Geography
Answer
The main characteristics of organic farming are-
- It protects the long term fertility of the soil by maintaining organic matter levels, and creating optimised conditions for biological activity within the soil.
- It provides crop nutrients indirectly using relatively insoluble nutrient sources which are made available to the plant by the action of soil micro-organisms.
- It maintains nitrogen self sufficiency through the use of legumes and biological nitrogen fixation as well as effective recycling of organic materials including crop residues and livestock manures.
- It prevents weeds, diseases and pests by relying primarily on crop rotations, natural predators diversity, organic manuring, resistant varieties and limited thermal, biological and chemical intervention.
- It provides attentive care and management of livestock, paying full regard to their evolutionary adaptations, behavioral needs and animal welfare issues with respect to nutrition, housing, health, breeding and rearing.