₦airaland Forum

What is Vegetable Farming?

Vegetable farming is the growing of vegetables for the purpose of consumption by human beings. Vegetable growing is a practice that began in several parts of the world more than ten thousand years ago.
Initially, humans could only grow vegetables via manual labour, but as civilization came, livestock were domesticated and used to plough the farms, for vegetable plantation.

In the recent time, nearly all vegetable farming processes are mechanized (especially in the advanced countries of the world), and specialist farmers tend to cultivate the vegetables and crops that are genetically disposed to doing well in their environment.
In Nigeria, vegetable farming is one aspect of farming with the ability to generate income and profits year round.
As it is, vegetable farming is one of the easiest agricultural engagements a farmer can venture into and the demand for edible vegetable is year round, creating a veritable stream of income for the would-be farmer.

Different Kinds/Types of Vegetables

To so many Nigerians, vegetable is Ugu, tete, bitter leave, efo, ewedu and nothing else. That would be wrong.
We have various kinds of vegetables.

We have Leaf vegetables, root vegetables, fruit vegetable, pod vegetables, seed vegetables, flower vegetables and bud vegetables.
All these vegetables have their different benefits and nutrients, as well as some common features and nutrients.

Every vegetable with strong colouring contain vitamins, often very much. Green (in vegetables) indicates Vitamin B9, C or Pro-Vitamin A. Red or orange in vegetable signals Pro-Vitamin A.
Leaf vegetables such as cabbage, chard, lettuce, spinach, sorrel are usually low in energy and rich in Vitamin B9. They usually contain high levels of Pro-Vitamin A and as Vitamin C.
Root vegetables such as radishes, beet, carrot etc. usually have few calories. Instead they have much fibre, and some contain high levels of Pro-Vitamin A.
Seed vegetables such as flageolet beans are higher in calories (60-90 kcal/100 g). They are also very high in fibre, iron and magnesium.
Pod vegetables such as wax beans, mange-tout, green beans, runner beans, peas and fruit vegetables are low in calories. They supply fibre, Vitamin B9 and Vitamin C.

Flower vegetables and bud vegetables such as artichokes, broccoli, cauliflower etc. are low in calories but high in fibre.
A glance look at the list of vegetable would look like the following list
NOTE; don’t worry if you don’t understand some of their names, as stated bellow. If you’re tired of reading those vegetables’ names, just move to the next section of this article.

The types of vegetables includes;
• Okra (you know this, don’t you?)
• Arugula
• Onion (you know this too)
• Asparagus
• Carrot (everyone knows this)
• Green, Purple, White
• Plantain
• Bell Pepper
• Avocado
• Tomato
• Bamboo Shoots
• Beans- see Bean List
• Artichoke
• Winter Melon etc.

To start your commercial leafy vegetable business in Nigeria;
There are certain factors to consider;

Vegetable Market development:

A farmer must consider the fact that most vegetable crops are highly perishable, and he would therefore first need to develop suitable markets for his produce, even before he starts vegetable cultivation.
Most startup vegetable operations for the most part flop because of the absence of market development and marketing skills.
For a vegetable grower who is keen to succeed, there is the need to first develop a line of middle men who will ensure that his produce get to the selling point on time.

Vegetable Site selection:
Once the market for the produce has been well thought out and developed, a farmer must then embark on proper field selection. When considering sites for the purpose of cultivating vegetables, the farmer must take into consideration field topography, soil type, and water availability and quality.

Topography has to do with physical attributes of the farm site and takes conditions such as contour, soil depth, water and air drainage, and, the presence of rock out cropping and trees into consideration.
Soil type refers to the physical composition or properties of the soil while water availability refers to the ease to which water can be accessed.
Vegetables usually need more water than most other agronomic crops do, and this should be accounted for during site selection. Only fields that have easy access to an abundant water source should be considered for vegetable production.

Crop selection:

Another important factor to consider when going into commercial vegetable farming is crop and variety selection. The greatest limiting factor to successful vegetable production from a pest stand-point is the high incidence of disease outbreaks. There is therefore a great need to cultivate mainly disease resisting species, to greatly increase the chance for success.

Source
www.africabusinessclassroom.com/vegetable-farming-nigeria


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HsLBroker:
Nice

Thank you

By 2050, there will be 9.1 billion people inhabiting our earth, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN predicts. That’s about 34 percent more than there are today. To feed them, farmers will need to produce greater yields at lower costs—often with fewer resources on less land. This means farmers will need a lot of help from their science and technology partners to create efficiency, improve yield and develop new opportunities.

As a result, within just the next 10 years, we’ll see dramatic changes in digital technology, biological technology and a newly reconfigured value chain. Here are some of the trends the agribusiness ecosystem should be prepared for.

• Digital technology. Sensors and robotics are the two most prominent types of digital technology in agriculture. Sensors will track everything from soil richness, plant ripeness, pest populations, seed location and sunlight level to thousands of weather data points. Robotics will further enable tractors to drive themselves and mechanical plant harvesters will integrate with sensors to better realize efficiencies in timing. Soil nutrients will be measured on the fly and applied only as needed. Picking too early is wasteful because you miss out on growth, but picking too late slashes weeks off the storage time. Precision farming engineers will build robots and apps that make calculations about ripeness by gathering information about size and color and then running an algorithm. They’ll send farmers alerts about their decisions to their smartphones or farmers can take a photo of the fruit and the phone app will automatically grade the fruit. Further advancements in artificial intelligence and vision systems will distinguish crops from weeds, diagnose a plant disease. Drones are already being used for pest scouting and taking photos of the crop to determine the effectiveness of various treatments. Drones also will be able to spray pesticides to very specific field locations.

“WE’LL SOON LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE CONSUMERS INCREASINGLY ASK FOR SPECIFIC PRODUCTS AND EXPECT PRODUCERS TO ADAPT AND DELIVER.”

• Biological technology. This will be huge! Increasing restrictions on chemical pesticides and consumer demand for synthetic chemical residue-free and organic food are driving demand for biologically-based products. More importantly, farmers are integrating biologicals in their pest management and crop production programs to increase yields and quality better than chemical-only programs. Over time, biologicals will become the base of the programs rather than niche products slotted into chemical programs. Biologicals are the perfect fit into sustainable ag and food systems because they are produced using agricultural raw materials and are highly biodegradable, generally safe to pollinators and people, can be sprayed right up to harvest (and leave no chemical residues). Pests generally do not develop resistance to biologicals; therefore, when integrated into programs with chemicals, biologicals can slow or stop the pest resistance to the chemicals. Biotech advances, including gene editing technology, can help produce drought-resistant crops, non-spoiling fruits and vegetables, peanuts that don’t trigger allergies, and feed that produces “meatier” chickens.

• A reworked value chain. Until recently, producers were largely in control of what landed on consumer’s plates. There was limited public information about products and quality was important, but not a primary concern. Today consumers are insisting on more transparency, including input on food quality, attributes and sourcing practices. We’ll soon live in a world where consumers increasingly ask for specific products and expect producers to adapt and deliver. It is already happening that consumers can watch a farm live on their webcam.
Plenty of other factors will play an important role in the development of farming – including labor costs, immigration policy, climate change and increased use of greenhouses for large-scale farming, as well as the growing scarcity of key water, soil and energy resources.
It’s an exciting—even revolutionary—time to get involved in agriculture. The ecosystem around farming is large and there are tremendous opportunities for digital, tech and other businesses to influence and make a difference in farming. And with four jobs available today for each graduate in agriculture, there are few industries more exciting, or poised for more explosive growth. Together, we can overcome any crop or hunger challenge. Let’s feed the world.

Source
chiefexecutive.net/feeding-the-world-how-technology-will-change-farming-over-the-next-decade/


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A technological revolution in farming led by advances in robotics and sensing technologies looks set to disrupt modern practice.
Over the centuries, as farmers have adopted more technology in their pursuit of greater yields, the belief that 'bigger is better' has come to dominate farming, rendering small-scale operations impractical. But advances in robotics and sensing technologies are threatening to disrupt today's agribusiness model. “There is the potential for intelligent robots to change the economic model of farming so that it becomes feasible to be a small producer again,” says robotics engineer George Kantor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Twenty-first century robotics and sensing technologies have the potential to solve problems as old as farming itself. “I believe, by moving to a robotic agricultural system, we can make crop production significantly more efficient and more sustainable,” says Simon Blackmore, an engineer at Harper Adams University in Newport, UK. In greenhouses devoted to fruit and vegetable production, engineers are exploring automation as a way to reduce costs and boost quality (see ‘Ripe for the picking’). Devices to monitor vegetable growth, as well as robotic pickers, are currently being tested. For livestock farmers, sensing technologies can help to manage the health and welfare of their animals (‘Animal trackers’). And work is underway to improve monitoring and maintenance of soil quality (‘Silicon soil saviours’), and to eliminate pests and disease without resorting to indiscriminate use of agrichemicals (‘Eliminating enemies’).

Although some of these technologies are already available, most are at the research stage in labs and spin-off companies. “Big-machinery manufacturers are not putting their money into manufacturing agricultural robots because it goes against their current business models,” says Blackmore. Researchers such as Blackmore and Kantor are part of a growing body of scientists with plans to revolutionize agricultural practice. If they succeed, they'll change how we produce food forever. “We can use technology to double food production,” says Richard Green, agricultural engineer at Harper Adams.

Source
https://www.nature.com/articles/544S21a



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Organic farming practices can help save pollinator populations, according to recently published research in Biological Conservation. The study, conducted by Swedish researchers at Lund University over three years, shows that the absence of toxic pesticides associated with conventional farming can contribute to increased health and stable populations of bees and butterflies.

“This is the first large-scale study over the course of several years to show that organic farming has a consistent, stabilizing effect on pollinator diversity,” Romain Carrié, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at CEC, tells Beyond Pesticides.
The researchers examined ten organic and nine conventional farms across Sweden, finding that the organic farms sustained a higher rate of pollinator diversity. The research showed that improved floral resources had the most significant benefits for pollinator health, and, further, that organic farms had more floral diversity than conventional farms.

“This strongly suggests that both flower-enhancing management options and a reduced use of insecticides can help reverse pollinator declines,” Dr. Carrié says.

Between 2016 and 2017, American beekeepers lost 33 percent of the honeybees, according to the University of Maryland, and this study is only the latest that shows the benefits of organic farming on pollinator health.

One recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that glyphosate, an herbicide used on some conventional farms produced by Monsanto under the brand name Roundup, can damage a bee’s microbiome, leaving the pollinators more prone to infection.
“Honeybees rely on these bacteria for food processing, regulation of host immune system, and protection against pathogens,” Erick Motta, a graduate student who led the study at the University of Texas at Austin, tells Newsweek. “So, changes in this microbial community may favor the spread of opportunistic bacteria, usually found at very low abundances in the bee gut. This spread can result in disease and bee death, based on our experiments.”

Recent research has also associated widespread bee death with neonicotinoid pesticides, including one 2017 study published in Science showing that bees who were exposed to neonicotinoids died earlier than their peers.
In April 2018, the European Union banned the use of the three most commonly used neonicotinoids on all outdoor crops. Some research, however, shows that conventional alternatives to neonicotinoids, like pyrethroids, might be even worse for bees.

Source
www.organicauthority.com/organic-farming-can-help-save-the-bees-study-shows/

Only1Toss:
Intresting .

Thank you

Mainstream consumers have standards for quality that are difficult for organic growers to meet
Lettuce with holes in it, or apples with a bit of scab are always passed over by shoppers, although nutrition and flavor quality might be excellent. Consumers have been trained to seek out food with Barbie-doll features. Organic growers have higher rates of unmarketable blemished product and that limits sales revenue.

Profitability is low because food prices are low and land is expensive
Most of the farmers I know have a day job to support the farming they do on nights and weekends. Despite increase exposure small farms have gained in recent years, the reality is that most are still not profitable businesses.

Farming organically on an industrial scale is difficult.
Many organic crops are grown in monocultures, like conventional crops, but use organically registered pesticides and fertilizers. It is common for organic growers to spray pesticides even more frequently than their conventional counterparts to keep up with insect and disease pressure. Organic methods are much more effective on a small scale than on the industrial level.

There are many conflicting ideas of what organic means.

Many consumers buy organic because it seems like the ethical choice. But how can big businesses (like Wal-Mart, General Mills, and Kellogg) grow organically, and be any better than the produce grown in your own town? Is organic really synonymous with pure? How do ethics of shopping for organics compare with shopping local, or fair-trade? Perhaps we’re ready for a new standard. How about farm-direct?

Organic certification is exclusive
Many small farmers don’t justify the expense for organic certification. Some use methods that are very well suited for their production and environment, but still don’t qualify for the organic label. If you shop at farmer’s markets, you can talk to the farmer about how the food was grown.



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Organic is GMO-free.
By USDA standards, nothing organic is allowed to be grown with genetically modified seed. Food containing genetically engineered products are usually not labeled as such, so the organic label is important for consumers who are cautious about consuming these new types of food. Most genetically engineered crops are made to be resistant to herbicide, so it is likely that these crops have been sprayed with glyphosate pesticides.

Organic home gardening is less expensive than using chemicals.
Applying pesticides is more work than most home gardeners want to embrace. By talking with neighbors and garden center professionals, the home grower should be able to identify crops and growing techniques that do not require pesticide applications. Organic has more meaning when it is practiced at home. Organic gardening at home tends to lead to a deeper understanding of the intent behind the organic label.

Organic growing is proven to be sustainable over long periods of time.
Organic principles work well when practiced over time. A good organic plan will not only yield a good harvest, but improve the land’s productivity for the next crop. Industrial agriculture is a relatively new practice with a checkered record on agricultural sustainability.

Food produced without chemicals is better for the environment and our health
Pesticides and fertilizer registered for organic production are usually derived from natural products and have a more limited impact on the environment. Neonicotinoid pesticides linked to the decline of honeybee populations are not allowed in organic production. Exposure to pesticides among agricultural workers should be of greater public concern. Workers around the world are still routinely exposed to toxic pesticides regardless of cautions printed on their labels. Despite FDA approval there are still too many unknowns about chronic health effects of consuming pesticides for them to be considered completely safe.


There’s pride in cooperating with nature.
There is beauty in a closed loop production system that does not rely heavily on outside inputs. It is a great challenge for farmers to develop a system that works within the constraints of their environment. The creativity required to develop such a system can be appreciated like a work of art.



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Environmental advantages:

• Harnesses atmospheric nitrogen and makes it available directly to the plants.
• Improves soil aggregation, permeability, and water holding capacity-thys reducing overall water usage.
• Detoxifies, conserves, and improves overall quality of water and the runoff tributaries.
• Organic fertilizers are renewable, biodegradable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.

Advantages to Soil:

• Increases phosphorus uptake by solubilizing and releasing unavailable phosphorus.
• Improves soil properties and sustain soil fertility, can suppress soil-borne pathogens, accelerate the decomposition of organic wastes, increase the availability of mineral nutrients and useful organic compounds to plants.
• Enhance the activities of beneficial micro-organisms, e.g. mycorrhizae, nitrogen fixing bacteria etc.
• Serves as a catalyst to naturally detoxify and enrich the topsoil -which increases plant growth, yield, shelf-life and overall nutritional quality.
• Naturally remediates harmful substance -such as heavy metals, salinization, and agrochemicals-while restoring the microbial diversity of the topsoil.
• Helps to prevent the erosion of fertile topsoil -and can even convert desert and sodic environment into arable land.

Advantages to plants:

• Enhances root proliferation due to release of growth promoting hormones.
• Organic fertilizer is microbial inoculants that work as a bio-control measure in suppressing and/or controlling pests through the introduction of beneficial micro-organisms to soil and plants.
• Promotes photosynthesis and strengthens the vigor of plants, thus increasing their ability to withstand drought, floods, and temperature extremes.

Advantages to farmers:

• Enhances soil fertility and promotes growth, flooring, fruit development and ripening in crops. It can increase crop yields and improves crop quality as well as accelerating the breakdown of organic matter from crop residues. The population of beneficial micro-organisms in the soil is also increased helping to control soil disease through competitive exclusion.
• It maintains the natural habitat of soil .It increase crop yield by 30-30% replaces chemical nitrogen and phosphorus by 25% and stimulates plant growth.



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Organic fertilizers contain only plant or animal-based materials that are either a byproduct or end product of naturally occurring processes, such as manures, leaves and compost. The biggest advantage of an organic fertilizer is that the danger of over-fertilization is reduced as the nutrients are released slowly and hence they are available over a longer period and only few applications are required. Organic fertilizer improves the soil by escalating the soil’s ability to hold water and nutrients and decreases the erosion and soil crusting caused by rain and wind. Using organic fertilizer adds more natural nutrients, feeds important microbes in the soil and improves the structure of the soil. Organic fertilizers continue to improve the soil even after the plants have taken the nutrients they need and therefore, the longer the soil is fed with organic fertilizers, the better its composition and texture will be.

Uses of an organic fertilizer

The use of organic-based fertilizers in sustainable agriculture benefits farmers, growers, consumers and the environment in many ways.
• boost both nutrient efficiency and organic matter content in the soil;
• nurture the soil with organic matter that reduces dependency on chemical inputs;
• restore and maintain soil fertility to nurture plant growth;
• enhance the biological activity and biodiversity of soils;
• enhance the quality attributes of produce as well as yield;
• improve the efficiency of nutrient use to produce more robust crops;
• facilitate the slow release of nutrients in response to the dynamic needs of plants;
• boost the efficiency of water use to render crops more resilient and drought-resistant;
• reduce the impact of farming and safeguard ecosystems by minimizing leaching.
• enhance crop resistance to erosion by improving the soil’s organic matter content.
• improve the efficiency of resource use by incorporating natural raw materials.



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Chemical fertilizers (also called inorganic, synthetic, artificial, or manufactured) have been refined to extract nutrients and bind them in specific ratios with other chemical fillers. These products may be made from petroleum products, rocks, or even organic sources. Some of the chemicals may be naturally occurring, but the difference is that the nutrients in chemical fertilizers are refined to their pure state and stripped of substances that control their availability and breakdown, which rarely occurs in nature.

Advantages of Chemical Fertilizer:

• Since nutrients are available to the plants immediately, improvement occurs in days.
• They are highly analyzed to produce the exact ratio of nutrients desired.
• Standardized labeling makes ratios and chemical sources easy to understand.
• They’re inexpensive.

Disadvantages of Chemical Fertilizer:

• Chemical fertilizers are primarily made from nonrenewable sources, including fossil fuels.
• They grow plants but do nothing to sustain the soil. The fillers do not promote life or soil health, and even packages labeled “complete” do not include the decaying matter necessary to improve soil structure. In fact, chemical fertilizers don’t replace many trace elements that are gradually depleted by repeated crop plantings, resulting in long-term damage to the soil.
• Because the nutrients are readily available, there is a danger of over fertilization. This not only can kill plants but upset the entire ecosystem.
• Chemical fertilizers tend to leach, or filter away from the plants, requiring additional applications.
• Repeated applications may result in a toxic buildup of chemicals such as arsenic, cadmium, and uranium in the soil. These toxic chemicals can eventually make their way into your fruits and vegetables.
• Long-term use of chemical fertilizer can change the soil pH, upset beneficial microbial ecosystems, increase pests, and even contribute to the release of greenhouse gases.


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Organic fertilizer is usually made from plant or animal waste or powdered minerals. Examples include manure and compost, as well as bone and cottonseed meal. They are usually sold as “soil conditioners” rather than as fertilizer, because the nutrient ratios are difficult to guarantee. Organic fertilizers may be processed in a factory, or, in the case of manure and compost, at a farm.

Advantages of Organic Fertilizer:

In addition to releasing nutrients, as organic fertilizers break down, they improve the structure of the soil and increase its ability to hold water and nutrients. Over time, organic fertilizers will make your soil–and plants–healthy and strong.
Since they are the ultimate slow-release fertilizers, it’s very difficult to over fertilize (and harm) your plants.
There’s little to no risk of toxic buildups of chemicals and salts that can be deadly to plants.
Organic fertilizers are renewable, biodegradable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.
Although rather expensive in packages, you can make your own organic fertilizer by composting or find inexpensive sources—such as local dairy farms—that may sell composted manure.

Disadvantages of Organic Fertilizer:

Microorganisms are required to break down and release nutrients into the soil. Since they need warmth and moisture to do their job, the effectiveness of organic fertilizer is limited seasonally. The good news is that these microorganisms obtain energy from decaying plant and animal matter, so an application of organic fertilizer provides a complete package of nutrients for your soil.

Organic fertilizers break down according to nature’s rules, so they may not release nutrients as soon as you need them. You have to be patient – you won’t see improvement overnight. In fact, you may actually see a deficiency in your plants during the first couple of months until the first application breaks down. Hang in there! You’ll most definitely be rewarded.
Nutrient ratios are often unknown, and the overall percentage is lower than chemical fertilizers. However, some organic products are actually higher in certain nutrients.



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Organic gardening emphasizes cultivating your garden so that it sustains enriching soil, plants and beneficial insects. This is achieved by avoiding the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and using products that nurture your garden soil and the organisms in it. When you embrace the organic gardening philosophy, your plants experience a balanced and nourished ecosystem that works as nature intended.

Creating Healthy Soil

Organic products are ideal for your landscape, because they feed the soil, creating a sustaining environment. Healthy soil leads to healthy plants. But when you garden organically, you do much more than nourish your plants.
As in nature, an organic soil alive with microbes and fungi releases nutrients slowly to plants. By enriching the soil with organic supplements and encouraging the growth of naturally occurring beneficial organisms, you give your plants the tools they need to access nutrients in the soil and the strength to protect themselves from harmful pathogens and pests. Take the natural approach and amend with soil conditioners, such as earthworm castings, which add organic matter, including humid acid and desirable microorganisms to your garden soil. This helps make soil borne nutrients, such as iron, more available to plants.

Gypsum is a soil additive that helps to loosen compacted soil and promote root growth while enriching the soil with calcium and sulfur. Gypsum also improves soil structure.

Organic gardening also calls for adding homemade or bagged compost to the soil. This improves the overall soil structure by increasing organic matter, which enhances nutrient release to plants and increases water retention. Adding compost also reduces runoff and erosion, and suppresses certain diseases.

Nutritious “Food" For Plants

High-quality organic fertilizers are the products of natural decomposition and are easy for plants to digest. Made from natural sources, organic fertilizers provide garden plants with slow-release, consistent nourishment. Such a “health food" diet makes your plants strong and self-sustaining. Rather than depend on you for feeding them a steady supply of synthetic fertilizers, they find what they need in soil that has been fed with organic fertilizer.

Organic fertilizers that feed the soil and sustain plants include animal waste and byproducts, such as bird and bat guano, blood meal, bone meal and feather meal, as well as fish and kelp fertilizers.
Most organic fertilizers are low in nutrients, which is why the NPK macronutrient ratio (nitrogen, phosphate and potassium) printed on product labels generally consists of numbers below 10. The gentle nature of organic fertilizers also means they won't burn plant roots or foliage like chemical fertilizers can.

Organic Pest and Disease Management
Organic gardening takes a gentle approach to dealing with pests and diseases. This method includes taking steps to prevent pests and diseases before they occur, and using mild control methods and products.

One of the least invasive prevention and control methods for pests and diseases is inspecting plants for problems, and then physically removing any pests or diseased areas found. This works well when a plant has a limited amount of problem areas. Organic gardening also uses exclusion methods to keep pests and diseases at bay. This includes covering plants with lightweight, spun bonded fabrics known as row cover.

Source: www.pennington.com/all-products/fertilizer/resources/what-is-organic-fertilizer


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Organic agriculture is a highly sustainable form of crop and livestock production defined as a “system of farm management production that combines best environmental practices, a high level of biodiversity, the preservation of natural resources, the application of high animal welfare standards, and a production method using natural substances and processes.” Organic agriculture (OA) shares similar values with conservation agriculture (CA) by emphasizing the return of organic matter to the soil and using agro ecological methods such as multiple cropping and crop rotations. OA and CA differ in that CA may allow for the use of inorganic inputs and genetically modified organisms (GMO’s), whereas OA has strict regulations on the amount and nature of inputs that can be applied and prohibits the use of genetically modified seeds, synthetic fertilizer, herbicide and most insecticides and pesticides, with the exception of various “natural or simple” chemicals. OA also bans the routine use of antibiotics and wormers. However, natural pesticides are not necessarily less toxic than synthetic pesticides, and may not be safer for human use or cause less damage to the environment.

Data related to OA in Africa are sometimes approximate and incomplete. A 2007 study by IFOAM estimates that around 1% of the world’s certified organic land is in Africa, whilst African farmers comprise almost 10% of certified organic farmers. OA appears most prevalent in east Africa; 50% of Africa’s certified organic farmers are located in Uganda and 20% in South Africa; 19% are in North Africa, and 5% are in the West.

CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION

Organic agriculture (OA) aims to ‘mimic nature’ by making use of natural ecological processes and resources to provide nutrients that sustain soil fertility, control pests, diseases and weeds. By building natural capital in this way, farms can be more resilient against shocks and stressors and more productive in some circumstances. The potential of OA is considered to be significant in developing countries and in areas faced with degraded soils or a lack of financial capital, allowing farmers to increase their yields and incomes in a sustainable way.

BENEFITS AND LIMITATIONS

Soil Quality

Organic agriculture (OA) has the potential to increase the level of nutrients and biological activity in African soils compared to conventional agricultural systems. Organic soil management can improve soil quality due to increased soil organic matter and macro fauna that builds soil structure. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is 14% higher in organic soils.

Techniques such as multiple cropping, crop rotation or the application of compost or animal waste increase the soil organic matter (SOM) content, allowing soils to better capture and store water. This enables crops to better withstand stress induced by low water and drought conditions and reduces the vulnerability of land to erosion or waterlogging. However, increasing nitrogen levels in the soil through organic methods can be more challenging than with the help of a targeted and prudent use of inputs. Organic waste has other competing uses, such as fodder for livestock, that may reduce a farmers desire to use organic waste as mulch. Further, collecting organic waste for use as fertilizer may take additional time and effort compared to non-organic fertilizer.

Pesticide Use

Organic agriculture (OA) minimizes the risks that pesticides pose to farmers. Globally, toxic chemicals from various sources are estimated to cause more than 355,000 unintentional deaths every year, 2 in 3 of which occur in developing countries. A significant number arise from exposure to pesticides (pesticides are also commonly used in suicides).  Farmers sometimes apply banned pesticides or apply pesticides without due care. Whilst the number stands as an indicator of the potential dangers that can result from using agrochemicals, much of the misapplication occurs because farmers do not get adequate ‎‎instruction. Although hazardous, more can be done to improve ability of poor farmers to properly use and target approved agro-chemicals. Synthetic pesticides may also kill pests’ natural enemies leading to pest outbreaks.

Agricultural Emissions

Organic agriculture (OA) has been proposed as a mitigation strategy against climate change due to the increased capacity of soil to reduce N2O (Nitrous Oxide) and CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) emissions by limiting soil erosion. When plants photosynthesize, they integrate carbon into their tissue. When the plants die and decompose their tissue becomes part of the soil in the form of organic matter. An increased organic matter contributes to a healthy soil that can sequester more carbon than degraded soils. However, controversy around the effect of soil erosion on CO2 emissions remains. There is a limited understanding of the fate of eroded soil organic matter (SOM) during transport and after the soil is deposited in landscape sinks. As a result, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) considers lateral carbon movement as the greatest cause of uncertainty in the global carbon balance. CO2 emissions may be lower in OA systems as pesticides and fertilizers produced from fossil fuels are not used. However, mechanical weeding, if used, will increase energy requirements that such as fuel for machinery and contribute to increased CO2 emissions.

Diversity

The Environment for Development initiative (EfD) (a capacity building programme in environmental economics focusing on research and policy interaction) asserts that organic farms are typically more diverse than conventional systems. Greater crop diversity encourages a wider range of varieties and species, including natural enemies that can help to control pests. By diversifying their crops, farmers can also diversity their income streams, leading to increased economic stability through risk spreading. However, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) found that in developing countries, the costs to become certified organic are too high for most farmers. Some farms are also becoming less diversified and produce a few high value organic commodities such as coffee and sugar cane to maximize income generation. Where farms do diversify, there is a need to ensure that accessible markets exist for the additional products.

Yields

The question remains whether the yields gained through organic agriculture (OA) are enough to ensure food security and at what price. Productivity is specific to the management and local environment. A study found that under subsistence systems, switching to OA resulted in increased maize yields of up to 180% in regions of moderate productivity and produced yields comparable with conventional systems (92%). Generally, wheat produced under OA yields 30%-40% less than with the use of inputs. This also seems to be the approximate ratio for other crops. Due to lower yields, more land is required to produce the same amount of crops that could otherwise be produced with the ‎prudent use of inputs. Under these circumstances, deforestation may occur to clear additional space for agricultural land.

The need for additional land for organic agriculture raises concerns about potential environment and ecosystem damage and the loss of biodiversity in areas where suitable land is scarce. However, OA may improve local food systems capacity to grow adequate and appropriate food where it is most needed and otherwise unavailable, such as in remote areas of sub-Saharan Africa that may be disconnected from markets. With greater investments in conventional breeding for African staple crops in diverse and harsh environments, organic crop varieties bred to make more efficient use of scarce resources and increase pest and disease resistance as well as to perform well in their specific environments are needed.

Financial Return and Labour

Price margins in markets are often low, so production costs have a significant impact on income. This makes the productivity of farm production a particular concern. Although the use of inorganic inputs is prohibited, the production and application of compost and biological fertilizer can still be costly. Considerable extra labour is needed; weeds have to be removed either manually or mechanically and additional labeling and separate handling of organic products is also required. Whilst the production costs of organic produce may be higher, farmers may also fetch a premium on their produce. Certified organic farmers will require a higher price to compensate for the costs of certification. In the organic market, price premiums may be available to organic farmers depending on their crops and linkages to markets. For example, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that in Uganda, farmers receive a 20% price premium for organic cotton. A 2005 study by the UN found that Ugandan organic farmers received price premiums ranging from 10% -100% for their products, which include pineapple, coffee, cocoa, and sesame.

Adoption of Organic Agriculture

The cost of conversion from conventional to organic agriculture (OA) is one of the biggest hurdles to greater adoption of organic farming practices, even in developing countries where traditional agricultural practices are often organic by default. In South Africa, certification can cost a farmer between 9,000 Rand (US$ 746) and 15,000 Rand (US$ 1244.5) per year. Financial and logistical support with the certification process and linking farmers to both internal and external markets would enhance the benefits of becoming certified organic producers for smallholder farmers.

For example, Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes may be used to support farmers in converting to OA. The agri-environmental policies in the European Union (EU) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries support PES schemes for the development of OA, but potential problems arise where the agri-environmental incentives conflict with the marketplace. For example, schemes designed to encourage conversion to OA may result in an increased supply of organic products above current demand, resulting in falling prices, with all producers being worse off.

There is a wealth of knowledge about organic agriculture, especially in EU countries; however, this knowledge is specific to certain climatic circumstances and usually cannot be transferred to other regions such as sub-Saharan Africa without caution and modification. Additional attention is needed to build the capacity of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, providing them with peer-to-peer training to ensure that the information is locally adapted to suit their land, needs and preferences. In Africa, the absence of secure land rights means that many poor farmers are unlikely to take on additional risks and efforts to gradually build up the natural capital of their farms beyond a 1 or 2 year horizon. To ensure that farmers invest in the transition to sustainable agriculture on a long-term basis, major efforts to secure land rights for smallholder farmers are needed.

Source:ag4impact.org/sid/ecological-intensification/building-natural-capital/organic-agriculture/



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Environmental impacts
Compared to a neighboring conventional farm, an organic farm at first appears to be better for the environment. But that’s not the whole story. Here’s how it breaks down.
What’s good: Organic farms provide higher biodiversity, hosting more bees, birds and butterflies. They also have higher soil and water quality and emit fewer greenhouse gases.
What’s not-so-good: Organic farming typically yields fewer products – about 19-25% less. Once we account for that efficiency difference and examine environmental performance per amount of food produced, the organic advantage becomes less certain (few studies have examined this question). Indeed, on some variables, such as water quality and greenhouse gas emissions, organic farms may perform worse than conventional farms, because lower yields per hectare can translate into more environmentally damaging land-clearing.

Consumer Benefits
The jury’s still out on whether the consumer is better off, too.
What’s good: For consumers in countries with weak pesticide regulations, like India, organic food reduces pesticide exposure. Organic ingredients also most likely have slightly higher levels of some vitamins and secondary metabolites.
What’s not-so-good: Scientists can’t confirm whether these minor micronutrient differences actually matter for our health. Because the difference in the nutritional value of organic and conventional food is so small, you’d do better just eating an extra apple every day, whether it’s organic or not. Organic food is also more expensive than conventional food at present and therefore inaccessible to poor consumers.

Producer Benefits
Organic methods bring certain benefits for farmers, some costs and many unknowns.
What’s good: Organic agriculture is typically more profitable – up to 35% more, according to a meta-analysis of studies across North America, Europe and India – than conventional farming. Organic also provides more rural employment opportunities because organic management is more labour-intensive than conventional practices. For workers, though, the biggest advantage is that organic decreases their exposure to toxic agrochemicals.
What’s not-so-good: We still don’t know whether organic farms pay higher wages or offer better working conditions than conventional farms. Organic farm workers are most likely exploited in similar ways as those tilling the fields on conventional farms.

The Takeaway
In short, we cannot determine yet whether organic agriculture could feed the world and reduce the environmental footprint of agriculture while providing decent jobs and giving consumers affordable, nutritious food.
It’s a lot to ask of one industry, and there are still just too many unanswered questions. Some of these questions relate to agriculture, such as whether organic farms can eventually close the yield gap with conventional farms and whether there are enough organic fertilizers to produce the entire world’s food organically.

But some questions are also about humanity’s collective future. Can people in the rich world learn to change our diet and reduce food waste to avoid having to increase food production as the global population grows? And are enough people willing to work in agriculture to meet the needs of labour-intensive organic farms?

A more useful question is whether we should continue to eat organic food and expand investment in organic farming. Here the answer is a definitive yes.
Organic agriculture shows significant promises in many areas. We would be foolish not to consider it an important tool in developing more sustainable global agriculture.
Only 1% of agricultural land is organically farmed worldwide. If organic land continues to expand at the same rate that it has over the past decade, it will take another century for all agriculture to be organic.
But organic farming’s influence goes far beyond that 1% acreage. Over the past 50 years, organic farms have provided conventional agriculture with examples of new ways to farm and acted as a testing ground for a different set of management practices, from diversifying crop rotations and composting to using cover crops and conservation tillage. Conventional agriculture has neglected these sustainable practices for too long.
So yes, you should identify and support those organic farms that are doing a great job of producing environmentally friendly, economically viable, and socially just food. Conscientious consumers can also push to improve organic farming where it is not doing so well – for example on yields and worker rights.
As scientists, we must close some of the critical knowledge gaps about this farming system to better understand its achievements and help address its challenges.
But in the meantime, everyone can learn from successful organic farms and help improve the other 99% of agriculture that’s feeding the world today.

Source: http://www.farmkonnectng.com/organic-farming-matters/

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Testing the market

Many growers divide their farms into separate conventional and certified organic zones. This “split production” is a way to learn organic growing, test the market and hedge one’s bets against yield issues.
In 2017, as part of a research project on organic transition funded by the Canadian Organic Growers (COG), I travelled across the country and conducted in-depth interviews at farms that had recently transitioned from conventional to organic farming.

Half of the 12 farms I visited practised split production. What’s significant (and totally unanticipated) is that all of the farms in split production had also introduced organic techniques to the conventional portions of the operation.
With familiarity came trust.

Adopting organic techniques

These are not mom-and-pop operations. The list includes Canada’s biggest organic vegetable operation — Kroeker Farms/PoplarGrove in Winkler, Manitoba — and many other large vegetable farms across the country.

They used compost, manure and/or cover crops, had cut back on toxic and persistent pesticides, reduced tillage and embraced longer and more biodiverse crop rotations. In the process, they had also protected and promoted pollinators and beneficial insect predators.
Kroeker Farms, a megafarm that has 4,800 acres under organic production and another 20,000 or so in conventional production, is leading the trend toward a more organic-like conventional system.

“We try really, really hard to use organic-type pesticides or biological [control agents] in our conventional, because once you spray with a more lethal spray that’s a broad spectrum [pesticide], the pests flare up after that,” the CEO of the company, Wayne Rempel, told me.

Trending nationally
Similar trends are found across the country.
In Prince Edward Island, Red Soil Organics has begun to plant fall rye — a classic organic cover crop — as part of the rotation on its conventional side, a bit like those farmers in Indiana.
Another PEI farm, Square One Organics, uses cover crops, manure and tine weeding (a common, low-impact, mechanical weeding technique used on organic farms) on their conventional plots.
The cover crops and manure have allowed the farm to reduce its use of nitrogen fertilizer by about 10 per cent. This reduces nitrogen runoff into waterways, which can cause algae blooms and kill aquatic species.

The combination of tine weeding and perennial cover crops has also allowed the farm to reduce or eliminate herbicide use on the conventional side of the farm. “We’re managing our soil organic matter in totally different ways,” says owner Matt Ramsay.
It’s impossible to know the cumulative ecological benefits of this growing trend. Organic techniques, such as composting and the use of cover crops, are not tracked closely by Statistics Canada. With more research, we might have a better sense of the benefits.

Grounds for action
The motivations are easier to define. Farmers have made it clear that organic techniques work well, organic inputs are generally cheaper than conventional ones, and organic practices have a beneficial impact on the agroecosystem.

Yet until a conventional farmer begins the transition to certified organic growing, he or she often knows or cares little about organic practices. Right now, the best way for a farmer to learn about organic growing is by reading handbooks, attending conferences and taking courses.
It might be the case that Big Organics has begun to look like conventional farming. But it appears to be the case that, at least on some Canadian farms, Big Conventional is starting to look like organic.

Source: https://theconversation.com/organic-agriculture-is-going-mainstream-but-not-the-way-you-think-it-is-92156

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One of the biggest knocks against the organics movement is that it has begun to ape conventional agriculture, adopting the latter’s monocultures, reliance on purchased inputs and industrial processes.
“Big Organics” is often derided by advocates of sustainable agriculture. The American food authors Michael Pollan and Julie Guthman, for example, argue that as organic agriculture has scaled up and gone mainstream it has lost its commitment to building an alternative system for providing food, instead “replicating what it set out to oppose.”

New research, however, suggests that the relationship between organic and conventional farming is more complex. The flow of influence is starting to reverse course.
Practitioners of conventional agriculture are now borrowing “organic” techniques to reduce the use of pesticides, artificial fertilizers and excessive tillage, and to increase on-farm biodiversity, beneficial insects and soil conservation.
All of a sudden, many conventional vegetable farms are starting to look organic.

Organic goes mainstream
Next to nothing has been written on this subject. A rare exception is a 2016 article in the New York Times that profiled conventional farmers in Indiana who had started to use “cover crops.”
These non-commercial crops build organic matter into the soil, fix atmospheric nitrogen and add biodiversity to an agroecosystem, while allowing farmers to reduce artificial fertilizer inputs.
As organic agriculture has scaled up, it has gained credibility in the marketplace as well as on the farm. Organic farming has roots in market gardens and smaller farms, but there is nothing that prohibits organic production at larger scales.
That often means bigger farms, hundreds — or thousands — of acres in size.
This move toward the mainstream has caught the eye of many conventional farmers, who have either transitioned to certified organic production or begun to integrate organic practices on conventional plots.

Market share not the whole story
Even with the upscaling, the market position of organic agriculture remains limited.
In Canada, organic sales grow by nearly 10 per cent per year, and the total value of the organic market is around $5.4 billion. Yet the reality is that the industry is still dwarfed by conventional agriculture.
There are more than 4,000 certified organic farms in Canada, totaling 2.43 million acres. But this accounts for only 1.5 per cent of the country’s total agricultural land.
Also, aside from the two organic heavyweights — coffee (imported) and mixed greens (mostly imported) — the market share of organic groceries is pretty small, at around three per cent.
Yet the influence of organics is felt well beyond its own limited market.

Source: theconversation.com/organic-agriculture-is-going-mainstream-but-not-the-way-you-think-it-is-92156


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BACOLOD CITY -- About 60 farming stakeholders in the Visayas have converged for a two-day consultative workshop in Talisay City, Negros Occidental to push for the formulation of development policies for the organic agriculture sector.

The activity, which was being held at Nature’s Village Resort until Wednesday, was organized by the National Organic Agriculture Board (NOAB), which sought the active involvement of the participants in the endeavor.

NOAB Secretary Ronald John Lamano said the Organic Agriculture Act 2010 requires the Board to convene stakeholders to ensure transparency.

Lamano, a senior science research specialist of the Bureau of Agriculture and Fishery Standards, said they need to consider the recommendations in the implementation of organic agriculture programs through policy formulation.

He added that they want to ensure the involvement of stakeholders, especially organic practitioners, in policy-making to make the National Organic Agriculture Program more effective and efficient.

Among those who attended the workshop was NOAB Director Jerry Dionson, an award-winning organic farmer from Bago City, Negros Occidental.

The participants were oriented on the functions, accomplishments and planned activities of the NOAB.

During the breakout sessions on Tuesday, stakeholders consolidated their concerns and presented the workshop output during the plenary session.

Lamano said the Board will consolidate the output of the Visayas-wide consultation with those in Luzon and Mindanao.

“NOAB will discuss these outputs during its regular meeting. It will also be included in the national organic agriculture plenary resolution-making,” he added.

The activity was participated by organic practitioners and representatives from the academe, local government units, and the Department of Agriculture in Western, Central and Eastern Visayas. (PNA)

Source: www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1047043

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MANILA – Saying more Filipinos should have access to healthy and safe farm products; Senator Cynthia Villar has pushed for a system of organic products certification which small farmers can also afford.
During the hearing of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food on bills amending Republic Act 10068 or the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, Villar said "farmers find the cost of third party certification with the tag price ranging from PHP42,000 to PHP150,000 per crop, valid for only one year to be exorbitant."

"This amount is way beyond the purse of small farmers who have perennial problem to access for even a small capital for production. Only rich farmers or corporations can afford third party certification. The provision has become a deterrent and disincentive for small farmers comprising a large percentage of the farming population," Villar said in a news release on Wednesday.
Villar authored Senate Bill 1911 which proposes the establishment of the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) as an alternative to third-party certification.

PGS, which will only costs farmers PHP600 to PHP2, 000, is built on trust and integrity of farmers and consumers who conduct the certification process themselves through adherence to certification standards, guidelines, regulation and processes, similarly observed by third party certification.
Villar added that PGS is now widely adhered to and accepted by international organic movements, such as the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement. It is also recognized by the Food and Agricultural Organization as a pro-small farmer alternative to third party certification.

"Aside from environmental protection, increased farmer profitability is also a great motivation to promote and develop the organic industry. It promotes the use of natural and farm-based resources and inputs like organic fertilizer, which would yield to less input cost on the part of the farmers," Villar said.
"Of course, we want our small farmers to avail and afford the certification. Without them, organic farming will not really take off or further develop," she added.
Government officials and organic practitioners who attended the hearing also expressed their support to PGS as a certification system.

"We support the PGS because to say that we encourage farmers to be organic and to charge them more than hundred thousand is quite contradictory. There's a secondary advantage. It encourages farmers to organize cooperatives, aggregation of lands and farmers which I think, is key to raising productivity, not only of organic farms but all farms including rice farm, for example, which is the issue hot issue today," said Jose Gabriel Lavina, alternate chair for the National Organic Agriculture Board.
Among the resource persons were Indira Bagatsing (Kahariam Realty and Farms, Inc.), Henry James Sison (All Seasons Nature farms), Ian Basa Cabriga (Teofely Nature Farms), Mara Pardo de Tavera (Mara's Origanal Market), Girlie Sarmiento (Organic Producers and Trade Association), Carmen Cabling (PGS Pilipinas), and Cris Panerio (MASIPAG). (Senate PR)

Source: www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1049170


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1. Limited access to safe, effective, pest control options

Organic growers use pesticides, but from a list based on whether they are natural.  This includes  some very effective chemicals made by the fermentation of microbes such as Dow AgroScience’s Spinosad.  It includes live biologicals like AgraQuest’s Serenade®, and plant extracts like Marrone Bio-Innovations’ Regalia.  These are all very safe products which do control pests. The approved Organic list also includes various forms of copper (copper sulfate, copper hydroxide…) as fungicides.  These products are quite a bit more toxic and environmentally damaging than many non-organic fungicides options (and also less effective).  There are many  very safe and effective pesticide options available to conventional growers.  If the Organic rules were modified to allow the use of “Reduced Risk” and/or “Category IV” synthetic options, Organic yields could be much higher as they would need to be to be part of the big “solution.”

2. Reliance on Tillage

One category of pesticide that is almost completely lacking for Organic is a herbicide.  This means that for many crops grown as Organic, the only way to control weeds is mechanically (plowing, harrowing, hoeing…) or by “flame weeding” with LPG.  It turns out that the best way to build soil health (my #1 good things about Organic) is to never disturb it.  This is accomplished through a practice called “No-till,” or variations on that method.   That combined with cover cropping and “controlled wheel traffic” is a way to build soil quality as well as Organic methods, but without the need to import large quantities of Organic matter to the field.  This is a truly scalable way to get all the benefits of soil health.  The Rodale Institute recognizes this and has tried to develop an Organic no-till system, but this is only practical on a small scale.

3. Dependency on Animal Agriculture

Even though Organic farmers supply a significant part of their nitrogen via legume crops, it is still necessary to apply more nitrogen for many other crops.  This principly comes from animal sources (manure, composted manure or other materials, fish meal, blood meal, bone meal…) .  Ironically, the manure/compost frequently comes from a CAFO or large dairy because that is where one can collected enough manure.  There is only enough collectable manure to fertilize 5% of US crops.  The other Organic sources are more expensive and also limited. Our sustainable crop future cannot be dependent on these animal sources.

4. Inability to Fully Use Precision Fertilization

Fertilizers are far and away the biggest environmental issue for agriculture.  It is very difficult to supply a plant with nutrients only during the times when it is withdrawing it from the soil for growth.  When some nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus) are present in the soil before or after those periods of demand, they can move into ground or surface waters and/or they can be converted into the potent greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide.  The no-till+cover crop scenario above does a great deal to minimize these issues, but there is still room for improvement.

For an irrigated crop it is actually possible to “spoon feed” fertilizers at very close to the exact crop need by delivering through the irrigation water as a soluble fertilizer.  To do this with Organic approved sources of soluble fertilizer is extremely expensive, and there have been two recent major incidents of fraud where the marketer of an Organic option was actually spiking it with “synthetic nitrogen” to reduce cost.  For non-irrigated crops there are ways to place the fertilizer exactly where it is needed and to apply different amounts to different parts of the field to better match need and supply.  This is not practical to do with something like a manure or compost that are applied at multiple tons/acre.  Once again, the Organic rules limit a farmer’s ability to optimize both yield and environmental impact.

5.  Inability to Use Genetically Modified Crops

There are a great many crops that will never be GMO because they are too small to justify the research and regulatory investment.  This includes most fruits and vegetables, and so this point is only an issue for the major row crops.  The Organic community rejected the use of biotech traits long before there were any commercial GMO crops.  The rejection was based on purely philosophical grounds, not on any scientific evidence genera
ted before or after.  UC Davis geneticist Pam Ronald and her husband Raul Adamchack who is an Organic specialist, have argued that Biotech traits should be part of a future sustainable standard that goes beyond Organic because of their demonstrated environmental benefits. I had previously misrepresented their position as inclusion of GMO in Organic, my apologies).  I agree with what they are saying, but I can’t imagine Organic advocacy groups ever agreeing to such a change.  Genetically engineered crops can only deal with certain of the challenges that face agriculture today and in the future, but their complete exclusion from Organic limits what that system could ever achieve.


Source: insteading.com/blog/five-key-limitations-of-organic-farming/


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• Better Nutrition: As compared to a longer time conventionally grown food, organic food is much richer in nutrients. Nutritional value of a food item is determined by its mineral and vitamin content. Organic farming enhances the nutrients of the soil which is passed on to the plants and animals.

• Helps us stay healthy: Organic foods do not contain any chemical. This is because organic farmers don’t use chemicals at any stage of the food-growing process like their commercial counterparts. Organic farmers use natural farming techniques that don’t harm humans and environment. These foods keep dangerous diseases like cancer and diabetes at bay.

• Free of poison: Organic farming does not make use of poisonous chemicals, pesticides and weedicides. Studies reveal that a large section of the population fed on toxic substances used in conventional agriculture have fallen prey to diseases like cancer. As organic farming avoids these toxins, it reduces the sickness and diseases due to them.

• Organic foods are highly authenticated: For any produce to qualify as organic food, it must undergo quality checks and the creation process rigorously investigated. The same rule applies to international markets. This is a great victory for consumers because they are getting the real organic foods. These quality checks and investigations weed out quacks who want to benefit from the organic food label by delivering commercially produced foods instead.

• Lower prices: There is a big misconception that organic foods are relatively expensive. The truth is they are actually cheaper because they don’t require application of expensive pesticides, insecticides, and weedicides. In fact, you can get organic foods direct from the source at really reasonable prices.

• Enhanced Taste: The quality of food is also determined by its taste. Organic food often tastes better than other food. The sugar content in organically grown fruits and vegetables provides them with extra taste. The quality of fruits and vegetables can be measured using Brix analysis.

• Organic farming methods are eco-friendly: In commercial farms, the chemicals applied infiltrate into the soil and severely contaminate it and nearby water sources. Plant life, animals, and humans are all impacted by this phenomenon. Organic farming does not utilize these harsh chemicals so; the environment remains protected.

• Longer shelf–life: Organic plants have greater metabolic and structural integrity in their cellular structure than conventional crops. This enables storage of organic food for a longer time.

Organic farming is preferred as it battles pests and weeds in a non-toxic manner, involves less input costs for cultivation and preserves the ecological balance while promoting biological diversity and protection of the environment.

Source: www.conserve-energy-future.com/organic-farming-benefits.php


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Key Features of Organic Farming

• Protecting soil quality using organic material and encouraging biological activity
• Indirect provision of crop nutrients using soil microorganisms
• Nitrogen fixation in soils using legumes
• Weed and pest control based on methods like crop rotation, biological diversity, natural predators, organic manures and suitable chemical, thermal and biological intervention
• Rearing of livestock, taking care of housing, nutrition, health, rearing and breeding
• Care for the larger environment and conservation of natural habitats and wildlife

Four Principles of Organic Farming
• Principle of Health: Organic agriculture must contribute to the health and well-being of soil, plants, animals, humans and the earth. It is the sustenance of mental, physical, ecological and social well being. For instance, it provides pollution and chemical free, nutritious food items for humans.
• Principle of Fairness: Fairness is evident in maintaining equity and justice of the shared planet both among humans and other living beings. Organic farming provides good quality of life and helps in reducing poverty. Natural resources must be judiciously used and preserved for future generations.
• Principle of Ecological Balance: Organic farming must be modeled on living ecological systems. Organic farming methods must fit the ecological balances and cycles in nature.
• Principle of Care: Organic agriculture should be practiced in a careful and responsible manner to benefit the present and future generations and the environment.
As opposed to modern and conventional agricultural methods, organic farming does not depend on synthetic chemicals. It utilizes natural, biological methods to build up soil fertility such as microbial activity boosting plant nutrition.
Secondly, multiple cropping practiced in organic farming boosts biodiversity which enhances productivity and resilience and contributes to a healthy farming system. Conventional farming systems use mono cropping that destroys the soil fertility.

Why is modern farming unsustainable?
1. Loss of soil fertility due to excessive use of chemical fertilizers and lack of crop rotation.
2. Nitrate run off during rains contaminates water resources.
3. Soil erosion due to deep ploughing and heavy rains.
4. More requirement of fuel for cultivation.
5. Use of poisonous bio-cide sprays to curb pest and weeds.
6. Cruelty to animals in their housing, feeding, breeding and slaughtering.
7. Loss of biodiversity due to mono culture.
8. Native animals and plants lose space to exotic species and hybrids.


Source: www.conserve-energy-future.com/organic-farming-benefits.php


Source: www.conserve-energy-future.com/organic-farming-benefits.php


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The population of the planet is skyrocketing and providing food for the world is becoming extremely difficult. The need of the hour is sustainable cultivation and production of food for all. The Green Revolution and its chemical based technology are losing its appeal as dividends are falling and returns are unsustainable. Pollution and climate change are other negative externalities caused by use of fossil fuel based chemicals.
In spite of our diet choices, organic food is the best choice you’ll ever make, and this means embracing organic farming methods.

Here are the reasons why we need to take up organic farming methods:

1. To accrue the benefits of nutrients
Foods from organic farms are loaded with nutrients such as vitamins, enzymes, minerals and other micro-nutrients compared to those from conventional farms. This is because organic farms are managed and nourished using sustainable practices. In fact, some past researchers collected and tested vegetables, fruits, and grains from both organic farms and conventional farms.
The conclusion was that food items from organic farms had way more nutrients than those sourced from commercial or conventional farms. The study went further to substantiate that five servings of these fruits and vegetables from organic farms offered sufficient allowance of vitamin C. However, the same quantity of fruits and vegetable did not offer the same sufficient allowance.

2. Stay away from GMOs
Statistics show that genetically modified foods (GMOs) are contaminating natural foods sources at real scary pace, manifesting grave effects beyond our comprehension. What makes them a great threat is they are not even labeled. So, sticking to organic foods sourced from veritable sources is the only way to mitigate these grave effects of GMOs.

3. Natural and better taste
Those that have tasted organically farmed foods would attest to the fact that they have a natural and better taste. The natural and superior taste stems from the well balanced and nourished soil. Organic farmers always prioritize quality over quantity.

4. Direct support to farming
Purchasing foods items from organic farmers is a surefire investment in a cost-effective future. Conventional farming methods have enjoyed great subsidies and tax cuts from most governments over the past years. This has led to the proliferation of commercially produced foods that have increased dangerous diseases like cancer. It’s time governments invested in organic farming technologies to mitigates these problems and secure the future. It all starts with you buying food items from known organic sources.

5. To conserve agricultural diversity
These days, it normal to hear news about extinct species and this should be a major concern. In the last century alone, it is approximated that 75 percent of agricultural diversity of crops has been wiped out. Slanting towards one form of farming is a recipe for disaster in the future. A classic example is a potato. There were different varieties available in the marketplace. Today, only one species of potato dominate.
This is a dangerous situation because if pests knock out the remaining potato specie available today, we will not have potatoes anymore. This is why we need organic farming methods that produce disease and pest resistant crops to guarantee a sustainable future.

6. To prevent antibiotics, drugs, and hormones in animal products
Commercial dairy and meat are highly susceptible to contamination by dangerous substances. A statistic in an American journal revealed that over 90% of chemicals the population consumes emanate from meat tissue and dairy products. According to a report by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a vast majority of pesticides are consumed by the population stem from poultry, meat, eggs, fish and dairy product since animals and birds that produce these products sit on top of the food chain.
This means they are fed foods loaded with chemicals and toxins. Drugs, antibiotics, and growth hormones are also injected into these animals and so, are directly transferred to meat and dairy products. Hormone supplementation fed to farmed fish, beef and dairy products contribute mightily to ingestion of chemicals. These chemicals only come with a lot of complications like genetic problems, cancer risks, growth of tumor and other complications at the outset of puberty.


Source: www.conserve-energy-future.com/organic-farming-benefits.php


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In conventional farming method, before seeds are sown, the farmer will have to treat or fumigate his farm using harsh chemicals to exterminate any naturally existing fungicides. He will fertilize the soil using petroleum based fertilizers. On the flip side, the organic farmer will prepare and enrich his land before sowing by sprinkling natural based fertilizers such as manure, bone meal or shellfish fertilizer.
Before planting seeds, the organic farmer will soak the seeds in fungicides and pesticides to keep insects and pests at bay. Chemical are also incorporated in the irrigation water to prevent insects from stealing the planted seeds. On the other hand, the organic farmer will not soak his seeds in any chemical solution nor irrigate the newly planted seeds using water with added chemicals. In fact, he will not even irrigate with council water, which is normally chlorinated to kill any bacteria. He will depend on natural rain or harvest and stored rainwater to use during dry months.

When the seeds have sprung up, and it’s time to get rid of weeds, the conventional farmer will use weedicide to exterminate weeds. The organic farmer will not use such chemicals to get rid of the weed problem. Instead, he will physically weed out the farm, although it’s very labor intensive. Better still, the organic farmer can use a flame weeder to exterminate weeds or use animals to eat away the weeds.
When it comes to consumption, it’s a no-brainer that anyone consuming products from the conventional farmer will absorb the pesticide and weedicide residues into the body, which could lead to developing dangerous diseases like cancer. People understand that health is important to them and that’s why they are going organic in record numbers today.


Source: www.conserve-energy-future.com/organic-farming-benefits.php


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Pollinating insects are endangered globally, with a particularly steep decline over the last 40 years. An extensive 3-year study from Lund University in Sweden has found that organic farming methods can contribute to halting the pollinator decline. This beneficial effect is due to both the absence of insecticides and a higher provision of flower resources.
Organic farming is known to promote pollinator diversity in crop fields. However, it has also been suggested that organic fields might simply attract pollinators from other habitats in the landscape, and therefore not sustain their populations in the long run.
The 3-year field experiment, conducted by researchers from the Centre for Environmental and Climate Research at Lund University, found that the number of bumblebee species in organic farms was higher and more stable over time and space than in conventional farms.
"This is the first large-scale study over the course of several years to show that organic farming has a consistent, stabilizing effect on pollinator diversity ," says Romain Carrié, a postdoctoral researcher at CEC.
Romain and his colleagues sampled bumblebees, butterflies and flowering plants throughout the growing season in 10 organic and 9 conventional farms in Scania, Sweden. Their study showed that, depending on the type of crop, the stabilizing effect was either due to a more stable provision of flowers or the absence of pesticides.
"An interesting result of our study is the fact that stable and abundant flower resources stabilizes pollinator communities, even in conventional farms where insecticides are used," explains Romain Carrié.
"This is strongly suggesting that both flower-enhancing management options and a reduced use of insecticides can help reverse pollinator declines," Romain Carrié concludes.


Source: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180914100327.htm


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1. Principle of health
Organic agriculture must contribute to the health and well-being of soil, plants, animals, humans and the earth.
2. The principle of ecological balance
We must model organic farming on living ecological systems. Moreover, the methods of organic farming must fit the ecological balance and cycles in nature.
3. Principle of fairness
Organic farming provides good quality of life and helps in reducing soil infertility.
4. Principle of care
We should practice organic agriculture in a careful and responsible manner to benefit the present and future generations and the environment.

WHY IS CONVENTIONAL FARMING UNSUSTAINABLE
• Loss of soil fertility due to excessive use of chemical fertilizers and lack of crop rotation.
• Nitrates run-off during rains contaminates water resources.
• Use of poisonous biocide sprays to curb pest and weeds.
• Soil erosion due to deep ploughing and heavy rains.
• Loss of biodiversity due to Monoculture.

Source:
www.agrihomegh.com/organic-farming-types-principles/

Major components of organic farming are crop rotation, maintenance and enhancement of soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation, addition of organic manure and use of soil microorganisms, crop residues, bio-pesticide, biogas slurry, waste etc. Vermiculture has become a major component in biological farming, which is found to be effective in enhancing the soil fertility and producing large numbers of horticultural crops in a sustainable manner. The various components of organic farming have been discussed in details below:

1. Crop rotation:
It is a systematic arrangement for the growing of different crops in a more or less regular sequence on the same land covering a period of two years or more. The selection of optimal crop rotation is important for successful sustainable agriculture. Crop rotation is very important. Soil fertility management, weed, insect and disease control. Legumes are essential in any rotation and should 30 to 50 percent of the land. A mixed cropping, pasture and livestock system is desirable or even essential for the success of sustainable agriculture.

2. Crop Residue:
In India there is a great potential for utilization of crop residues/ straw of some of the major cereals and pulses. About 50% of the crop residues are utilized as animal fed, the rest could be very well utilized for recycling of nutrients. Adequate care is required to use the residues after proper composting with efficient microbial inoculants. While the incorporation of crop residues e.g. Wheat and Rice straw, as such or inoculated with fungal species had beneficial effects on crop yields and important in physico-chemical properties of soil.

3. Organic manure:
The organic manure is derived from biological sources like plant, animal and human residues. Organic manure act in many ways in augmenting crop growth and soil productivity. The direct effect of organic manure relates to the uptake of humic substances or its decomposition products affecting favourably the growth and yield of plants. Indirectly, it augments the beneficial soil microorganisms and their activities and thus increases the availability of major and minor plant nutrients.

a) Bulky organic manure: It generally contains fewer amounts of plant nutrients as compared to concentrated organic manure. It includes FYM, compost and Green manure.

• FYM: It refers to the well-decomposed mixture of dung, urine, farm litter and left over or used up materials from roughages or fodder fed to the cattle. The waste material of cattle shed consisting of dung and urine soaked in the refuse is collected and placed in trenches about 6 m long, 2 m wide and 1 m deep. Each trench is filled up to a height of about 0.5 m above the ground level and plastered over with slurry cowdung and earth. The material is allowed to decompose undisturbed 3-4 months for anaerobic microorganism for completion of fermentation. FYM becomes ready to apply after 3-4 months. Well-rotted FYM contains 0.5% N, 0.2% P205 and 0.5% K2O.

• Compost: Large quantities of waste material are available as vegetable refuse, farm litter, such as weeds, stubble, bhusa, sugarcane trash, Sewage sludge and animal waste in houses and in areas like human and industrial refuse; therefore, excreta can be converted into useful compost manure by conserving and subjecting these to a controlled process of anaerobic decomposition. Compost is used in the same way as FYM and is good for application to all soils and all crops.

• Green Manuring: It is a practice of ploughing or turning into the soil undercomposed green plant tissues for the purpose of improving physical structure as well as fertility of the soil. From the time immemorial the turning in a green crop for improvement of the conditions of the soil has been a popular farming practice. Green Manuring, wherever feasible, is the principal supplementary means of adding organic matter to the soil. It consists of the growing of quick growing crop and ploughing it under to incorporate it into the soil. The green manure crop supplies organic matter as well as additional nitrogen, particularly if it is a legume crop, which has the ability to fix nitrogen from the air with the help of its root-nodule bacteria. A leguminous crop producing 25 tones of green matter per hectare will add about 60 to 90 kg of nitrogen when ploughed under. This amount would equal an application of 3 to 10 tones of FYM on the basis of organic matter and its nitrogen contribution. The green manure crops also exercise a protective action against erosion and leaching. The most commonly used green manuring crops are: Sunhemp (Crotalaria juncea), Dhaincha (Sesbania aculeata), Cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba), Senji (Melilotus parviflora), Cowpea (Vigna catjang, Vigna sinensis), Berseem (Trifolium alexandrium).

b) Concentrated Organic Manure: Concentrated organic manures are those materials that are organic in nature and contain higher percentage of essential plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous and potash, as compared to bulky organic manures. These concentrated manures are made from raw materials of animal or plant origin. The concentrated organic manures commonly used are oilcakes, blood meal, fishmeal, meat meal and horn and hoof meal.
4. Waste:

1. Industrial waste: Among the industrial by products, spent wash from ditilisers and molasses and pressmud from sugar industry have good manurial value. It is important to use only well decomposed pressmud at 10 tones/ha. Addition of pressmud improves the soil fertility and enhances the activity of microbes. Coir waste is the by-product from coir industry and can be used as manure after proper decomposition.
2. Municipal and Sewage waste: It also forms an important component of organic waste. In India, the total municipal refuse is about 12 mt/annum containing about 0.5% N, 0.3% P2O5 and 0.3% K2O. Sewage sludge is available to an extent of 4 million tones per annum containing 3% N, 2% P and 0.3% K (Bharadwaj and Gaur, 1985). Sewage sludge particularly from industrialized cities is contaminated with heavy metals and these pose hazards to plants, animals and human beings. Separation of the toxic waste at the source will minimize the concentration of such elements in the sludge.

5. Biofertilizers:
It has been observed that there is decline in crop yield due to continuous apply of inorganic fertilizers. Therefore, increasing need is being felt to integrate nutrient supply with organic sources to restore the health of soil. Bio-fertilizer offers an economically attractive and ecologically sound means of reducing external inputs and improving the quality and quantity of internal sources. Bio-fertilizer is microorganism's culture capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen when suitable crops are inoculated with them. The main inputs are microorganisms, which are capable of mobilizing nutritive elements from non-usable form to usable form through biological process. These are less expensive, eco-friendly and sustainable. The beneficial microorganisms in the soil that are greater significance to horticultural situations are biological nitrogen fixers, phosphate solubilisers and mycorrhizal fungi.

The Biofertilizers containing biological nitrogen fixing organism are of utmost important in agriculture in view of the following advantages:
• They help in establishment and growth of crop plants and trees.
• They enhance biomass production and grain yields by 10-20%.
• They are useful in sustainable agriculture.
• They are suitable organic farming.
• They play an important role in Agroforestry / silvipastoral systems.

Types of Biofertilizers: There are two types of bio-fertilizers.

1. Symbiotic N-fixation: These are Rhizobium culture of various strains which multiply in roots of suitable legumes and fix nitrogen symbiotically. Almost 50% demands of N are met by these microorganisms in legumes.
• Rhizobium: It is the most widely used biofertilizers, which colonizes the roots of specific legumes to form tumours like growths called rot nodules. It is these nodules that act as factories of ammonia production. The Rhizobium legume association can fix upto 100-300 kg N/ha in one crop season.

2. Asymbiotic N-fixation: This includes Azotobacter, Azospirillium, BGA, Azolla and Mycorrhizae, which also fixes atmospheric N in suitable soil medium. They grow on decomposing soil organic matter and produce nitrogen compounds for their own growth and development, besides that they leave behind a significant amount of N in surroundings.
• Azotobacter: Application of Azotobactor has been found to increase the yields of wheat, rice, maize, pearl millet and sorghum by 0-30% over control. The beneficial effect of Azotobactor biofertilizers on cereals, millets, vegetables, cotton and sugarcane under both irrigated and rainfed field conditions have been substantiated and documented (Pandey and Sushil Kumar, 1989). Apart from nitrogen this organism is also capable of producing antibacterial and anti-fungal compounds, hormones and siderophores.
• Azospirillium: It is an important bacterium, which colonize the root zones and fix nitrogen in loose association with plants. The crops which response to Azospirillum is maize, barley, oats, sorghum, pearl millet and forage crop. Azospirillum applications increase gain productivity of cereals by 5-20%, of millets by 30% and of fodder by over 50%.
• Blue Green Algae: The utilization of blue-green algae as biofertilizers for rice is very promising. Recent researches have shown that algae also help to reduce soil alkalinity and this opens up possibilities for bio-reclamation of such inhospitable environments.
• Azolla: A small floating fern, Azolla is commonly seen in low land fields and in shallow fresh water bodies. This fern harbours blue-green algae, anabaena azollae. The Azolla anabaena association is a live floating nitrogen factory using energy from photosynthesis to fix atmospheric nitrogen amounting to 100-150 kg N/ha/year from about 40-64 tones of biomass (Hamdi, 1982; Singh, 1988).
• Mycorrhizae: Mycorrhizae are the symbiotic association of fungi with roots of Vascular plants. The main advantage of Mycorrhizae to the host plants lies in the extension of the penetration zone of the root fungus system in the soil, facilitating an increased phosphorous uptake. In many cases the Mycorrhizae have been shown to markedly improve the growth of plants. In India, the beneficial effects of Vascular-arbuscular Mycorrhizae (V AM) have been observed in fruit crops like citrus, papaya and litchi. Recent studies showed the possibility of domesticating Mycorrhizae in agricultural system (Hayman, 1982; Tilak, 1987).

6. Bio-pesticide:
Bio-pesticides are natural plant products that belong to the so-called secondary metabolites, which include thousands of alkaloids, terpenoids, phenolics and minor secondary chemicals. These substances have usually no known function in photosynthesis, growth or other basic aspects of plant physiology; however, their biological activity against insects, nematodes, fungi and other organisms is well documented.
Botanical insecticides are ecologically and environmentally safer generally affect the behaviour and physiology of insects rather than killing them. Among the botanical pesticides investigated. Neem (Azadirachta indica) has justifiably received the maximum attention. All parts of the Neem tree possess insecticidal property but seed kernel is most active.
Biopesticides and other preparations of plant origin used in agriculture seem to have a good scope especially in view of the environmental problems being faced with the synthetic agrochemical. Some of the commonly used botanical Insecticides are Nicotine, Pyrethrum, Rotenone, Subabilla, Ryanin, Quassia, Margosa, Acorus etc. Their used need to be promoted under the Integrated Pest management Programmes.

7. Vermicompost:
It is organic manure produced by the activity of earthworms. It is a method of making compost with the use of earthworms that generally live in soil, eat biomass and excrete it in digested form. It is generally estimated that 1800 worms which is an ideal population for one sq. meter can feed on 80 tones of humus per year. These are rich in macro and micronutrients, vitamins, growth hormones and immobilized microflora. The average nutrient content of vermicompost is much higher than that of FYM. It contains 1.60% N, 5.04% P2O and 0.80% K2O with small quantities of micronutrients. Application of vermicompost facilitates easy availability of essential plant nutrients to crop.

Preparation: Preparation of vermicompost has been described by Purkayastha and Bhatnagar (1997). A tank of 4 x l x l m is constructed with brick line in a shaded place. The bottom of the tank (about 5.0 cm) is made up of pieces of brick, stone chips and sand. This will facilitate easy drainage of water. Soil is spread over this to a thickness about 15cm. About 4-5 kg of diluted dung may also be applied. About 100 numbers of locally available worm species are placed over the vermibed. It should be moistured without flooding. A layer of (about 10 cm) straw, leaves of plants, kitchen waste etc are spread over this layer. This can be continued till the bed is completely filled. Liquid cowdung suspension is then applied and waste paper and bigger leaves are used to cover the contents in the tanks and finally the tank is fully covered with a gunny cloth. Watering the tank is very important nutrient sources in building up the soil fertility. Cowdung is an input in Biogas plants. The Biogas route has the dual advantage of providing both fuel (gas) and fertilizer (slurry). The residual slurry that comes out of the digestion tank has a manurial value superior to that of FYM. The wet slurry should not be used as such; it should be dried for usage as manure.

Conclusion: A large fraction of farm by-products of plant and animal origin is utilized for non-farm use i. e. for fuel or other domestic purposes. Small and scattered lands holding of the large farming community compel them to leave the crop residue in the farm itself rather than recycle it for recycling. Lack of location specific technology to recycle organic waste and lack of awareness to recycle organic waste in agriculture are the main reason for its slow adoption even though is a native technique for the farmers which got lost during the period of Green Revolution. So, in order to popularize this eco-friendly farming practices like organic farming we have to give attention to strengthen the production of good quality organic manure, bio-pesticides, biofertilizers and green manuring crops, discourage the indiscriminate use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides, development of pesticides of plant origin (such as Neem) and use of agents especially under integrated Pest Management system as well as steps to reduce hazardous chemical residues in seeds, fodder, food products and milk.

Source:
http://megapib.nic.in/org_farm_comp.htm

Organic farming is a method of crop and livestock production that involves much more than choosing not to use pesticides, fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics and growth hormones. Organic production is a holistic system designed to optimize the productivity and fitness of diverse communities within the agro-ecosystem, including soil organisms, plants, livestock and people. The principal goal of organic production is to develop enterprises that are sustainable and harmonious with the environment.
The general principles of organic production, from the Canadian Organic Standards (2006), include the following:
• protect the environment, minimize soil degradation and erosion, decrease pollution, optimize biological productivity and promote a sound state of health
• maintain long-term soil fertility by optimizing conditions for biological activity within the soil
• maintain biological diversity within the system
• recycle materials and resources to the greatest extent possible within the enterprise
• provide attentive care that promotes the health and meets the behavioral needs of livestock
• prepare organic products, emphasizing careful processing, and handling methods in order to maintain the organic integrity and vital qualities of the products at all stages of production

Source:

www.agriculturenigeria.com/topic/agribusiness/introduction-to-organic-farming

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1). Get A Suitable Spacious Farmland:

The first step to planting bananas is to acquire land that is suitable for their growth. Banana plants usually grow in tropical regions where the temperature is at an average of 80° F (27° C) and the volume of rainfall yearly is between 78 and 98 inches. Bananas need rich, fertile, and dark soils with a relatively steady moisture in the ground and air, including a great drainage.

2). Choosing the Banana Breed:

The next step is to select the banana breed you plan to grow. The breed chosen should base on what type of bananas grown in the region you intend to plant on and what type of bananas you intend to sell. When you have these questions answered, choosing the right banana breed to plant would be easier said than done.

3). Planting the Banana:

You can acquire a banana sucker (small shoot from the base of a banana plant) from another grower or plant nursery. During planting, the following should be considered:

 The best suckers to use for your banana plant are usually around 1.8-2.1m in height and have sword-shaped leaves that are thin, although suckers that are small should work fine if the main plant is healthy
 If the sucker is still attached to the main plant, remove it by cutting downward with a shovel. Include a reasonable portion of the underground base and its roots that are attached.

4). Tending To the Crops:

As you should weed frequently, pay extra attention to details to ensure you do not to go below a certain cm that would affect the banana crop’s growth. To ensure they get firm and juicy, you should water them every week, as this will contribute to the crops’ water content.

5). Harvesting:

The banana stalk will usually take about 75 to 80 days from the period of flower production to when the fruit is mature. The fruits are generally going to be 75% mature, but the thing about bananas is that it can be cut and used at various stages of its ripeness, and even green bananas can be harvested and cooked just like plantains.

The moment you want to harvest your bananas, use a knife that is sharp to cut the “hands” off.
After harvesting the bananas, you should store them in a shady and cool environment. Ensure that you do not keep them in a refrigerator; else, they’ll be prone to getting damaged.

Challenges of Banana Farming
Some of the challenges of Banana farming in Nigeria and many parts of Africa include:
 Lack of experience
 Low and unstable investment in agricultural research
 Financial Constraints
 Storage Constraints
 Farm Inputs Constraints
 Infrastructural Constraints
 Marketing Constraints

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What Is Banana Farming About?
Banana farming is the cultivation of the banana crop for consumption and industrial use. The fruit varies in size, colour, and firmness, but is usually elongated and curved, with a soft flesh rich in starch and covered with a rind, which may be green, yellow, red, purple, or brown when ripe.

Facts and Benefits of Banana Farming
• Banana trees are the world’s tallest herbaceous plant. They can reach 20 feet in height. “Herbaceous” means there is no woody stem and all the plant matter above the ground dies at the end of a yearly cycle.
• Banana contains potassium-40 which is radioactive isotope potassium.
• Over 100 billion bananas are consumed annually in the world.
• Bananas can help with weight loss and digestion. They are high in fiber, which can help keep you full.
• Bananas are picked unripe green and exported this way.
• Bananas are composed of 75% water, despite their firm texture and rather dry mouth-feel.
• Bananas may be helpful in preventing kidney cancer because of their high levels of antioxidant phenolic compounds.
• Bananas don’t grow on trees. Rather they grow from a root structure that produces an above ground system.
• There are over 1000 different banana species in the world today.
• Banana plants are often mistaken for trees or palms – they are actually herb

Business opportunities in Banana Farming

1). Source of food:
Bananas are a great source of food as they contain three natural sources of sugar: sucrose, fructose, and glucose, making them a source of instant and sustainable energy and can be consumed raw in the form of salad or pickled.

2). Beverages:
Bananas can be easily diced in mixed fruits salads, or as juice, margaritas, limeade, desserts e.t.c.

Types of Banana Varieties

o Red Banana: They are also known as the Dacca Banana. This type of banana has reddish-purple skin. They are usually smaller and plumper than the common Cavendish banana. When ripe, raw red bananas have a flesh that is cream to light pink in color. Its flavor is sweet and creamy with raspberry highlights. Red bananas are available year-round.

o Cavendish banana: This is the most common banana variety in the world. This type of banana are long and yellow in color. They go from under-ripe green to perfectly ripe and still firm yellow, to more ripe deep yellow with a brown spot or two.

o Lady finger bananas: They are also known as sugar bananas. Their fruits are small [4 to 5 inches (10-12.5 cm) in length], thin-skinned, and very sweet. The skin is thin and the flesh is sweet. Each hand consists of 12 to 20 fingers, with each bunch typically having 10 to 14 hands. It blooms during mid-summer, late summer, and early fall.

o Apple banana: This is one of the most common banana cultivars in Southeast Asia and the Philippines. The plant flowers are yellow, purple, or ivory in color and its plant reaches a height of 10 to 13 feet. They are usually called banana because of their slightly acidic, apple-like flavour. The Apple bananas are available year-round.

Source: http://startuptipsdaily.com/how-to-start-banana-farming-in-nigeria-africa/

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