The civilization of man is built around two of his greatest inventions – the plough and the wheel. The plough gave him freedom from hunger and the wheel has given him quicker mobility. These two inventions have been refined so much within a few thousand years by him to monopolize the management of natural resources to his selfish gains. But, he has reached a stage of bouncing back and threatening from the resources for his very existence. As a result many strategies have been emerging in managing natural resources for agriculture to make agriculture sustainable on the planet Earth. One of such strategies that has become the fashion of the day is ‘Organic Farming’. Organic Farming, which aims to cultivating land and raising crops in such a way as to keep the soil alive and in good health may be an alternative to the present system of farming solely depending on chemicals.

What is Organic farming?

Organic Farming is a productive system, which avoids largely excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives. To the maximum extent feasible, organic agriculture systems rely upon crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, legumes, green manures, off-farm organic wastes, mechanical cultivation, mineral bearing rocks, and aspects of biological pest control to maintain soil productivity, tilth, to supply plant nutrients and to control insects, weeds, and other pests. Here the soil is considered as a living system which must be fed in a way that does not restrict the activities of beneficial organisms necessary for recycling of plant nutrients and producing humus – a productive capital of the soil that is central to the organic farming system. The beauty of the system lies with how the farmer maintains organic matter in the soil and keeps them alive.

Why to adopt Organic Farming?

Many countries in the world have enough food despite problems with its distribution. Farmers in certain developed countries are going to go out of farming if those countries fail to export much of the food that they produce. On other hand, people from developed countries and high-income group in developing countries have become very choosy on their food quality and became ready to pay more for quality food. Further, they believe that the food produced organically is much safer and tastier. Accordingly, a market for organically grown produce has been developed internationally and to some extent in India

as well. Therefore, interest towards organic agriculture is mounting on to catch up benefits of this special market.

DISADVANTAGES OF CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS

1. Land turns infertile due to adverse effects of chemicals.
2. Plants loose their capacity to resist against pest and insects. Thus needs insecticides spray which increases expenditure.
3. Soil pH increases, reducing quality to produce.
4. Plant accumulates toxic residues thus unsafe and unhealthy for human consumption.
5. Environmental pollution increases not only due to their use but also from industries producing them.