1. 1. Organic Farming of Medicinal Plants in KPK. By Allah Dad Khan, Former . Director General Agriculture Extension KPK Province Allahdad52@gmail.com 03329221298
2. 2. What is Organic Farming Organic farming is a production system which avoids or excludes the use of synthetic preparations-artificial fertilizers, pesticides, growth accelerators and fodder additives. As an alternative to these means, OF applies a number of modern preventive methods to maintain the natural soil fertility, such as: 1 Alternating sowing of cultures (with leguminous plants inclusive) 2 Suited use of manure 3 Stimulating the populations of useful insects (entomophages and pathogens for the pests) 4 Vegetation associations (combined cultivation of two or more cultures in one and the same place) 5 Use of mechanical methods for weed control 6 Use of sustainable plant varieties and live stock breeds that are well adapted to the relevant environmental conditions
3. 3. Top 10 Reasons to Support Organic Farming in the 21st Century 1. Reduce The Toxic Load: Keep Chemicals Out of the Air, Water, Soil and our Bodies. 2. Reduce if Not Eliminate Off Farm Pollution. 3. Protect Future Generations 4. Build Healthy Soil 5. Taste Better and Truer Flavor 6. Assist Family Farmers of all Sizes 7. Avoid Hasty and Poor Science in Your Food 8. Eating with a Sense of Place 9. Promote Biodiversity 10. Celebrate the Culture of Agriculture 11.Sustainable agriculture production1 12.Restoration of Soil Fertility 13.Production of Quality foods 14.Avoidation of pollution of soil and ground water 15.Water and air including low cost technology
4. 4. Principlesof organic Farming Following the above mentioned principles and processes ensure to archive the main principles of International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), which are: 1. Production of enough high quality and nutritious food. 2. Organic farming, pastoral and wild harvest systems should fit the cycles and ecological balances in nature. Organic management must be adapted to local conditions, ecology, culture and scale. 3. Maintenance of natural soil fertility 4. Inputs should be reduced by reuse, recycling and efficient management of materials and energy in order to maintain and improve environmental quality and conserve resources. 5. Organic agriculture should provide everyone involved with a good quality of life, and contribute to food sovereignty and reduction of poverty 6. 6. Practitioners of organic agriculture can enhance efficiency and increase productivity, but this should not be at the risk of health and well-being. Consequently, any harmful action should be stopped
5. 5. Basic Steps of Organic Farming Organic farming approach involves following five steps 1. Conversion of land from conventional management to organic management 2. Management of the entire surrounding system to ensure biodiversity and sustainability of the system 3. Crop production with the use of alternative sources of nutrients such as crop rotation, residue management, organic manures and biological inputs. 4. Management of weeds and pests by better management practices, physical and cultural means and by biological control system 5. Maintenance of live stock in tandem with organic concept and make them an integral part of the entire system
6. 6. Q u ic k T im e a n d a P h o t o - J P E G d e c o m p r e s s o r a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h is p ic t u r e . SoilOrganicMatter Bodies of microorganisms involved in decomposition 3. Byproducts of decomposition Partly decomposed (unrecognizable) plant residues
7. 7. C:N Ratio SOM 10-12:1 Plant Litter 20-400:1 Bacteria 4:1 Fungi 10:1 Soil OrganicMatter SOM is: 55% C 5% N 0.5% P 0.5% S Alive Microbial Biomass (fungi, bacteria) 2-5% of SOM Dead Non-humic substances 20-30% of SOM Humic substances 60-80% of SOM
8. 8. How does Organic Matter Improve Soil? 1) increase water holding capacity 2) nutrients attach to O.M. 3) O.M. improves tilth (aggregate) The amount of humus in soil is directly proportional to the amount of nitrogen in soil Soils high in O.M. are easily worked and may be described as having good tilth.
9. 9. Why Organic Farming Organic farming in the form of agriculture includes crop rotation, application of green manure, compost, bio fertilizers, biological pest and diseases control to maintain soil productivity and restrict the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Infact the organic farming rely on the management of the soil. It enhances the chemical, biological and physical properties of the soil and the increasing amount of nutrition in soil plays a key role in suppressing weeds, pests and diseases in eco-friendly manner .
10. 10. Techniques for Organic Farmingfor Medicinal Plants 1. Zero cultivation /no till cultivation 2. Practice Clean Culture 3. Integrated Pest Management (IPM).GAP 4. Insect traps, lure and attractants. 5. Use of Biological pest control (natural enemies of pest) 6. Use of Organic Compost fertilizer and bio micro inoculants. 7. Use of Organic Pest and Disease control materials. 8. Use of indigenous resistant plant varieties and strain. 9. Practice crop rotation and following (resting the soil for some time). 10. Growing and inter-cropping of pest repellant and herbal plants. 11. Integrated Weed Management (IWM) 12. Growing the right crop on the right soil, climate and at the right time. 13. Solarization 14. Integrated Nutrient Management ( I NM) 15. Vermipost 16. Integrated Farm Management ( IFM)
11. 11. 1. Zerocultivation/notill farming is a way of growing crops or pasture from year to year without disturbing the soil through tillage. No-till is an agricultural technique which increases the amount of water that infiltrates into the soil and increases organic matter retention and cycling of nutrients in the soil.
12. 12. 2.Practice cleanculture. Cultivation and weed control will also help not only in soil aeration and softening of soil mass but will also reduce or disturb the breeding place of insect pests and fungal diseases.
13. 13. 3.IntegratedPest Management (IPM) Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a pest control program using combination of all practices to reduce or eliminate pest damage. This includes natural, biological and mechanical practices as well as bio and chemical pesticide application.
14. 14. Good Agriculture Practices Guidelines for Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) of Medicinal Plants Principles and Guidelines for Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) 1 Seeds and propagation material Seeds in use are to be identified botanically, indicating plant variety, cultivar, chemotype and origin1. The material used should be 100 % traceable. The same applies to vegetatively propagated parent material. Parent material used in organic production has to be certified as authentically organic. 2. Cultivation Depending on the method of cultivation e.g. conventional or organic, growers should be allowed to follow different Standard Operating Procedures for cultivation (to be elaborated). In general, care should be taken to avoid environmental disturbances. The principles of good crop husbandry must be followed including an appropriate rotation of crops. 3. Soil and Fertilization Medicinal and aromatic plants should not be grown in soils that are contaminated by sludge. Furthermore, soils should not be contaminated by heavy metals, residues of plant protection products and any other unnatural chemicals. It should therefore be endeavoured to apply the use of chemical products with as minimum negative effect as possible.
15. 15. Good Agriculture Practices 4. Irrigation Irrigation should be minimized as much as possible and only be applied according to the needs of the plant. 5. Tillage should be adapted to the growth and requirements of plants. 6. Pesticide and herbicide application shoud be avoided as far as possible. 7. Harvest Harvesting should take place when the plants are of best possible quality, according to their different utilizations. 8. Primary processing Primary processing after harvest includes such processing steps as washing, freezing, distilling, drying, etc. All these processes, whether for food or medicinal use 9.Packaging After the repeated control and eventual elimination of low-quality materials and any foreign bodies, the product should be preferably packaged in new, clean and dry sacks, bags or chests. The label must be clear, permanently fixed and be made of non-toxic material. Information must conform with the national labelling regulations 10.Storage and Transport Packaged dried materials and essential oils should be stored in a dry, well aerated building, in which the daily temperature fluctuations are limited and good aeration is guaranteed. Fresh products (except basil) should be stored between 1C and 5C while frozen products should be stored below 18C (or below 20C for longer term storage).
16. 16. Good Agriculture Practices 11. Personnel and Facilities Personnel should receive adequate botanical education before performing tasks that require this knowledge. 12. . Documentation All parent materials and processing steps, including the location of cultivation, have to be documented. Field records showing previous cropping and used inputs should be maintained by all growers. 13. Education It is highly advisable to educate all personnel dealing with the crop or those engaged in the management of production, in production techniques as well as the appropriate use of herbicides and pesticides. 14. Quality Guarantee Consultation between producers and buyers of medicinal and aromatic plants, with regard to quality questions, e.g. active principles and other characteristic ingredients, optical and sensoric properties, limited germ numbers, plant protection chemical residues and heavy metals, must be based on nternationally recognized or national specifications and should be laid down in written form.
17. 17. 4.Insect traps, lure and attractants. 1.Light Traps 2.Lure with attractants 3 Chemical sex attractant 4. Blue electric lamp 5.Yellow pads
18. 18. 5.Use of Biological Pest and Disease Control The use of living plant and animals or living organisms to control pest and diseases are called Biological Control. They may be microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, virus or bigger life forms like insects, worms, reptiles, mammal and birds. You can learn to increase the beneficial insects, microorganisms and other animal and plant life in your farms to counter pests and diseases harming your crops. Let us protect and increase these beneficial enemies of pests.
19. 19. 6. Use of Organic Fertilizer Farm Yard Manure Manure is obtained from the solid and liquid excrements and the padding of live stock animals after being left to decay. The manure which has matured is good for agricultural use. In addition The bird manure is the richest one of all organic types of manure. It is three times richer in nitrogen and potassium and about four times richer in phosphorus than the ordinary mixed manure produced from live stock animals. Ashes are alkali fertilizer. It has the effect of neutralizing the soil acidity and improving the functioning of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Ashes may also be used for whitewashing. Green Manure Farm Slurry
20. 20. 7.Usedof Organic Pest and Disease Control Herbal preparations to control pest and diseases can easily be made by farmers themselves since we have abundant plants in the country that are suitable ingredient.
21. 21. 8.Practice crop rotation and following (resting the soil for some time). Crop rotation or changing crops grown in certain areas to avoid the buildup of certain pest or disease affecting certain crops. Example, rotating onions with pepper . Resting the soil for one to two years to allow natural vegetation and the growth of natural enemies to introduce balance of nature, while enriching your soil environment for future crop production.
22. 22. 9. Growing and inter-croppingof pest repellant andherbal plants There are crops that repel certain insect pests. Intercropping tomato with cabbages and cauliflower will help reduce the diamondback moth attacking cabbages. Learn what these crop combinations. You will not only reduce your cost of pest and disease control but may even increase your income per unit area with the crop combination.
23. 23. 10. Integrated WeedManagement Certain weeds are difficult to remove or control, like grasses. Planting vines and crawling crops like sweet potato and cover crops will help suppress weeds.
24. 24. 11.Growingtherightcropontherightsoil, climateandat therighttime. There are suitable crops that are ideal for certain season of the year and suitable soils for their healthy and productive growth. Learn the nature of the plants and their preferences before deciding what to grow in your farm.
25. 25. 12. Solarization It is a non contaminant soil disinfestation technique. It is based on the sun irradition to provide a temperature rise; and humidity increase this effect. The use of polyethylene ( usually transparent) to cover the ground soil (upper layer), increases the thermical effect and avoid soil moisture loss, raising temperature to letal levels for living soil organism.
26. 26. 13 IntegratedNutrient Management
27. 27. 14. Vermipost WHAT IS VERMICOMPOSTING/WORM FARMING? The process of using worms to aid in the decomposition of organic matter. I.e., organic matter is put in a bin with worms; the worms eat the organic matter and break it down, leaving behind a nutrient rich product known as 'vermicompost', 'worm castings', 'worm manu BENEFITS OF VERMICOMPOSTING Improves soil structure Increases the soil's ability to retain water Improves the growth and structure of root systems Enhances germination, growth, and yield of plants Increases the micro-organism population in soil by 10-20x Makes nutrients more available for plant uptake Very space efficient. Worm composting can be done even in a small apartment Not to mention all that food waste that's being turned into fertilizer instead of being thrown away .
28. 28. 15.IntegratedFarm Management Integrated Farm Management (IFM) involves: a commitment to good husbandry and animal welfare efficient soil management and appropriate cultivation techniques the use of crop rotations minimum reliance on crop protection chemicals and fertilisers careful choice of seed varieties maintenance of the landscape and rural communities enhancement of wildlife habitats a commitment to team spirit based on communication, training and involvement.
29. 29. The biologicalagents 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.
30. 30. SOME ENENIES OF INSECT PESTS 1. Trichogramma 2. Braconid 3. Pirate bug 4. Spiders 5. Praying Manthis 6. Birds 7. Frogs etc.
31. 31. Types of Biopesticides Microbial pesticides consist of a microorganism (e.g., a bacterium, fungus, virus, or protozoan) as the active ingredient. Microbial pesticides can control many different kinds of pests, although each separate active ingredient is relatively specific for its target pest[s]. For example, there are fungi that control certain weeds, and other fungi that kill specific insects. Example BT Biochemical pesticides are naturally occurring substances that control pests by non-toxic mechanisms. Conventional pesticides, by contrast, are generally synthetic materials that directly kill or inactivate the pest. Biochemical pesticides include substances, such as insect sex pheromones Plant pesticides are pesticidal substances that plants produce from genetic material that has been added to the plant. For example, scientists can take the gene for the Bt pesticidal protein and introduce the gene into the plant's own genetic material
32. 32. 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.