Organic farming is a safe growing method that brings many benefits not only to the environment but also to humans. Organic food is fresh, safe, and contains a lot of nutrients, so organic farming is interested by many farming households and is gradually being applied to their growing scale. So what are the principles and methods of organic farming to bring the most effectiveness, please follow the article below.
Organic farming aims to improve the health of soil and crops by using organic waste. The goal of this method is to produce crops with high nutrient content.
Fertilizers used in organic agriculture are not synthetic fertilizers, so building and maintaining nutrient-rich soil is through the addition of organic matter to the soil. Organic matter can be green manure, compost or cattle manure, peat, …
One of the methods that are known to be a trend these days is the method of “Polyculture”. This method allows a variety of crops can be cultivated simultaneously to meet the increasing demand for food items across the world.
One advantage of the “transplant” method is that it helps to produce the necessary microorganisms in the soil to increase production.
Crop rotation is a farming technique in which farmers do not cultivate the same crop on the same piece of land every year, instead, they rotate different crops to maintain soil health.
Crop rotation has many benefits, the most prominent of which is to help replenish the soil naturally because different plants contribute different nutrients to the soil.
In addition, this technique also helps control pests, weeds, insects, etc. by disrupting their habitat.
Soil is the most important factor in cultivation. The soil depletes its quality because it loses nutrients after the cultivation of crops. Therefore, soil management is important and should be paid attention to add the necessary nutrients to the soil.
The main goal of organic farming is to improve and increase soil quality using natural methods. That’s why organic farming focuses on using bacteria (found in animal waste or substrates like peat, coco coir, ..) to help increase the nutrient content of the soil, making the soil fertile to increase production productivity.
There are many ways to improve the soil, in which organic fertilizer from coco coir is one of the most effective ways to improve the soil. This type of media is highly appreciated by many farmers because of its outstanding advantages. They can be used to make planting material, composting organic, or even improve nutrient-deficient, discolored soil because of coco coir, more specifically, coco peat has the ability to maintain moisture and retain nutrients very well.
Agricultural land is home to many organisms. But not all types are beneficial for plants. Some organisms benefit plants, but many other organisms are harmful to plants, disrupting production.
Besides, controlling the growth and population of harmful organisms is necessary to maintain soil fertility and protect crops. As a result, organic farmers can use natural herbicides or pesticides with mild chemical content to control pests biologically.
Weeds are plants that need to be controlled in the farmyard, as they will take most of the nutrients from the soil for the plants, preventing the plants from achieving effective yields. Organic agriculture methods will reduce weed growth instead of killing it.
You can cover them with straw, or coco coir, or cut them off as a way for you to manage weeds in organic agriculture. When covering the soil with plant residues (straw, coco coir) will help prevent the growth of weeds. In addition, cutting weeds will also help prevent their growth, thereby improving crop growth.
This is a limitation of organic farming. Because the purpose of organic farming is to focus on improving crop yields and soil quality through natural methods.
Today, chemicals are also used a lot in agriculture because they bring high yields. Those chemicals can be pesticides, growth agents, fertilizers, etc. they will dissolve in water and penetrate deep into the soil. This will cause serious environmental pollution, not only in the water source but also in the land source.
In organic farming, there are 4 principles that you need to know and follow, which are:
The health of individuals and communities comes first and is inseparable from the health of ecosystems – healthy soil produces healthy crops, which promote the health of animals and people.
Health is not simply the absence of disease, but the maintenance of physical, mental, social, and ecological well-being. Immunity, recovery, and regeneration are important features of health.
The role of organic agriculture whether in cultivation, processing, distribution or consumption is to maintain and enhance the health of ecosystems and organisms. In particular, organic farming also helps produce high-quality, nutritious food, contributing to sustainable health care. Therefore, we need to avoid using fertilizers, pesticides, animal drugs, and food additives that can have adverse effects on health.
Organic agriculture needs to be built on relationships that ensure fairness for the environment and all living things.
This principle emphasizes that when we engage in organic farming, we need to ensure fairness at all levels and for everyone from farmers, workers, processors, and distributors to merchants and consumers.
Organic farming should provide everyone involved with a good quality of life, provide quality food, and animals should be raised under conditions consistent with natural behavior and health. of them
In addition, natural and environmental resources used for production and consumption also need to be managed in a socially and ecologically equitable manner to bring about sustainability in the present and the future.
Organic agriculture must be based on ecological systems and cycles, work with them and help sustain them.
Production must be based on an ecological system that balances with the environment and nature, including recycling and ecological care. For example, if you produce and raise animals, you need to take care of the farm. As for the plants, you will take care of the living soil. For fish and marine organisms, the aquatic environment.
Organic agriculture should attain ecological balance through the design of farming systems, establishment of habitats, and maintenance of genetic and agricultural diversity. People who produce, trade, consume or process organic products need to protect and benefit the general environment including landscape, climate, habitat, biodiversity, air, and water.
Organic agriculture needs to be managed in a precautionary and responsible manner to protect the well-being and health of present and future generations and the environment.
In the organic environment, not only today but the future is also important. Organic farmers can improve efficiency and increase crop yields, but this does not mean endangering well-being and health. Using organic farming technology is the best way to do this, so organic producers need to stay up to date with new methods.
This principle states that precaution and responsibility are the primary concerns in the management, development, and selection of technologies in organic agriculture. Science is essential to ensure that organic agriculture is healthy, safe, and ecologically sound. However, scientific knowledge alone is not enough. Practical experience, indigenous and traditional knowledge offer valid solutions, tested by time is also important.