NATURAL ORGANIC and BIOLOGICAL FARMING INTRODUCTION TO: NATURAL FARMING With ORGANIC & BIOLOGICAL TECHNOLOGY (An Attempt to go back to Mother Nature) Prepared and compiled by: REX A. RIVERA Agronomist Year 2008 Address: 30 Lapu Lapu St., General Santos City, Philippines Email: rarivera8@yahoo.com Website: www.freewebs.com/organicfarmphil Tel. No. 083-301-0117 Mobile: 0905-242-2691

NATURAL ORGANIC and BIOLOGICAL FARMING Natural Organic and Biological Farming is now possible with practical technology, we can teach farmers. We do not need to depend entirely on synthetic toxic agro-chemicals. There is a growing market demand world wide for organically grown food crops as fruits and vegetables.

INTRODUCTION We can grow healthful food with NATURAL ORGANIC AND BIOLOGICAL FARMING systems. The knowledge and simple but practical technology, can protect your crops and help you earn more from your garden and farm. Let’s return to “Natural Farming” and Sustainable Agriculture.

NATURAL FARMING is a culture where plants are grown very close to 100% natural environment with least human intervention. It can remedy the degradation of our soil, environment, ecosystem and life or bio diversity. Nature has abundant beneficial insects, microorganism and herbs we can use to grow crops.

THE NATURAL LAWS Natural laws are those that govern all of creation, the environment, plants, animals, the land, waters, weather, climate and the cycle of life and matter. Farmers have to learn the interplay of these natural laws with the nature, habit and characteristic of the crops they grow. This is SUSTAINABLE FARMING.

COMPONENTS of NATURAL FARMING Organic Pesticides and Repellant Organic Fungicide Organic Compost Fertilizer Organic Foliar Fertilizer Biological Pest Control Use of beneficial fungus Use of beneficial bacteria Use of insect parasite and predators

NATURAL FARMING SYSTEMS AND PRACTICES Zero cultivation and following IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Bio pest control - natural enemies. Use of organic compost fertilizer. Use organic liquid foliar fertilizer. Planting resistant and tolerant crops Crop rotation, and Inter cropping Following - resting the soil.

SUSTAINABLE FARMING Inter cropping pest repellant plants. Integrated cropping pattern. Growing right crop on the right soil, climate, time and place or region. Use of soil and seed inoculants. Growing leguminous cover crops. Preserve natural forest vegetation for herbs and bio-diversity. Bio Chard or charcoal soil

BIOCHARD or CHARCOAL SOIL Biochar? What is it, and what is it good for? Biochar is basically charcoal, the natural kind made from charring wood or other biomass by driving off the moisture and volatile gases, leaving mostly carbon. This carbon does 2 main things: it greatly aids soils for plant nutrition, and it holds (sequesters) carbon, creating a negative carbon footprint.

ORGANIC FARMING Organic farming is a form of agriculture which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, plant growth regulators, and livestock feed additives. It rely more on the use of crop residue extracts and animal waste, microbial decomposition to supply the needed plant nutrients and biological protection against pest and disease.

CROP TOTATION As much as possible, organic farmers rely on crop rotation, crop residues, animal manures composting and mechanical cultivation to maintain soil productivity and tilt (soil texture) to supply plant nutrients, and to control weeds, insects and other pests and diseases (pathogens).

What is organic farming? Organic farming refers to agricultural production systems used to produce food and fiber. Organic farming management relies on developing biological diversity in the field to disrupt habitat for pest organisms, and the purposeful maintenance and replenishment of soil fertility. Organic farmers are not allowed to use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.

ORGANIC FARM PRODUCTS All kinds of agricultural products are produced organically, including produce, grains, meat, dairy, eggs, fibers such as fruits, vegetables, grains, root crops, spices, flowers, ornamentals and processed food products. Poultry and livestock raised and feed with organic feeds in natural environment.

Essential characteristics of organic systems include: Design and implementation of an "organic system plan" that describes the practices used in producing crops and livestock products; A detailed recordkeeping system that tracks all products from the field to point of sale; and Maintenance of buffer zones to prevent inadvertent contamination by synthetic farm chemicals from adjacent conventional fields.

HOW DO ORGANIC FARMING WORK? Organic farming build healthy soils by nourishing the living component of the soil, the microbial inhabitants that release, transform, and transfer nutrients. Soil organic matter contributes to good soil structure and water-holding capacity. Introduce vermi-culture composting. Adopt green manureing.

SOIL MICROBS Organic farming feed soil biota (Soil inoculants - microorganism) and build soil structure and water-holding capacity. Organic farmers build soil organic matter with cover crops, compost, and biologically based soil amendments.

These produce healthy plants that are better able to resist disease and insect predation. Organic farmers' primary strategy in controlling pests and diseases is prevention through good plant nutrition and management.

COVER CROPS Organic farmers use cover crops and sophisticated crop rotations to manage the field ecology, effectively disrupting habitat for weeds, insects, and disease organisms. Weeds are controlled through crop rotation, mechanical tillage, and hand-weeding, as well as through cover crops, mulches, and other management methods.

Organic farming rely on a diverse population of soil organisms, beneficial insects, and birds to keep pests in check. When pest populations get out of balance, growers implement a variety of strategies such as the use of insect predators, mating disruption, traps and barriers.

ORGANIC PROGRAM RULES Under the National Organic Program Rule, growers are required to use sanitation and cultural practices first before they can resort to applying a material to control a weed, pest or disease problem. Use of these materials in organic production is regulated, strictly monitored, and documented. As a last resort, certain botanical or other non-synthetic pesticides may be applied.

Natural Farming Practices Zero cultivation and following, (Rest and rejuvenate the soil). Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Insect traps, lure and attractants. Use of Biological pest control (natural enemies of pest) Use of Organic Compost fertilizer and bio micro inoculants. Use of Organic Pest and Disease control materials (HOC–Herbal Organic Concentrate)

REVIEW Use of indigenous resistant plant varieties and strain. Practice crop rotation and following (resting the soil for some time). Growing and inter-cropping of pest repellant and herbal plants. Integrated cropping pattern to prevent growth of toxic weeds. Growing the right crop on the right soil, climate and at the right time

BIOLOGICAL FARMING The objectives of Biological Farming as part of Natural Farming is to produce food crops without the use and traces of toxic synthetic chemical product. In this case, we will be using living organisms from the microscopic beneficial fungus and bacteria to insects and animals and other life forms.

MATERIALS USED IN NATURAL FARMING SYSTEMS: Review Organic pesticides and repellants. Organic fungicides and antibiotics. Organic compost fertilizers w/ BMO. Organic Foliar Fertilizer w/ BMO. Biological Pest Control agents: 1. Beneficial fungus, bacteria & yeast. 2. Use of parasites and predators. 3. Birds, animals feeding on pests.

HOC – Herbal Organic Concentrate We have very good news. We developed a new organic product that can replace many Agro Chemicals used in conventional farming. It is HOC-4n1, with four properties: Foliar Fertilizer with trace elements Pest Repellant Insecticide Fungicide With BMO (Beneficial Microorganism)

BIOLOGICAL PEST CONTROL There are many beneficial insects, birds; animals that help suppress the population of insect pest. Providing them home and habitat within your farm will greatly lessen incidents of serious infestation. Bacteria, yeast and fungus (BYM) Pro-biotic that fight bad bacteria and fungus; and damage the egg as well as adult insect pests can be very helpful at low cost while renewable as they live and grow.

NATURAL HABITAT We encourage green belting and preserving a natural forest within your farm to host and preserve wild animals, birds, insects and beneficial microorganisms. Beneficial herbal plants will also grow and become source of pest control materials

HOW BIOCONTROL WORKS The method of biological control or biocontrol makes use of natural agents such as friendly beneficial insects in controlling pests. The natural agents control the pest through: *PREDATION – Killing & Eating *PARASITIZATION - Feeding *INFECTION -Disease

The biological agents Predators such as ladybird beetle, spiders, dragonflies and mites. Parasites such as Trichogramma, Braconids Pathogens such as bacteria and fungi which cause diseases to pest.

Advantages of biologicals Safe to man, animals, fishes and birds. Safe to the environment with very high level (88-94%) of control Require less labor than the chemical control. Requires minimal expenses. Cheap compared to chemicals.

Disadvantages of Biologicals: Very hard to rear commercially. It will need laboratory facilities secure, sanitized and away from other biological rearing facility. It will need constant attention and monitoring by expert workers. Due to complex parasites that will attack the host and feed competitors during rearing and field placement. Will need correct timing in rearing and field release that farmers should well understand and follow right application procedures.

SOME ENENIES OF INSECT PESTS Trichogramma Braconid Pirate bug Spiders Praying Manthis Birds Frogs etc.

BIO - IPM IPM is a kind of management using different strategies and techniques such as cultural, biological and chemical in controlling insect pests and diseases in agricultural crops. Know the season when insect breeds like Corn Borer in Mid May - July start of the rainy season. Aug.- Sept has less pest.

Three (3) kinds of insect control: Cultural: Land preparation, cultivation, cropping pattern, irrigation and drainage, pruning and thinning, sanitation, etc. Biologolical : Using predators, parasites and pathogens. Chemical: The use of chemical or organic biological preparations as insecticides or insect repellant.

Basic biological control procedure: Introduction of potential natural enemies. Augmentation through periodic release of natural enemies. Conservation by maintaining an alternate food for the natural enemies while the pest population is low.

Basic biological control procedure: Biological control agents: Predators such as ants, ladybird beetle, lace wings, spider, preying mantis, hover flies, birds, frogs, etc. Pathogens such as Bacteria and fungus like mf, bt, npv, etc. Parasites like Trichogramma and Braconids.

Different kinds of Pesticides: Insecticides for insect pests. Fungicide for fungus or mold. Bactericide for bacteria. Nematocide for nematodes. Herbicide for weeds or herbs. Rodenticide for rodents or rats. Acaricide for trips and mites.

MICRO-BIOLOGICAL FARMING Bacteria, yeast and molds (BYM) are now being introduced in Agriculture to help farmers grow crops with lesser or no dependence on toxic synthetic chemicals. Some of the products now available in the market for mango culture and other crops are: EM, BMO, HOC, etc.

MYCOMET (Metharizium anisopliae) M.a. is a pure culture of beneficial soil inhabiting fungus that is used for the biological control of more than 300 species of insects and anthropods. It is used in controlling aphids, beetles, leaf miner, fruit borers, earworm, crickets, diamond back moth, worms, hoppers, locust, nematodes, black bug, housefly, spittle bug, white grub weevil, wireworm, thrips, ticks, termites, cockroaches, whiteflies and other insect pests.

MYCOBO (Beuvaria bassiana) Discovered by Balsamo Vuillemin, is a pure culture of beneficial fungus that is used as a biological control agent to parasitize insects. This is used in controlling more than 200 species of insects. Among them are ants, aphids, diamond back moth, cockroaches, mealybugs, psyllids, thrips, whitefly, and termites.

SEED and SOIL INOCULATS Several bacteria, fungus and other beneficial microorganisms have now been developed and marketed for easy farmers use as seed and soil inoculants to increase soil fertility and help in the general vigor and productivity of plants. Example: Bio-N (Nitrogen fixing bacteria), MICOVAM (Mychorriza)

SUMMARY IN BRIEF We have to learn the laws of nature in the Land the Sea and the Sky. We should understand the interplay in Nature and the environment of plants, animals with the matter. We are in a continuing process of learning the intricate mysteries of nature.

CONCLUSION We can now grow our crops, following the natural law and adopt Natural Organic and Biological Farming Systems that are self sustaining, production cost reduction, and healthful organic food crops that are very much in demand in the domestic and export market today. We can grow healthful crops. at lower cost.

THANK YOU Prepared By: REX A. RIVERA Agronomist 30 Lapu Lapu St. General Santos City Email: rarivera8@yahoo.com Web: www.freewebs.com/organicfarmphil Mobile: 0905-242-2691 Tel. No. 083-301-0117