Practice of Organic Farming for
MedicinalProf.
Plant Cultivation
B. C. Ghosh
Prof. B. C. Ghosh
Agricultural and Food Engineering Department
Indianand
Agricultural Institute of Technology
Food Engineering Department
Indian Institute of Technology
Kharagpur
Kharagpur
Pin -721- 721302
302
Organic Farming:
Organic farming is production management systems
which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health
including bio-diversity, biological cycles and soil
biological activity.
Emphasises management practices on use of off-farm
inputs, consideration of regional conditions and locally
adapted system.
Using, where ever possible, agronomic, biological and
mechanical methods against using of synthetic
materials for fulfilling any specifc function within the
system.
It avoids or largly excludes the use of synthetic
inorganic fertilizer, pesticidess, growth regulators and
livestock feed additives.
Largly depends on crop rotation and organic waste
management, animal manures, green manuring,
mechanical cultivation, mineral bearing rocks and
biological pest control.
Organic farming envisaged comprehensive
management of biotic and abiotic
components to maintain soil health
Salient points of organic farming as
per AIFOF and IFOAM
NATIONAL BODY
All India Federation of Organic
Farming (AIFOF)
INTERNATIONAL BODY
International Federation of Organic
Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)
Principles
Co - exist with rather than dominate
natural system
Sustain or built soil fertility
Minimum damage to the environment
Minimize the use of non renewable
resources
PRACTICES OF ORGANIC FARMING
Brought in material – Fertilizer and
manures, Pesticides, Seed (source, status
and treatment in storage), Seedling/ Plant
material (any chemical treatment in
germination or propagation), Cropping
history of field or land, Animal/ Animal
feed.
Conversion from conventional production
system – Monitoring by certification
council on annual basis, Checking
chemical residue, Previous history of
farming, Conversion programme after
fertility building phase, Produce to be sold
with AIFOF symbol
SOIL MANAGEMENT
Regular input of organic residue
Microbial and earthworm activity for
sufficient decomposition
Appropriate tillage operation for soil
texture and structure
CROP ROTATION
Balance between exploitative cropping
and fertility building
Differential root system in crops
Inclusion of leguminous crop
Dissimilar behavior in disease, pests
and weeds
Prohibited continuous cropping of
onion, mustard, cabbage, cauliflower in
same field
MANURE MANAGEMENT
Approval of manure by certification council
Composting for use of organic matter
Brought in organic waste/ manure should
be composted for three months
Prohibited organic source – from unknown
source, mushroom compost, municipal
compost, sewage sludge and poultry
manure
Limit No3- N level in food stuff
HEAVY METAL
Heavy metal level should not exceed (mg/ Kg)
Heavy Metal (mg/ kg) In soil In manure
Mercury 1 2
Lead 100 250
Cadmium 2 10
Nickel 50 100
Chromium 150 1000
Copper 50 400
Zinc 150 100
SUPPLEMENTARY NUTRIENTS
Quick dissolving fertilizers like urea not
allowed, slow and balanced uptake of
nutrient is aimed for:
PERMITTED
Rock phosphate, calcium sulphate,
gypsum, limestone, dolomite, basic slag,
wood ash, meat bone horns meals, fish
meal.
RESTRICTED
Proprietary organic fertilizer and liquid
feed without symbol, dried blood meal,
leather meal.
WEED CONTROL
Suppression than elimination of weed population
Limiting growth by manual, mechanical or thermal
operations
RECOMMENDED
Cultural practices
Mechanical weeding
PERMITTED
Plastic mulching, thermal operation
RESTRICTED
Long term use of plastic mulch
PROHIBITED
All synthetic chemical and hormonal herbicides within
and around crop field
PEST AND DISEASE CONTROL
PRINCIPLE – “Prevention than cure”
RECOMMENDED
Crop rotation and cropping system
Resistant varieties
Planting time and balanced nutrition
PERMITTED
Pheromones, herbal preparations, biological
control
RESTRICTED
Use of the following after councils approval-
pyrethrum, derris, quassia, bordeaux mixture,
Sulphur, steam sterilization of soil, non
mercurial seed dressing.
PROHIBITED
Biocides like nicotine, all other synthetic
pesticides, mercurial seed dressing, methyl
bromides formaldehyde, phenols for soil
sterilization.
Organic farming system can be described as:
Biological Farming : It allows to use selected
fertilizers and adoption of low input approaches to use
of herbicides and insecticides. Diagnotics instruments
are used to monitor plant and soil condition.
Nature Farming: This system is developed in Japan
by Mokichi Okada (1930). Special emphasis on soil
health through compost rather than organic fertilizers.
Kyusei nature farming emphasises use of microbial
preparation in addition to traditional nature farming in
California and Hawaii.
Permaculture: It is a contraction of permanent
agriculture defined by Bill Mollison and forest
ecologists. It is not a production system but a land use
planning philosophy, thus any site-specific ecological
farming system is amenable to permaculture. It is
concerned with designing ecological human habitat
and food production system.
Ecological Agriculture: Eco-farming implies a farming
region and individual farms that must be treated as
ecological system. In this context environment is not
confined to natural condition (soil and climate) but it
encompass the entier complex of physical, economic, social
and cultural conditions which affect the growth and
development of organic system. It match the crop, soil and
climate of a region for gaining economy and efficiency of
input. It reduces the pressure on land, water and
biodiversity without adverse effect on agricultural production
and nutritive value of food and maximising ecological
production efficiency. Ecological balance is attained by use of
organic inputs like compost, vermicompost, botanical and
microbial pesticides and beneficial organisms. Group and
community endeavour holds the key for the successful
implementation of ecological farming over large areas.
Low External Input Supply Agriculture (LEISA): It is a
production system that uses synthetic fertilizers, pesticides
and herbicides below rates normally recommended. Stability
of yield is maintained emphasising on cultural practices,
INM, IPM, and utilization of locally available on farm
resources and management.
Integrated Intensive Farming System (IIFS) : It denotes agricultural
intensification, diversification and value addition through intregrated
farming involving animal husbandry , fishery and agro-forestry. IIFS
involves intensive use of farm resources following the techniques
which is knowledge intensive and replace market purchased chemical
inputs with farm grown bilogical inputs.
The strategy is value addition to every part of plant and animal
biomass through the establishment of bio-refinary. On-farm and off-
farm employment can be linked in a symbiotic manner. IIFS helps both
producer and consumer involving a pro-nature, pro-employment, pro-
women and pro-poor orientation to technology and dissemination. It
leads to labour diversification. Success of IIFS lies on human centered
rather than mere tachnology-drive programmer. The ecotechnogies and
public policy measures are need to make IIFS a mass movement. It can
bring ever green revolution by reinforcing packages of technology,
training, techno-infrastructure and trade.
Finally a synthesis of traditional wisdom and ecological prudence of
tropical agriculture with advance technology will help higher input use
efficiency and maximisation of sustainable crop yield. In US both LISA
(Low Input Sustainable Agriculture) and SAREP (Sustainable
Agricultural Research and Education Programme) have widely pomoted.
Collection of Organic Wastes
Cellulolytic & Lignocellulolytic
microorganisms
Mixing of Partial Decomposed Organic
Wastes with Animal Dung
Transfer of Mixed Material to Decomposition
Tank
Transfer of Pre-decomposed Materials to
Vermicompost Bed
Introduction of Earthworms to
Vermicomposting Bed
Earthworm species
Eisenia foetida
Eudrilus eugeniae
Perionyx excavatus
EARTHWORM
Lampito mauritii
Commercial vermicompost shade
Multi-tier Vermicomposting Bed
MICROSPRINKLER
Irrigation System for
Vermicomposting
Harvesting of Mature Vermicompost from
the Beds
Manual screening of earthworms
Sun Drying of Vermicompost
Quality control and Products Ready for
Market
Tea +Horticulture +Spices
Stevia
Aloe vera
Amla + Aloe vera intercropping
From To and fro
Handle Movement
Spring
Fixed Fixed
Roller Pipe Pipe
Blade
Rough Surface
Fixed
to board
Spring
Bevel
Gears
Spline
From Motor
Development of Aloe Vera Gel Extraction Machine
( B.Tech Project )
Bixa orellana L.
Citronella grass
Hydro distillation unit for aromatic oil extraction
Eucalyptus oil (2 % - 4 %),
Citronella (0.8 % to 1.2 %), Lemon grass (0.4 % to 0.6 %)
Andrographis paniculata
“THINK
ORGANIC”
THANK YOU
