Organic Farming is a management system that provides fresh products. Nowadays, everyone wants to excess products without chemicals and sprays. Organic Farming helps to fulfil this demand in the best way. Simultaneously, it is preserving the environment and biodiversity.
Generally, the government defines Organic Farming. Farmers need to get a certificate for their products to be labelled as “organic.” There are precise organic standards for animals, crops, and wild-crafted products.
In conclusion, these standards exclude the use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, genetically engineered plants or crop yields, and ionizing radiations.
The term organic has the following categories of products:
Natural products:
vegetables, fruits, cereals, flowers, cotton, animals, milk, and eggs.
Processed products:
bread cheese, and instantaneous foods;
Animal foods such as organic soy cakes and seeds for reproducing vegetables.
Principles of Organic Farming
Organic Farming is becoming famous because it produces foods that grow naturally and have better quality. It always ensures soil fertility. Meanwhile, Organic Farming emphasizes on natural soil without using chemicals or synthetics. This thing provides a safe environment as no harmful products go in the air.
There are three main principles of Organic Farming.
- Health
- Ecology
- Fairness and Care
Health
Health is the whole thing and the integrity of livelihood. Healthy soil can grow healthy crops that result in healthy animals. In modern times consumers are getting conscious about food protection.
There are countless diseases such as asthma, heart disease, and food allergies, for instance, are related to inorganic Farming. It happens due to a lot of use of synthetic or chemicals in inorganic Farming; that strictly forbids in Organic Farming.
Ecology
This principle states that the core of production with Organic Farming is relying on recycling and the ecological process. We can use plenty of scraps as potential dung rather than burning all. It also saves the environment from pollution and smog.
The Principle of Fairness and Care
Organic Farming is only successful with a supporter of fairness. This principle mainly focuses on the relationship of righteousness at each level.
Yet, It includes all groups like processors, farmers, suppliers, distributors, and consumers. Moreover, every group should guarantee the care of the environment, water, soil, and animals.
Methods of Organic Farming
Science is essential to make sure that organic Farming is healthy and safe. However, scientific information alone is not satisfactory. Practical experience, wisdom, and conventional and original knowledge offer suitable solutions. Here are the nominal methods for successful Organic Farming.
Do you know how to Grow Hydroponic Fodder?
Organic Fertilizer
Organic Farming gives particular importance to the production of organic fertilizer. This progression includes using adequate nutrients to boost the growth of crops. Organic farming methods like bio-fertilizers, composting, and mulching will help to endorse healthy crop growth, along with soil richness.
Vermicompost is one more terrific method of incorporating the essential nutrients into the soil naturally.
Suitable Timing & Temperatures for Crop Growth
The core subject for Organic Farming is the preparation of the soil for planting. Soil preparation should take place at definite times before planting. While growing organic corn, work with organic compost or animal dung into the ground.
After that, cover with plastic sheets for a few weeks to guarantee the nutrients stay. Moreover, ensure the temperature of the ground at the time of planting is greater than 12°C (55℉).
Here, as a sample, some information about timing and temperature is given:
Hardy Vegetable
Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Cabbage, Lettuce, Onions, Radish, Peas, Turnips & Spinach falls under the category of Hardy vegetables.
Temperature
- Soil should dry
- Plant 2-4 weeks before spring.
It can endure temperatures as low as 4°C (40°F)
Semi-Hardy Vegetable
Cauliflower, Beets, Carrots, Parsnips, Parsley, Potatoes, & Swiss chard falls under the category of Semi-Hardy vegetables.
Temperature
- Soil should dry
- Plant 2-4 weeks before spring.
- Minimum Daytime Temperatures is 4°C (40°F) to 10°C (50°F)
Tender Vegetable
Tender vegetable are Beans, Celery, Summer Squash, NZ Spinach, Corn, and Cucumbers,
Temperature
- Soil should dry
- Plant around the spring season.
- Minimum Daytime Temperatures is 12°C (55°F)
Crop Rotation
Organic Farming relies on the natural and good health of the soil. So crop rotation is a prominent part of the course. Rotating crops in your field maintain the ground balanced, so; essential nutrients don’t get useless. It happens because a variety of crops necessitate different nutrients and left behind others.
Crop rotation is significant to diminish the pressure from weeds, insects, as supplementing nutrients in the soil. These entrap crops planted among the main crops will also maintain the ground rich and help evade erosion.
Weed Management
Weed management can be an uncertain block for farmers in producing organic corn and other crops. Weeds can decrease your yields. They can munch through resources projected for your crops, including sunlight, nutrients, and water.
There are lots of options that organic farmers can utilize to take control of weeds. These are including physical weeding (hand removal, cutting, and pulling), mechanical cultivation, and thermal control (burning). For corn, automatic weed control is the most refined technique.
Automatic Weed Control
It includes using disking, field cultivating, and ploughing to minimize the spread of particular permanent weeds.
Manual Weeding
It is efficient at minimizing the growth of small weeds. In this technique, a person pulls the weed on its own. But it is a very exhausting and time taking method.
Thermal Control
Thermal control is a process that uses propane, butane, or gas-powered flame thrower to clear the soil of blasted weeds. Flaming is perfect for crops that are planting out in spacious rows.
My all doubts are cleared about organic farming. Very thorough post admin. I have a question- what kind of equipment do we need for this farming?