Organic farming: what it is, advantages, examples of techniques and pests

Organic farming is a land cultivation practice that respects its richness and tries not to alter it with the use of agrochemicals. It is characterized by being environmentally friendly and seeking a balance between food production and caring for the health of the soil.

It also discourages the use of chemicals to multiply production, ionizing radiation and waste of water. Instead, it encourages the use of work tools that are respectful of the soil, crop rotation and healthy practices to control pests.

Among the advantages of organic farming is the production of healthier, more nutritious and flavorful foods. There is also greater production performance, since 30% more is achieved than in traditional production. In addition, soils and ecosystems wear out less, maintaining themselves for future generations.

By not using chemical pesticides, crops become sick and become infected with pests more easily. The agricultural products obtained may therefore show less quantity and production itself will be harmed.

Organic farming techniques are aimed at making crops more efficient with healthy practices for the soil and the environment. Here are some of the ones that are often used:

• Organic fertilizer: Natural fertilizer arises from the waste generated by grass, cruciferous and legume crops. On a smaller level and in our home, we can generate a natural fertilizer with the vegetables that we will no longer use and with their peels, creating a composter that will allow them to decompose and then help us fertilize our indoor and outdoor plants. Here you will find more information about organic fertilizer: what it is, types, benefits and how to do it.
• Soil tillage: Shallowly tilling the soil of a crop is useful so that it does not become compacted and is a good substrate for the crop that we are going to produce. Tillage allows for gas exchange between the soil and the surface, which will allow the lower layers of the land to be cultivated to benefit from the oxygen that most likely is not reaching them.
• Mulching: This technique is also known as mulching and essentially tries to create a surface on the ground that is capable of retaining moisture. This is achieved using compost, manure, crop or freshly cut grass residues, bark, straw, sawdust and wood waste. Discover more information about Mulch or mulching: what it is, types and how to use it.
• Crop association: This technique proposes planting plants that are compatible with each other, so that the soil is enriched and not weakened by a single crop. When a single crop is planted, the land tends to be demineralized to attend to the growth of the plant, and if it is always the same, what is taken from the land are always the same nutrients. By planting similar crops, the land has a diverse revitalization. An example of this is the tomato crop, which gets along well with almost everything, except peppers and cucumbers.
• Phytosanitary control: The best way to eradicate pests is to prevent them. We must be attentive to the health of the soil, and use natural fertilization to strengthen it.
• Crop rotation: It proposes that one crop be planted one time, and the next time it will be a different one. You can even plant a legume every two years to fix oxygen in the soil. Alternate crops should also be in this order: one with greater demands on the properties of the land, and then another with lower demands.
• Amendments: It is considered an amendment to the action that is carried out on a soil and that seeks to correct any nutritional deficiencies that it may have, especially with respect to its PH. It is also about enriching the soil in summer or autumn, so that in spring it is ready for the new crop, which will not be healthy if the substrate does not have good biological activity.

Eliminating pests in organic farming is based on the use of natural resources. The first step is prevention. When we don’t let the sign of a plague begin to translate into an uncontrollable plague, we have already done a lot. Some guidelines for pest prevention are: choosing quality seeds and seedlings, rotating crops, using green manures, nourishing the soil naturally, controlling weeds, taking care of water to avoid drowning of crops and eliminating infected parts, among several others.

Depending on the type of crop, it will be the pest and, consequently, its natural remedy. Pest control can be mechanical or biological. In the first case, light traps, sticky traps and water traps can be used. You can also use the fruit bagging technique to prevent pests from destroying them. In the case of biological pest control, the use of garlic and nicotine as natural pesticides is very useful. The bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a natural pesticide that is sold in stores, as well as fungi. Beauveria bassianaboth are very efficient at controlling pests.

Other remedies you can use are:

• Vegetable oil mixed with soap that repels aphids.
• Boiled water with cilantro kills mites.
• Planted basil scares away whiteflies.
• Fresh milk mixed with a little flour and water kills insect eggs laid on crops.
• The spray of stale water with cloves and garlic scares away insects.
• The eggshells repel caterpillars and crawling worms.
• Nettle water left overnight for four days is a natural insecticide against aphids.
• Tobacco mixed with soap and water and spread on the ground scares away red spiders.

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