ORGANIC AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION - A CASE STUDY OF KARNAL DISTRICT OF HARYANA STATE

OF INDIA

Dr. Dalip K. Gosain

gosaindk@yahoo.com
Senior Scientist (Agriculture Extension) and
Head, Agriculture Science Centre and Dairy Training Centre
National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal 132001 India

The “inherent and latent effects” of intensive agriculture leading to higher crop
production at the cost of lowering of water table, poor soil health and
environmental degradation had called for the attention of the scientists, policy
makers and the producers all over the world to look for newer strategies to attain
organic agriculture. The Haryana State of Northern India has contributed
significantly in increased crop production through “Green Revolution” but the
“ill-effects” of the intensive farming have called for newer agricultural
technologies. In the recent past the “organic agriculture” has been advocated and
publicized among the farmers in the district by the extension agencies, which have
shown impact.

Karnal district has loamy to silt clay loam soils, good quality underground water
and moderate (500-700 mm) rainfall and has temperate and irrigated land
conditions. In the year 2005 the district had 434 villages spread over an area of
2, 46,026 hectares having 84,982 farm families. Out of the total geographical area
1, 94,900 hectares was net cultivated, 93,200 hectares was net irrigated and
3,50,820 hectares was copped area having cropping intensity of 180 per cent.

In the identified seven types of farming systems, cultivation of rice and wheat
are the dominated crops which were grown in an area of 41.93 and 44.17 per cent
respectively in the district. This district is known for production of ‘Basmati’
rice, which has international market. Among the other crops sugarcane, ‘bajra’,
barley, gram, other pulses, rapeseeds – mustard, fruits and vegetables were grown
in 3.56, 0.26, 0.03, 0.08, 0.21, 0.24 and 8.23 per cent of the total cropped area
respectively in the district.

As per FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission, 1999, “organic agriculture is

accomplished by using, where possible, agronomic, biological, and mechanical
methods, as opposed to using synthetic materials, to fulfill any specific function
within the farming system”. Accordingly, in this district even prior to 1999, the
scientists and the farmers were “aware” of these issues and they looked for
alternative approaches and means for sustainable agricultural production. The
concept of “organic farming in a strict sense” has been promoted in this district
since 2002 and a few farmers have adopted the total package of practices in
production of some crops “organically” so that the produce is considered for
“certification and labeling”.

In context of organic agriculture and food stability majority of the farmers have
adopted crop management practices such as crop rotations, green manuring,
recycling of crops residues, efficient water management and efficient crop
combinations so to ensure farm produce of sufficient quantity and quality for
human and livestock consumption.

Paddy and wheat are the major crops grown in this district. A decade ago the
farmers started growing two crops of paddy which were grown in the months April-
October that had lowered the water table alarmingly. To conserve the water
resources that was intensively used in growing two paddy crops during ‘Kharif’
season, the farmers have been advised in the past three years to grow only one
crop. Now in place of one crop of paddy the farmers grow Sesbania aculeate which
is used as green manure. Study indicated that farmers have now adopted growing
summer pulses and vegetables in place of early paddy crop where by less water is
used for irrigation and soil health is maintained. Normally, in crop rotation
farmers preferred growing leguminous crop(s) over others.

In wheat crop production the advocated zero tillage technology in the past five
years have been adopted by 35 per cent of the farmers in the district, that had
reduced the cost of cultivation up to U.S.$ 50 per hectare and water is also
saved. In 2005 there were 1,060 zero till machines in the district. The
cultivation of mustard, lentil and gram during the winter seasons have shown
positive results towards saving water and less use of chemical fertilizers. All
these crops use less water resources and in turn, the pulses enrich the soil
health. Micro analysis of this district indicated that majority of the farmers
were “aware” of the resource conservation issues of organic agriculture.

Farmers having land holding up to four hectares practice mixed farming of crop and
dairy husbandry that was found more sustainable and organic in nature as both
these sub-systems of the farming were found complimentary and supplementary to
each other and had symbiotic relationship. The extension approaches used for
promoting “organic farming” could bring diversification in cropping systems in
which the resource conservation issues of sustainable agriculture are ingrained.

Since 2003, vast majority of the farm families in the district have adopted making
vermi-compost using earth worms and dung obtained from their dairy animals. The
use of vermin-compost has reduced the utilization of the synthetic fertilizers.
Among all farming systems, organic farming is gaining wide attention among farmers
of different categories in the district. In a cluster of villages of one
developmental block of the district more than 100 farm families have adopted the
technology of vermi-compost making and its use in organic crop production. In
village Sultanpur a farmer has successfully grown “organic paddy” whereas, in
village Daha Jagir a farmer could successfully grow “organic wheat”. Organic
agriculture would result in crop yield increase over the current averages as found
in wheat production in a sample plot. Conversion of conventional to organic
farming requires precision and the study indicated that the domestic food
production would not suffer.

In the district organic farming is understood as a form of agriculture in which

only organic inputs for the supply of nutrients and management of pests and
diseases are used and farmers are following this concept and using the appropriate
technologies and methodologies. They look for their produce be “certified” and
“labelled” for premium prices for which neither the laboratories for certification
nor the markets for assured sales are available. Farmer-driven organic agriculture
is well practiced in the district but service-driven organic agriculture need be
promoted so that the farmers and the society are benefited in the years to come.