Methods of Organic Farming
The global concerns for food without any contamination have spurred organic methods of cultivation for sustainable agriculture development. Organic farming is cultivation without the use of chemicals. Organic matter recycling has been in use in India for centuries. In the 19th and 20th century scientific methods for converting low value organic matter into high value organic composts were developed.
Vermiculture
A typical method of extracting compost is through the Windrows Method.
The use of earthworms for recycling of organic matter known as Vermiculture became the focus of attention by the scientific community in mid-1990s. Vermicompost is the excreta of earthworm. Earthworms eat cow dung or farm yard manure along with other farm wastes and pass it through their body and in the process convert it into vermicompost, a highly efficient soil nutrient and fertilizer.
The Windrows Method
A thatched roof shed preferably open from all sides with unpaved floor is erected in East-West direction length wise to protect the site from direct sunlight. A shed area of 12'X12' is sufficient to accommodate three vermibeds of 10'X3' each having 1' space in between for treatment of 9-12 quintals of waste in a cycle of 40-45 days. Any slowly biodegradable agricultural residue such as dried leaves/straw/sugarcane trash etc. is laid over it after soaking with water. This is followed by 1" layer of Vermicompost or farm yard manure. Earthworms are released on each vermibed @ 50 numbers/10 kg.
The loaded waste is covered with a Jute Mat to protect earthworms from birds and insects. Water is sprinkled on the vermibeds daily according to requirement and season to keep them moist. Earthworms eat more than their body weight daily and multiply 300 times within one to two months.
The waste is turned upside down fortnightly without disturbing the basal layer (vermibed). The appearance of black granular crumbly powder on top of vermibeds indicate the harvest stage of the compost . Watering is stopped for atleast 5 days at this stage. The earthworms go down and the compost is collected from the top without disturbing the lower layers (vermibed). The first lot of Vermicompost is ready for harvesting after 2-2 ½ months and the subsequent lots can be harvested after every 6 weeks of loading.
The Windrows Method Process Illustration:
Raw Material for Vermiculture
Earthworm lifecycle stages
Vermicast production at farm
Windrows - dimensions
Vermicast being recovered
Windrows being covered
Vermicast being sieved
Replaying of vermicast windows
Final removal of vermicast
Enriched Vermicast
Enriching vermicast through the use of naturally occurring minerals and micro-organisms ensures application of vermicast in similar quantities while maintaining higher availability of required nutrients for the plant. The vermicast used by us is provided by the Morarka Foundation in compliance with stringent organic inputs standards applicable in USA & Europe. Below is a comparison of using Vermiculture instead of chemical fertilizer:
Criteria for Comparison
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Chemical Fertilizers
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Vermicast
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Macro nutrient contents
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Mostly contains only one (N in urea) or at the most two (N & P in DAP) nutrients in any one type of chemical fertilizeri
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Contains all i.e. nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) & potassium (K) in sufficient quantities
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Secondary nutrient contents
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Not available
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Calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) & sulphur (S) is available in required quantities
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Micro nutrient contents
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Not available
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Zinc (Zn), boron (B), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo) and chlorine (Cl) also present
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pH balancing
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Disturb soil pH to create salinity and alkalinity conditions
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Helps in the control of soil pH and checks the salinity and alkalinity in soil
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EC correction
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Creates imbalance in soil EC affecting nutrients assimilation
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Helps in balancing the EC to improve plant nutrient adsorption
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Organic carbon
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Not available
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Very high organic carbon and humus contents improves soil characteristics
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Moisture retention capacity
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Reduces moisture retention capacity of the soil
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Increases moistures retention capacity of the soil
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Soil Texture
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Damages soil texture to reduce aeration
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Improves soil texture for better aeration
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Beneficial bacteria & fungi
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Reduces biological activities and thus the fertility is impaired
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Very high biological life improves the soil fertility and productivity on sustainable basis
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Plant growth hormones
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Not available
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Sufficient quantity helps in better growth and production
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Vermicast vs. Chemical Fertilizers in Soil
Benefits of Vermiculture:
· Additional price gain from the sale of farm produce
· Lesser irrigation water requirement
· Cultivation has been possible in saline-alkaline conditions
· Lesser insect, termite and pests attack on crops
· Lesser weed infestation
· Better germination
· Better overall appearance of crops
· Improved soil texture
Bio-Organic Sprays for Foliar Application
The biological synthesis of complex chemical compounds present in naturally occurring materials and minerals can produce all plant hormones. With suitable fortification and strengthening, biological materials can be used to meet the complete nutrient requirement of the plants under all cropping systems. The underlying scientific principle is that when natural minerals are fermented under controlled conditions, metabolites are produced. The fermentation process makes the minerals available to the plants as free ions which can be directly assimilated by the plants.
Microbe-assisted agriculture synthesizes complex chemical compounds present in naturally occurring materials and minerals by harnessing the predatory and antagonistic characteristics of naturally occurring compounds through an accelerated process of production. As against chemical pest control approach that is reactive, the biological-botanical approach is pro active. by strengthening the natural defense mechanisms of plants. These sprays are used as alternative to conventional pesticides under normal spraying schedules and depending on the type of crop, can replace chemical sprays either completely or by as much as 50-75% over a few crop cycles. The excellent compatibility of different Bio-Organic sprays produces the combined effect as insecticides, acaricides and fungicides.
Bio-Organic sprays do not create any residue problem as their active principles are totally biodegradable. Being hundred percent natural they do not create any environmental or pollution problems. They are also harmless to non-targeted organisms, which are beneficial to agriculture. These Bio-Organic sprays are also sourced by us from the Morarka Foundation.
Benefits of Bio-Orgainc Sprays
1. No toxic residue on food stuff; hence most appropriate for organic agriculture.
2. No harm to natural predators, parasites of pests and pollinators.
3. No resistance to pests.
4. Protects crops from recurrence of pest attacks.
5. Totally biodegradable.
6. Ideal for Integrated Pest Management and Integrated Disease Management Programme.
7. No ecological or environmental problems
