Submitted by – SAHIL SINGH RATHORE

Roll no. -10AG32014

ANALYSIS AND OPTIMIZATION OF NUTRIENTS FLOW IN

ORGANIC AND INORGANIC FARMING SYSTEMS

Presentation Outline

1. Introduction 2. Objectives 3.Work plan 4.Results 5.Discussion and Suggestion

Introduction As we all know, food security & human health has became a topic of major concern in today’s time. Through this project, my aim is to determine & emphasise that how organic farming & sustainable agriculture can be used in a better way to boost farmer’s income along with promoting better health for both the human & the environment.

Organic farming

What is Organic Farming?Organic farming is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people by reducing or eliminating external agricultural inputs, especially synthetic ones.

Organic farming relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control. Organic farming excludes or strictly limits the use of Chemical fertilizers, insecticides & pesticides.

With organic farming, farmers: Can sell their produces in a higher price Need not to spend on synthetic chemical fertilizers and

pesticides Environment could be healthier from not being harmed by

pesticides and insecticides.

Organic farming

Why Organic farming?Organic farming is preferred over conventional(inorganic) farming because it : Uses less energy Employs Multiple cropping Do not create pollution Balance soil nutrients & replenishes soil

fertility Increases soil productivity Improves the quality of the product.

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• More than 120 countries has been practicing organic farming.

• 33 million hectares (mio ha) of organic land with 633,891

farms.

Global organic land by continent

Worldwide production of organic farming

38 %23 %

1 %

38 %23 %

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• For examining the feasibility of project, we have gone

through a case study of Revolution of organic farming in

Cambodia.

• Cambodia is a country located in Southeast Asia with tropical climate

& soil condition similar to that exists in India. In recent times

Cambodia displayed a revolution in rice production system with the

use of organic farming.

• Presently rice occupies 90% of the total cultivated (3.9 million ha) and

shares 50.4 percent of total farmers’ income in Cambodia.

Case study: Organic Farming in Cambodia

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Revolution of rice farming system in Cambodia

1990 -2003

Conventional farming

• Agrochemical used

• Higher productivities

• More stable food security

2004 - Present

Organic farming

• Alternative farming system ?

• Balancing goals of productivity, costs, and environment?

Traditional farming

1980 -1989

• No agrochemicals

• Low costs of production

• Low productivities

• Unstable food security

Traditional farming

1980 -1989

• No agrochemicals

• Low costs of production

• Low productivities

• Unstable food security

Traditional farming

1980 -1989

Impact of Conventional System

• Higher production costs

• Health impacts

• Environmental impactsSource: Author, 2008

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• Organic rice production has been increasing steadily in Cambodia

from 10 tons in 2005 to 1450 tons in 2011.

• CEDAC: Cambodian Center for Agricultural Studies and Development

Trend of organic rice farming in Cambodia

Number of organic farms and organic rice production

0

100

200

300

400

500

2005 2007 2009 2011

farm

s

02004006008001000120014001600

ton

s

Organic rice farms Organic rice production

Source: CEDAC, 2007 (Unpublished data)

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Key differences in organic and conventional farms

   Organic farm (OF)

Conventional farm (CF)

OF-CF Percentage  

 Average yield (ton per ha) 2,59 2,46 0,13 5%

 

price per kg (riel) 950 850 100 12%

Gross revenue (riel) 2 460 059 2 087 214 372 845 18%

Cost of fertilizers (riel) 0 - 78 002 124 794 -46 792 -37%

Labour used (man-day) 87,4 65,1 22,30 34%

- Nutrient management (md) 8,5 1,2 7,30 608%

  - Manual weeding (md) 19,2 3,8 15,40 405%  

Source: Author, 2008

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Land preparation - Plough at least 2 or 3 times

- Apply compost and residue of previous crop

Transplanting- Pulling of seedling in 12-15 days

from the nursery bed

- Transplanting 1 seedling per hole

- 20x30 cm between each line and

row

Weed control- Two weeks after the transplantation

- Tools: hoe and hand

- Application of farm yard manure

Harvesting- 25-35 days after the flowering

stage

- Tools: hand with the sickle

Threshing and storage- Storage with 12-13 % of

moisture contained inside

the grains

- Separately from the

conventional rice

Source: Author, 2008

Cultivation practices of organic rice

OBJECTIVES

1) To analyse Carbon and Nitrogen dynamics in soil under organic and inorganic nutrient management.

2) To optimize Nitrogen uptake and use efficiency of rice through best suitable combination of organic and inorganic nutrient management.

Work Plan

Four treatments of different fertilizer input were taken with 3 replica of each, where paddy was grown. Soil sample from these plots were taken at different stages of crop growth for chemical analysis.

The chemical analysis of soil sample includes finding out soil pH, electrical conductivity, availability of nitrogen and organic carbon content in soil due to various combination of organic and inorganic fertilization at different crop growth stages.

Work Plan

By doing plant chemical analysis we will estimate the plant nitrogen uptake due to organic and inorganic fertilizers at different stages & will try to figure out their optimum combination for developing synchrony between the nutrients released in soil & their crop uptake.

Treatments :

T1 – Control T2 - 100% RDF through Chemical fertilizers T3 - 100% RDF through Vermicompost T4 - 50% RDF through Vermicompost+ 50% through

chemical fertilizers (RDF- Recommended dosage of fertilizer)

Soil Analysis

Sampling for soil samples:

Soil samples were collected at 20 cm and 40 cm depth using soil auger at centre and towards four corners of each plot.

Soil sampling is being done at intervals of 0, 30, 60, 90 days.

Soil Organic Carbon

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the seat of nitrogen in soil & its determination is often carried out as an index of nitrogen availability.

Estimation: Method used for estimating SOC was Titration method (Walkey & Black method).

Reagants used : Pottassium dichromate, Conc. Sulphuric acid, Ferrous ammonium sulphate, Diphenylamine indicator, Orthophoshoric acid or sodium flouride.

Available Nitrogen

More than 90% of soil N exists as a constituent of complex organic compounds, which the plants cannot use directly. Only a minute fraction, usually 2% gets mineralised due to microbial activity in a growing season. Plants uptake it in the form of nitrate & ammonium ions.

Estimation Method: We used permanganate method of Subbiah and Asija for available nitrogen estimation using kjheldal apparatus. Reagents used in kjheldahl’s apparatus were KMno4, NaOH, Mixed Indicator, Boric acid, HCl.

Calculations

Organic carbon (%) in soil = (10*(B-S)/B) * 0.003 * 100/wt. of sample(gm)

Where B & S stand for the titre values(mL) of blank & sample respectively.

Calculation

Available N (%) in soil = {(0.00014* normality of acid* 100* titre (sample-blank)}/{mass of soil (gm.)* 0.01}

RESULTS

TABLE 1: Chemical properties of soil in initial sample (Day 0)

Treatment Soil pH Electrical Conductivity (mmho/cm)

Soil organic carbon (%)

Available nitrogen (%)

T1(Control) 

4.58 0.025 0.23 0.0065

T2(100% RDF by chemical fertilisers)

4.62 0.038 0.31 0.0074

T3(100% RDF by Vermicompost)

4.85 0.037 0.34 0.0074

T4(50% C.F + 50% Vermicompost)

4.76 0.042 0.33 0.0069

TABLE 2: Chemical properties of soil in second sample (Day 30)

Treatment Soil pH Electrical Conductivity (mmho/cm)

Soil organic carbon (%)

Available nitrogen (%)

T1(Control) 

4.56 0.027 0.19 0.0063

T2(100% RDF by chemical fertilisers)

4.59 0.042 0.30 0.0108

T3(100% RDF by Vermicompost)

4.86 0.036 0.37 0.0089

T4(50% C.F + 50% Vermicompost)

4.75 0.041 0.34 0.0099

Soil pH

T1(Control) T2(100% C.F)

T3(100%VC) T4(50%C.F+50%VC)

4.4

4.45

4.5

4.55

4.6

4.65

4.7

4.75

4.8

4.85

4.9

Day 0Day 30

Organic carbon (%)

T1(Control) T2(100%C.F)

T3(100%VC) T4(50%C.F+50%VC)

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

0.4

Day 0Day 30

Available nitrogen (ppm)

T1(Control) T2(100%C.F)

T3(100%VC) T4(50%C.F+50%VC)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Day 0Day 30

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DISCUSSION & SUGGESTION:

1. How to improve weaknesses of organic farming?

2. How to cope with threats in organic farming?

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Improve the weaknesses of organic farming

Weaknesses Strategies

• Require

more labours (in

weed control)

•Adopt the preventive methods for weed

management

– crop rotation (rice –soybean),

– selected variety which is competitive

against weeds

– biological control (e.g. ducks)

•Conflicts with

conventional

farms.

•Try to convince farmers to convert

conventional farms into organic farms.

•Leave some buffer space between their farms

and conventional farms (security space).

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Improve the threats of organic farming

Threats Strategies

•Small market

opportunities

•Develop organic market by the investment

in the agro-industry sector and certificating

institutes

•promoting for consumers’ awareness

•Poor

infrastructure in the

rural area

•Build more canals, road and bridges

•Unsustainable

fund of NGOs

projects

Collaboration with international agencies for

more sustainable technical and financial aids.

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Outcomes :

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Introducing organic practices to farmers in the study site has

been evidenced as improving farmers’ income and leads to a

more stable and balanced ecosystem without water pollution

and soil degradation

Organic rice farming has high potentials to be pushed as the

key development strategy for smallholder rice farmers (less

than 0.75 ha) occupying a significant percentage of the farms

in this country

The action plans need to be created by all stakeholders to

overcome the constraints.

Outcomes:

References SP. Palaniappan, K.Annadurai; Organic Farming, Theory & Practice. Perera, Andrea. 2008. Food on the table and savings on hand. Oxfam America website. October 20. Alam, Anwar and Wani Shafiq, A. (2003) Status of organic agriculture worldwide–An

overview, In: Proceedings of National Seminar on Organic Products and their Future Prospects, Sher-e-Kashmir, University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Srinagar, pp. 95-103.

J. Anthofer et al. 2005. Evaluation of the System of Rice Intensification in Cambodia. Available: http://ciifad.cornell.edu/sri/

Badgley, C. et al. 2006. Organic Agriculture and the Global Food Supply. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 1-24.

DEFRA. May, 2003. An Assessment of the Environmental Impacts of Organic Farming. Elm Farm Research

Centre and IGER. Available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/organic/policy/research/pdf/env-impacts2.pdf

Dufey, A. 2006. Agricultural Economics Research Review Vol. 23 July-December 2010 pp 343-

358 ,seminar on 12 June 2009.Organic Farming: Status, Issues and Prospects – A Review; B. Suresh Reddy ;Research Unit for Livelihoods and Natural Resources (RULNR).

Subbiah B.V and C.L. Asija 1956. A rapid procedure for the estimation of available nitrogen in soils. Current Sci.25:259-260.

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Thanks for your attention !