Organic Farming Research Articles

Indica rice “Takanari” exhibited superiority to Japanese rice “Koshihikari” on N-uptake and biomass production under no-weeding practice

ABSTRACT Rice yield and whole biomass production are strongly related to the rice cultivar’s nitrogen (N) uptake ability and various meteorological conditions and management practices. Under different conditions, such as elevated CO2 with limited N-supply, the Indica cultivar” Takanari (Tak)” showed a higher N-uptake ability than the Japonica cultivar ‘Koshihikari (Kos).’ However, it is still unclear how Tak and Kos respond to N-uptake and biomass production under limited N conditions with or without weeding. For this reason, we conducted a pot experiment at Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Japan, in the 2022 rice growing season. Tak and Kos were transplanted individually and interplanted (Tak+Kos) in pots filled with 8.0 kg of air-dried alluvial soil from an organic rice farm with the main treatments of weeding and no weeding. Rice growth parameters (shoot height, tiller numbers, and leaf color) were investigated weekly, while rice biomass and N-uptake were measured after harvest. As a result, plant biomass and N-uptake were significantly different among all treatments. The rice biomass and N-uptake in weeding were significantly higher than those in no-weeding for both cultivars. Compared with Kos, Tak had significantly higher rice biomass and N-uptake for root, ear, and whole rice plants in all treatments, weeding practices, and planting modes. The ratios of aboveground biomass and N-uptake between Tak and Kos in interplanting were higher than their respective ratios in individual planting. Interplanting increased the aboveground biomass ratios between Tak and Kos by 16.24% and 27.43% in weeding and no-weeding conditions, respectively. The ratios of N-uptake in interplanting were higher than individual planting at 21.74% and 34.09% in weeding and no-weeding, respectively. Tak’s ability to compete with Kos on N-uptake and biomass production was increased when two rice cultivars were transplanted in the same pot under interplanting cultivation and no-weeding conditions.

Effect of organic inputs on the productivity of confectionery sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

Organic farming is gaining momentum nowadays and the demand for organic food is increasing day by day. Field investigations were carried out during five consecutive summer seasons (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020) at the Regional Research Station, Vridhachalam to optimize the organic inputs and to develop an organic production package for sesame. The field experiment comprised eight treatments with different organic inputs [farm yard manure (FYM), neem cake, biofertilizers, panchakavya] applied in different forms. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design replicated thrice. The experimental results showed that the application of FYM @ 12.5 t/ha + seed treatment (Azospirillum + Phosphobacteria + PGPR each @ 600 g/ha of seed) + soil application of biofertilizer (Azospirillum + Phosphobacteria + PGPR each @ 2 kg/ha of seed) and foliar application of 3% panchagavya at 35 and 45 DAS recorded a higher seed yield (783 kg/ha).

Organic Farming for Sustainable Agriculture: Future Outlook and Options

Organic products are grown under a system of agriculture without using chemical fertilizers and pesticides, with an environmentally and socially responsible approach, and provide healthy food. It is developing rapidly and is practised in more than 120 countries. In 2022-23, the total area under the organic certification process (registered under the National Programme for Organic Production) is 10.17 million ha. This includes 5.39 million ha of cultivable area and another 4.8 million hectares for wild harvest collection. Madhya Pradesh has covered the most significant area under organic certification. In contrast, India produced around 2.9 million MT of certified organic products, which include all varieties of food products, namely Oil Seeds, fibre, Sugar cane, Cereals and millets, Cotton, Pulses, Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, Tea, Coffee, Fruits, Spices, Dry Fruits, Vegetables, Processed foods etc. The production is not limited to the edible sector; it produces organic cotton fiber, functional food products, etc. Among different states, Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer. In terms of exports, the total value was 0.31 million Mt. The organic food export realisation was around Rs. 5525.18 Crore (708.33 million USD). Products are exported to the USA, European Union, Canada, Great Britain, Switzerland, Turkey, Australia, Ecuador, the Korean Republic, Vietnam, Japan, etc. The objectives of organic farming ensure that food production has high nutritional value in adequate quantities and preserves and enhances the long-term fertility of soils.

Integrated Chemometrics and Data-Independent Acquisition Proteomics for the Discovery of Meat Authenticity Biomarkers: A Study on Early Post-Mortem Pectoralis major Muscle Proteomes of Ross 308 and Ranger Classic Chicken Produced by Organic versus Antibiotic-Free Farming Systems.

Many factors, such as the farming systems and preslaughter rearing practices, can influence the physiological and metabolic functions of poultry with consequent effects on poultry meat quality. In this trial, label-free shotgun proteomics was used to analyze the early post-mortem Pectoralis major muscle proteomes of Ross 308 and Ranger Classic chicken strains raised under two divergent farming systems these being organic and antibiotic-free. The combination of chemometrics using partial-least-square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and shotgun proteomics allowed clear discrimination between the different groups. Chicken strains were discriminated by differences in the abundance of 73 and 62 proteins within the antibiotic-free and organic farming systems, respectively. The abundances of 71 and 52 proteins were impacted by the farming system within the Ross 308 and Ranger Classic chicken strains, respectively. The analyses allowed for the proposal of several putative biomarkers of meat authenticity, which were found to be related to muscle structure and energy metabolism pathways. This study is a significant step forward in elucidating the potential of proteomics profiling and chemometrics in chicken meat, which may provide opportunities for the efficient assessment of chicken authenticity.

Crop rotation diversity and tillage effects on soil and wheat grain nutrient concentration in an organically-managed system

Consumer demand for high quality organic produce in Canada has in recent years contributed to the development of a more sustainable organic agriculture system that increased productivity without decreasing soil fertility. The objective of this 4-yr field study was to determine if an organic system with diversified crop rotations under reduced tillage would produce high quality spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain and improve soil fertility. A simplified rotation (SR) consisting of a forage pea (Pisum sativum L.) green manure (GM)-spring wheat sequence and a diversified rotation (DR, forage pea GM-oilseed-pulse crop-spring wheat sequence) were compared under two tillage intensities (high tillage [HT] and low tillage [LT]). The oilseed alternated between mustard (Sinapis alba L.) and flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), and the pulse alternated between field pea and lentil (Lens culinaris L.). Generally, nutrient concentrations in wheat grain were mostly significantly higher under LT than HT and in the DR compared with the SR. In addition, tillage-rotation system influenced soil zinc, calcium, magnesium, and sodium concentrations. However, grain Cd concentration was higher in the LT treatment under the DR sequence relative to other treatments. Our results indicate that organically managed diversified crop rotations under reduced tillage can produce wheat grains with high nutritional value for humans and livestock but may not increase soil micronutrient concentrations.

Sustainability of the Different Rice Cultivation Practices in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The current food crisis has become a serious threat to humanity. Other issues such as climate change, farmer regeneration, and excessive use of chemical inputs at the producer level threaten sustainability in agriculture. The sustainability of agricultural practices among farmers remains questionable due to the small number of organic farmers in Indonesia. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of sustainability of rice cultivation and the factors that influence the sustainability of rice cultivation in various types of cultivation in Yogyakarta. Research on farm sustainability that is analyzed in a multidimensional (5 dimensions) and compares 3 types of cultivation has not been widely carried out in Indonesia. This research was conducted in Bantul and Sleman with 90 respondents. The analysis method used Multidimensional Scaling-RAPFISH and Tobit regression. The results showed interesting findings where the 3 types of rice cultivation are in the sufficient (moderately sustainable) category even though the 3 have differences in the use of inputs, especially in the ecological dimension. The factors of education, frequency of attending extension and activity in farmer groups, the use of good agricultural practices, land ownership, and type of cultivation had a positive effect on increasing the sustainability of rice cultivation in various types of cultivation in Yogyakarta. The results of this research have an impact on agricultural extension field education provided by the government to increase the sustainability of rice cultivation in Yogyakarta. It is recommended that the 3 types of rice farmers to pay more attention to the use of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to increase sustainability.

Contingent valuation versus choice experiment: estimating the willingness to pay for organic oranges in Vietnam

PurposeThe study estimates the willingness to pay for organic oranges and identifies its influencing factors among consumers in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.Design/methodology/approachThe study used survey data from 413 households in the Mekong Delta from March 2022 to July 2022. The choice experiment (CE) and contingent valuation method (CVM) were employed to analyze consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP). STATA 17 software was used to analyze research data in the logit model and mixed logit model.FindingsThe research results from the CVM approach show that a number of demographic characteristics have a direct impact on WTP, such as education, educational attainment, family size, the presence of children and the elderly in the household, food safety and environmental awareness. The CE model shows product attributes that influence consumers’ WTP, such as country of origin, traceability, quality grade, organic certification, ecolabel and organic content. Both approaches show that price is the main barrier to organic orange consumption.Research limitations/implicationsThe study surveyed four large cities in four provinces representing the Mekong Delta region.Practical implicationsOur study helps administrators have a deeper insight into consumer preferences and behavior, specifically the factors that affect consumers' WTP, an important indicator of demand for the success of manufacturers and marketers in developing as well as improving marketing strategies. Knowledge of a product’s WTP on behalf of (potential) customers plays an important role in many areas of marketing management, such as pricing decisions or new product development.Social implicationsFurthermore, this understanding will inform policymakers about the future of agricultural markets in Vietnam and help them better prepare for the making of sustainable agricultural policies. Develop organic agriculture to both protect human health, protect the living environment and protect the soil from degradation, ensuring sustainable agricultural production. This is also one of the measures to help people stay away from diseases to limit the social burden.Originality/valueThe study confirms that both CVM and CE models can be used to estimate WTP. However, CVM fits the overall WTP estimate, while CE is more appropriate when estimating WTP for individual scenarios through combining attributes with different levels.

Integrating NDVI and agronomic data to optimize the variable-rate nitrogen fertilization

The success of Variable Rate Application (VRA) techniques is closely linked to the algorithm used to calculate the different fertilizer rates. In this study, we proposed an algorithm based on the integration between some estimated agronomic inputs and crop radiometric data acquired by using a multispectral sensor. Generally, VRA algorithms are evaluated by comparing the yields, but they can often be affected by factors acting in the final phase of the crop cycle and not dependent on the fertilization treatments. Therefore, we decided to compare our algorithm (ALG) versus the traditional application of fertilizer (TRD) by evaluating the crop growth 1.5 months after the fertilization time. The algorithm was tested on a sorghum crop under organic farming, managed with or without manure. The saving of N obtained with ALG was equal to 14 and 5 kg ha− 1 (-14 and − 10% for the non-manure and fertilized treatments, respectively). The NDVI values acquired after fertilization showed a remarkable reduction of relative standard deviation for ALG system (from 22 to 9% and from 34 to 14% for manured and not manured, respectively), which was not found for TRD system (from 16 to 17% and from 29 to 18% for manured and not manured, respectively). The above ground biomass produced was statistically equivalent for the two systems in the manured plots and significant higher for ALG in not-manured plots (+ 0.74 t ha− 1 of dm, equal to + 23%). Finally, the indices calculated to evaluate the Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) were consistently better in the ALG theses.

Phase Transfer Catalysis: New Technology to Boost Organic Farming

Introduction of Phase Transfer Catalysis (PTC) technology, which was developed in the 1970s has revolutionised the dyes and pharmaceutical industries in many ways. PTC is a process that facilitates the organic compounds to move from one phase to another phase, without any change in the chemical qualities. Application of this technology was explored in the 1980s for agriculture, by using different plant extracts as PT catalysts. The objective was to facilitate increased absorption of nutrients by plants, by stimulating plant growth and easy availability of nutrients in the soil. Introduction of nano-carbon materials with nutrients and herbal growth stimulants could further support the crop growth by facilitating increased uptake of nutrients, apart from enabling the plants to develop resilience to harsh environmental conditions, resulting in higher crop yields. Some organic bio-stimulants developed recently by Snehasrusthi Group in India have been very successful in improving the growth, yield and quality of several seasonal and perennial crops in India. These bio-stimulants have excellent potential to boost organic agricultural production and income of farmers in the future.

Effect of different sources of organic manures on growth and yield of Broccoli

Indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers is a common practice that is hazardous both for soil health and the environment. It has been more than three decades that global agriculture has been depicted towards organic agriculture owing to sustainability and reduced environmental effects. An experiment was conducted in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications to study the effect of different sources of organic nutrients on growth and yield of broccoli. The experiment consisted of five different sources of manures; control (no manure), cowdung (25 t/ha), Trichoderma compost (10 t/ha), vermicompost (12 t/ha) and poultry litter (14 t/ha) along with two cultivars of broccoli; ‘Imperial’ and ‘Premium Crop’. Different sources of manures and cultivars had significant influence on plant height, height up to curd, number of leaves per plant, length of leaf, breadth of leaf, plant canopy, diameter of curd, diameter of stem, weight of primary curd, number of secondary curds, weight of secondary curd, yield per plant, yield per unit plot and yield per hectare. The maximum yield (17.32 t/ha) was obtained from vermicompost, followed by poultry litter in ‘Premium Crop’ (15.68 t/ha) cultivar. The minimum yield (6.62 t/ha) was recorded by no manure in ‘Imperial’. Control treatment showed the lowest values for all the parameters studied. Combination of vermicompost and ‘Premium Crop’ cultivar was found the best among all other treatment combinations, including in respect of net return (Tk. 234099/ha) and BCR (3.08). Res. Agric. Livest. Fish. Vol. 11, No. 2, August 2024: 197-204

Antibiotic alternatives to produce organic poultry meat as a safe food source and the impact of its consumption on human health: A review

Abstract The scientific evidence on the effects of consuming organic chicken meat on human health is examined in this review article. Few studies particularly look at the effects of eating organic chicken meat on people’s health. Although the evidence is conflicting, they speculate that consuming organic chicken meat may reduce the incidence of obesity and allergy-related illnesses. Customers who purchase organic chicken meat generally have healthier eating habits. The significance of these discoveries for human health is unclear. Still, animal and poultry studies suggest that whether agriculture produces food from conventional or organic sources has different effects on early development and physiology. Omega-3 fatty acids and meat are more abundant in organic than in common meat. However, this is not nutritionally relevant compared to other dietary sources. The widespread use of pharmaceuticals is one of the primary drivers of antimicrobial resistance in traditional animal agriculture. It is possible to reduce this risk and potentially have significant positive effects on public health by preventing animal sickness and using antibiotics more sparingly, as is done in organic farming. The review highlights the importance of organic feeds as an effective and vital alternative to antibiotics in the poultry industry and their impact on human health.

Assessing the Impact of Sustainable Agriculture Practices on Biodiversity Conservation

An important component in attaining environmental resilience and sustainability is the effect of sustainable agricultural practices on biodiversity conservation. Using examples from a variety of environments, this article assesses how well alternative sustainable agriculture approaches encourage biodiversity conservation. Improving environmental health, reducing ecological footprint, and ensuring long-term productivity are all goals of sustainable agriculture. organic farming, integrated pest management, conservation tillage, and agroforestry are all examples of sustainable agricultural methods. We look at how these activities affect soil organisms, plant variety, and wildlife habitats, among other layers of biodiversity. These methods aid in the protection and improvement of biodiversity by analysing current empirical research and case studies from a variety of geographical areas. Results show that sustainable agricultural techniques can lessen environmental stresses, increase species variety, and improve habitat quality, all of which are important for biodiversity conservation. By reducing chemical inputs and providing a variety of ecological niches, systems like agroforestry and organic farming are able to support a wide variety of plant and animal species. Soil health is improved and habitat disruption is reduced through integrated pest control and conservation tillage, both of which contribute to an ecosystem that is more resilient.

Preservation of Biodiversity and Sustainability of Ecosystem

Sustainable agriculture and biodiversity have a significant impact on human well-being, ecological resilience, and food security. They are closely related aspects of the future of our planet.It promotes the stability and functioning of ecosystems, providing numerous ecosystem services vital for agriculture, including pollination, pest control, nutrient cycling, and genetic resources for crop breeding. Biodiversity provides ecosystem services strengthening agricultural productivity and resilience. For instance, pollinators like bees and butterflies facilitate the reproduction of many crops, while natural predators help control pest populations, reducing the need for chemical pesticides. Sustainable agriculture, on the other hand, seeks to meet current food needs without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same. However, modern agricultural practices have often led to the degradation of ecosystems, loss of biodiversity, and the erosion of genetic diversity in crops and livestock. These problems have been exacerbated by deforestation, overuse of agrochemicals, and monocropping. In the long term these practices harm the environment and endanger food security by reducing the system's ability to adapt to changing conditions. Sustainable agricultural practices, by enhancing farming methods such as crop rotation, agroforestry, and organic farming, can support and enhance biodiversity by preserving habitat diversity. Conservation of native species, implementation of agro-ecological practices, and support for small-scale farmers are important steps towards achieving a harmonious coexistence between agriculture and biodiversity. There is a need of collaboration across all sections of society from intergovernmental agreements down to local community action for tackling the biodiversity catastrophe. People may learn more about local ecosystems and develop a greater regard and appreciation for them by reestablishing a connection with nature and inspiring others to do the same. UNDP sustainable development goal-15 aims to protect the biodiversity by sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystem.

Management of White Fly (Bemisia tabaci Genn.) by Different Bio-Pesticides on Red Okra Crop

The experiment was conducted in Kharif season 2023 at an organic research farm, Kargua Ji, Department of Entomology, Bundelkhand University Jhansi. The present investigation was worked out with nine treatments including control (untreated) in three replications, a total of 27 plots were designed under randomized block design against the white fly infestation on the okra crop. Three applications of treatments were carried out and observations were taken at 3 days, 7 days and 14 days after spraying of the treatments. All the treatments were found significantly effective over control to manage the population of the white fly, where Neem oil was found to be the most effective treatment that recorded a minimum population of 6.94 whiteflies per leaf as per NKSE recorded 9.94 white fly/plant and Karanj oil (10.91), where all Neembased product was found effective against white fly moreover among all microbial pesticides Beaveria bassiana found effective. Among all treatments maximum yield was obtained from Neem oil treated plots recorded at 161.36 Qt/hac as per with NSKE (155.87 Qt/hac) but the highest C:B ratio was recorded under NSKE(1:1.82) followed by Neem oil (1:1.77).

A Study on The Relationship Between Organic Agriculture and Agricultural Employment in Türkiye

Organic agriculture is a sustainable agricultural system with different principles that is carried out within the scope of certain rules. Due to the substitution of organic inputs with chemical inputs, getting the products ready for sale, weed control, and similar operations by hand, enterprises engaged in organic farming require a larger labor force. All these jobs increase employment opportunities in rural areas and allow small family businesses to continue production. In this study, it has been tried to reveal the relationship between organic agriculture and agricultural employment with the help of an econometric model and to determine the effect of organic agriculture on employment. The study analyzed a 17-year time series of data spanning from 2004 to 2021 to identify the factors influencing agricultural employment, taking into account various aspects of organic agriculture, including the number of organic agricultural products, the count of farmers engaged in organic agriculture, the area dedicated to organic agricultural production, the organic wild collection area, the total area allocated for organic agricultural production, the quantity of organic agricultural production, the number of entrepreneurs involved in organic agriculture, the unit price of subsidy for organic agriculture, and the total amount of subsidy provided to organic agriculture. Based on the results of the regression analysis, it was determined that the number of organic products does not have a significant effect on agricultural employment. In addition, it was found that the wild harvesting area is positively significant for agricultural employment and that the total production area of organic agriculture and the amount of subsidy are negatively significant. The results of the research reveal that a 1% increase in the wild harvesting area related to organic agriculture would lead to an increase of more than 0.28% in the agricultural employment rate, while a 1% increase in the total production area and the amount of subsidy would lead to a decrease of 0.40% and 0.44% in the agricultural employment rate, respectively.

Management of sustainable land use projects in accordance with EU requirements

The purpose of the study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the management of sustainable land use development projects in Ukraine and the EU countries and to develop recommendations for improving Ukrainian practices in accordance with the requirements of the European Union. The methodology was based on a systematic approach and included the analysis of statistical data, an expert survey, and the calculation of an integral index of compliance with EU requirements. The study focused on three key aspects: restoration of degraded land, introduction of organic farming, and water management. The results revealed that Ukraine is lagging behind in all the parameters under study. In the area of restoration of degraded land, it was found that the area of restored land in Ukraine (8.4% of the total area of degraded land) is almost twice less than the average of the EU countries studied (16.8%). Investments in land restoration in Ukraine (310 EUR/ha) are only 39% of the EU average (792 EUR/ha). The analysis of the development of organic farming showed that the share of organic land in Ukraine (1.1% of the total agricultural area) is almost 6 times lower than the average for the EU countries under study (6.7%). The number of certified organic producers in Ukraine (3.2 per 100,000 population) is 6.4 times lower than the average for EU countries. In the field of water management, it was found that the irrigation efficiency in Ukraine (60%) is significantly lower than the EU average (77.4%), and the share of land with drip irrigation in Ukraine (5.2%) is 3.5 times lower than the EU average (18%). The calculation of the integral index of compliance with EU requirements showed that Ukraine (56 points) significantly lags behind the average of the EU countries studied (82.4 points). Based on the identified differences and successful practices of EU countries, a set of recommendations has been developed to improve the management of sustainable land use projects in Ukraine. Key recommendations include the development of a comprehensive national strategy, the creation of specialised financing funds, the introduction of economic incentives, the modernisation of monitoring systems, the harmonisation of standards with the EU, and large-scale educational campaigns. The study emphasises the need to significantly improve approaches to managing sustainable land use projects in Ukraine to bring them closer to EU standards and ensure efficient use of land resources

Influence of Organic Nutrient Sources on Nutrient, Quality and Yield Parameters of Vegetable Cluster Bean

Aim: The experiment was taken up to study the influence of various organic nutrient sources on soil nutrient availability and their uptake and also on quality parameters of vegetable cluster bean. Place and Duration of Study: the study was conducted at irrigated wetland farms, TNAU, Coimbatore during the year 2018. Methodology: The RBD (randomized complete block design) design was adopted and replicated thrice. The total number of treatments were 12 with various basal applications of organic manures namely farm yard manure, vermicompost, humic acid, ghanjeevamrutham and also foliar spray combinations namely panchagavya and banana pseudo stem sap. The standard recommended cultural practices of organic farming were followed for all treatments except fertilizer application and synthetic chemical use. Results: The data revealed that soil chemical properties viz., pH, EC and organic carbon were not significantly influenced by various organic nutrient sources. Significantly, higher values of N, P and K availability in soil and their uptake by cluster bean crop and crude protein content, crude fiber, ascorbic acid, moistures percentage in cluster bean pods were recorded with 100 % recommended dose of fertilizer and 2% foliar spray of TNAU pulse wonder. However, organic treatments were on par with inorganic treatments for all the nutrient, quality and yield parameters. Conclusion: Organic treatments like organic farmers practice and FYM along with Panchagavya were recommended to improve nutrient use efficiency and quality of yield, eventually to benefit farmers and complete agricultural ecosystem in terms of profit and sustainability, respectively.

Pesticide Reduction through Organic Farming for Promoting Public Health Management and Food Security

There is a growing global interest in sustainable food consumption to ensure food security. One significant factor driving this demand is the belief that consuming organic food affects Public Health (PH). This research examines the historical context of sustainable agriculture. This article specifically examines the impact of sustainable agriculture on health-related substances, pesticide residues, and contaminants in crops. It also explores the connections between organic food and health indicators. In Organic Farming (OF), the use of pesticides is often restricted or non-existent, which is different from Traditional Farming (TF) methods that heavily depend on pesticides to preserve crops. The notable disparities in pesticide usage between the two agricultural systems profoundly affect the comparative nutritional exposure, hazards, and ecological impacts associated with pesticides. Pesticide Usage Monitoring (PUM) information has been used to compare pesticide usage across organically certified and adjacent traditional farms for tomato crops. This work suggested methods for PR by promoting the widespread use of organic agricultural techniques. Additionally, emphasis on many alternatives available within organic food supply chains to further minimize the usage of pesticides, contact, and adverse effects on workers has been proposed to provide food security.

Comparison of Serum Butyrylcholinesterase Levels and Health Conditions between Elderly Conventional and Organic Farmers in Prachinburi Province, Thailand

Comparison of Serum Butyrylcholinesterase Levels and Health Conditions between Elderly Conventional and Organic Farmers in Prachinburi Province, Thailand

Bacterial allelopathy: an approach for biological control of weeds.

Weed infestation is one of the most damaging biotic factors to limit crop production by competing with the crop for space, water, and nutrients. Different conventional approaches are being used to cope with weed infestation, including labor intensive manual removal and the use of soil-degrading, crop-damaging, and environment-deteriorating chemical herbicides. The use of chemicals for weed control has increased 2-fold after the green revolution and their non-judicious use is posing serious threats to mankind, animals, and biodiversity. The detrimental effects of these approaches have shifted the researchers' attention from the last two decades towards alternate, sustainable, and eco-friendly approaches to cope with weed infestation. The recent approaches of weed control, including plant and microbial allelopathy have gained popularity during last decade. Farmers still use conventional methods, but the majority of farmers are very passionate about organic agriculture and describe it as a slogan in the developed world. The effectiveness of these approaches lies in host specificity by selective bacteria and differential response towards weeds and crops. Moreover, the crop growth promoting effect of microorganisms (allelopathic bacteria) possessing various growth promoting traits, that is, mineral solubilization, phytohormone production, and beneficial enzymatic activity, provide additional benefits. The significance of this review lies in the provision of a comprehensive comparison of the conventional approaches along with their potential limitations with advanced/biological weed control approaches in sustainable production. In addition, the knowledge imparted about weed control will contribute to a better understanding of biological control methods.