1. Organic farming is a system which do not use synthetic inputs such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, hormones and relies on crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, off-farm organic waste and biological system of nutrient mobilization and plant protection. Organic farming promotes agro-ecosystem health and soil biodiversity and provides opportunity for export of horticultural crops. People are becoming health conscious and ready to purchase organically grown food and plant products. Introduction

2. Green Revolution in India has created lot of ecological and environmental problems like Soil deterioration due to intensive cultivation and reduction in crop production from High Yielding Varieties. Decrease in input use efficiency and declining water table. Increase soil salinity and crop susceptibility to pest and diseases and pest becoming highly tolerant to pesticides. Impact of Green Revolution

3. To produce chemical free healthy food and conserve genetic diversity of crop plants. To maintain and enhance long term soil fertility and encourage biological cycles involving soil flora and fauna. To help in soil and water conservation and minimize various forms of pollution in agricultural practices. To recycle agricultural waste products and preserve traditional and indigenous knowledge in farming system. Objectives of Organic Farming

4. Approaches in Organic Farming Use of Green Manuring crops Composting and use of Organic Manure Biological Pest Management Crop Rotation for residual benefits Bio-fertilizer application for soil micro-flora development Integration of Animal husbandry in crop production

5. Approaches for Organic Farming Use of Green Manuring Crops: Green manure crop like dhaincha, sunhemp, cowpea etc incorporated in soil at proper stage can improve soil fertility and reduces cost of external inputs like fertilizers. Composting and use of Organic Manure: Organic manure like cattle dung, rural & urban composts, animal wastes, crop residues can be recycled in to compost and used as manure for crop production. Organic manures like FYM. Compost, Oil Cakes, Bone meals, Blood meal can be used.

6. Approaches for Organic Farming Biological Pest Management: Biological agents like Trichoderma viride and Azadirachtin are effectively used to control pest and diseases in crops and pests are kept below economical threshold level. Crop Rotation for Residual Effects: It is practice of growing one crop after another on the same piece of land in different timings to enhance soil fertility through selection of crops which will help each other like Cereal crop rotated with Pulse crop in sequence.

7. Approaches for Organic Farming Integration of Animal Husbandry: Byproducts of animal husbandry like dung and urine are used as resources in organic farming. Bio-fertilizer Application: Bio-fertilizers like Azotobacter, Azospirillum, Rhizobium, mycorrhiza are preparations containing living cells of micro-organisms that help crop plants in uptake of nutrients by their biological interactions. It is cost effective components of organic farming, based on renewable source of plant nutrients.