Here is an essay on ‘Organic Farming’ for class 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on ‘Organic Farming’ especially written for school and college students.
Essay on Organic Farming
Essay Contents:
- Essay on the Definition of Organic Farming
- Essay on the Aims of Organic Farming
- Essay on the Concept of Organic Farming
- Essay on the Systems of Organic Farming
- Essay on the General Principles of Organic Farming
Essay # 1. Definition of Organic Farming:
In 1980, the USDA released a landmark report on organic farming. The report defined organic farming as a production system, which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetic inorganic fertilisers, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives.
Organic farming systems largely depends on crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, green manures, off farm organic wastes, mechanical cultivation, mineral bearing rocks and aspects of biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and tilth, to supply plant nutrients and to control insects, pathogens and weeds.
According to Codex definition (FAO), organic agriculture is production management system, which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity.
It emphasises the use of management practices in preference to the use of off farm inputs, taking into account that regional conditions require locally adopted systems. This is accomplished by using, where possible agronomic, biological and mechanical methods, as opposed to using synthetic materials, to fulfill any specific function within the system.
Essay # 2. Aims of Organic Farming:
Organic farming systems approach is based on the perception that tomorrow’s ecology is more important than today’s economy. Its aim is to stop degradation and reestablish natural balance. The economy must readjust to the primary production factors and not the other way round. Without ecology there is no economy.
Other aims of organic farming are:
1. To work as much as possible within a closed system and draw upon local resources.
2. To maintain long term productivity of the soil.
3. To avoid pollution problems due to agrochemicals use.
4. To minimise the use of fossil energy in agriculture.
Essay # 3. Concept of Organic Farming:
Organic farming systems do not use toxic agrochemical inputs (pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and fertilisers). Instead, they are based on development of biological diversity and the maintenance and replenishment of soil productivity.
Organic farming describes two major aspects of alternative agriculture:
1. Substitution of manures and other organic matter for inorganic fertilisers.
2. Biological pest and disease control instead of chemical control.
Organic farming is one of several to sustainable agriculture and many of the techniques used (intercropping, crop rotation, ploughing, mulching, integration of crops and livestock etc.,) are practiced under various agricultural systems. What makes organic farming unique is that almost all synthetic inputs are prohibited and soil health improving agronomic practices are mandated.
Essay # 4. Systems of Organic Farming:
Some of the organic farming systems, in brief, include the following:
(i) Biological Farming:
It is synonymous with Reams Fertility System as the basis for crop production. The Reams system is based on the LaMotte-Morgan soil test and the use of rock phosphate, calcium carbonate and compost to achieve nutrient ratios of 7: 1 calcium to magnesium, 2: 1 phosphorus and potassium and so on. It allows the use of selected chemical fertilisers (avoiding disruptive materials such as anhydrous ammonia and potassium chloride) and adopts low input approaches to use of insecticides and pesticides.
(ii) Nature Farming:
It parallels organic farming in many ways but includes special emphasis on soil health through composts rather than other organic sources, if possible. Use of microbial preparations is also gaining importance in nature farming in the recent past.
(iii) Permaculture:
It is contraction of permanent agriculture. It is concerned with designing ecological human habitats and food production systems and follows specific guidelines and principles in the design of these systems. It is not a production system, per se, but rather a land use planning philosophy, not specific to any method of production. Thus, any site specific ecological farming system is amenable to permaculture.
(iv) Alternate Agriculture:
Plant growth and crop production are complex processes that depend on many interactions between organisms. Alternate agriculture recognises that a piece of land on which crop plants are grown is an ecosystem where balance should be maintained between interacting organisms.
Many natural processes occur in such an ecosystem and farmers should take advantage of these natural processes, rather than try to circumvent them or destroy them with chemicals. It rejects heavy use of inorganic fertilisers but favours tillage to minimise soil erosion, reliance on animal and green manures, integrated pest management and crop rotation, smother crops and other agronomic practices to control weeds.
(v) Ecological Agriculture:
Bringing to match the crop, soil and climate of a region, the ecology and farming and gaining from the economy and efficiency of inputs are the objectives of ecological agriculture. Farming regions and individual farms must be treated as ecological system. The techniques are developed on the basis of a holistic view of man within the biosphere and the awareness of man’s dependence on scarce natural resources.
Intensification of farming is sought through more productive use of available resources such as soil nutrients, rain water and local energy, together with the knowledge of labour and innovative of the people. Ecological farming is more labour intensive and several of its components such as vermi composting, vermi vash and generation of botanical pesticides, rearing of beneficial insects etc. offer scope for unemployed and land less youth.
(vi) Integrated Intensive Farming System (IIFS):
The methodology provides the pathway to achieve an evergreen revolution in agriculture according to Prof. MS Swaminathan, Chairman, MSSRF, Chennai. It involves agricultural intensification, diversification and value addition.
Intensification is through integrated farming involving animal husbandry, fishery and agroforestry. Such forming systems provide scope for organic recycling. Value addition to every part of plant and animal biomass is through the establishment of bio-refineries.
Soil health care, vermin-culture, monitoring impact of farming systems on physical, chemical and biological components of soil, water harvesting and its management, INS, IPM and post-harvest technology are the seven pillars of IIFS.
(vii) Low External Input Supply Agriculture (LEISA):
It is a production system that uses synthetic fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides below rates normally recommended. Yields are maintained through greater emphasis on cultural practices, IPM, INM and uilisation of on farm resources and management.
It seeks to optimise the use of locally available resources by maximising the complementary and synergistic effects of different components of the farming systems. External inputs are used in a complementary way.
(viii) Biodynamic Agriculture:
Major emphasis is on biological dynamics. It is a method of organic agriculture, which considers farm as a living system and where one activity affects the other. Greater emphasis is on integration of animals to create a closed nutrient cycle, effect of crop planting dates in relation to the calendar and awareness of spiritual forces in nature.
A unique feature of this system is the use of eight specific preparations derived from cow manure, silica and herbal extracts to treat compost piles, soils and crops.
Essay # 5. General Principles of Organic Farming:
Organic forming systems are based on the dynamic interaction between the soil, plant, animals, humans, ecosystem and the environment. The system is directed towards enhancing natural life cycles rather than suppressing nature. Nomenclature notwithstanding, the principles and practices involved in all the production strategies described by various technologies are essentially similar.
International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM) summarises the principles and practices in their standards manual as follows:
1. To produce food of high nutritional quality in sufficient quantity.
2. To work with natural systems rather than seeking to dominate them.
3. To encourage and enhance biological cycles within the farming system, involving microorganisms, soil flora and fauna, plants and animals.
4. To maintain and increase the long fertility of soil. To use as for as possible renewable resources in locally organised agricultural systems.
5. To work as much as possible within a closed system with regard to organic matter and nutrient elements.
6. To give all livestock conditions of life that allows them to perform all aspects of their innate behaviour.
7. To avoid all forms of pollution that may result from agricultural techniques.
8. To maintain the genetic diversity of the agricultural system and its surroundings, including the protection of plants and wild life habitats.
9. To allow agricultural producers an adequate return and satisfaction from their work including a safe working environment.
10. To consider the wider social and ecological impact of the farming system.
Certain basic principles of organic farming are briefly discussed below:
(i) Crop and Soil Management:
Organic farming encourage crop rotation and use of organic manures including green manuring for increasing soil organic matter and humus leading to improvement in soil water retention, ion exchange, soil conservation and animal life in the soil.
(ii) Nutrient Management:
Composting of all organic wastes, in general, and farm yard manure in particular is important in organic farming. Organic matter produced on the farm should form the basis of the manurial programme. All the organic matter produced on the form should be returned to the soil to maintain adequate humus content on a long term basis. Bio-fertilisers should be regarded as supplementary and not replacement for nutrient cycling.
(iii) Plant Protection:
Primary strategy in controlling pests, diseases and weeds is prevention. Healthy soils due to organic forming produce healthy plants, which are better able to resist insect pests and diseases. Organic farmers also relay on diverse population of soil organisms, insects, birds and other organisms to keep the problems in check.
When the pest population gets out of balance, farmers will implement a variety of strategies such as use of insect predators, mating disruption, traps and barriers. As a last resort, botanical or non-toxic pesticides are used under restricted conditions. Weeds are controlled through tillage and inter-cultivation and through cover crops, mulches, crop rotation and manual weeding.
(iv) Soil and Water Conservation:
Only running water can erode the soil. The velocity of running water can be minimised through contour cultivation, contour trenching, contour bonding, terracing, gully plugging, grassing the water ways etc., depending on slope and other farming practices. Watershed management programmes play key role in organic farming.
Organic farming is viable alternative to conventional agriculture. However, it is often associated with low yields. As low yields are expected, the market’s ability to pay a premium price is a key determinant of sustainable growth of organic agriculture.
The European Union is currently world’s leading market for organic products. The legislation on organic agriculture varies across countries. At present certification is compulsory for the organic foods exported from India.
National level efforts are needed to facilitate successful adoption of organic agriculture by farmers. The approach shall be farmer centered and programmes developed shall create conditions for the conservation and efficient use of locally available resources as inputs in agriculture.