CHAPTER-2
BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURE
Biodynamic agriculture is a form of alternative agriculture very similar
to organic farming, but it includes various esoteric concepts drawn from
the ideas of Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925). Initially developed in 1924, it
was the first of the organic agriculture movements. It treats soil fertility,
plant growth, and livestock care as ecologically interrelated
tasks, emphasizing spiritual and mystical perspectives.
Biodynamic has much in common with other organic approaches – it
emphasizes the use of manures and composts and excludes the use of
artificial chemicals on soil and plants. Methods unique to the
biodynamic approach include its treatment of animals, crops, and soil as
a single system, an emphasis from its beginnings on local production
and distribution systems, its use of traditional and development of new
local breeds and varieties. Some methods use an astrological sowing and
planting calendar. Biodynamic agriculture uses various herbal and
mineral additives for compost additives and field sprays; these are
prepared using methods that are more akin to sympathetic
magic than agronomy, such as burying ground quartz stuffed into the
horn of a cow, which are said to harvest "cosmic forces in the soil."
As of 2016 biodynamic techniques were used on 161,074 hectares in 60
countries. Germany accounts for 45% of the global total; the remainder
average 1750 ha per country. Biodynamic methods of cultivating
grapevines have been taken up by several notable vineyards. There are
certification agencies for biodynamic products, most of which are
members of the international biodynamic standards group Demeter
International.
No difference in beneficial outcomes has been scientifically established
between certified biodynamic agricultural techniques and similar organic
and integrated farming practices. Biodynamic agriculture lacks strong
scientific evidence for its efficacy and has been labeled
a pseudoscience because of its overreliance upon esoteric knowledge
and mystical beliefs.
2.1Good agricultural practices in cultivation of medicinal plants
including Organic farming
India has a rich heritage of plant based healthcare systems like
Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha with a very high degree of societal
acceptance. There is a global upsurge in the use of traditional and
complementary systems of medicine. This is primarily due to the fact
that these systems of medicine, being largely plant based, are generally
safe, efficacious and affordable. The increasing demand of
natural/herbal products world over, therefore, creates a need not only for
conserving medicinal plants in-situ but also their cultivation outside the
forest areas in public and private lands. Forests have been the main
source of the raw material used in the manufacture of Ayurveda, Siddha
and Unani medicines. But concerned has been raised that unsustainable
collection from the wild has resulted in a large number of species
entering the red data book. The Department of AYUSH, through the
schemes of the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), has launched
major initiatives to promote cultivation of medicinal plants and thereby
integrate medicinal plants into the farming systems. The major
challenges facing growth and outreach of the traditional/herbal
medicinal products are their quality, safety and efficacy. This inter-alias
is dependent on the quality of the raw material used in the manufacture
of the finished product. The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB),
Department of AYUSH has prepared India specific guidelines on Good
Agriculture Practices (GAPs) on the pattern of Good Agriculture and
Field Collection Practices (GACPs) developed by the World Health
Organization (WHO) for medicinal plants. In the preparation of this
standard assistance has been taken from Good Agriculture and
Collection Practices (GACPs) developed by the World Health
Organization (WHO) in 2003 and Good Agricultural Practices
enunciated by the GLOBALGAP Secretariat which is being
implemented in over 80 countries. The requirements given in this
standard are subject to the following statutory and regulatory provisions-
a. The Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules (as amended up through 30th
June 2005. New Delhi: Department of Health. 2005. Schedule T: Good
Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani
Medicines.
b. The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, 5 Volumes, Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India, New Delhi, 1989-2005
c. The Siddha Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I (1), Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare, Govt. of India, New Delhi, 2007.
d. The Unani Pharmacopoeia of India, Part-I, Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare, Govt. of India, New Delhi In preparation of this
standard.
2.2 Pest and Pest management in medicinal plants
Pest
In the plant world, pests refer to harmful organisms that latch on to
plants, rendering them unsuitable for harvest. While most of these
organisms tend to be insects, some fungi or plants can also be classified
as pests. Every garden is prone to pests. Some organisms are harmless
but the majorities are detrimental to a plant’s roots, leaves, and overall
health. This is why it is important to carefully prune plants and adopt the
necessary precautions for proper pest control.
Pest management
Effective pest management depends on the accurate identification of
the pest. Insects and mites often are associated with specific plants,
and they follow certain development and behavior patterns as the
season progresses. Use reference books from the library or garden
center to identify pests. If you can't find an accurate description
there, consult someone in your local extension office. Learn about the
insect's life cycle, behavior, and natural enemies.
Plant diseases may be caused by pathogens including fungi,
nematodes, bacteria, or viruses. Each pathogen is capable of infecting
only certain plants. Infection occurs under particular environmental
conditions, with symptoms of the disease appearing later. To identify
plant diseases accurately, compare visible signs and symptoms of the
disease with descriptions in reference books. Some diseases are more
difficult to identify, and you may need a laboratory analysis or the
help of an expert. These services are available through landscape
professionals or your local extension office.
Determine if a Control Measure is needed
Determine if the damage is severe enough to justify a management
tactic. Is the damage actually affecting the health of the plant? If not,
does it make the plant look bad enough to detract from the
appearance of your landscape? You may become alarmed if you
notice that caterpillars are making holes in leaves, but if the damage
is slight or occurs late in the season, you probably won't need to
control the caterpillars.
Are the pest's natural enemies present? In most cases, they will be. If
so, an application of a nonselective insecticide could kill them,
allowing the pest population to rebound uninhibited by predators and
parasites, which may have been providing significant control.
Choose a Method
If a control is needed, consider physical or bio rational methods first.
If they are unavailable or impractical, you may need to carefully use
a conventional chemical control.
Physical methods
Pests can be removed from plants physically. For example, some
aphids and mites can be knocked off by spraying the plant with
water. Bagworm larvae can be picked off an infested plant.
You can use traps to catch certain pests, and barriers to protect plants
from insect attack or disease infection. One effective method for
controlling gypsy moth larvae on small numbers of trees is to put a
band of folded burlap around the tree trunk to provide an artificial
resting site for the caterpillars, and then destroy the caterpillars that
gather there. Applying an anti-transpiring spray to lilac leaves in
summer to prevent infection by the spores of powdery mildew is
another example of a protective barrier.
In some cases, the best solution may be physically removing the plant
and replacing it with one that will not be affected by the pest or
disease. Thinning crowded plants to improve air circulation can
reduce many disease problems.
Bio rational methods
Bio rational methods can be divided into two groups. The first group
includes living organisms that can kill the pest. The second group
includes naturally occurring bio chemical’s that are harmful to the
pest yet often are harmless to other living organisms.
Insect pests frequently have natural enemies that are beneficial to the
landscape. These beneficial insects often exist in the landscape
naturally, but they also can be introduced. "Beneficial’s" may be
predators or parasites. One common example of a beneficial predator
is the lady beetle. Both the larvae and adult lady beetles eat aphids
and other soft-bodied insects. Other predators include lacewings,
spined soldier bugs, flower flies, and spiders. Parasites live on and
often kill another organism, called the host. Some parasitic wasps use
caterpillars, whiteflies, aphids, and soft scales as hosts.An example
of a method that uses a naturally occurring biochemical is the
bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. Bacillus thuringiensis contains a
protein that is poisonous to specific insects, yet harmless to other
organisms. Bt can be sprayed on plants. When the sensitive insect
pest feeds on the sprayed leaves, it will ingest the protein and be
killed.
2.3 Bio pesticides/Bio insecticides
Bio pesticides are certain types of pesticides derived from such natural
materials as animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals. For example,
canola oil and baking soda have pesticidal applications and are
considered bio pesticides.
Classification of Bio pesticide
Bio pesticides fall into three major classes-
1. Biochemical pesticides are naturally occurring substances that control
pests by non-toxic mechanisms. Conventional pesticides, by contrast, are
generally synthetic materials that directly kill or inactivate the pest.
Biochemical pesticides include substances that interfere with mating,
such as insect sex pheromones, as well as various scented plant extracts
that attract insect pests to traps. Because it is sometimes difficult to
determine whether a substance meets the criteria for classification as a
biochemical pesticide, EPA has established a special committee to make
such decisions.
2. Microbial pesticides consist of a microorganism (e.g., a bacterium,
fungus, virus or protozoan) as the active ingredient. Microbial pesticides
can control many different kinds of pests, although each separate active
ingredient is relatively specific for its target pest. For example, there are
fungi that control certain weeds and other fungi that kill specific insects.
The most widely used microbial pesticides are subspecies and strains of
Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bacillus thuringiensis. Each strain of this
bacterium produces a different mix of proteins and specifically kills one
or a few related species of insect larvae. While some Bacillus
thuringiensis ingredients control moth larvae found on plants, other
Bacillus thuringiensis ingredients are specific for larvae of flies and
mosquitoes. The target insect species are determined by whether the
particular Bacillus thuringiensis produces a protein that can bind to a
larval gut receptor, thereby causing the insect larvae to starve.
3. Plant-Incorporated-Protestants (PIPs) are pesticidal substances that
plants produce from genetic material that has been added to the plant.
For example, scientists can take the gene for the Bacillus thuringiensis
pesticidal protein and introduce the gene into the plant's own genetic
material. Then the plant, instead of the Bacillus thuringiensis bacterium,
manufactures the substance that destroys the pest. The protein and its
genetic material, but not the plant itself, are regulated by EPA.
Advantages of bio pesticides
• Bio pesticides are usually inherently less toxic than conventional
pesticides.
• Bio pesticides generally affect only the target pest and closely related
organisms, in contrast to broad spectrum, conventional pesticides that
may affect organisms as different as birds, insects and mammals.
• Bio pesticides often are effective in very small quantities and often
decompose quickly, resulting in lower exposures and largely avoiding
the pollution problems caused by conventional pesticides.
• When used as a component of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
programs, bio pesticides can greatly reduce the use of conventional
pesticides, while crop yields remain high.
Bio-insecticides
Bio-insecticides are organic formulations recommended for the
management of insects that feed on crops. They are different from
chemical pesticides in several ways. They contain live bacteria that
produce toxins which cause stomach poison in the insects and kill them.
