Guide lines of Organic Farming Part-II
Seed and planting stock should be strictly organic or should be procured from organic sellers. In special case, non-organic planting stock can be used on documentation proof of unavailability of organic seed. Perennial stock can be carried over to organic production as a transition stock but annual plant stock must be organic in any case.
Crop rotation: Planting of different crop over the cycle of season on same field-in the organic farming is very important. They, add micronutrient, maintain the nitrogen level, and nurture soil. The crop rotation also breaks up the pest, weed, and disease hostings. A systematically planned crop rotation increases the microbiological activities. There are many strategies through the weeds, pests and crop related diseases can be eradicated. The heavy rotation of crops, diversification by inter-planting or buffering the strip plantation of crops, break cycles for alternate crops are some strategies to control the natural management of weeds, pests and diseases. Some times the weeds are let to remain so that development of nematodes is inhibited leading to the natural elimination of other diseases and pests by inter-species-competitiveness. Crop rotation can be followed heavily or moderately as per the guidelines.
Pests Control : Pests are the organism that harms the field crops. They can be rodents, bugs, micro bugs, and microorganisms. Therefore, pest control is very important in organic farming. NOP has however, made the flexible criteria in use of synthetic pesticides if human and environmental health is not affected. Classical or old method of pest control is the release of the anti-pest organisms in required quantity in proper time. These anti-pest organisms maintain the food chain and help the crops to be pest free.
Another method of pest control in foliage is mechanical method by using baits, lures, and traps. One of the conditions is that crops must not be in direct contact with any bait. Ammonium Carbonate bait is used for trapping insects; adhesive bands are wrapped around citrus trees to avoid ants; copper bands to keep off snails and slugs. Another latest technique is use of pheromones to discourage the mating of insects and pests. In chemical and synthetic methods for pest control, there are various allowed pesticides. Lime with sulphur for scales and mites, boric acid for ant and cockroaches, sulphur alone as acaricide, oil having distilling points range(50%) between 415oC to 440o C for dormant spray as suffocating oil, soap for soft bodied insects like aphids and vitamin D3(chlocalciferol) as synthetic rodenticide. Major concern of Western US is of ground squirrel and gophers, which are repelled by physical traps and cultural practices, however, NOP strictly adheres to the rules that pesticides:
1. Should not be carried on through plants and crops in human bodies.
2. Must not harm the environment.
Recognising the Green farming, there is a long list of banned natural as well as synthetic pesticides, like Nicotine, sodium fluoaluminate(cryolite), Nux Vomica, etc. administered by NOP.
Disease ,Plant pathogens and WEEDS: The crop rotation, compost (particularly for soil born diseases), pesticides, and herbicides have made possible to eradicate the diseases from the foliage. Some other methods are also in use for specific applications. The natural material availability is very low to fight diseases still there are the options like clay (diatomaceous earth, kaolinite) and EPA registered biological pesticide(Trichoderma spp) and herbal preparations of neem and garlic. In addition, the chemical and elemental compounds like copper (sulphate, hydroxide, oxide, and oxychloride) hydrogen peroxide, potassium bicarbonate, Bourdeoux mix(Copper Sulphate with hydrated lime),sulphur , lime sulphur, narrow range oils , summer oils, and anti biotics(streptomycin and tetracycline) are also in practice to fight the diseases. The uses above chemicals are subjected to the rule that they do not create their deposits in the soil. The antibiotics use (for fire blight on apple and peaches) is advised with copper, as they should not create antibiotic resistance. The Hydrogen peroxide and potassium bicarbonate are used as fungicides; however, some also do apply the narrow range oils for suffocating the disease.
Weeds are more problem creating to any farmer than any thing else as reported. The weeds eradication is done during tillage and cultivation. The major methods in weed management are by manual labor and expensive one. Crop rotation and competitive foliage planting is also administered. The synthetic and plastic methods are permitted by NOP if they are removed before the harvesting of the season. Mowing is another method, which is generally used in perennial systems of cropping. Extensive operations of weed removal also include the livestock left to graze over the weeds so s to get double benefit, but that is also labor intensive and handled with caution. Some other methods like eradication through flame, electricity, and heat with the use of some special equipment. Still there are many prohibitions to of chemical methods of wed removal in organic farming. National List. Weed control is carried out by releasing the control agents like ladybird, weeds geese, lacewings, trichogramma wasps, etc.
Therefore, these are some better-adopted practices in organic farming. Regarding organic gardening, the matter somehow is similar to organic gardening. Only the specificities in the different heads (soil preparation, weeds control, disease management) change. Organic gardening or organic farming is use less practice unless it is not registered with NOP NSOB, or other certifying agencies.
(to be continued Part -III)