PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIC FARMING
authored by: S.S.Walia & R.K.Nanwal
Hardback
Buy from FlipkarteChapter
Organic farming is one of the alternate forms of agriculture that is aimed at sustainable agricultural production. It is a holistic way of farming in which quality agricultural production is achieved with an aim to conserve rather improve our natural resources. It relies on crop rotations, green manures, organic manures, biofertilizers, composts and biological pest management for crop production excluding or strictly limiting the use of synthetic fertilizers, chemical pesticides, plant growth regulators and livestock feed additives.
The book “Principles of Organic Farming” has been designed to fulfill the requirements of undergraduate students of agriculture stream as per syllabus of Vth Dean's Committee of ICAR. A detailed and comprehensive information regarding organic farming concept, characteristics, principles, its types, history of organic farming and initiative taken for promotion of organic agriculture, organic ecosystem and their concepts, organic nutrient/weed/insect/disease management, organic production requirements, national program for organic production and certification, food processing and handling, organic postharvest handling, economic considerations, viability, export and marketing of organic products, organic farming in dryland areas, integrated organic farming systems, good agricultural practices their concept & strategies, lessons learnt from organic farming.
Author Speak
S.S. Walia, is working as Principal Agronomist in the School of Organic Farming, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Started organic farming research as a pioneer work at PAU, Ludhiana as Ph.D. student (2001-04) and then worked on organic farming and integrated farming systems in the All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Integrated Farming Systems and Network Project on Organic Farming. Played foremost role in developing infrastructure, state of art model of an integrated farming system, and other research facilities in AICRP-Integrated Farming System project. Handled 19 projects and currently 5 projects are in hand, Involved in 35 product testing. Published 495 research and extension papers in reputed journals/magazines/newspapers. Co-author of eight books namely Science of Agronomy; Crop Management (1st ed), Farming System and Sustainable Agriculture Contingent Crop Planning, Waste recycling, Moringa, Principles of Weed Management, Organic Crop Production; 21 book chapters, ten practical manuals, one research bulletin, four extension bulletins, four extension booklets, delivered 51 TV & Radio talks and guided eleven M.Sc. and four Ph.D. students. Participated in 44 National and International conferences/meetings. Recipient of Best organic farming centre award (2019) by ICAR; Dr M S Randhawa best book award (2017); Fellow, Indian Ecological Society (2016); Gold medal from Society of Recent Development in Agriculture at International Conference (2013); ISA Best Paper Award alongwith cash prize of Rs 5000/- from Indian Society of Agronomy (2011) for paper entitled,” Alternate cropping systems to rice-wheat for Punjab”; ISA P. S. Deshmukh Young Agronomist Award (2005) by Indian Society of Agronomy; Fellow, Society of Environmental Sciences (2004). The AICRP on Integrated Farming System, Ludhiana centre received the Best Centre Award (2014) from ICAR- Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research, Modipuram, Meerut. Performance of All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Integrated Farming Systems, Ludhiana centre during QRT review (2007 to 2012 and 2012 to 2017) was rated outstanding and also received four best poster awards. Received Dr. Gurbaksh Singh Gill Gold Medal, Merit Certificate for M.Sc. (Agronomy); S.S. Labh Singh Gold Medal and Merit Certificate for B.Sc. Agri. (Hons.). The chapter on organic farming and integrated farming system in package of practices was included during 2004 and 2017-18, respectively. Sixty six recommendations have been included in the package of practices for mass adoption by the Punjab Farmers especially, resource conservative cropping systems, nine organic farming based cropping systems, production technology of cultivation of direct seeded rice and consortium biofertilizer application in sugarcane, maize, wheat, potato, onion and turmeric. Developed technologies regarding application of consortium in sugarcane, turmeric, potato, onion, maize, wheat crops; integrated nutrient management in maize/soybean, highly productive alternative cropping systems, direct seeded rice and basmati rice, rice residue management for the mass scale adoption under Punjab conditions. Developed Integrated Farming System Research Model comprising dairy, fishery, horticulture, vegetables, agro-forestry, vermi-composting and chapter on Integrated Farming System included in the Package of Practices.
R.K. Nanwal, Professor (Retd), CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar-125004, India. For being B.Sc. (Hons) Ag and M.Sc. (Ag.) in Agronomy from HAU, Hisar in 1979 and 1981, respectively, he was awarded Ph.D. in Agronomy by IARI, New Delhi in 1992 with merit/ICAR scholarship throughout. He did Post Doctorate specialized training in water resource management in Rainfed Agriculture at University of Georgia, USA on FAO fellowship. He has teaching experience of more than 35 years in the university. Developed new courses on Farming Systems, Sustainable Agriculture and Rainfed Agriculture. Guided 7 M.Sc. and 8 Ph.D. students as Major Advisor. Played foremost role in developing infrastructure, state of art model of an integrated farming system and other research facilities in AICRP-Integrated Farming System project at CCS HAU, Hisar. Developed Integrated Farming System Research Model integrating field crops with dairy, fishery, horticulture, vegetables, agro-forestry, vermi-composting, mushroom, biogas etc. which is very popular among Haryana farmers. He has published 12 books, 10 manuals, 7 book chapters, 153 full research papers, 75 general articles, 35 research notes and presented 60 papers in various national/international seminars/conferences. Received “Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi Award” for outstanding Multidisciplinary team research in agriculture and allied sciences for the triennium 1994-96, awarded on July 16, 1997 by Union Minister of Agriculture, Govt of India. Awarded CCS Haryana Agricultural University “Best Teacher Award” (Indian Council of Agricultural Research sponsored) for the year 2005-2006. He was awarded “Rashtriya Gaurav Award” by India International Friendship Society on Nov. 11, 2011. He was also awarded Best Citizens of India Award by International Publishing House, New Delhi on Dec. 28, 2011. Received Appreciation Certificate for excellent work by three Vice Chancellors of the university. Superannuated from active service from CCS HAU, Hisar on Feb. 28, 2017. After superannuation re-employed for three years as Officer Incharge, Students’ Centre for Career Excellence in CCS HAU, Hisar.
Preface Organic agriculture follows the principles and logic of a living organism, in which all elements (soil, plant, farm animals, insects, the farmer and local conditions) are closely linked to each other. This is accomplished by using possible, agronomic biological and mechanical methods, following the principles of these interactions, using natural ecosystem as a model. Looking to the importance of organic food, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables constitute an important ingredient of the vegetarian diet in the Indian sub-continent and play major role in supplying quality proteins and minerals. Organic products therefore, have potential market, especially in India. Organic farming even if practiced on a small scale could be a step in the right direction because it is based on the principle that soil is a living system and not an inert bowl for unloading chemical and it uses the nature as the best role model for rejuvenating the soil health. Moreover, organic farming interlinks the soil health with other resources with least interference to raise healthy plants and animals; by sustaining the resource equilibrium. Keeping in view the present status of Indian agriculture, it seems pertinent to give a rethought to chemical farming at present practiced on large scale. The one option of organic farming might be to replace the chemical farming in coming years more as an inevitable measure than as any new practice to boost the agricultural production. Though organic farming is indeed conceptually not new, a fresh look on the principles of organic farming in context of the present day is necessary, to make it a viable practical preposition in a commercial high yield-high quality scenario. The book contains detailed and comprehensive information basically to fulfill the requirements of under graduate students of agriculture stream for organic farming considering the syllabus of 5th Dean’s Committee of ICAR. We hope that the book will serve as a good reference source for those interested in organic farming. During the preparation of the book, we have consulted various international and national books, periodicals, journals, internet from which we have drawn literatures liberally in this book. We heartily acknowledge each of the scientist and author. In some cases, where it has not been possible to contact and obtain permission for such reproduction, the authors and publisher offer their sincere apologies.
During the last decade organic agriculture has emerged as a dynamic alternate farming system. This has been necessitated as a consequence of resource degradation because of to achieving high yields in various crops to meet the increasing demand of food by the burgeoning population. These have resulted in change in soil structure, imbalance in soil micro-organisms and organic matter, resistance among various weeds to weedicides, increased salinity, sodicity and have affected the water holding capacity of the soil and brought in health and environmental problems. Organic farming is a specified form of diversified agriculture that not only aims to produce nutritious food of high quality but also lead to the generation of more income and employment opportunities for rural population. In true sense, organic farming is a production system which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers, growth regulators, livestock feed additives and pesticides. Moreover, it relies on agronomic management practices like crop rotation, crop residues, animal manures, legumes, green manures, off-farming organic wastes and aspect of biological pest control to maintain soil productivity. The inability of Indian agriculture to meet the demand for food in the country during the two and half decades immediately after independence had been a matter of concern at those times. The system of our agriculture based on the traditional knowledge and practices handed down from generation to generation could not produce enough to feed the increasing population. The ignominy of our dependence for food on the western developed nations and the politics of food aid practiced by them added to our determination to be self-sufficient in food production by modernizing agriculture. The green revolution fulfilled our aspirations by changing India from a food importing to a food exporting nation. However, the achievement was at the expense of ecology and environment and to the detriment of the well-being of the people.
Sustainable agriculture, Soil fertility management, Crop rotation, Agroecology, Permaculture, Biodiversity conservation, Natural fertilizers, Integrated pest management, Organic certification, Cover crops, Composting, Non-GMO farming, Ecological balance, Water conservation, Carbon sequestration, Agroforestry, Biological pest control, Regenerative agriculture, No-till farming, Animal welfare, Renewable resources, Holistic farming, Green manure, Crop diversity, Ecological farming