Organic Framing

Common Issues in Various Standards

Maintenance of Organic Management

• The standards requirements should be met during the conversion period.
• If the whole farm is not converted, the certification programme should ensure that the organic and conventional parts of the farm are separate and inspectable.
• Converted land and animals should not get switched back and forth between organic and conventional management.

Soil Healths and Water Quality

• Enhancement of biodiversity.
• No burning of vegetation.
• Recycling, generation and addition of OM and nutrients.
• Measures to be taken to avoid land degradation and pollution of water resources and should not exploit it.
• Manures to avoid salanisation.
• Rain water recycling where possible.
• No clearing of forest.
• Measures to prevent soil and water erosion.

Biodiversity

• Minimum crop rotation requirements / variety.
• Should manage weeds, insects, diseases and other pests while maintaining soil fertility, OM and microbial activity.
• Standards for orchards / plantation floor cover and/or diversity or refuse plantings in the orchard should be set.

Soil Productivity

• Compost prepared from agricultural products produced in the field. Native soil MO are to be utilised.
• Legumes, GM or deep rooting plants in rotation programme.
• Use mineral fertilizer (ground rock, lime, dolomite, etc.) microbial fertilizers, biodynamic preparations and botanical preparations.
• No synthetic / chemical fertilizers are permitted.
• Use of fertilizers and soil improvement materials noted only in the organic standards. Maximum amount of manures may not exceed 170 kg N/year/ha.

Pest, Disease and Weed Management

• Noxious animal, insects, pests, disease, weed, etc., are to be controlled by
  1. Cultivation methods (suitable crop / varieties, time of planting and other cultural management)
  2. Physical method (using light, heat, sound, etc., or manual or mechanical methods)
  3. Biological method (predators, parasites, etc.)
  4. In case of critical agricultural chemicals noted in the standards are to be used.
• Ionising radiation should not be executed for the disease and pest control, preservation of foods, removal of pathogens and sanitation.
• Products which can be used under the supervision are biopesticides (Bt, trichoderma, NPV, pseudomonas, etc.), Bordeaux mixture, sulphur, soft soap and most plant based products (neem, rotenone, pyrethrum, etc.).
• Maximum use of copper under NPDP @ 8 kg/ha/year.