scholarly journals Organic Vegetable Cultivation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Usha Nandhini Devi Harinarayanan ◽  
Pugalendhi Lakshmanan

Present day agricultural practices are posing a serious threat to the human population due to unscrupulous use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Conventional agricultural practices wherein large quantities and unscrupulous use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides are no longer safer as it directly enter the food chain. Hence, organic cultivation of vegetables is gaining momentum among the growing population. Organic practices rely on crop rotations, crop residues, plant and animal manures, growing of legume and green manure crops and biological control of pests and diseases. It aims to combine tradition, innovation and science in a balanced proportion to utilize the environment in safer manner and maintain ecological balance. Organic cultivation assures protection of the environment and plays a major role on the economy of a nation. Sustainable production of organic vegetables needs to be ensured to fetch premium price in the domestic as well as international markets. Organic farming has shown expansion in the recent years in the European countries offering scope for a better price in the international market.

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. Shirtliffe ◽  
Eric N. Johnson

AbstractOrganic farmers in western Canada rely on tillage to control weeds and incorporate crop residues that could plug mechanical weed-control implements. However, tillage significantly increases the risk of soil erosion. For farmers seeking to reduce or eliminate tillage, potential alternatives include mowing or using a roller crimper for terminating green manure crops (cover crops) or using a minimum tillage (min-till) rotary hoe for mechanically controlling weeds. Although many researchers have studied organic crop production in western Canada, few have studied no-till organic production practices. Two studies were recently conducted in Saskatchewan to determine the efficacy of the following alternatives to tillage: mowing and roller crimping for weed control, and min-till rotary hoeing weed control in field pea (Pisum sativum L.). The first study compared mowing and roller crimping with tillage when terminating faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and field pea green manure crops. Early termination of annual green manure crops with roller crimping or mowing resulted in less weed regrowth compared with tillage. When compared with faba bean, field pea produced greater crop biomass, suppressed weeds better and had less regrowth. Wheat yields following pea were not affected by the method of termination. Thus, this first study indicated that roller crimping and mowing are viable alternatives to tillage to terminate field pea green manure crops. The second study evaluated the tolerance and efficacy of a min-till rotary harrow in no-till field pea production. The min-till rotary hoe was able to operate in no-till cereal residues and multiple passes did not affect the level of residue cover. Field pea exhibited excellent tolerance to the min-till rotary hoe. Good weed control occurred with multiple rotary hoe passes, and pea seed yield was 87% of the yield obtained in the herbicide-treated check. Therefore, this second study demonstrated that min-till rotary hoeing effectively controls many small seeded annual weeds in the presence of crop residue and thus can reduce the need for tillage in organic-cropping systems.


10.12737/3816 ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-90
Author(s):  
Ахметзянов ◽  
Marsel Akhmetzyanov ◽  
Таланов ◽  
Ivan Talanov

Owing to the agriculture intensification increasing, unreasonably extensive use of chemicals, comprehensive mechanization, intensive tillage, together with an increase in productivity leads to noticeable undesirable results. The contamination grow, the infectiousness of fields by pests and diseases of agricultural crops increases, due to decomposition of humus, the soil fertility gradually decreases, and the quality of the products is deteriorating by the presence of hazardous compounds for health, ecological balance is disturbed environment. In this connection, so that to solve these problems, it is necessary to develop farming biologzation, namely the expansion of perennial grasses, reducing the use of fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals, the use of intermediate crops for fodder and green manure, the use of crop residues and organic fertilizers, the use of advanced tillage methods. In recent years, the study of some specific biologzation elements are held in Russia too, but without an integrated approach. An intensification of the use of biological means of soil fertility was contributed to: creation an optimum density of the addition of the soil; creation better moisture content of crops; phytosanitary condition of crops. The maximum crop productivity (4.03 tons per hectare) was obtained, when adding straw and stubbly green manure, the cost of 1 ton of grain was decreased, compared with mineral background to 281.4 rubles, the net income was higher to 1593.6 rubles per hectare, the profitability of oat production was 52.8%, against 32.5% on a mineral background.


2010 ◽  
Vol 44 (28) ◽  
pp. 3362-3368 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.J. de Ruijter ◽  
J.F.M. Huijsmans ◽  
B. Rutgers

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (92) ◽  
pp. 62-68
Author(s):  
R. Holod ◽  
О. Bilinska ◽  
H. Shubala

There were analyzed and disclosed the basic components of arable farming systems and their Meaning, the current state and scientific principles in the context of the further development of field crop cultivation in the conditions of Western Forest-Steppe. The purpose of research. To study an effect of alternation of crop in crop rotation in conditions of brief rotation on the soil water regime, productivity and economic efficiency. Methods. Field, laboratory, comparative and analytical. Results. The results of researches on study of productivity of four-field crop rotations with short rotation depending on their saturation by the grain and tilled cultures, of various use of mineral fertilizers, green manure crops and collateral products which were conducted during 2014-2015 in the stationary experiment of the scientific and technological department of plant growing and arable farming, of the TDSGDS of the IKSGP of NAAN are resulted In the article. The elements of the biologization of farming are the basis of our development of crop rotations with short rotation. The study of the effect of green manure crops and collateral products in four-field crop rotations with a different set of crops on the change of soil fertility and productivity of crop rotations as a whole was carried out to this purpose. According to the results of the research, is provided the information on the effectiveness of improving the field crop rotations with short rotation with varying degrees of saturation by grain and tilled crops, that ensure the production of environmentally friendly products, reducing the cost of grain, improving the quality of marketable products. The study of the effect of alternation of crop in crop rotation in conditions of brief rotation on the soil water regime, productivity and economic efficiency showed that an increase in crop rotation productivity is observed in short-rotation crop rotations, if they are saturated by grain crops up to 100%, cereals crops reduction to 50% in crop rotations contributes to a decrease in crop productivity. Conclusion. Thus, the results of the research showed that with the correct construction of short rotational crop rotations, such problems as rational use of nutrients and soil moisture, control of weeds and pests of agricultural crops, improvement of the physical and chemical properties of the soil, increased efficiency in the use of fertilizers and equipment, Cheapening of the received agricultural product may be solved.


Soil Systems ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Haddish Melakeberhan ◽  
Gregory Bonito ◽  
Alexandra N. Kravchenko

Soil health connotes the balance of biological, physicochemical, nutritional, structural, and water-holding components necessary to sustain plant productivity. Despite a substantial knowledge base, achieving sustainable soil health remains a goal because it is difficult to simultaneously: (i) improve soil structure, physicochemistry, water-holding capacity, and nutrient cycling; (ii) suppress pests and diseases while increasing beneficial organisms; and (iii) improve biological functioning leading to improved biomass/crop yield. The objectives of this review are (a) to identify agricultural practices (APs) driving soil health degradations and barriers to developing sustainable soil health, and (b) to describe how the nematode community analyses-based soil food web (SFW) and fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) data visualization models can be used towards developing sustainable soil health. The SFW model considers changes in beneficial nematode population dynamics relative to food and reproduction (enrichment index, EI; y-axis) and resistance to disturbance (structure index, SI; x-axis) in order to identify best-to-worst case scenarios for nutrient cycling and agroecosystem suitability of AP-driven outcomes. The FUE model visualizes associations between beneficial and plant-parasitic nematodes (x-axis) and ecosystem services (e.g., yield or nutrients, y-axis). The x-y relationship identifies best-to-worst case scenarios of the outcomes for sustainability. Both models can serve as platforms towards developing integrated and sustainable soil health management strategies on a location-specific or a one-size-fits-all basis. Future improvements for increased implementation of these models are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 295 ◽  
pp. 113092
Author(s):  
Mario Fontana ◽  
Thomas Guillaume ◽  
Luca Bragazza ◽  
Saïd Elfouki ◽  
Mathieu Santonja ◽  
...  

Conservation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-35
Author(s):  
Kazi Kamrul Islam ◽  
Mohammad Saifullah ◽  
Kimihiko Hyakumura

In the tropics, products and services provided by the traditional agroforestry systems (TAS) support the basic needs and promote the livelihood of millions of rural people. However, the outcomes and mitigation of TAS, in particular, the social and environmental issues are not systematically addressed. Thus, the objective of the study was to assess the economic, social and environmental outcomes of two important TAS in Bangladesh. This study reports results on prospective analyses using the Date palm and Jackfruit-based TAS practiced in the Jashore and Mymensingh districts of Bangladesh. The results revealed that the TAS enhanced farm productivity and the benefit–cost ratio of both systems were much higher than the general agricultural practices in Bangladesh. The TAS also improved resilience of rural farmers through more efficient water utilization, enhancing soil fertility, improving microclimate, controlling pests and diseases, and diversifying products. At the same time, the farmers’ problems were neglected due to the absence of farmers’ platforms, and also tradeoffs may arise; thus, the social aspects of the TAS farmers had not developed equally. Therefore, the study would recommend minimizing the tradeoffs through enhancing the conservation strategies at farmers’ levels to make the TAS more viable and sustainable land-use practices.


1971 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. S. EMMOND

Soil aggregation was lowest in a fallow-wheat rotation and increased in other fallow-grain rotations with the second, third, and fourth crops after the fallow year. The best aggregation was under continuous wheat. Rotations containing hay crops, particularly those with grass, increased soil aggregation significantly. The influence of tillage treatments on soil aggregation declined with increased depth. Various tillage treatments affected surface soil aggregation, in the following order: green manure crop plowed under > cultivated with trash cover > crop residues plowed under > cultivated with residues burned off = crop residues disced in. Fertilizer (11–48–0) applied to the wheat crop of the various tillage treatments increased soil aggregation except where the crop residues had been removed. The application of barn manure increased soil aggregation.


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