season.
Abawi GS & Widmer TL 2000. Impact of soil health management practices on
soilborne pathogens, nematodes and root diseases of vegetable crops. Applied Soil
Ecology 15, 37-47.
Altieri MA 1995. Agroecology: the science of sustainable agriculture. Intermediate
Technology Publications, London UK.
Atkinson D Baddeley J Goicocchea N Green J Sanchez-Diaz M & Watson CA 2002.
AMF in low input agriculture. In: Mycorrhizal technology: From genes to
Bioproducts - Achievements and hurdles in arbuscular mycorrhizal research, ed H
Schuepp, Birkhauser Basel. (In press)
Atkinson D Watson CA Hooker JE & Black KE 1995. Nutrient Conservation in
Organic Crop Production Systems In: Soil Management in Sustainable Agriculture,
eds HF Cook & HC Lee, Wye College Press Ashford pp 54