Obstacles of Farmers Practicing Organic Farming in Nyoma, Changthang ,Ladakh, J&K

Obstacles of farmers practicing organic farming in Nyoma, Changthang ,Ladakh, J&K

S.S.Kubrevi1, M.S.Kanwar2, M.Iqbal Yatoo3, Mir Shabir4, S.H.Bhat5, Sanjay Kumar6 and Jigmet Lasket7

1, 3, 4, SMS, 2PC, 6,7 prog.asstt,Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Nyoma, Changthang Ladakh

5 SMS kvk Anantnag,

Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology Kashmir

Corresponding email:

Abstract

The present study was conducted in the tehsil Nyoma of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir state during the year 2015 to know the obstacles faced by farmers practicing organic farming. The findings showed that major obstacles faced by the farmers relating to organic farming were, Unavailability of organic farming literature in the village, Inadequate availability of inputs like vermicompost, biofertilizers and organic manures, Non availability of skilled labours, lack of market information and market access, lack of minimum support price for the organic products, lack of skill about improved methods of compost making, Inadequate knowledge of field functionaries about organic farming, non availability of recommended package of practice and laborious process involved in application of organic practices,farmers are not sure whether all the nutrients with the required quantities can be made available by the organic materials, lack of proper training about organic farming, difficulties in getting the organic manures compared to the chemical fertilizers which can be bought easily, Insufficient training andscarcityof FYM and other organic manures.The average farm yard manure available is 5.2 quintals which is maximum in Nidder village and the average minimum farm yard manure available is 2.8 quintals for Nyoma village. The average farm yard manure required for Nidder village is 8.1 quintals while for Nyoma village it is 5.0 and the deficient average maximum farm yard manure is for Nidder village which is 2.9 quintals while the minimum average deficient farm yard manure is for Nyoma village which is 2.1 quintals. The total average chemical fertilizers used are 36 quintals. Maximum average chemical fertilizers used are in Nyoma village which is 42.25 quintals and minimum average chemical fertilizers used in Nidder village 30.79 quintals.Maximum pesticides used are by Mudh village followed by Henle rare in rest of the villages.

Key words: Organic farming, Vermi-compost

Introduction

The relevance and need for an eco-friendly alternative farming system arose from the ill effects of the chemical farming practices adopted worldwide during the second half of the last century. The methods of farming evolved and adopted by our forefathers for centuries were less injurious to the environment. People began to think of various alternative farming systems based on the protection of environment which in turn would increase the welfare of the humankind by various ways like clean and healthy foods, an ecology which is conducive to the survival of all the living and non-living things, low use of the non-renewable energy sources, etc. Many systems of farming came out of the efforts of many experts and laymen. However, organic farming is considered to be the best among all of them because of its scientific approach and wider acceptance all over the world.( Narayanan. S)

Bemwad Geier (1999) is of the opinion that there is no other farming method so clearly regulated by standards and rules as organic agriculture. The organic movement has decades of experience through practicing ecologically sound agriculture and also in establishing inspection and certification schemes to give the consumers the guarantee and confidence in actuality. Organic farming reduces external inputs and it is based on a holistic approach to farming. He describes the worldwide success stories of organic farming based on the performance of important countries in the west. The magnitude of world trade in organic farming products is also mentioned. To the question of whether the organic farming can feed the world, he says that neither chemical nor organic farming systems can do it; but the farmers can.

Sankaram Ayala (2001) is of the view that almost all benefits of high yielding varieties based farming accrue mostly in the short term and in the long term they cause adverse effects. There is an urgent need for a corrective action. The author rules out organic farming based on the absolute exclusion of fertilizers and chemicals, not only for the present, but also in the foreseeable future. There ought to be an appropriate blend of conventional farming system and its alternatives. The average yields under organic and conventional practices are almost the same and the declining yield rate over time is slightly lower in organic farming. The author also quotes a US aggregate economic model, which shows substantial decreased in yields on the widespread adoption of organic farming. Decreased aggregate outputs, increased farm income and increased consumer prices are other results the model gives. While the details about this US analysis are not known, its relevance to India where we already have the lowest yields of a number of crops under the conventional system appears to be open.

The tehsil Nyoma is known for its excellence in animal husbandry thus makes more scope for farmers to go for organic farming.

METHODOLOGY

The study was carried out in tehsil Nyoma , changthang ladakh of high altitude (4500 metres above sea level,33 degree 10 to 33 degree N and 77 degree 55 to 78 degree 20 E), Jammu and Kashmir in 2015. Five villages in tehsil Nyoma namely Nyoma, Mudh, Nidder, chumathang and Henle were selected for investigation. Twentyfour respondents were selected from each village, thus making a total of 120 respondents for the investigation. Data were collected through structured and pre-tested interview schedule. The collected data were coded, tabulated & analyzed and the results were interpreted accordingly.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Obstacles expressed by the farmers practicing organic farming:Results of table 1 reported that majority of respondents (99.16%) expressed the problem that the unavailability of organic farming literature in the village and were ranked firstfollowed by 98.33 percent highlighted the constraint inadequate availability of inputs like vermicompost, biofertilizers & organic manures and were ranked second,non availability of skilled labours, lack of market information & market access, lack of minimum support prize for the organic products were major constraints pointed out by 97.50, 97.00 and 95.83 percent of respondents, and were ranked third, fourth and fifthrespectively.

Table 1: Obstacles expressed by farmers practicing organic farming in Nyoma, Changthang, ladakh.(N=120)

Around eighty eight percent of farmers faced the obstacle inadequate knowledge of field functionaries about organic farming (88.33%),around eighty seven percent of farmers projected the constraints of non-availability of recommended package of practice & laborious process involved in application of organic practices and were ranked six & seventh respectively.87.00 percent of farmers expressed that they are not sure whether all the nutrients with the required quantities can be made available by the organic materials, about (85%) expressed the obstacle lack of proper training about organic farming and were ranked eighth and ninth respectively.82 percent said difficulties in getting the organic manures compared to the chemical fertilizers which can be bought easily, obstacle lack of skill about improved methods of compost making (82.00%) , 81 percent said insufficient training and lastly, 79.16 percent projected the obstacle scarcity of farm yard manure & other organic manures and were ranked tenth, eleventh, twelth & thirteenth respectively.

Table No. 2: Shows the FYM available, required and deficit.

It is obvious from the above table number 2, that the total average of the available farm yard manure for five villages is 3.7 quintals while the total average of the required farm yard manure for five villages is 6.3 quintals and the total average of the deficient of farm yard manure for five villages is 2.5 quintals.

The increase in maize growth with the use of organic materials was also been observed by Silva et al. (2004). This study confirms the role of manure and chemical fertilizer in increasing grain yield of barley and the results show that manure and chemical fertilizer can increase grain yield of barley but combination of them has more effect on increase ain grain yield. In a recent evaluation of the direct effects of cattle manure on corn, it was verified (Silva et al., 2004) that manure increased grain ear yield and grain yield in two corn cultivars. Cattle manure also increased water retention and availability, and phosphorus, potassium and sodium contents in the soil layer from 0 to 20 cm (Silva et al., 2004). The residual effect of organic fertilizers on yield, including cattle manure has been found to be positive in sorghum (Patidar and Mali, 2002), corn (Raramurthy and Shivashankar, 1996) and Brassica juncea (Rao and Shaktawat, 2002). Therefore, there was a direct effect of cattle manure on green ear yield and grain yield (Silva et al., 2004). Manure is good source of plant nutrients (Mkhabela 2006) and improves the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of the soil. It increases growth and nodulation of forage legumes (Sidiras et al. 1999), earthworm biomass and the predatory capacity of the forage grass area (Raworth et al. 2004). Traditionally manure is applied to meet the nitrogen requirement of crops, which over applies P, due to the low N: P ratio of most manures (Mikkelsen, 2000). This practice builds up soil test P concentrations in regions dominated by concentrated animal pro- duction sites (Kellog and Lander, 1999).In response to the buildup of soil P and the potential impact on water quality, the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service requires manure application to high P soils be based on either crop P requirements, a threshold soil test P value, or the use of a Phosphorus Site Index (NRCS, 2003). In areas with overly high soil test P concentrations, manure applications are either prohibited or limited to a crop P removal rate, which puts pressure on producers having a limited land base yet substantial production of manure at their facilities.Improving soil fertility in organic farming through the use of composts relies on improved understanding of the effects of feed stocks, composting and application methods on soil fertility and also on improved technology transfer of research results into practice. This requires the provision of good on-farm advice by advisors who fully understand the complexity of managing soil fertility in organic farming systems. The development and widespread accessibility of appropriate tools to support decision-making is central to this (Wander and Drinkwater, 2000).Agriculture, forest and animal husbandry contribute, individually or in combination, to the functioning of the traditional village ecosystems. In this region mixed farming is the choice of farmers and livestock is an inseparable component of traditional agriculture. Mix farming not only supplements the families’ income but also contributes to Farm Yard Manure (FYM) which is an essential requirement of rainfed agriculture of this region (Chander and Mukherjee, 1995).

The challenge for organic farming is to manage the use of composts and manures to synchronize supply and demand for N. This requires understanding of both N release kinetics from different materials and crop growth patterns. Stockdale and Rees (1995)showed that fresh poultry manure and slurry released N very quickly, compared with FYM, pig manure and sewage sludge where initial N release was slower but sustained over a longer time period. In the year of application, Cooperband et al. (2002) observed that nitrate released from composted poultry manure (composted for 1, 4 and 15 months) was 3-4 times lower than from raw poultry manure, and that available soil nitrate-N from composts was no greater than from an unfertilized control. Mixing residues of differing quality has the potential to synchronize mineralization with crop demands (Handayanto et al., 1997) although the practicalities of this on a farm scale are questionable.The MANNER model (Chambers et al., 1999) estimates the amount of N available to crops following the application of livestock manures after calculating losses by leaching and volatilization. The model has been used to test the trade- off effects of changing practices to reduce ammonia loss on leaching and nitrous oxide losses (Webb et al. 2001).

A field investigation was carried out during rainy (kharif) and winter (rabi) seasons of 2003–04 and 2004–05 on sandy loam soils to study the effect of fertilizer levels and preceding crops grown with and without farmyard manure on soil fertility status after barley. Clusterbean (Cyamposis tetragonoloba L. Toubert) – barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) crop sequence significantly increased the nitrogen status of soil (139 kg/ha). Whereas, available phosphorus status was significantly higher (19.45 kg/ha) under pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum L.R. Br. emend. Stuntz.] – Barley crop sequence. Application of farmyard manure significantly increased the available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content in soil compared with the control. Barley crop fertilized up with the 120 kg N + 60 kg P2O5/ha significantly increased the available phosphorus status of soil.

The average farm yard manure available is 5.2 quintals which is maximum in Nidder village and the average minimum farm yard manure available is 2.8 quintals for Nyoma village. The average farm yard manure required for Nidder village is 8.1 quintals while for Nyoma village it is 5.0 and the deficient average maximum farm yard manure is for Nidder village which is 2.9 quintals while the minimum average deficient farm yard manure is for Nyoma village which is 2.1 quintals. So, there is need of more farm yard manure in these villages to meet the agriculture demand of the farmers.

Table No. 3: Shows the use of chemical fertilizers.

It is clear from table number 3, that the total average chemical fertilizers used are 36 quintals. Maximum average chemical fertilizers used are in Nyoma village which is 42.25 quintals and minimum average chemical fertilizers used in Nidder village 30.79 quintals.

According to the Austrian Water Act, the maximum permitted nitrogen load from fertilisers is 175and 210kg N ha–1 year–1 for arable land and for grassland, respectively. In organic farming, the maximum life stock related N load is restricted to 170kg ha–1 year–1. In the regulations of the Austrian Program for Environmentally Sound Agriculture, it is assumed that 25% of the total N in fresh manure is available to plants in the first year, a value that may be disputed. Compared to other forms of fertiliser (mineral, slurry, animal manure or sewage sludge), biowaste compost leads to an enhanced enrichment of organic (humus–) nitrogen in the soil. Chemical fertilizers play a major role to increase crop yields. On one hand chemical. Fertilizers alone do not provide all the nutrients in balanced quantities needed bythe plants and on the other hand encourage depletion of soil organic mattercontent, adversely affect biological and physical properties of soil, also theirIncreasing prices, soil health deterioration, sustainability and pollutionconsideration in general have led to renewed interest in the use of organicmanures. Use of organic manure not only helps to sustain crop yields but alsoplays a key role by exhibiting both direct as well as indirect influence on thenutrient availability in soil by improving the physical, chemical and biologicalproperties of soil and also improve the use efficiency of applied fertilizers (Singhand Biswas, 2000).

Table No. 4: Shows the use of pesticides.

Where “-” indicates not used, “+” indicates slightly used and “++” indicates used by most.

It is obvious from the above table that out of five villages selected for the present study maximum pesticides used is by Mudh village followed by Henle rare in rest of the villages.

Varietal blends appear generally to reduce the severity of disease, particularly foliar diseases, e.g. mildew on wheat and barley, and yellow rust and leaf rust on wheat (Wolfe, 1990). Although varietal mixtures have no effect on soil-borne diseases, splash-dispersed pathogens such as Septoria and Rhynchosporium spp. can be managed effectively by mixtures (Wolfe, 1990). Mixtures involving different species of plants, while having a good suppressive effect on weeds, can exacerbate foliar diseases, e.g. a wheat-bean mixture led to a reduction in weed biomass compared to monocropped wheat or beans, but the severity of wheat mildew59 increased with increasing bean density (Bulson et al., 1997). Species mixtures have therefore to be used with caution. From the disease management perspective, the principles that underlie mixtures whether of varieties or species are the diversification of resistance and the limitation of exposure to the pathogen (Wolfe et al., 1993). The use of such mixtures is a promising approach to the management of diseases in organic cereal production.

The cultural and biological control of plant diseases is discussed by Altieri (1995). Amongst cultural approaches to disease management are: varietal diversification schemes (Bayles et al., 1990); time of sowing (e.g. early v. late); method of sowing (e.g. row spacing, depth of sowing); rotation; undersowing, e.g. wheat or barley with legumes can reduce the severity of take-all; elimination of alternative hosts; deep ploughing of crop refuse; and use of barrier crops. Many of these approaches have not been studied within an organic cereal production system.