Organic farming

About: Organic farming is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 7254 publications have been published within this topic receiving 138030 citations. The topic is also known as: pertanian organik & organic farming.

Changing scenario of organic farming in India: an overview.

Abstract: India produces a large variety of food crops including cereals, pulses and oilseeds. Diversified agriculture is the priority of the Central Government, and technical and financial support is being extended to farmers to encourage diversification especially in the areas of horticulture, floriculture, medicinal and aromatic plants, apiculture (pee-keeping) and sericulture. The government is continuously working towards the development of the agribusiness sector through considerable emphasis on infrastructure and food processing. However, there is still a scope for further development and up-gradation of technology and agri-infrastructure to attain world-class standards. The main emphasis is on quality enhancement, infrastructure development and the use of modern technology. Organic farming was practiced in India since thousands of years. The great Indian civilization thrived on organic farming and was one of the most prosperous countries in the world, till the British ruled it. Increasing pesticide residues in food materials, eutrophication of surface and ground-waters and increasing nitrous oxide emissions which are detrimental to the ozone layer of the atmosphere, drew attention towards the harmful effects of modern agriculture and environmentalists pressed hard for a more sustainable agriculture. The role of organic farming in India rural economy can be leveraged to mitigate the ever-increasing problem of food security in India. With rapid industrialization of rural states of India, there has been a crunch for farmland. Further, with the exponential population growth of India, the need for food sufficiency has become the need of the hour. Furthermore, the overuse of plant growth inhibitor, pesticides and fertilizers for faster growth of agricultural produce is detrimental to human health and the environment as a whole. An attempt is made to analyze the importance of organic farming, principle of organic farming, Organic farming in rural economy, consumption pattern and export of organically produced products in India. Key words: Organic farming, organic food consumption, organic food industry, principles of organic farming

Chemical characterization of commercial organic fertilizers

Abstract: A wide range of commercial organic fertilizers is currently available to organic farmers. Their use has numerous agronomic implications, including the supply of plant macro- and micronutrients, organic matter, but also pollutants such as toxic elements (metals (often referred to heavy metals), metalloids, and non-metals), persistent organic pollutants, pesticides, and antibiotic residues. For many organic fertilizers, the database concerning all these characteristics is weak. Therefore, in the frame of collections carried out throughout Germany, 77 samples of commercial organic fertilizers were analyzed for their nutrient and pollutant contents. Commercial organic fertilizers differ widely in nutrient concentration as well as in nutrient spectrum, meaning large differences among the fertilizers in their suitability to complement the nutrient supply by base organic fertilizers like composts, livestock manures, or digestates. The sampled commercial organic fertilizers show stable values for few characterist...

Flaming as an Alternative Weed Control Method for Conventional and Organic Agronomic Crop Production Systems: A Review

Abstract: The interest for organic crop production is in the increase due to a strong demand for organic food from consumers and an attractive income potential for farmers. Weeds pose one of the major problems in crop production and are responsible for significant crop yield reduction. The problem of controlling weeds without synthetic herbicides under the rules of organic agriculture is challenging. The increase in the number of herbicide-resistant weeds, the increase in herbicide cost, and the movement of herbicides into surface and ground water have sparked public awareness and restrictions on herbicide use. For these reasons, weed scientists are considering alternative and integrated weed management practices to reduce herbicide inputs and impacts. The use of propane for flame weeding can be adopted as one of the alternatives to chemical weed control, as it eliminates concerns over direct residual effects on soil, water, and food quality and can lessen the reliance on herbicides, hand weeding, and/or mechanical cultivation. Flame weeding is an acceptable weed control option in both organic and conventional production systems. A greater knowledge on the development of dose–response curves for determining the appropriate propane dose for effective weed control in major agronomic crops is needed to improve flame-weeding strategies. The dose–response curves for weeds and crops are important so that the lowest effective dose of propane can be applied for weed control in agronomic crops, which saves energy and reduces production costs. Depending on the desired level of weed control or tolerable crop injury level, a propane dose could be selected to either control the weed, or reduce its competitive ability against the crop. In this chapter, we will provide an overview of the findings from the flaming research that has been conducted for the last six years at the University of Nebraska, USA, or reported in pertinent newest literature. This chapter will improve our existing knowledge about flame weeding and will present better general guidelines for both organic and conventional crop producers interested in flaming techniques for weed control.