ORGANIC FARMING: A HOLISTIC APPROACH TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE FRUIT PRODUCTION

Babita*, Naseer Ahmed and Manish Thakur

ABSTRACT

India is the second largest producer of fruits in the world. With the increasing population, the cultivable land resource is shrinking day to day. Green Revolution in the post independence era has shown path to developing countries for self-sufficiency in food but sustaining agricultural production against the finite natural resource base demands has shifted from the “resource degrading” chemical agriculture to a “resource protective” biological or organic farming. The major component of organic farming is: manures, green manures, intercropping, mulching, vermiculture biotechnology, biofertilizers, homa farming/agnihotra, biodynamic farming, biocontrol etc. Application of bio-fertilizer was more effective than organic manures in enhancing fruit growth parameters. When bio-fertilizer was grouped together in „Red Fleshed‟ guava, P-solubilizers were found to have more beneficial influence on fruit physico-chemical characteristics than that of N-fixers. It has also been observed in „Bombai‟ litchi, combinations with farm yard manure + Azotobacter + phosphorous solubilizers + potash mobilizers showed higher total soluble solids and total sugar content, whereas vitamin C content was higher where a combination of neem cake + Azospirillum + phosphorous solubilizers + potash mobilizers was applied. The galloping explosion of population has been made during last 5-6 decades only and food and nutritional security in respect to fruits is therefore a serious global concern. Neither conventional farming with inorganic alone nor organic farming only with the use organic input can face this challenge; therefore, the combination of organic and inorganic is undoubtedly the best option.

Keywords: organic farming, fruits, quality, yield, biocontrol.