ORGANIC FARMING

Organic farming is perceived as wildlife friendly, but the benefits to birds, bees and butterflies don't compensate for the lower yields produced, according to a new study from the University of Leeds. "Over the next forty years, we're going to have to double food production worldwide to keep pace with population increases," says Professor Tim Benton, who led the study.

Biodynamic farming is a principal of organic farming where chemical fertilizers are replaced by microbial nutrient givers like algae, fungi, bacteria, micorhiza and actinomycetes. Biological pest management is the process of using the natural predators of pests like birds and parasites instead of chemical pesticides. Composting, green manuring, crop rotation, mixed cropping, bird perches and trap crops are other principles of organic farming. Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on superior and friendly techniques which includes:

·        Crop rotation,

·        Green manure,

·        Compost

·        Biological pest control

This maintains soil productivity and their characteristic nature. Scientists explains that organic farms have come out well in earlier research into biodiversity and wildlife, but as these farms tend to be found in areas with smaller fields, more hedges and woodland, they start with an advantage.

The organic farms that participated in the study produced less than half of the yield of their conventional counterparts, so the research - published in Ecology Letters - raises serious questions about how we can use agricultural land to maximize food production and still protect our wildlife.

Organic farming excludes or strictly limits the use of manufactured fertilizers and pesticides, plant growth regulators such as hormones, livestock antibiotics, food additives, and even genetically modified organisms. New farmers often come with the question that “how we can use agricultural land to maximize food production without using any chemicals.” Organic farms withstand severe weather conditions better than conventional farms, sometimes yielding 70-90% more than conventional farms during droughts. Organic farms are more profitable in the drier states of the United States, likely due to their superior drought performance. Organic farms survive hurricane damage much better, retaining 20 to 40% more topsoil and smaller economic losses at highly significant levels than their neighbors.

But the scientific studies revealed that there is an overall increase in the product quantity as well as quality using “ORGANIC FARMING” techniques. Several research centres across India and abroad are now stressing on the organic farming culture.