Critical Analysis of Nutrient Management in Organic Fruit Farming Assessment Answer

Nutrient management in organic fruit farming

Introduction

The purpose of the assignment is on critical analysis of the nutrient management in organic fruit farming and provides an in-depth research analysis. In recent times, there has been considerable discussion of the merits and the demerits to adopt the particular forms of agriculture. The analysis and the discussion, has provided an overview of how the chemical's free food production can likely increase the soil's nutritional value and simultaneously prove to be environmentally friendly (Yao, 2020). The individual farmers and environmentalists collaborate to have holistic thinking. Organic farming is practiced with a better growth advantage, such as to improve the soil nutrient reserves, increase nutrient recycling, and using the minimum reduced external inputs. (Fallas-Corrales, 2020). Depending on the organic production, the challenge lies in the management and practices to adopt effective organic agriculture on how to integrate sustainable practices in the farming system. While adopting organic farming the main aim is to focus on meeting ever-increasing demands of the consumers and to compare it with the conventional production methods. Through this paper, the goal is to understand benefits and to use nutrient management practices within organic farming. Further, this paper argues that the organic fruit farming and the nutrient management can benefit, in comparison to the traditional practices, such as by reducing the economic costs against environmental, social and health costs and by reducing disease  (Tsukagoshi, 2020).

Principles

Organic agriculture is observed to hold only a small proportion of total agriculture, in comparison to the conventional system of agriculture. The principles of organic farming are to preserve nutrient management and reduce the disease naturally. Nutrient management in fruit farming is limited to the small centric profitable ideas (Toselli, 2020). The organic farming from time to time has been evaluated as the nutrient enriching soil practices and the techniques are disproportionably small, leading to the little doubts, relations, and benefits derived within the practices. The problem is the lack of research in organic fruit farming and the evidence is limited to the use of a chemical-based soil-enriching process which is a better process or the natural organic manure is more nutritive (Verma 2020).  

Background

There has been little evidence that identifies how the use of the organic practices can prove to be vital to increase the agriculture output and simultaneously also prove to be soil-enriching (Mishra et al, 2018). The proportion would be low in comparison to traditional practices.  The use of organic manure such as the storage and using the animal manures on the farm and using soil fertility practices can help to improve nutrient management. Areas used for silage production must get priority when spreading animal manures and ideally by grazing over the silage areas should be rotated annually. But still, organic farming is limited to fruit production having the few practicing areas by focusing on sustainable practices (Vos, 2020).

As per the proliferation of economic studies since the last decades, there has been a constant discussion for adopting nutritional management organic practices in comparison to the normal rational non-organic farming systems. The use of the nutritional management practices are dependent on the drawn comparison between the two agriculture systems to adopt better fruit farming practices, While the nutrient management organic practices have better control and command over the complexity, diversity, objectivity and the yield maximization, the other traditional type of the agriculture has been more influential for the profitable practices. Through the adequate referencing and experimentally using the practices, it is important to derive the relative profitability: that would help to adopt the organic farms that can generate the profit measuring scale in the fruit farming in comparison to the conventional farms to determine the outcome.

Aims

As observed, the organic fruit farming has proved to be more economical, reasonable, and is known to be more profitable, irrespective of the frequent yield decrease (Selladurai, 2020). Thorough the consistent organic crop yields, it can prove to be less bio-physical stress (e.g. drought) and can generate higher outcomes that can help to demand higher premium prices charged and result in more revenue. Regular use of organic farming with nutrient management practices helps in lowering production costs (Thingujam et al, 2020). 

Fruits Organic Farming 

In the fruit farming industry, organic farming has been advocated as a problematic area that can solve future food security. Fruits organic farming by maintaining nutrient management has proved to be a rich source of minerals, vitamins, and full of fiber, protein, and carbohydrates. As per the evidence researched from the Fallas-Corrales (2020) organic fruit farming has proved to be high in demand in the local market and while exporting in the market. For a specific country such as India, the fruit farming has independently expanded to 15 million tones and today it sells 146.55 million tons in the year of 2015-2016 which accounts for the 11.4% global share (Dutta, 2018). Similarly, China which is the organic fruit producer is the leader in the global market, but the variety is limited to the few and regular fruits (Sharma, 2017). The global average productivity has shown at an average of the 210g/head/day and the requirement is recommended quantity at the (285g /head /day) (Fallas-Corrales, 2020). It is forecasted by 2050, the global demand would be triple times, due to the changing tastes, per soil yield productivity and also using the natural-based organic farming that can feed the large population (Dutta,  2018) As the solution lies in the vertical expansion and also by increasing the productivity per unit area it would be beneficial to generate per unit of time and to use the natural resources judiciously along with the advance technology remaining unexploited. The costing factor is calculated with the differential amount that can be considered from the different value and the labor costs and the profits generated depends on the countries and the yields in the complete opposite results; In comparison to the traditional congenital agriculture farming the profitability depends on the management skills of the farmers as it should be far better skilled in the organic farming and needs to be trained to have the adequate profitable results. So far, there has been a wide range of discrepancies that have helped the farmers to understand what can be the costing factor and how it can prove to be a long term beneficial depending on the profitability in comparison to the traditional agriculture set up Overall, the fruit farming per unit production can increase on the less land, with the low water supply and having low use of pesticides that can impact less negative on the soil. Consistently the organic fruit cultivation has proved to be advantageous, with better nutrition management, and also proved to be more suited for the long term sustainable farming. The use of organic fruit cultivation has eventually proved to be beneficial for long-term soil health and can also be advantageous for the stability in production. Organic fruit management with nutrient management has proved to be resistant against biotic and abiotic stresses.  

Nutrients Management in Fruits Organic Farming

As per the Vos (2020)  who has emphasized in his literature about the effective uses of the management of nutrients while producing the fruits organic farming systems can help to increase the soil yield and also increase the per yield production. The formidable challenge is identified inconsistently adopting sustainable practices and also to make it a long term solution. The field and the land used for organic agriculture practices remains as a yield gap due to the various crops which remain within the scope of the best management practices. As the agricultural lands have been shrinking, it is evident to meet the growing global hunger demand, by aiming to minimize the negative impacts on the global environment and excessively eroding the soil resources, Further, if the traditional conventional methods can be used for the expansion of the land, which would further cause pressure on the land and also erode the biodiversity causing the dynamic climate change and also can lead to desertification along with causing the environmental pollution. It is argued by Kumar (2016) that there have been no traditional ways of preserving the soil health and also protecting the environment. The same has been identified in the Gupta (2019) of adopting a popularizing eco-friendly way of organic farming and even using the cost-effective strategies and techniques. Further, the use of the organic sources such as the farmyard manure, using the compost, vermicomposting along with the integrating the sheep and goat manure along with combining it with the liquid organic manures such as the cow urine, or the use of the panchagavya, vermiwash and even using the bio-digested liquid, jeevamrut, etc. can prove to be economically low cost and can prove to generate a sustained production along with having the better scope of the farm resource utilization (Selladurai, 2020). As per Ghosh (2019), the argument is about using the organic nutrients for fruit farming and making it a long term sustainable solution, by increasing its growth, yield, quality, increasing the nutrient uptake, soil properties and even enhancing the soil nutrients of fruits.

Dutta (2018) has recognized fruit farming in organic agriculture as the recognized way to create ecosystem management and increase agricultural inputs. The nutrient management has been identified as the use of a natural process that is free from any sort of the use of synthetic inputs, for example, the synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, using the veterinary drugs, having the genetically modified seeds along with the use of the breeds, preservatives and less used additives and irradiation. Due to the fruit farming and focusing on nutrient management, the scope of adopting specific management practices has remained as the long term solution due to the soil fertility and as a better solution quality-wise for the environment. As identified the organic agriculture is identified to be holistic farming creating long term benefits and implications in the soil health, environment, and reducing the economic costs. Such as the less use of the fertilizers, can help to reduce the per-unit fertilizer demand (reduce in economic cost), would increase the per yield soil productivity (reduce the environmental costs) and would prove to be less detrimental to the health of the people eating it (increase health benefit). The use of the off-farm inputs is dependent on the regional conditions as per the Ghosh (2018) identifies the adapted systems that can promote and also focus on the agroecosystem health, depends on the bio-diversity, biological activities and bringing a better possible agronomic, biological and the mechanical methods which can adopt the synthetic nutrients to fulfill the system. The organic system is to focus on the significant improvements that can be essential to enrich soil quality and help to create the bulk density. The other benefits are the maximum water holding capacity, infiltration rate, and also devising the plans to absorb the organic carbon, available nitrogen, and mixing phosphorus and potassium.  The same has been identified in the literature of the Selladurai, (2019) that has focused on the use of inorganic fertilizers which should not be promoted and depending on the` ways to integrate the organic ways it is important to determine the range of soil. Depending on the soil nutrients the importance of the crop rotation along with the manure management and using the better-enriched nutrient supply can help to provide guaranteed optimum crop yield. This would further help to reduce and minimize losses that can be experienced from the ecology. Depending on the healthy organic practices in the fruit farming practices, it would help to relate with the nutrient cycles in farming systems and can advocate better practices. Contrary to this, in the literature Boafo (2020) there has been high rationality of using organic farming which can derive the ecological production management system and can also work out in the better promotional and the biodiversity levels to have better biological cycles. Similarly in the literature of the Fallas-Corrales (2017), the findings prove that the organic ways of farming can prove to be a substantial way of soil biological activity.  It has been contrasted by the Mattos (2020) that has devised rationality of the organic agriculture is to aim for the inexpensive, cost-effective method, proving to be productive in an interdependent ecological setup. Another finding is of the long term sustainable solutions that can increase the soil life, plants, and animals and of benefit people. The literary analysis of the Thingujam (2020) has provided evidence that there can be a substantial way of using and limiting the chemical fertilizers and it would include the pesticides, growth regulators along using the genetically modified organisms (GMOs).To understand it further, as evaluated that Verma(2019) has critically proved that the fruit farming needs to be organic and would require steps to a minimum the use of the artificial chemicals to enhance the nutrient management. The nutritional amazement in fruit farming can also be increased through the off-farm inputs techniques that can be a better part of the management practices like the natural process of restoring, maintaining, or enhancing the better ecological harmony (Ghosh, 2020).

Profitability in Fruit Organic Farming

Organic fruits fetch a premium price of 10%- 50% in comparison to conventional products (Dutta, 2018). The market for organic products is steeply rising at the rate (20%) as and in comparison to the conventional ones (5%). The demand for organic farming is steeply rising in Japan, the USA, Australia, and the EU. To manage the organic soil management, and to handle nutrient management, it is important to understand the nutrients in organic farming systems used, management techniques, and how the formidable challenge lies in the minimum use of inorganic fertilizers, and how to increase the productivity. As noted, how the organic farmers would focus on the ways to optimize range of soil bed and use the constant procedure of the crop, rotation and manure managements which would help to supply nutrient and can generate the guaranteed optimum crop yields that can constantly work to overcome the losses to the environment. Further, it would be important to access the appreciation related to the nutrient cycles in farming systems.

Strategies for the Fruit Framing-Nutrient Management

1. Soil Management 

A) Crop rotation:  The organic farming requires an extensive crop rotation and the main aim is to plant the variety of the different crop which would be required at the different times and locations in the given same field.  Raghavan, et al (2018) have identified how through consistent rotating crops the main goal is to focus on improving the tilt or structure of the given soil, leading to better absorption of the nutrition management. Due to the enhanced practice, the main motive is to focus on the conservation of soil erosion and controlling the pests to preserve soil fertility. Nutrient management can help in reducing the financial risk that can help to recover the crop failure. Through the crop rotations, the essential step is to increase soil microbial activity that can help to increase nutrient availability and steps to increase the phosphorus use. Yields would range from the 10 to 15% higher and it would be systematic to include the crop rotation in comparison to the monoculture (Mullaimaran, 2019).

Source (Fallas-Corrales, 2020)

B) Cover Cropping: Through the use of the crop rotation, the main aim is to cover the crop and to tilt the soil regularly (Mog, 2019). It is argued, the use of the cover cropping aims to enhance the annual, biennial, or perennial herbaceous plants which would be required during the pure or mixed stages. Subsequently, the main aim is to support the cover crop at the time of the “standing” during or a certain part of the year. Through the practice and approaching the soil loosening, the compacted soil can help in the root growth to penetrate deeper and improve its water filtration, Soil loosening practice should be avoided and conserve the rich soil bed and prevent the erosion due to the wind and water. Cover crops have proven to suppress the weeds and it has helped to enrich the weed seeds and consecutively aim to reduce the insect pests along with the diseases.

C) Green maturing: Due to the use of the undecomposed material it can help to tilt the manure and by using the cover crop, the practice can be used to tilt the soil. Through this step, it would help to restore the green manure. As identified from the research, the goal of the organic matter along with supporting nutrients is to enrich soil (Mullaimaran, 3017). The green plant when is planted in the soil, due to the high levels of the nitrogen and moisture it can become a food source. It is important to identify how there can be a green manure crop that can be done through consistent green manure crops and the process of collecting the green leaf (along with twigs) that can be buried in the wasteland, filled with the field bunds and in the forest. The green maturing goes in addition to the soil structure and consistently increases the water holding capacity that can decrease the loss by erosion (Neilsen, 2017).

D) Green leaf manure: Through the application and consistently using the green leaves along with the twigs of trees, shrubs, and herbs and integrating the plant species such as  Neem, Mahua, Wild indigo and also using the Glyricidia, Karanji (Pongamia glabra) along with the calotropis, avise (Sesbania grandiflora) and the rich subabul including shrubs. Gupta et al  (2019) have identified how it would help to improve the soil structure and would benefit the increase in the water holding capacity, and consistently decrease soil loss by erosion. It can help to reduce the weed proliferation and weed growth and steps to reduce the reclamation of alkaline soils and also root-knot nematodes which should be controlled.

E)  Animal manure: The use of manure is a natural way to enhance the raw or composted form. Through the use of the raw manure, it has been argued that not only its cost-effective approach, but it has proved to be a soil-enriching method as it includes a lot of organic matter along with the biological processes of enriching the soil. Dutta (2018) has mentioned that composting is the best form of the manure which helps to reduce the contaminants and any substantial risk of pathogens which can provide food safety to minimize or eliminate the use. Similarly in the literature of the Boafo et al (2018), the farmers should be critical of the soil testing before adding any of the raw or composted manures, as further using the composting can lead to the high levels of the biomass volume and locking from nitrogen and carbon nutrients in the soil.

Mulching: The use of the layered loose material can be an advantage as it would contain a combination of the compost, manure along using the straw, dry grass, leaves, and uses the crop residues. Batabyal,  (2017) has proven when using the method of mulching, it is essential to control the moisture loss and steps to conserve water and to improve soil structure. It would help in reducing the soil temperature, and help in reducing weed growth. The method has proved to be an effective control over the soil compaction locking essential nutrients within the soil which can help in the plant growth and also protects plants during the unprecedented environment (such as cold season) (Bakshi, 2018).  

Source (Fallas-Corrales, 2020)

Conclusion

To conclude, optimizing soil's health is the main important factor in organic agriculture. The main factor while using organic farming is to maintain the high nutrient levels within the soil. To manage the organic soil management, and to handle nutrient management, it is important to understand the nutrients in organic farming systems and understand how the fruit farming can be done and what kind of soil is suited. Further, while using the nutrient management technique, it is essential to focus on the advanced biological activity and include organic matter and steps to restore the balanced /optimum nutrient levels. The main goal while striving organic farming is to focus on meeting the ever-increasing demands of the consumers and to compare it with the conventional production methods As noted, how the organic farmers would focus on to optimize a range of soil and using the procedures of the crop, rotation, and manure management which can help to reduce the nutrient supply and can help in guarantee optimum crop yields and restore nutrients losses to the environment.  The analysis and the discussion, has provided an overview of how the chemical's free food production can likely increase the soil's nutritional value by using environmentally friendly techniques. Organic farming can be used for a better growth advantage to preserve the soil nutrient reserves, and preserve the restoration of nutrients in a short period and preserving the nutrient recycling without any adequate external resources such as chemical fertilizers or the sprays. Depending on the organic production often the challenge lies in the management and to include the natural processes to preserve the fertility and nutrients. Further, it would be important to access the appreciation related to the nutrient cycles in farming systems.