Organic Inputs

What is bio-pesticides?

bio-pesticides

Pesticides that have been made out of natural materials from animals, plants, bacteria and other natural minerals then they are called bio-pesticides. Different forms of neem like the kernel extract, seed and leaf etc. are being used in India as pesticides for organic farms due to their effectiveness and lost cost.

Does organic farming use organic seeds?

organic seeds

According to the specification outlined by the NOP, organic farming should be done using organically produced and handled seeds if they are available for that particular variety. The annual transplants should always be grown organically unless the secretary of Agriculture issue a notice for a temporary variance due to a natural disaster in the region. Chemically untreated seeds or seeds treated with microbial products should be used for organic farms. If organic seeds are available commercially then they can be used for farming.

What is organic label?

organic label

Organic produce with an organic label indicates that the product is certified against some standards outlined by the organic council. The label is generally given by a certification body of the respective country where the product is farmed and it informs the consumer on the type of standards followed during production and processing and the type of recognition granted by the certifying body. This label works as a guide for the consumer to know more about the product and its quality. There are many different standards on which the produce may be certified such as international voluntary standards, National mandatory standards, local voluntary standards and accreditation.

Why do farmers use a combination of manures and fertilizers in their fields?

manures

Manure is an organic matter in which many nutrients packed into a tremendously interconnected structure. Generally, if only a required nutrient is applied as fertilizer to the plants, then there is a possible risk of it being leached away or lost due to fixation. This results in insufficient supply of nutrients to the plant, but if fertilizer is applied long with manure, then it remains in the soil structure without getting leached and is made available for the plants.

What is the role of vermiwash in sustainable crop production?

sustainable

Vermi wash can be used as a potent biofertilizer to develop the germination and seedling survival rates in crop plants growing on nutrition depleted soils thus paving the way for sustainable agriculture using organic farming practices. It could be utilized efficiently for sustainable plant production at low input basis green farming. Vermi wash recorded significant growth and productivity in the black gram. Vermi wash is natural growth supplement for tea, coconut and also horticultural crops.

What is Biofertilizer?

Biofertilizer

It is consisting of living cells or latent cells of efficient strains of microorganisms that help plants growth obtain nutrients through their interaction in the rhizosphere when seeds are planted through the soil. Biofertilizer directly increase soil fertility by adding nutrients through the synthesis of environmental nitrogen fixers, phosphorus soluble and plant growth promoting substances.