Role of organic amendments in sustainable agriculture

Abstract

Organic farming is one type of sustainable farming. It has potential, especially for farms that still rely on traditional and extensive agricultural methods. Organic farming can provide quality food without adversely affecting the soil's health and the environment; however, a concern is whether large-scale organic farming will produce enough food for India's large population. The past decade's increases in agricultural yields would have been impossible without mineral fertilizer. After the green revolution, the mineral fertilizer usage is progressively increased but yet not to be achieved the expected yield. Until now, insufficient attention has been paid to the adverse effects on the soil and the environment of improper use of mineral fertilizer. Many tropical soils are acidic by nature, and mineral fertilizer speeds up the acidification process. Consequently, soil productivity deteriorates rather than improves in the long term, and the fertilizer cannot have its full effects. Similarly the awareness of organic farming practices increased day by day throughout the world. Now the organic farming practices and organic amendments play a prominent role to mitigate the reclamation of soil fertility.