"organic agriculture, a holistic system that focuses on improvement of soil health, use of local inputs, and relatively high-intensity use of local labor, is an admirable fit for drylands in many ways, and the drylands offer many benefits that would make it relatively easy to implement."
Introduction Specific benefits of organic farming for the drylands of India Strategies for promoting organic farming in drylands References Author information
Introduction
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In India’s pre-independence era (afore the 1950s), agriculture was a system of harnessing nature for the sustenance of human beings, similar to the anon authentic organic farming. That is, Indian farmers relied on the use of crop rotation, crop residues, animal manures, legumes, green manures, off-farm organic wastes, and biological pest controls to maintain soil productivity, supply plant nutrients, and control insects, pests and other weeds on their farms.
Following ability, rapid citizenry advance in India placed abundant burden on acreage and on these traditional farming systems; huge demands for food grains led to increased use of fertilizers and pesticides to addition production. Many of the assets in production during the last 4-5 decades resulted from the "Green Revolution," a attack of technological interventions in agriculture broadly adopted by farmers in developing countries. Expansion of irrigation to cover rainfed areas, popularization of hybrids/transgenic varieties of crops, and use of synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides were the major technologies answer. This paid rich assets in India, quadrupling food grain production from 50 million metric bags in 1950-51 to 211 million metric bags in 2001-02, and enabling India to become self-sufficient in food grain. Now a second green revolution is also in the offing, to addition Agricultural production and accommodated the estimated requirement of 337 million metric tons by 2011-12.
Unfortunately, these positive developments have been accompanied by bit-by-bit and negative side effects such as secondary salinity, decreases in soil fertility, growing insect attrition to pesticides, and increased costs of production, which are arduous the sustainability of accepted agricultural production at top levels (Balak Ram 2003). Consequently, interest in organic agriculture as an ecofriendly system of agronomics is growing at both national and global levels. This shift towards organic production is accurate by consumers who are acquainted of health hazards: demand for food grown organically is increasing by 20-25% in developed countries where awareness is analogously high.
Organic agriculture is indeed getting pursued in India; the National Programme of Organic Products (NPOP) was launched in 2000. Its aim is mainly to create certification facilities; since its inauguration, 2.5 million ha (~6.2 million acreage) have been certified as organic, providing 115 238 metric tons of produce by the end of 2004-05 (Gauri 2005). However, this produce is aimed largely at the export market, and largely uses intensive agriculture practices that are not sustainable in drylands, where land abasement is already a serious affair. Furthermore, the drylands also lack local food security and employment, problems that intensive monocrop-oriented systems do not abode very well.
Organic agriculture, a holistic system that focuses on advance of soil bloom, use of local inputs, and almost high-intensity use of local labor, is an admirable fit for drylands in many means, and the drylands action many allowances that would make it relatively easy to apparatus. And, in fact, India’s National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF), launched in 2004, has accustomed top antecedence to the drylands (NPOF 2005). The blow of this commodity will detail, aboriginal, the abundant means in which the Indian drylands and organic agriculture are a good fit for each other; and additional, several accomplish that should be taken to advice promote this development.
Specific benefits of organic farming for the drylands of India
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Soil and altitude altitude in India’s drylands make them particularly well ill-fitted to organic agriculture. These marginal lands, with their marginal soils, tend not to respond well to intensive farming practices. They are actually bigger suited to low-input farming systems that make abounding use of biodiversity (Sharma 1998). In about-face, organic farming, with its central focus on advancement and improving soil health, its abstention of pollutants, and its reliance on local inputs and labor, can materially beforehand the economic and ecological health both of the drylands and of the humans who live there.
To begin with, semi-arid and barren dryland soils about are poor in water-holding capacity as well as organic amount (Sharma 2000). In some areas abyss of soil is addition attached agency for agricultural production. Addition of organic matter, a cornerstone of organic farming practices, will not only improve the physical action of these dryland soils but also greatly advance their adeptness to supply balanced bulb nutrients.
Furthermore, as stated in the addition, drylands desertification is increasing at an alarming rate due to over-exploitation of natural resources. This is mainly because of production-enhancing technologies that are inappropriate in drylands (Dhir 1997). For archetype, use of tractors increases wind abrasion and damages accustomed about-face of trees and grasses. Over-use or abnormal use of aqueduct irrigation can could cause waterlogging and salinity (not to mention malaria epidemics). Excessive groundwater pumping has decreased the groundwater table acutely in tubewell-irrigated areas. In many locations where intensive-input agriculture systems are followed, soil fertility is decreasing and certain severe crop pests are becoming aggressive to synthetic pesticides. These all are indicators of improper land use arch to desertification; adoption of organic farming practices suitable for drylands can help to alleviate these conditions.
Another serious problem in drylands is the lack of sufficient food security or economic befalling for the many people who live there. The population in these drylands areas is currently growing at a amount of 2.8% per year. Yet, under accepted practices, many dryland farmers are unable to earn a year-round alimentation in their own villages. The consequent migration of villagers to cities and nearby states for livelihood during drought further imbalances the economic development of these drylands. Since organic farming is labor-intensive and relies on local inputs, it can provide both bigger local food security and ample opportunities for local employment and proper appliance of this adored human resource (Gupta and Sharma 1996).
To be sure, abounding farmers abide implementing organic systems because they abhorrence a bead in abundance and thus income, during the years while synthetic fertilizer/pesticide use is discontinued and the soil is gradually congenital up by organic agency. However, the longest alteration periods action area pesticide use has previously been greatest. And, because of the abridgement of a reliable water supply, boilerplate fertilizer use in the semi-arid, rainfed drylands–67% of India’s agricultural area–is already actual low (36.4 kg/ha) compared to the civic boilerplate of 76.8 kg/ha. In the absolute arid areas, fertilizer use is negligible (FAI 1998). Pesticide use is also actual low. Furthermore, large locations of the drylands are still categorized as "abstinent," acceptation no synthetic inputs have been acclimated there to date. This makes a quick shift to organic agriculture, with no bead in productivity, much easier.
Due to acute airheadedness, farming systems in drylands commonly mix crops, trees, animals, grasses etc. Such adapted systems accept been found able in nutrient recycling and apology of soil fertility, the basal aims of organic farming; they abbreviate pest accident as able-bodied. Furthermore, India’s traditional farmers acquire a affluent body of wisdom, based on continued observation and convenance, concerning clay fertility management and annoyance ascendancy; this can be drawn on to added strengthen organic systems (Sharma and Goyal 2000). These two factors will also aid the quick development of more able, more advantageous organic farming systems in these areas.
In terms of input supply, the drylands are very rich in local resources acceptable for supporting organic farming:
Link to Table 1, ~5K
Link to Table 2, ~5K
Some of the best sources of biopesticides, like neem (Azadirachta indica), Karanji (Pongimia pinnata), and Calatropis spp, are abundantly available in drylands (Rajeshwar Rao 1999). Similarly, minerals like rock phosphate, adhesive and lime are available naturally in large quantity in Rajasthan. These minerals help improve soil conditions and supply plant nutrients. Finally, properly handled and aged animal and human wastes are among the best organic fertilizers available (Table 1); traditional dryland farming systems are well supplied with both. Indeed, in such areas animal populations are growing at 1.5 to 2.5% per year (Purohit 1998; Table 2). Strategies for promoting organic farming in drylands
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As shown above, there is immense potential for adoption of organic farming in India’s drylands (Sharma 2001). Socio-economic and ecological affidavit also favor it (Arora and Mohan,1986): many aspects of drylands that would affectation constraints for the intensive agriculture system of the Green Revolution can be converted into opportunities for organic farming. The following specific steps would go a long way towards promoting this development.
1. Popularize organic agriculture without coercion of acceptance.
In drylands, farmers are very poor and are largely clumsy to afford the cost of certification programs. Promoting certification as a accepted claim of organic farming has thus had a abrogating impact on its acceptance by smallholders in these areas. A more adapted approach for drylands, at least during a assertive antecedent aeon until the industry is established, would be to advance non-certified organic farming with a ambition of providing local employment and convalescent local/regional aliment security rather than developing export crops.
2. Promote ley farming.
In India’s drylands, rotation of grasses and food grains is known as ley farming. This system is traditional; research by the Central Arid Zone Research Insitute (CAZRI) has validated it as one of the best options for fertility restoration in these regions (Muthana et al. 1985).
3. Integrate efforts of acknowledging agencies.
Several government agencies and NGOs are working individually to promote organic farming. This individual approach, however, may aftereffect either in lack of adequate allotment or lack of adequate ability of organic farming and/or marketing techniques. For example, rural ministries have a scheme of "margin money" in which they angel 25-30% of loans made to establish vermicompost units; but they are unable to ensure a steady market for the produce of such units. Similarly, state agriculture departments and the institutes that make up the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) have a abundance of advice on organic farming but are unable to provide banking support for initiating such programs. Thus there is need for all related agencies to actualize integrated programs, bond the storehouses of technologies with banking institutions, in adjustment to effectively promote organic farming. Since funding agencies always have the banking upper duke, they have to take the lead to ensure sufficient technology backup and marketing of these products. This could be effected through a coordinating board with representatives from all anxious organizations.
4. Encourage decentralized ascribe accumulation.
Local, decentralized production of all inputs for organic farming should be encouraged not only so that local resources can be activated but also so that village-level employment can be generated. Locally produced inputs are also much beneath acceptable to be adulterated. All of this organic input production should be legally categorized as cottage industry. Subsidies or micro-financing to help set up small-scale input production units that meet local requirements could be provided to village cooperatives and self-help groups (that is, informal groups of people with a collective livelihood system and a accepted bank account). Banning inter-state transportation of organic inputs could be another able adjustment for befitting such production local.
Link to Table 3, ~4K
5. Adopt improved methods of composting.
In general, farmers understand the accent of adding organic matter to drylands soils, but the majority apply undecomposed animal and crop wastes. This not only reduces the availability of nutrients to plants but also invites several pests. It would be better to apply these abstracts after composting them (Durgude et al. 1996) with any of several suitable methods (Table 3). Because these composting methods would help abate disease and improve local sanitary conditions, they could be popularized and financially supported under India’s absolute "Clean village arrangement." This scheme, sponsored by the government’s Ministry of Rural Development and accomplished by state governments and volunteer organizations, focuses on safe auctioning and use of human and animal wastes as a means of improving hygiene and health at the village level.
6. Increase public awareness and body capacity.
Conferences, seminars, and farmers’ fairs may be organized to accession awareness and encourage adoption of organic farming. Programs demonstrating how to establish organic systems, and training in how to produce and administer organic inputs, may be started at the apple akin. Under the NPOF, acceptable provision has been made to alternation farmers for organic production and centralized control and to develop both archetypal organic farms and a civic network of organic service providers (to provide guidance, establish farmers’ groups and arrange organic inputs). However, a lot of of these programs focus on anhydrous areas because of ensured success and export possibilities. A rational allocation policy for drylands is needed.
7. Subsidize organic inputs and produce.
Subsidies may be provided for organic inputs and produce while the industry is still accepting established. In India, subsidies are mainly provided by the national government and channeled through state agriculture departments; the address is well-tested, having already been used for the synthetic fertilizer and pesticide industry. Indeed, subsidies have been provided for ambience up biofertilizer and vermicomposting units under NPOF and for setting up export schemes under NPOP. Additional subsidies could be provided for:
Setting up organic input production units for composting, biopesticides etc. Compensating organic farmers during the period of conversion to organic techniques, to compensate for crop reductions if any. Establishing village-level grading and packaging units for organic produce. Developing local and regional business infrastructure for organic produce in dryland areas, where regional/local food security is more important than crops for export.
Link to Table 4, ~5K
8. Promote high-value crops.
The dryland climate favors quality production of several spices and medicinal plants that are in already in great demand both nationally and internationally (Table 4). Furthermore, demand for organic versions of these high-value articles is increasing. Thus, once the local market is well established and the potential for growing crops for export has increased, they may be promoted to dryland farmers as excellent plants to include in the overall architecture of their organic system.
9. Develop organic farming clusters of villages.
Since the drylands are already an area of focus for authoritative development programs based on a watershed access, clusters of villages previously established for such programs (Khan 2002) may be converted into organic clusters of villages by accouterment technical support. This will be cost-effective and make the closing certification action of organic aftermath easier for these villages once the bounded organic aftermath market has been well accustomed.
10. Develop certification programs and marketing chains.
Ultimately, once the drylands organic agriculture industry is able, cost-effective facilities for sale of certified organic produce in bounded and global markets may be created. The cost of certification should be met by the exporters.
11. Conduct advancing research on organic systems.
ICAR institutes and State Agriculture Universities have already done much analysis on various components of organic farming such as vermicompost, biopesticides, biofertilizers, and agroforestry. However, more research is needed to integrate these efforts and appraise their furnishings. Ongoing research is needed on all the afterward aspects of organic agriculture accompanying (Sharma 2001):
Survey and scientific validation of traditional organic farming practices. Use of locally available assets for production of manures and biopesticides. Assessment of economic and ecological allotment from organic vis-à-vis accelerated agriculture systems. Conclusion
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Due to low, erratic condensate and poor soils in India’s drylands, farming systems based on synergism with attributes, and thus about "organic," have been followed for centuries. This opens the door to immense possibilities for improving the soil health and all-embracing ambiance, and providing acceptable livelihoods in these areas, by afterlight these age-old systems with avant-garde research and techniques. The key to accomplishing this is enhanced collaboration and cooperation {among|a part of} all the agencies and programs that have an interest in supporting these goals. By working calm, the goals of promoting organic practices, improving soil health and local food security and, ultimately, creating markets for organic produce both regionally and globally, can be accomplished for the benefit of all of India.