Organic Farming based Farming System and its role towards Sustainability

Abstract

In India, 85 per cent total cropping systems are cereal-cereal e.g. rice-wheat (10.5 M ha.), rice-rice (6.0 M ha.), pearl millet - wheat (2.3 M ha), sorghum - wheat (2.3 M ha.), maize - wheat (1.9 M ha.) etc. These systems are very exhaustive in nature and removal of nutrients is much more than the replenishment and as result the productivity of different cropping systems is at plateau. In the Indo- Gangetic Plains which is considered as a food bowl of the country is also being affected on account of over exploitation of the natural resources. Since rice-wheat is the predominant cropping system and excessive wet tillage in rice cultivation has caused soil degradation problem and the physical, chemical and biological conditions of the soil are being affected which need to be rejuvenated. Therefore, it has become of utmost importance to conserve the natural resources by following organic farming based farming system approach. The water conservation is an integral component of this approach and a function of soil property largely determine the infiltration rate and soil depth partially control the amount of water stored in the soil. For higher water intake, soil surface has to be covered by mulching material or inter cropping so that surface sealing and crusting do not occur. Shallow tillage increases the soil surface roughness that helps in cutting runoff. Soil cover and addition of organic matter increases the soil moisture storage and ultimately soil health. There is an urgent need to do follow the natural farming or zero budget farming by making use of the resources available at the farm itself. The use of bio-fertilizers, bio-dynamics formulations, recycling of crop residue, crop rotation, application of green manuring, farm yard manure, extracts of herbs, following bhumi sanskar, beej sanskar, use of bio agents not only would reduce the cost of production but simultaneously make the ecosystem more vibrant by making a choice of the various plantation crops based farming system. Likewise vegetable, poultry, mushroom/rabitary/piggrey/fishery based farming systems to make the production system productive, profitable and sustainable over a longer period of time.