The chapter explores into the fundamental concepts that define organic agriculture. Organic farming is driven by health, ecological and ethical values aimed at promoting sustainability, biodiversity, and soil health. Essential to organic farming are the principles of natural input use, crop rotation, and composting, which aim to reduce dependance on synthetic chemicals while enhancing soil fertility. The chapter highlights how organic farming practices prioritize ecosystem equilibrium, nurturing the relationship between plants, animals, and the environment. Key principles discussed include soil management through organic matter enrichment, pest control through biological methods and water conservation. Moreover, the importance of genetic diversity and the use of locally adapted seeds are underscored to support flexibility against climate change. The chapter also emphasizes the ethical considerations in organic farming, focusing on social justice, animal welfare and fair labor practices. With the growing global demand for sustainable food systems, the chapter delivers understandings into how organic farming aligns with environmental stewardship and consumer health; while addressing challenges such as yield efficiency and market accessibility. The general approach in organic farming contributes to long-term agricultural sustainability and food security.
Water is one of the critical agricultural resources for crop growth, crop yield and livestock health. Suitable water management methods help farmers to conserve water, improve irrigation efficiency and reduces waste. Organic farmers highly depend on rainfall or ground water resource to water their crops as irrigation source. The available water resources for agriculture should be utilized very cautiously in the farm. In organic agriculture water in terms of soil moisture play major roles in plant nutrition. Growth and multiplication of microbes much rely on adequate soil moisture which could be achievable through efficient water management technologies. Micro irrigation has potential to apply bio inputs viz., panchagavya, amirthakaraisal, jeevamirtham etc., through irrigation which increase the microbial activity in soil and improve soil fertility eventually growth and yield of the crop under organic farming.
Crop rotation and diversification are pivotal practices in organic agriculture that enhance soil health, reduce pest and disease pressures, and promote biodiversity. This chapter delves into the principles and benefits of these practices, offering a comprehensive overview of their theoretical underpinnings, practical applications, and empirical evidence. Crop rotation involves systematically varying crops in a sequence to improve soil fertility and manage pests, while diversification encompasses growing multiple types of crops simultaneously or in rotation to bolster farm resilience. This chapter provides a detailed examination of these practices, including their impact on soil health, pest management, and economic stability, supported by tables and images illustrating their benefits and applications.
Precision agriculture (PA) is a technology-intensive farming strategy that uses precise management methods to capture land heterogeneity. It requires a Global Positioning System, sensors for monitoring soil moisture and nutrients, and geo-referenced maps. When implemented on a large scale, PA can improve productivity, increase resource savings, and reduce environmental impact. PA has the potential to solve food insecurity in underdeveloped nations and address various agricultural challenges. It is a sustainable farming method that integrates cutting-edge technologies and data-driven approaches, promoting efficiency, environmental stewardship, and economic viability.
Globally industrialization has put on pressure on the environment through contaminating the components of the environment. The issues related to these anthropogenic activities have caused numerous impacts affecting the life on the earth. One such pollutant is the heavy metals, being released into the environment through either industries or agricultural activities or urbanization (city refuse both liquid and solid) all contributing to heavy metal pollution. Many biological and metabolic systems in people may be disrupted by long-term consumption of heavy metals in hazardous amounts through diet. An in-depth analysis of the impact of harmful heavy metals on plants has been carried out by researchers throughout the world. The effects of microbial remediation and phytoremediation and their application to remove contaminants from metal polluted areas and highlighting the biotechnological approaches for heavy metal and metalloid concentration removal from the environment. Also, several novel research have been conducted using omics technologies to understand the genetic influences and underlying processes in plant heavy metal tolerance. The improvements in tolerance and metals accumulation in some plant species have been made possible by altering several heavy metals transporters. In order to prevent an excessive build-up of heavy metals in the body, it is advised that persons who reside in severely polluted metropolitan regions avoid eating significant quantities of these foods.
Sericulture is labour-demanding agro-based rural industry. Women contribute greatly to decision-making, and this helps in the development of community. Females have been known for performing their duties with utmost care and personal attention. Women's ability to quickly become familiar with new technologies is one of their qualities. They are adopting recent technologies and are involved in the development of industry of sericulture. Their loving nature and maternal instincts proved to be helpful in successful silkworm breeding. Sericulture industry gives employment to lower caste people, poor, rural people, NGO’s, landless people, farmers, men and women. The present chapter thus reveals the involvement of females in sericulture, which is based on agriculture and more or less similar to household activity and also the involvement of women in development and growth of a community.
The ill effects of Green Revolution has led the scientists, policy makers and people to think about other alternative approaches. Such an alternate has to be essentially viable to meet the needs of present and future generations. Such one of the most promoted and fascinating approach of present concern is Natural farming, which speaks about growing crops in harmony with nature. This seminar discusses four approaches towards Natural farming, viz., Do Nothing Farming, given by Japanese philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka; Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) by Subash Palekar; Rishi-Krishi by Mohan Shankar Deshpande and Natueco culture by Sripad Dhablokar. While Do-nothing emphasizes on no tillage, no organic and inorganic fertilizers, no weeding and no dependency on chemicals; ZBNF focuses on natural farming through its so called four pillars, viz., Beejamrita, Jeevamrita, Acchadana and Waaphasa. Rishi Krishi tries to keep the soil alive through the incorporation of rhizospheric soil of Ficus bangalensis. A special cow-based preparation named Amrut Pani is used for various farming practices of Rishi Krishi. Natueco combines nature and ecology through critical scientific methods to gain the highest benefits from the available resources of a farm. It recommends soil rejuvenation through preparations like Amrut Mitti and Amrut Jal. The seminar also focuses on viability of these approaches setting the criteria of sustainability, holistic nature, benefits provided to different sectors of the system and possible food security along with some scope for implementation in North Eastern Region. Finally, it recommends sufficient research experiments, multinational yield trials, demonstrations, trainings, awareness programmes to confirm the viability of the approaches.
Greenhouse technology is vital to modern horticulture, enabling controlled-environment agriculture to enhance productivity, quality, and sustainability. This chapter explores greenhouse cultivation's evolution, principles, and applications, emphasizing its role in the horticultural sector. It examines the historical development of greenhouses, from ancient Roman practices to modern high-tech structures, along with advancements in materials and environmental control mechanisms. The economic aspects of greenhouse farming, including construction costs, operational expenses, and profitability, are analyzed to highlight its feasibility for high-value crop production. The chapter also reviews the present status of greenhouse farming in India, focusing on technological advancements, market trends, and government initiatives that support farmers through subsidies for polyhouse construction. Despite its benefits, greenhouse farming faces challenges such as high initial investments, the need for technical expertise, and climate-specific design considerations. However, emerging innovations, including automation and AI-driven precision agriculture, offer promising solutions for enhancing efficiency and affordability. By examining the principles, economic viability, and future prospects of greenhouse cultivation, this chapter underscores its transformative potential in ensuring food security, resource efficiency, and sustainability in modern agriculture.
Organic farming is an agricultural system that seeks to produce food in a way that is environmentally sustainable, economically viable and socially responsible. It has gained significant attention as a sustainable alternative production system compared to conventional farming due to its environmental benefits and potential to support farmers livelihood. Organic farming is more than a method of food production; it provides vital ecosystem services that are essential for sustainable agriculture and human well-being. Valuing the ecosystem services provided by organic farming is crucial for understanding and enhancing its contributions to sustainable agriculture and environmental health. A study conducted by Department of Agricultural Economics, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore revealed that economic value of ecosystem services was found to be higher in organic fields than conventional fields for food production by Rs. 58,272 per hectare, soil nutrients by Rs.6876.58 / ha. pest control by Rs. 8592/ha, pollination activity by Rs. 4494/ha and soil formation by Rs. 1067.50/ha. Thus, the change in the value of ecosystem services was found positive and higher by Rs.79,303/ha indicating that organic fields had potential to increase the value of ecosystem services compared to conventional fields. Age, livestock, membership, motivation by extension agents were found statistically significant and influenced the farmers participation in organic farming. Adoption of organic farming exerts a positive and significant impact on profitability of the farmers and they realized higher profit than the conventional farmers in the study area.
Today’s agricultural productivity is declining due to the loss of inherent soil fertility, which is a consequence of intensive agricultural practices aimed solely at maximizing production, causing significant damage to the agro-ecosystem. However, to meet the demands of the burgeoning population, productivity needs to be sustained with shrinking resources, following sound agro-ecological approaches. Organic agriculture is an agro-ecological system that prioritizes building and maintaining a fertile and healthy soil ecosystem by harnessing plant nutrients from various organic nutrient sources, such as bulky organic manures, concentrated organic manures, biofertilizers, crop residues, liquid organic manures, and seaweed extract. Organic approach of soil nutrient management nurtures and boosts biodiversity, and minimizes soil disturbance ultimately leading to improved soil physical and chemical properties and restoring inherent soil fertility to bear yield. By focusing on holistic nutrient strategies, organic agriculture can contribute to resilient farming systems that align agricultural production with ecological principles, supporting both environmental sustainability and food security.
ISBN : 978-81-981855-1-8
