The climate crisis is aimed to affect Europe more than any other region in the world. This means a huge blow to most agriculture practitioners, as severe changes in weather conditions, soil quality, and various other factors will be a result of this climate crisis. According to experts unless proper safeguard systems are put into place various farms will have to go out of operation. In such a time, one of the answers being considered is organic farming.
If you are a farmer in the Northern European region, chances are you have started feeling the effects of this crisis already. We at Kelly Engineering believe in imparting knowledge that strengthens the farmer community and leads to a more sustainable future for the agro-based industries. And as it stands today, organic farming has become a cornerstone of modern agriculture. In this article, we will be talking about the various feature of organic farming and how you can adapt it into your process.
So, let us begin with the most basic question:
What is organic farming?
Organic farming primarily deals with the usage of organic substances instead of synthetic ones. These include compost, manure, pesticides, fertilisers, and the long-range of various other chemical components that are used in the farming process. There are a number of benefits of organic farming such as better quality of produce, soil quality maintenance, cost reduction, etc.
Organic farming is not necessarily a new method since this was the primary way of farming before corporate giants entered the process with their synthetic products. So, in essence, the process of organic farming is a means to go back to the roots of agricultural practices by delving away from synthetic elements that harm the earth in the long run.
Features of organic farming
- Soil fertility is one of the primary proponents of organic farming. It ensures that the level of organic matter within the soil is maintained at optimum capacity thereby ensuring natural biological activity in the soil.
- At times the soil fertility needs to be maintained through usage of machinery as well. The Kelly Tillage System is one such modern solution that ensures the removal of weeds and stubble without harming the soil composition through the use of its disc chain mechanism.
- Growing of legumes and usage of organic fertilisers such as crop residue and livestock manure are some of the primary means of maintaining nitrogen levels in the soil.
- Pest control in organic farming is performed through either crop rotation practices in which a carefully selected range of crops are grown around the year or through the use of natural predators.
- Processes such as stubble burning are absolutely kept away from in order to maintain the integrity of the soil. The Kelly Tillage System helps in ensuring this process as well by removing stubble to the point that it can biodegrade easily.
- Livestock management and rearing are a very important part of the organic farming process and it takes into taken their evolutionary and behavioural needs as well as issues regarding animal welfare.
- Moreover, organic farming ensures that the level of impact on the environment due to the farming process is minimalised.
Why is Organic Farming more important now than ever?
With the climate crisis at our heels, we must understand that the typical farming process is a huge reason as to why this crisis is growing at an enormous scale. The usage of various synthetic components to maintain soil quality and fertility ensures that the runoff is highly toxic and pollutes the flora and fauna that find farmland as a natural habitat. Furthermore, it releases various toxic fumes into the environment that can severely damage the ecosystem.
It is important for every farmer within the EU to adopt a healthier farming process. And the best way to currently do this is by adhering to an organic farming based process that takes into account the various harmful aspects of farming. So, make sure that you are cutting down on your use of synthetic products and also shift to the Kelly Tillage System that will help ensure you engage in smart tillage practices.