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A Critical Discussion on the Methods Currently Recommended to Support Organic Crop Farming in India


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1 47 ICRISAT Colony -1, Brig. Sayeed Road, Secunderabad 500009, Telangana State, India
     

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Excessive use and abuse of agro-chemicals during the "Green Revolution" period led to serious concerns about environmental pollution and that resulted in a shift to the "reduced chemical" or "non-chemical" farming methods. Beginning in 1990s, researchers and farm policy makers all over the world, including India, re-focused their attention to "organic farming". I have described and discussed most of the methods currently recommended in different parts of India. These methods are: (i) The natural way of farming or "Do Nothing" farming by Fukuoka, (ii) Biodynamic agriculture by Steiner - introduced in India, (iii) Vermi-culture developed by Appelhof- introduced in India, (iv) "Natueco" culture by Dabholkar, (v) Zero Budget Natural Farming by Palekar, (vi) Rishi-Krishi by Deshpande, (vii) Agnihotra by disciples of Gajanan Maharaj of Akkalkot, (viii) Panchagavya by Natarajan, (ix) Krishi-suktis and Vrikshayurveda by sages and scholars of ancient and medieval India, (x) Compost tea by Ingham- introduced in India, and (xi) Bokashi tea by Higa- introduced in India. I have also discussed potential of all these methods in supporting food security of India.
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  • A Critical Discussion on the Methods Currently Recommended to Support Organic Crop Farming in India

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Authors

Y. L. Nene
47 ICRISAT Colony -1, Brig. Sayeed Road, Secunderabad 500009, Telangana State, India

Abstract


Excessive use and abuse of agro-chemicals during the "Green Revolution" period led to serious concerns about environmental pollution and that resulted in a shift to the "reduced chemical" or "non-chemical" farming methods. Beginning in 1990s, researchers and farm policy makers all over the world, including India, re-focused their attention to "organic farming". I have described and discussed most of the methods currently recommended in different parts of India. These methods are: (i) The natural way of farming or "Do Nothing" farming by Fukuoka, (ii) Biodynamic agriculture by Steiner - introduced in India, (iii) Vermi-culture developed by Appelhof- introduced in India, (iv) "Natueco" culture by Dabholkar, (v) Zero Budget Natural Farming by Palekar, (vi) Rishi-Krishi by Deshpande, (vii) Agnihotra by disciples of Gajanan Maharaj of Akkalkot, (viii) Panchagavya by Natarajan, (ix) Krishi-suktis and Vrikshayurveda by sages and scholars of ancient and medieval India, (x) Compost tea by Ingham- introduced in India, and (xi) Bokashi tea by Higa- introduced in India. I have also discussed potential of all these methods in supporting food security of India.

References