Organic Farming for Sustainable Agriculture PDF
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Sustainable Development and Biodiversity 9 Dilip Nandwani Editor Organic Farming for Sustainable Agriculture 123 Sustainable Development and Biodiversity Volume 9 Series editor Kishan Gopal Ramawat Botany Department, M.L. Sukhadia University, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India Thisbookseriesprovidescomplete,comprehensiveandbroadsubjectbasedreviews about existing biodiversity of different habitats and conservation strategies in the framework of different technologies, ecosystem diversity, and genetic diversity. The ways by which these resources are used with sustainable management and replenishmentarealsodealtwith.Thetopicsofinterestincludebutarenotrestricted onlytosustainabledevelopmentofvariousecosystemsandconservationofhotspots, traditional methods and role of local people, threatened and endangered species, globalclimatechangeandeffectonbiodiversity,invasivespecies,impactofvarious activities on biodiversity, biodiversity conservation in sustaining livelihoods and reducingpoverty,andtechnologiesavailableandrequired.Thebooksinthisseries will be useful to botanists, environmentalists, marine biologists, policy makers, conservationists,andNGOsworkingforenvironmentprotection. More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/11920 Dilip Nandwani Editor Organic Farming for Sustainable Agriculture 123 Editor Dilip Nandwani Department ofAgricultural and Environmental Sciences Collegeof Agriculture, Human andNatural Sciences Tennessee State University Nashville, TN USA ISSN 2352-474X ISSN 2352-4758 (electronic) Sustainable Development andBiodiversity ISBN978-3-319-26801-9 ISBN978-3-319-26803-3 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-26803-3 LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2015957221 ©SpringerInternationalPublishingSwitzerland2016 Chapter2wascreatedwithinthecapacityofanUSgovernmentalemployment.UScopyrightprotection doesnotapply. Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.AllrightsarereservedbythePublisher,whetherthewholeorpart of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission orinformationstorageandretrieval,electronicadaptation,computersoftware,orbysimilarordissimilar methodologynowknownorhereafterdeveloped. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publicationdoesnotimply,evenintheabsenceofaspecificstatement,thatsuchnamesareexemptfrom therelevantprotectivelawsandregulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authorsortheeditorsgiveawarranty,expressorimplied,withrespecttothematerialcontainedhereinor foranyerrorsoromissionsthatmayhavebeenmade. Printedonacid-freepaper ThisSpringerimprintispublishedbySpringerNature TheregisteredcompanyisSpringerInternationalPublishingAGSwitzerland Foreword Organic agriculture has emerged from the public desire to obtain safe and healthy food and to realize the long-term sustainability of food production. Although organic agriculture is growing in popularity, it faces substantial challenges to become a major source of food and fiber. This book, “Organic Farming for Sustainable Agriculture,”presentsacollection ofchaptersthat addresses successes and challenges to organic agriculture. A general consensus exists that current farming practices are disrupting the natural cycling of nutrients and soil, are not sustainable, and must be transformed. Excessivesoilandnutrientsarelostfromfarmland.Underconventionalagriculture, the soil is often inadequately protected against wind, rain, and irrigation-induced erosion.Nutrients appliedinexcess ofplant needs arelostinrunoff,volatilization, and leaching. The loss of soil carries topsoil with its many nutrients and organic matter toward streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Organic agriculture seeks to simulate the natural cycling of nutrients, so that off-site losses are minimal. The effectiveness of nutrient cycling may be enhanced through a myriad of practices, manyofwhicharediscussedhere.Theuseofmulch,covercrops,minimumtillage systems, and no tillage systems enhance soil cover. There is substantial public concern that many of the products used in conven- tional agriculture may provide risks to human and environmental health. The dif- ficultyistodiscoverwhichproductsand methods usedinconventional agriculture areadequatelysafeinthelongrun.Scientificconcernsexistthatthewidespreaduse ofantibioticsforanimalproductionwillsubstantiallyshortentheusefullifeofthese antibiotics to protect human health. The public has many disagreements on the chemicals and practices that ought to be used in food production. Within organic agriculture, the intent is that organic food and fiber production practices will be sustainable, fundamentally sound in the long term. Organic agri- culture places value not only on the production of the present but also on future production and the future capability of the earth to sustain mankind and diverse ecosystems. Organic agriculture embraces the ethical standard that current human v vi Foreword needs can be met while sustaining the productivity of the land and conducting all activities so as to support a wide variety of other terrestrial and aquatic species. Modernhumanactivitiesmaycontributesignificantlytogreenhousegases,with thepossibilityofaggravatingclimatechange.Organichusbandryandproductionof crops seek to effectively use energy inputs and bring energy use within a range of long-term sustainability. With thegrowth ofhuman population,increasing pressures are placed uponthe limited resources of the planet. To answer these needs, the use of more and more resourceinputsatgreaterandgreaterlevelsofintensityistempting.Astheworld’s populationisexpectedtoreach 9or10billion inhabitants, substantially morefood andfiberwillberequired.Manyofthepeopleintheworldareescapingpoverty.In their attempt to feed and clothe themselves more adequately, they are calling on moreoftheworld’sresources.Ashigherincomesallowconsumerstosatisfymore oftheirfoodrequirementwithmeatandmilkproducts,moreresourcesareneeded. Meatandmilkproductsinherentlyrequiremoreenergyandnutritionalresourcesto produceinafarmsetting.Consequently,thepressuresontheEarth’senvironments in the twenty-first century come not only from a growing human population, but also from the changing consumption patterns of that population. Onechallengefororganicfarmingisthatmanyofthecurrentsystemdesignsare lowinputandmodestoutput.Transforminghighlyproductiveconventionalfarming into moderately productive organic farming brings about a potential conflict between the enormity of human needs and the ability of organic agriculture to supply the current demands of food and fiber for the Earth’s population. Simply transformingconventionalfarmingintoorganicfarmingwithlowerinputandlower outputsystemscreatesacontradiction;lessefficientorganicagriculturecouldcreate pressure to incorporate additional marginal acreage into production, placing addi- tional pressure on endangered species and fragile environments. Consequently, organic agriculture needs substantial new developments so that it can effectively and efficiently supply a large proportion of human needs. The creation of organic farmingsystemsthathavehighproductivityorhigherproductivitythanthesystems that they replace will require creativity and innovation. Thenaturalworldcontainsmuchtodiscover.Thescienceoftheeffectiveuseof microorganisms to control pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses in animals and plants is in its infancy. Naturally occurring bacteria, fungi, and viruses may hold promise. Examples of this work are presented in this book. Many plants contain secondary metabolites and these secondary metabolites could provide a vast array of natural chemical substances with possible effectiveness against pathogens or possible opportunities to improve productivity. Dr. Dilip Nandwani has a unique background and experience that makes him particularly well suited to assemble chapters on the topic of Organic Farming for Sustainable Agriculture. Dr. Nandwani grew up in India, where he earned his bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees. His work experience includes the public and private sectors with pertinent work in India, Hawaii, Micronesia, the Mariana Islands, the US Virgin Islands, Bangladesh, and Tennessee. Foreword vii Dr. Nandwani’s own research and extension have addressed many key issues andproblemsthatareimportantcomponentsoforganicagricultureandsustainable productionsystems.Hispersonalresearchhasexaminedbotanicalpesticides,plant tissue culture and plant propagation in general, alternative medicines for livestock, crop improvement, plant disease resistance, biodiesel production, hydroponic pro- duction,andhybridseedproduction.Hisresearchhasbeenconvertedintopractical results and pertinent extension publications. The social dimensions of Dr. Nandwani’s work include the interests of small farmers and women farmers, includingtheirfoodsecurity,nutrition,andincome.Hisbroadexperienceprovides wisdom and insight to assemble and edit this book. Dr. Clinton C. Shock Malheur Experiment Station, Oregon State University Preface Organic agriculture has emerged as a sustainable farming system which has great impact on socioeconomic status of small farmers in rural areas, particularly of developing countries. This system offarming enhances soil and ecosystem health by avoiding the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and recycles farm waste, making the system self-sustainable. With increasing health awareness, current increasing interest in organic agriculture is favored for health as well as environ- mental and food quality concerns. Currently, the land under organic farming is *40mhawithamarketvalueof*US$65billion.Australia,China,andIndiaare increasingly growing farming under organic. I am pleased to present a timely compilation on “Organic Farming for Sustainable Agriculture” under the series on “Sustainable Development and Biodiversity” after a very successful first book on Sustainable Horticultural Systems: Issues, Technology and Innovation (2014). “Organic Farming for Sustainable Agriculture” book is contributed by authors fromtheentiregamutofagriculturaldisciplineswhoaredistributedthroughoutthe globe, particularly developing countries, which is the region impacted the most by climate change and excessive use of chemical farming. Organic farming practices are resilient and becoming increasingly important due to pressing needs to protect the air, soils, and water; to improve socioeconomic conditions of farmers, farm workers, and rural communities; and to provide healthy, safe, and nutritious hor- ticultural products to a rapidly increasing world population. This book gathers review articles that analyze current organic agriculture prac- tices, principles, knowledge, and proposed solutions. This book is the most up-to-date and comprehensive review of our knowledge on the use of innovative technologies and issues in organic farming systems with case studies from various regionsoftheworld.Itcontainsfifteenreviewsontheproduction,practices,urban agriculture and integrated pest management, breeding for organic farming, safety issues, organic meat, organic certification, and health and nutrition. The book isdesigned to cater to the needs of undergraduates and postgraduates studying organic agriculture, horticulture, sustainable crop production, crop pro- tection, agricultural sciences, integrated pest management, and plant sciences. ix x Preface Research scientists in such fields as horticulture, vegetables, agriculture, and crop protection will also find this book as a useful compilation of review articles. Libraries in all universities and research establishments where agricultural and horticultural sciences are studied and taught should have multiple copies of this valuable book on their shelves. August 2015 Dr. Dilip Nandwani College of Agriculture, Tennessee State University Nashville, TN, USA
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