In Nebraska, corn, barley, edible beans, millet, oats, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa, and other forages are grown here and traded organically. Other organic crops, such as amaranth, popcorn, blue corn and spelt, are grown under contract in exchange for a premium. Organic agriculture, an agricultural system that uses ecologically based pest controls and biological fertilizers mainly derived from animal and vegetable waste and from cover crops (nitrogen-fixing). Modern organic agriculture was developed as a response to the environmental damage caused by the use of chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers in conventional agriculture, and has numerous ecological benefits.
The concepts of organic agriculture were developed in the early 20th century by Sir Albert Howard, F, H. King, Rudolf Steiner and others who believed that the use of animal manure (which is often converted into compost), cover crops, crop rotation, and bio-based pest controls resulted in a better agricultural system. Howard, who had worked in India as an agricultural researcher, was heavily inspired by the traditional and sustainable agricultural practices he found there and advocated their adoption in the West. These practices were also promoted by several advocates, such as J, I.
Rodale and his son Robert, in the 1940s onwards, who published the magazine Organic Gardening and Farming and several texts on organic agriculture. Demand for organic food was boosted in the 1960s with the publication of Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson, which documented the magnitude of environmental damage caused by insecticides. The soil is maintained by planting and then tilling cover crops, which help protect the soil from erosion in the off-season and provide additional organic matter. Tilling nitrogen-fixing cover crops, such as clover or alfalfa, also adds nitrogen to the soil.
Cover crops are often planted before or after the cash crop season or in conjunction with crop rotation, and they can also be planted between the rows of some crops, such as tree fruits. Researchers and producers are working to develop “zero tillage” and “reduced tillage” organic agriculture practices to further reduce erosion. Department of Agriculture (USDA) since 2000, and there are many accredited organic certifiers across the country. This is especially useful when products grown organically in Mexico, for example, are exported to the United States.
The information on the pesticide label will help organic producers and people who certify organic production methods to know which pesticide products meet the requirements of the NOP Rule for use in organic agriculture. The approved label language for all pesticide ingredients (active and inert) and all uses of that pesticide must meet the criteria defined in the National Organic Program Rule (NOP) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In the late 1980s, in an effort to standardize production and certification, the organic industry asked Congress to draft the Organic Food Production Act (OFPA) that would define organic. Increased environmental awareness, together with concern about the health impacts of pesticide residues and the consumption of genetically modified (GMO) crops, fostered the growth of the organic sector.
Compost adds organic matter, provides a wide range of nutrients for plants, and adds beneficial microbes to the soil. Food manufacturers have developed processed organic products, and many retail chains specialize in selling organic products. From then on, the industry went from plots of experimental gardens to large farms with surpluses that were sold under a special organic label. In addition to pesticides, organic pest control integrates biological, cultural and genetic controls to minimize damage caused by pests.
In the EU, organic certification and inspection are carried out by organic control bodies approved in accordance with EU standards. The challenge for future organic agriculture will be to maintain its environmental benefits, increase yields and reduce prices, while facing the challenges of climate change and the increase in the world population. .
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