Organic farming - A review

Excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture has come into severe criticism by the environmentally conscious people who opine that the increase in agricultural production was achieved at the cost of soil health. Organic farming is not mere non-chemical agriculture but it is a system of farming based on integral relationships among soil, water, plants, soil microflora and overall relationship between plant and animal kingdom of which man is the apex animal. The totality of these relationships is the backbone of organic farming. The principal elements to be considered while practicing organic farming are a) creating a healthy soil b) making nutrient and energy flows in the soil ecosystem c) keeping the biological life in the cycle and d)providing sustainable yield.