In the conventional agriculture high crop yields are obtained and soil fertility and productivity are maintained by following improved practices including good seed, irrigation, fertilizer and pesticide application ,machinery use and good crop management.The conventional agriculture is now meeting the food and nutritional requirements of the current high populations in countries like India.The low input agriculture basically relies on low nutrients inputs especially based on animal dung and urine like solid manures, slurries and dung and urine based liquid preparations. As these preparations are applied in a limited quantity, they may not meet the full nutritional requirement of crops in high yield environment. So the crop utilizes more of soil nutrients and in the long run the soil fertility may go down and crop productivity may fall.So , can the low input agricultural systems sustain both soil and crop productivity in long run?
My experience is that nutrient stripping inevitably results in decreasing crop yields. What we need is less erosion and improved recycling.
The answer to productivity issues lies in an integrated approach. Organic farming and natural farming can not be sufficient to meet the production targets for the current global population. An integrated approach that deploys both organics and inorganics is a sustainable system; Environmentally sustainable and socially sustainable.
Dear Annangi Subba Rao . See the following useful RG link: Article Impact of Zero Budget Natural Farming on Crop Yields in Andh...
Kindly see also the following useful RG link: Article Towards redesign at scale through zero budget natural farmin...
Also check please the following good link: http://www.ijpab.com/form/2020%20Volume%208,%20issue%203/IJPAB-2020-8-3-285-295.pdf
Agree with Paul Milham
I would add that the problem is not only in the long-term impoverishment of land, but in the unequal distribution of food resources on the planet, which many governments maintain as such.
Thank you @Annangi Subba Rao for rising up such interesting discussion. I am a soil biologist working specifically on soil fauna. So, my concern is always the soil biodiversity loss, may be on one side caused of this conventional Agriculture and also the opinion of many farmers that they do not tend to change their traditional old manners. But, using these old Agri-methods make the soil unbalanced in long-time. Therefore, I like to get this wonderful chance here to ask researchers who may share their experiences on how we can use our knowledge of soil fauna to show the accuracy of beneficial soil treatments as a proxy to old ones. I mean to pay attention to Conservation Agriculture. Thank you.
In organic farming, we have to add huge quantity of nutrient sources to maintain soil fertility, nutrient status and crop productivity .Which is indeed difficult as adding these huge quantity of nutrient sources like FYM or compost across a vast area of countries farm lands is perhaps possible. And in ZBNF,there is no external input addition .So this system is not sustainable at all in long run.
In the tropics, especially where I am, the Soils are very weak for farming activities, vegetables and fruits and cereal cultivation.
However, in cooperation of organic matter, waste and some litter dropping are found to aid crop productivity.
Trials conducted here overtime show up the combination of little inorganic fertilizer with much droppings from animals only sustain production but declines as soon as possible.
To my contribution, organic farming practices, minimum tillage coupled with climate smart Agriculture can improve farming
Low input of organic manure/substances will give less yields. But for realising higer yields more organic manure has to be applied but nowadays organic manure/substances are very limited. If a farmer aims to produce crop for his family needs he can opt the low input agriculture as it is much more healthy but for feeding the growing population or to get high productivity it's not possible with low input agriculture the
you can consult this site ----
Zero Budget Natural Farming - PIB
https://pib.gov.in › FactsheetDetails
Abhijit Mitra I am interested in scientific discussion , not publicity material.
Annangi Subba Rao Today, raising the level of productivity is a topical issue. The solution to this is a complex approach. In some literature I have witnessed a high yield through the complex application of organic and mineral fertilizers. In addition, sowing noo- tillage, the use of new modern innovative technologies, the complex use of biopreparations also give positive results. In this case, of course, the condition of the soil, the properties of the area should be taken into account.
In organic farming nutrient and other input required in huge quantity and if we applied manure, nutrient available to plant slowly. Organic farming is beneficial to soil to improve fertility and productivity but a marginal farmer see always profit for his daily needs and organic farming doesn't give him any type of profit or good output atleast first 3-4 year.
La agricultura orgánica se sustenta en prácticas agroecológicas adaptadas al medio, por lo que debemos trabajar en un todo, no solo tratar de "producir", ya que cualquier cultivo que ocupe una superficie considerable (40% o más) de la disponible, pasa a ser monocultivo, por lo tanto su impacto, independiente de que su manejo sea con filosofía orgánica o sustentable, muchas veces, no es sostenible, por lo que comenzará a requerir aportes de nutrientes externos y controladores de plagas y enfermedades. Una agricultura orgánica debe considerar como parte de su sistema, conservación de praderas naturales, ganadería extensiva, forestación nativa, todo esto aporta en los diferentes ámbitos de conservación del medio, las praderas naturales permiten una diversidad de especies que mejoran la estructura y composición del suelo, además de un control natural y/o biológico de plagas y enfermedades, la ganadería permite el abono natural de estiércol, sin dañar las fuentes de agua subterránea, ya que su carga inicial se descompone, siendo incorporada por los actores presentes en la cadena trófica edafológica, dejándola disponible para los cultivos, la forestación nativa es crucial para mantener los niveles de agua a nivel de acuífero libre e incluso más superficialmente, otorga sombra y por tanto disminuye la temperatura del suelo, infiltra el agua a él y permite la descompactación del suelo.
To feed ever increasing population of the country (India), alone dependence on the natural and organic farming is of risky business because
More quantity has to be applied being bulky in nature and of slow response to the crop plants..Pest management (especially weed, insect- pests and diseased organisms) by using non chemical approach is not pronounced in India because of higher risk .. Socioeconomic concerns of the farmers also playing role to not to adopt natural farming practices because of lesser risk bearing ability of the crop failure... Example of famine of Sri Lanka is well enough to understand the constraints of organic and natural farming practices... Integrated approach is again a viable and sustainable approach...
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Social Psychology
- Attitude