Organic cotton
Indian scene
German group, Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA), Hamburg, which was
interested in supporting organic cotton efforts, visited Vidarbha to confirm that many farmers were growing
cotton without chemical fertilisers. Jens Soth of EPEA contacted the director of CICR, Nagpur, in 1993 for
information on non-chemical ways of growing cotton. The interaction with the CICR scientists, who were
working on the low/no-pesticide option for pest management in cotton led to a project that EPEA took up
with GTZ of Germany.
Mehta's efforts and those of the farmers and later of CICR laid the foundation for an organised platform to
grow cotton organically and export it. Meetings started in August 1994 with farmers over five districts of
Nagpur, Wardha, Yavatmal, Amravati and Akola and resulted in 135 farmers committing1,200 hectares of
land to organic cotton by June 1995, according to Mehta.
On December 19, 1995, the Vidarbha Organic Farmers
Association (VOFA) was formed with 132 farmers as members
The idea was to have an independent organisation for farmers to
help in marketing of cotton on a non-profit basis. Agreco agreed to
certify the farmers and each farmer was provided a diary to record
cultivation practices. The season of 1996 brought a bumper crop
of cotton organically grown without much hindrance from pests,
notes Mehta.
"We had prepared a complete 70-page booklet for farmers who
were interested in organic cotton cultivation. The cotton was
grown under international organic standards certification
guidelines and the German support ensured certification and other
requirements. Over 1,200 hectares were soon under organic
farming, making it (then) the largest area in the world under such
cultivation," Mehta said
Subedar adds, "We want to promote organic crops and we feel
farmers should get a good price. Cotton is being exported since
1995 and we sell 1,500-2,000 quintals every year."
Of VOFA's 205 members, 90 are practicing organic farming. The
total area under cotton is 1,250 acres and the minimum
landholding is 3 acres; the maximum is 54 acres. The total land
under organic cultivation is 3,500 acres (spread over Wardha,
Amravati and Yavatmal districts).
the Japanese company Fair Trade which buys their cotton, gave
the cottonpickers a bonus of Rs 2 lakh for clothing. The Fair Trade
company also donated Rs 1 lakh towards the corpus.
VOFA is one of the few commercial organic cotton ventures in the
country. Maikaal bioRe Ltd, which claims to be the largest organic
cotton venture in the world, in Bheelaon, Madhya Pradesh, has
over 1,000 farmers involved in organic cotton production. The
production of organic cotton started in 1991 as a private initiative
of Mrigendra Jalan, Managing Director of the spinning mill,
Maikaal Fibres Ltd, and Patrick Hohmann, Managing Director of
the Swiss cotton yarn trading company, Remei AG, according to a
report from Maikaal bioRe.
A pilot project was initiated in 1992 with a few farmers on 15
acres. It has since expanded to over 1,000 farmers and 7,600
acres in 80 villages of Khargone district. Remei developed
partnerships with manufacturers to produce a whole range of
quality, fashionable, ecological-social garments made of Maikaal
bioRe's organic cotton. The entire supply chain was integrated in
1995 when Coop, the retailer joined. Coop is Switzerland's
second-largest supermarket chain and Europe's market leader in
ecological-social products.
According to Hohmann this was the world's largest project on
organic cotton, from the cultivation to the marketing and product
sale stage with the active and conscious participation of farmers,
spinners, retailers and purchasers. Every year since 1993 at the
open house in the ginning factory, hundreds of farmers meet their
production partners from abroad, apart from designers,
researchers and others involved in this cooperative venture.
Farmers are encouraged to practice biodynamic agriculture, while
certification is as per the requirements of organic agriculture only.
Farmers with Maikaal now believe that pests are fewer and
expenses less in organic farming.
Organic farmers get a premium of 10-20% above market rates.
Useful pests
Pesticides
There are more than 30 pests that attack cotton plants. The major
pest is a caterpillar called the Heliothis Caterpillar, which likes to
eat the fruit of the plant (squares) where the cotton bolls form.
Spraying an insecticide chemical can help control the insects.
When spraying chemicals the farmer and the person who sprays
must be very careful and follow important rules, these include:

Never spraying when it is windy

Telling their neighbours they will be spraying 24hours in
advance

Only using someone who has a special licence to spray
chemicals.

Not spraying close to a house (within 200m)
Environmentally friendly alternatives
Beneficial Insects
Insects that eat pests but do not damage the cotton plant are
called beneficial insects. Farmers encourage beneficial insects to
live on their cotton crops, as a natural way to keep pest numbers
down. Some beneficial insects include lady beetles, spiders and
ants.
Organic cotton: Getting back to the basics
http://infochangeindia.org/features101.jsp
By Meena Menon
Various Indian government institutions and organisations have been researching and even endorsing
organic cultivation of cotton and other crops. But why is none of this research finding its way to the
farmers in India's cotton fields? This is the last in a series on organic cotton
In 2001, the Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur, published a technical paper on organic
cotton. Despite this, many farmers do not even know that the research fraternity endorses organic cotton
as a low-cost alternative to cash-strapped rainfed farmers who wish to grow cotton in a more sustainable
and economical way. Neither do they know about the government's endorsement of organic cotton.
However, on the positive side, organic farming has spread through books, individual advocacy, advocacy
by NGOs, word of mouth, alternative media, farmers themselves and other informal ways. In Maharashtra,
about 32 lakh hectares are under cotton (in 2002, 27 lakh ha), comprising 30% of the nation's acreage. Of
this, 14 lakh ha are in Vidarbha. About 80-85% are hybrids and the rest are straight or desi varieties,
according to Dr T P Rajendran, project co-ordinator (Cotton Improvement) and head, CICR, regional
station, Coimbatore (formerly principal scientist, entomology, at CICR, Nagpur).
Dr Rajendran and a team of CICR scientists visited the new organic cotton
practitioners in Yavatmal and Karanja Lad in Vidarbha in 1992 to assess
their practices and thought processes. Since 1988, scientists of CICR have
been identifying good farming practices to conserve soil moisture and
improve the organic content of marginal cotton soils in rainfed areas. The
results of these experiments led to studies comparing the three options inorganic, organic and a mixture of both these options in the field.
CICR's research on organic cotton, though not widely known, was
published in the 1998 ICAR News under the title 'Promising technology'.
The experiments on organic cotton were accepted by the Planning
Commission as well as many non-government organisations and farmers
from other states. After this, a task force on organic farming was formed by
the ministry of agriculture and the Planning Commission formed a separate
working group on organic and biodynamic farming for the Tenth Five-Year
Plan document. The Director, CICR, was the member-secretary of this 21member working group, which comprised NGOs, activists and organic
farmers.
According to Dr Rajendran, there were massive bollworm attacks on cotton in different states in 1990 and
at four- to five-year cycles thereafter, making it necessary to evolve a strategy to combat the pest.
Generally farmers are misguided by aggressive campaigns by pesticide and fertiliser dealers and
distributors, and are very eager to use any new product. It is a do or die situation for most farmers as far
as cotton is concerned, as it's a valuable cash crop. Farmers are also reluctant to move away from cotton
as there is no replacement for cotton in this region.
"We need to understand that pests also need to live and we have to reconcile to their presence in farms.
And for this one needs to understand their urge to survive as well as the plant's attitudes towards pests,"
said Dr Rajendran. "Much of our cultivars have pest tolerance, but this could be disrupted by toxins in the
form of pesticides, which are not only toxic to pests but also other living beings, including plants. One
consequence is the annihilation of many friendly natural enemies such as parasites, predators and
pathogens of insect pests," he explained.
"The best of insecticides can bring about a reduction of only 30% of pest population in crop fields. When
farmers grew desi cotton, they did not use pesticides or chemicals. However, the American long staple
varieties were introduced to satisfy the textile mill requirements during British times."
"Heliothis, otherwise known as pod borer, was not a pest of cotton. It affected pigeonpea, chickpea and
other pulses. Instead of understanding the nature of the plant, its pests or enemies, our package of
practices (developed on a cause-and-effect principle) was designed to produce the highest yield.
Research shows that hybrids can give a potential yield of 40 quintals per hectare, but the achievable yield
is often 20 q and the realised yield a mere 5-7 quintals under rainfed conditions. The question is, are we
giving farmers the correct practices to enable profitable cultivation?" he added.
A task force set up in 2000 by the agriculture ministry to study various aspects of organic farming
recommended a permanent national board to promote environment-friendly, chemical-free agriculture.
The task force said all state governments should be advised to introduce organic farming on half of
government's farmlands. Since a shift to organic farming might result in a loss of production in the initial
years, the farmers would have to be compensated for it, the report said. However, the report
recommended only a mix of organic and inorganic farming as ideal for local conditions.
In some states like Andhra Pradesh, the government is providing some inputs like neem, but these efforts
are undermined by its Vision 2020 report. Madhya Pradesh is planning to set aside one acre from each
farmer for organic farming and is offering some assistance to farmers. The Maharashtra government has
set up a commission for sustainable agriculture for the next 20 years. It also aims to convert about 1 lakh
hectacres to organic farming this year. The central government held a four-day workshop on organic
exports in New Delhi in November 2002, and has been encouraging the export of organic spices, tea and
cotton. It has also formulated National Organic Produce Standards. The Ninth and Tenth Five-Year Plans
stress the involvement of universities in going to farmers' fields, which is long overdue.
Some universities have moved on to organic farming and are developing practices on their own. At Hulkoti
, near Gadag in Karnataka, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) has converted its 88-acre farm into organic
farming. Set up in 1985, the KVK is experimenting with several varieties of cotton to decide which will be
most suitable for these parts. According to Dr Vaikunthe, agronomist at the KVK, most of the farmers grow
Jayadhar, a desi variety, in Gadag, and plant protection was not needed as it was suitable for droughtprone conditions. In 2002, due to severe drought, many farmers had not planted cotton at all.
The research was focused on change of variety from Jayadhar. The two varieties being tested are DLSA
17 and RAHS 14 and the main thrust is to improve staple length because mills require longer staples.
Jayadhar does not have marketability because it is short staple, he said.
Since last year, KVK has been testing organic cotton. In 2001, 24 varieties were tested and in 2002, over
40 were being tested, most of which are medium staple varieties. For the last two years no chemical
fertilisers or sprays have been used. They grow sun hemp and use that as compost, apart from
vermicompost and farmyard manure and biofertilisers like rhizobium.
"Last year we adopted 24 villages with assistance from CAPART and set up self-help groups and
vermicompost units and now nearly 100 farmers are using vermicompost. This year we selected 100
farmers and are training them to make vermicompost," said Vaikunthe.
"Our aim is also to reduce the cost of cultivation, improve soil health and promote sustainable agriculture.
KVK has prepared a booklet on organic farming in 1997 and we find the majority of farmers are not using
as much chemicals as we used to recommend. Farmers are showing an interest in organic farming,
specially due to drought conditions," he added. Organic farmers in Gadag feel that it was their pressure
and movement for organic farming that has changed KVK's course of action.
While the government woke up late to organic farming, research on biological control of insect pests and
weeds was initiated in the early-'60s under PL 480 grants. Later the ICAR launched an all-India
Coordinated Project on Biological Control in 1977 with Anand in Gujarat as one of the centres. There are
16 centres in the country and cotton is one of the main crops in focus.
According to Dr D N Yadav, principal research scientist (entomology) at Anand, a number of natural
predators and trap crops have been researched at the university. In addition the university provides
trichocards and insects which are beneficial for cotton and eat its pests, notably the green bollworm. The
research underlines what farmers are also discovering in their fields -- that once pesticides and chemicals
are stopped, the natural predators come back.
In the early-'80s, heliothis was not a problem. The problem is that the biodiversity of insects has reduced
over the years and some 55 species of natural predators of cotton pests are endangered, according to
Yadav. No natural control exists today and since the '80s pests have developed resistance due to
continuous spraying of synthetic pyrethroids which led to the resurgence of the white fly, aphids and
heliothis, he added.
Dr Yadav believes that cotton can be grown organically along with lots of other trap crops like maize,
marigold, basil and other medicinal plants which grow naturally in the fields. Plants can be used for natural
biocontrol of pests without disturbing the agronomy of cotton, he said. Parasites like rogas take care of the
bollworm, lacewings are predators of the eggs of the helicoverpa moth, the nuclear polyhedrosis virus
(NPV) is a bioagent for heliothis.
However, the problem with commercial production of trichocards etc is the lack of quality control which
leads farmers to think that bioagents cannot really control the pests. There is also a lack of knowledge
about natural predators as many farmers think the lacewing is a pest and try to eliminate it.
At the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka, trials in organic cotton have been going
on for six years and the main objective is to ascertain yield potential. However, scientists there firmly
believe that cotton cannot grow without chemical plant protection measures. The Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) model at Dharwad is working better. Dr S B Patil, entomologist, said, "We have
developed an adaptable IPM model which includes seed treatment, pest-tolerant genotypes, pheromone
traps for the management of the pink bollworm which is the major pest here or NPV in case of high pest
load."
Sahana is a pest-tolerant variety developed by Dr B M Khadi, senior scientist, cotton, Dharwad, who has
also pioneered coloured cotton, and it is resistant to the green bollworm. Farmers can replicate the seeds
and it gives a yield of 5 q/acre under irrigated conditions or 2 q/acre at the very least.
Endosulfan is also recommended for the bollworm and its use is widespread in the country's cottongrowing areas. Dr Patil said the recommended dose was 2 ml per litre and usually 600-800 ml were
needed per acre depending on the pest load. However, farmers tend to overspray as dealers often
misguide them, he said.
While these developments may seem sporadic and uncoordinated, there seems to be an acceptance all
over the country that pesticides may not have all the answers. What is more important is that this research
finds the widest publicity. In the context of mounting debts of cotton farmers, leading to increasing
suicides, what is the government waiting for?
(InfoChange News & Features, June 2003
2-Plants: Alternative to GE-cotton: Organic
cotton gains ground in India
http://www.gene.ch/genet/2001/Feb/msg00039.html
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TITLE: Fabric of nature organic cotton is gradually gaining ground
SOURCE: Center for Science and Environment, India
Down to Earth, Vol 9, No 18, p 20,
Special Report by K Khelchandra Singh
http://www.cseindia.org/html/dte/dte20010215/dte_srep.htm
DATE:
Feburary 15, 2001
Fabric of nature organic cotton is gradually gaining ground.
But lack of support from government agencies may impede its growth
Organic cotton relies on non-chemical inputs,
uses bio-control agents for pest management and is cost-effective,
as it uses on-farm resources
There is a growing demand for organic cotton in various parts of the world.
Grown without the use of synthetic chemical fertilisers and pesticides that
conventional cotton cultivation is still dependent upon, organic cotton is
gaining wider recognition than ever before. Global production of organic
cotton increased from 8,250 tonnes in 1997 to 14,752 tonnes in 1999.
According to estimates, 10 per cent of cotton production in the world was
organic in 2000.
Already there is a growing body of informed consumers who are ready to take
environmental and social issues into account in their buying preferences.
India has great potential for organic cotton. "But
be realised as long as purchase and free export of
textiles rests in the hands of governmental bodies
says Marck Van Esch, managing director of BoWeevil
based in Holland.
this potential will not
raw cotton and cotton
and multinationals,"
BV, a textile company
Of the total pesticides used in agriculture in India, 54 per cent is used
in cotton cultivation. This despite the fact that cotton cultivation
accounts for a mere five per cent of the total land under cultivation. The
insecticides applied on cotton include methamidophos and monocrotophos both very hazardous - and pyrethroids and organophosphates, which are
classified as hazardous. Over 100 organophospahte compounds are currently
in use, mostly as insecticides.
In addition, large amounts of herbicides, fungicides and synthetic
fertilisers are also used in cotton production. This overuse of pesticides
has led to pest resistance and farmers have given up cotton cultivation
altogether. In many cases, farmers have committed suicide because of a
failed cotton crop. Between 1999-98, more than 80 farmers committed suicide
in Andhra Pradesh (see ÔAbetment to suicideÕ, Down To Earth, Vol 6, No 19;
February 28, 1998).
On the other hand, organic cotton is totally environment friendly - it
relies on non-chemical inputs and uses bio-control agents for pest
management that have no harmful effects. Besides, the use of on-farm
resources makes it cost-effective. "It not only helps to reduce the input
cost drastically, it also improves the agro-ecological condition of the
soil," says Manohar Parchure, an organic farming expert from Nagpur,
Maharashtra.
Some farmers have already started cultivating organic cotton. Vidharba and
Amaravati Organic Farmers Associations (VOFA) in Maharashtra are producing
organic cotton for export. It is also grown in Khargone and Badwani
districts of Madhya Pradesh and in some parts of Madurai in Tamil Nadu. A
few mills have also signed a buy-back agreement with cultivators. They
include Ginning Exports in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Maikaal Fibres in
Khargone and Thyagarajar Mills in Madurai.
>From 8,250 tonnes in 1997, global production of organic cotton has
increased to 14,752 tonnes in 1999. Now, 10 per cent of cotton production
in the world is organic
Meanwhile, farmers in Burhanpur (Madhya Pradesh) are cultivating a new
organic cotton variety called Sarvottum, which provides a yield of about
five to six quintals of raw cotton annually. "The organic cultivators are
today earning a premium ranging between 20 and 25 per cent over the
conventional cotton," says K C Mandloi of the J N Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya,
Khandwa (JNKVV) in Madhya Pradesh.
An innovative effort to grow organic cotton is underway in Madhya Pradesh.
Since 1992, more than 1,100 farmers from 77 villages in the Khargone and
Badwani districts of the state have been involved in a project called
Maikaal BioRe to produce organic cotton. The area of cultivation extends to
about 3,265 ha and the total production is estimated at about 3,226 metric
tonnes. The project is in partnership with Maikaal Fibres Limited, India,
and Remei AG, Switzerland.
The farmers are constantly in touch with the officers who visit them every
15 days to monitor the progress regularly. Farmers use inter-cropping
method to divert pests from cotton to crops such as jowar or maize and also
sorghum for pest management. Neem, garlic, chilli and other local plants
that have repelling characteristics are also used.
Says B Gajanand Patidar, a farmer from Khargone district who has been
growing organic cotton for the last five years: "Before the cultivation of
organic cotton, the soil needed a lot of water and fertilisers. Organic
cotton cultivation has improved the soil fertility and water holding
capacity and production has also increased."
Bottlenecks in promotion "Organically nourished and managed cotton has a
bright future internationally," believes V N Shroff, a cotton scientist at
JNKVV. But to increase production, there is need for intensive research
efforts to develop pest and disease-resistant cotton varieties, he says.
Cotton responsive to organic crop production technology should be developed
specially for the purpose. He feels that biomass must constitute about 50
per cent, microorganism 25 per cent and the remaining should be
supplemented with chemical fertilisers for standard crop protection. The
only way out is sustainable organic farming, says Shroff.
"The main lacuna in the promotion of organic cotton is that we never orient
our research for organic approach. There is defect in our planning. In the
rainfed areas, only 22 centimetres of fertile soil is left. So the solution
lies in proper management of soil, water and biomass," he says.
"If a market is built with an assured sale value, more farmers will be
interested in growing organic cotton," says Om Prakash Jain, a cultivator
from Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh
There are problems with marketing organic cotton, too. Ecocertification
aspects continue to be problematic and there are no established standards.
"The demand for organic cotton should be ascertained and the price for the
same should be indicated well in advance so as to make concrete national
production plan for organic cotton," says K Venugopal of the Central
Institute for Cotton Research, Regional Station, Coimbatore.
Some farmers feel that they do not get the appropriate price for organic
cotton due to little interest in the market. "If a market can be built with
an assured sale value, more farmers will be interested in growing organic
cotton," feels Om Prakash Jain, a cultivator from Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh.
Rajesh Julka, another cotton scientist from JNKVV, says stringent testing
methods, monitoring and surveillance and close collaboration with the
university, department of agriculture, Cotton Corporation of India, textile
commissioners is required. "Farmers must be well-aquainted with the new
techniques and a model farm should be set up for farmers to know its use
and benefits," says Sudhir Chaudhari, of Satpuda Vikas Mandal, a
Maharashtra-based non-governmental organisation.
Organic Cotton - An Eco Solution
by Jennifer Walters
http://www.life.ca/nl/45/cotton.html
Organic cotton certification
Brent Wiseman, co-ordinator for Organic Programs at the Texas Department of
Agriculture says there are strict regulations when a farmer decides to grow organically.
"There are three year standards that must be met and during that time, the farmers can
not use any prohibitive materials." Chemicals such as fertilizers, exfoliants and
pesticides may not be used. In some cases, he says, the farm will have a history of nonproduction, or the farmer will use alternative methods to replace chemical use such as
crop rotation, cover crops and bug warfare.
The certification process is almost the same for organic cotton farmers as food growers.
The only aspect that makes cotton unique is that during the three-year period, cotton
growers must label their product as "transitional cotton". Only after the three years is up
can the farmer use the organic cotton label. Wiseman says the farms have to be recertified annually.
http://www.indiainfoline.com/bisc/orga.html
Organic Labelling & Certification
Organic refers to agricultural production system used to produce food and fibre.all kinds of agricultural
products are produced organically, including grains, meat, dairy, eggs, fibers such as cotton and
processed food products. Organic farming management relies on developing biological diversity and
replenishment of soil diversity. Organic farmers are not allowed to use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.
Some of the essential characteristics of organic system include-design and implementation of an" organic
system plan" that describes the methods involved in producing crops and livestock products; a detailed
record keeping system that tracks all processes involved from the field to point of sale; and maintenance
of buffer zones to prevent inadvertent contamination from the conventional fields.
In very large organic food markets, products are accepted as organic only if they confirm to USDA
requirements, which are fairly stringent, requires certification, costly and cumbersome especially for
exporters of poor countries.
Process of Certification
A person seeking organic certification has to submit an organic farm plan to a USDA accredited private or
state certification programme. The plan must contain all the information about the current growing or
handling methods and materials used. The plan must also cover future intensions and improvements to all
areas of production. Moreover the plan must show that harvesting practices will not be destructive to the
environment or to the future productivity of the crop. The USDA further requires the records of all
management practices and materials used in organic production must be kept for five years. Crop can
only be labeled as certified when it is grown on land, which has been free of prohibited substances for
three years prior to harvest. Crops grown on land in transition to organic (during the first three years after
switching from conventional farming) cannot be labeled as organic. The Organic Foods Production Act
(OFPA) makes no provision for a USDA-sanctioned "transitional" label.
OFPA covers organic agricultural methods and materials in great details. It also establishes a National list
of acceptable and prohibited materials. NOSB (National Organic Standards Board) recommended that
compost ingredients should include crop residues, crop waste from food processing operation, animal
manure, yard waste from private or municipal sources, or other vegetable by-products. It recommends
prohibiting municipal solid waste compost and sewage sludge compost, and the use of any prohibited
material as a compost ingredient. NOSB also recommends that all agricultural inputs be evaluated for
their long-term effect on the environment and not simply whether they are synthetic or natural.
Certification In India
The relative lack of national rules, regulations and standards relating to organic food production,
inadequate certifying agencies and unrecognized "green" marketing and retailing channels have
prevented farmers from exploiting the export market advantages of organic production and it is a major
missed opportunity as most small and marginal farmers of our country have actually been practicing
organic farming as apart of traditional cultivation practice. Thus they have used local or own farm-derived
renewable resources and managing self-regulating ecological and biological processes, which is
absolutely necessary for organic production. However it is true that higher cost of such inputs and
processes compared to industrially generated fertilizers and pesticides has encouraged many farmers to
shift production patterns.
Although very late but government of India has finally woken up to this problem and is trying to establish
at least the basic rules and accreditation process. In March 2000,the Ministry Of Commerce launched
NPOP (National Programme for Organic Production) design to establish national standards for organic
products which could than be sold under the logo India Organic. For proper implementation of NPOP,
NAPP (National Accreditation Policy and Programme) has been formulated, with Accreditation
Regulations announced in May2001.these make it mandatory that all certification bodies whether internal
or foreign operating in the country must be accredited by an Accreditation Agency.
The appointed Accreditation Agencies are –APEDA, Coffee Board, Tea Board, and Spices Board. At
present, only APEDA has invited applications for accreditation.
The Regulations also make a provision for export, import and local trade of organic products. However,
currently, only the exports of organic products come under govt. regulations. Thus an agricultural product
can only be exported as an organic product if it is certified by a certification body duly accredited by
APEDA.Organic crop production, organic animal production, organic processing operations, forestry and
wild products are the categories of products covered under accreditation.
Amit Singh
Jhuma Kundu
PGPABM, MANAGE
http://www.ciks.org/orgact.html
Effort on Organic Certification - Launch of Econet
A meeting was organised by ICRA (Institute for Culture, Research and Action) and a few organic farmers
in Karnataka to discuss the issues of organic certification in India. There has been a long felt need to
evolve organic certifcation standards for India to suit the Indian conditions and also keeping the interests
of small farmers in mind. Several groups across the country are now working towards evolving these
standards. However, as of today there is no certification agency in India which can do certification for the
Indian organic farmers / groups. ICRA and few others in Karanataka have been having certain earlier
consultations on this topic and they had felt the need to have a registered society to take up these issues.
CIKS was invited for this meeting which took place on 25th September at Bangalore in the IMO office.
Details regarding the registration of a society for certification, setting up organic standards for India were
discussed during this meeting. It was decided to register a society for this purpose which would be called
ECONET. The registration would be done in Karnataka in October.
cotton flower
cotton History
http://www.ecologyofspirit.com/cotton.htm
Ecology of Spirit TEXTILE GALLERY
clothing the body, housing the soul
Cotton
Cotton domestication and textile production is recognized as one of
the oldest and most important industries in human history. An
important fiber crop for several civilizations, cotton was
independently domesticated on both sides of the Atlantic much
earlier than any known trans-Atlantic travel.
Historians and archeologists have traced
the origins of cotton domestication to both
Old and New World civilizations; dating back thousands of years
before the Christian era;
to 6,000 BCE in Mexico and Peru and to at least 3,000 BCE in East
Africa and Southern Asia.
In the Old World, India developed a flourishing trade in cotton with
nearby countries including Greece, Egypt and the Roman Empire.
While the Arabs are credited with bringing cotton to colonial Spain
in the 9th century, it was not until the 13th century that the cotton
industry was introduced into Italy (Constantinopole) or established
in the empire of China.
Spanish Conquistadors, crossing the Peruvian coastal valleys in
1532, discovered, extensive fields of native cotton growing in a
profusion of natural colors. Highly prized by the Europeans, these
long stapled cotton plants of Central and South America, were
transported around the world to become the progenitors of what
today are considered to be the world's premier cottons.
In the Old World, India developed a flourishing trade in cotton with
nearby countries including Greece, Egypt and the Roman Empire.
While the Arabs are credited with bringing cotton to colonial Spain
in the 9th century, it was not until the 13th century that the cotton
industry was introduced into Italy (Constantinopole) or established
in the empire of China.
Spanish Conquistadors, crossing the Peruvian coastal valleys in
1532, discovered, extensive fields of native cotton growing in a
profusion of natural colors. Highly prized by the Europeans, these
long stapled cotton plants of Central and South America, were
transported around the world to become the progenitors of what
today are considered to be the world's premier cottons.
cotton bud
cotton plant
cotton flower
While cotton marked the beginning of human civilization, it
also inaugurated the Industrial Revolution during the 18th
century with the advent of Hargreaves "jenny" in 1764 and
Arkwright's "spinning frame" in 1769, both of which
mechanised cotton spinning. Soon to follow was Cartwright's
powerloom that mechanised the weaving of cotton.
Organic cotton USA
http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.s
ustainablecotton.org/
This site is dedicated to all the farmers, manufacturers, activists, retailers
and others who are devoting their energies to making organic cotton a
viable agricultural and economic alternative
SUSTAINABLE COTTON PROJECT
Who we are?
Located on the northern end of the world's most productive agricultural
region–California's Central Valley–the Sustainable Cotton Project (SCP)
focuses on one of the most widely grown and chemical-intensive crops.
Since 1994, SCP has been building bridges between farmers,
manufacturers and consumers to pioneer markets for certified organically
grown cotton. SCP's guiding philosophy of "cooperation for a change"
has fostered an unprecedented level of shared information among
farmers, manufacturers and others in support of creating a new industry.
Because of cotton's versatility, it is used for a vast variety of food and
fiber products, making it one of the most widely traded commodities.
Cotton represents an essential component of foreign exchange earnings
for more than fifty-five countries. Yet the simple act of growing and
harvesting the one pound of cotton fiber needed to make a T-shirt takes
an enormous toll on the air, water, and soil, not to mention the health of
people in cotton growing areas.
According to 1995 data, for example, United States farmers applied
nearly one-third of a pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for
every pound of cotton harvested. When all nineteen cotton-growing
states are tallied, the crop accounts for twenty-five percent of all the
pesticides used in the U.S. Some of these chemicals are among the most
toxic classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In
developing countries, where regulations are less stringent, the crisis is
even more severe.
SCP has developed programs in three primary areas to act as a catalyst in
the transition to a mainstream organic cotton industry:
The Cleaner Cotton Campaign is an outreach program
launched in 1998 to educate manufacturers about ways to incorporate
organic cotton fibers into product lines. Spurring the demand from
manufacturers, we believe, is essential to create market conditions for
farmers to make the switch to organic farming techniques.
The BASIC program focuses directly on farm issues. This
program walks farmers step-by-step through the transition from
conventional to IPM and certified organic techniques. It also offers
farmers tested methods that can reduce or eliminate certain farm
chemicals and water consumption.
Care What You Wear was an SCP-created initiative aimed at educating
consumers about the availability and importance of purchasing organic
cotton products
Organic Cotton - An Eco Solution
by Jennifer Walters
http://www.life.ca/nl/45/cotton.html
The United States is the world leader in cotton production, of
which 80 thousand acres is produced organically. The Cotton Belt,
which is the highest cotton producer, is humid and warm, and
ideal for cotton growing. Texas has 41 organic cotton farmers
which constitutes 20 thousand acres of cotton, according to Brent
Wiseman. Other states that produce organic cotton include
California, Arkansas, New Mexico, Arizona, Tennessee,
Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri.
Wiseman says that Texas is unique in its cotton farming because
they are on high plains. This minimizes insect and disease
pressures for the crops. He adds that many of the farmers were
almost completely organic using cattle manure and very small
amounts of chemicals, long before the organic certification was
available.
The Texas Department of Agriculture also has a “Seeds to
Sowing” system which incorporates the processing systems for
the textile industry and itemizes the materials that are allowed to
be used and those that are restricted. In this manner, the organic
cotton is traced from the planting and harvesting right up to the
finishing processes. .
The process of dyeing cotton is also controversial because that
stage typically uses harsh bleaches and chemicals.
Advancements in agricultural genetic engineering have decreased
the necessity of dyeing in some instances. Farmers are using
different strains of cotton to not only create better quality cotton
fibers, but to also create natural colors such as browns and
greens. The natural colors give manufacturers and designers
more choice when considering organic cotton over others.
Organic cotton General
Organic textiles - some common questions answered
INFORMATION SHEET
Why do we need organic textiles?
The textile industry is one of the most polluting, using chemicals that are dangerous to human health
and wildlife. Around a quarter of the world’s insecticides are used to grow cotton (Allen Woodburn
Associates Ltd) and at least 8,000 chemicals are used to turn raw material into clothes, towels,
bedding and other items that we buy. (William McDonough and Dr Michael Braungart)
The conventional textiles industry relies heavily upon chemicals – many of which are acutely toxic and
classified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as moderately hazardous to extremely hazardous.
Some of the most widely used chemicals have been associated with cancer, birth defects and also have
hormonal and reproductive effects - for example male fish when exposed to certain chemicals have
started to develop female characteristics.
Around 150 grams of pesticides and fertiliser are used to grow the cotton for one T-shirt – the
equivalent of one cup of sugar. Conventional cotton tends to be grown on a vast scale as the only crop,
in what is known as a monoculture. This means that the crop is not rotated with other crops and the
same types of pesticides are therefore used repeatedly, causing the pests to become resistant to the
chemicals that are meant to kill them.
According to the WHO, 20,000 deaths occur in developing countries each year from poisoning by
agricultural pesticides used on crops, of which many, due to their relative toxicity, can be attributed to
cotton. In Benin in West Africa, 24 people died as a result of poisoning from cotton pesticides in 2000
– this included 11 children under the age of 10.
Inputs required for processing usually find their way into the local waste water systems, resulting in
highly contaminated effluents. The regular use of synthetic fertilisers and lack of organic matter in the
soil can cause a reduction in the soil’s fertility. Cotton production can also require vast amounts of
water, particularly in the huge irrigated cotton fields of Sudan, Australia and the US.
What are the benefits of organic farming?
The production of the raw materials for organic textiles delivers all of the environmental and animal
welfare benefits of any organic farming system. The government’s Organic Action Plan has confirmed
that organic farming is better for wildlife and has high animal welfare standards. The plan states that
organic farming causes less pollution from sprays, produces less carbon dioxide – the main global
warming gas and less dangerous wastes. It also recognises that organic farming helps develop a sense
of community between town and country and increases jobs in the countryside. Organic food is subject
to tight, legally enforceable controls, inspections and standards.
Farmers growing cotton organically are able to reduce their overhead costs and the likelihood of
getting into debt. They tend to grow on a smaller scale than conventional cotton growers and do not
use expensive harvesting machines or large quantities of chemical inputs. This results in improved soil
fertility and a higher quality of cotton being produced and picked. Some farmers are reporting higher
incomes as a result of farming organically.
How does organic farming work?
Organic farmers around the world are showing that there is no need to rely on dangerous chemicals.
Black ants keep caterpillars and other pests under control in Uganda. In other countries, mixtures of
natural soap, chilli and extracts from local trees are used to repel pests, which can then be eaten by
chickens or other birds. Insect traps can be used to detect when levels of infestation are rising,
allowing farmers to time their applications to gain the best effect.
Pest, weed and disease control is achieved through crop rotation, choice of varieties, timing of
cultivations and habitat management to encourage natural predators. Crop rotation is at the core of
organic crop production, providing nutrients to the soil, helping prevent pest, weed and disease
problems and maintaining the soil structure.
Animal health within organic systems relies on preventative management and good husbandry.
Preventative management works through the development of ‘positive’ health in animals and farming
systems, by addressing nutritional needs, implementing robust livestock management systems and
through breed selection. The Soil Association's organic standards provide strict regulations concerning
animal welfare which cover issues such as housing, stocking densities, feed and transportation of
animals, as well as satisfying the animal's behavioural needs.
What about genetic modification?
The same companies selling chemicals to use on cotton are now developing GM cotton. There are two
main types of GM cotton, one is herbicide tolerant and one has insect resistance. Monsanto is the main
developer of GM cotton globally. The same problems are emerging with GM cotton as with other GM
crops: the use of sprays is not necessarily reduced, pesticide resistance is a possibility, as is
contamination with other crops. No GM products will be allowed in organic textiles.
Will other certifying bodies be able to certify textiles?
A number of other organisations currently certify organic textiles but the Soil Association is the first UK
certifier to do so.
Where can I buy organic textiles?
The Soil Association has produced a list of companies selling organic textiles – we believe that this is
the most comprehensive directory available. This is available from www.soilassociation.org/textiles or
by calling us on 0117 914 2444.
Organic textiles
INFORMATION SHEET
Quality
Organic cotton is often handpicked as opposed to commercial cotton, which is harvested by machine.
This is partially because chemical defoliants, which strip plants of their leaves, are banned in organic
cotton production, and partially because organic cotton is often grown on a smaller scale. Handpicking
is more accurate and allows workers to select the best quality cotton.
Price
Organic textiles do not always cost more than those that are mass-produced. Although farmers get a
premium for the crop, there are fewer middlemen, so savings can be made at this level. We compared
the price of an organic cotton baby grow, an adult’s T-shirt and socks with similar quality on the high
street and found that the organic clothes were similarly priced.
The problems with conventional cotton
A number of factors have led to various problems with conventional cotton farming. Conventional
cotton tends to be grown on a vast scale as the only crop (monoculture), it is not rotated with other
crops, and the same types of pesticides are used repeatedly – this causes the pests to become
resistant to the chemicals that are meant to kill them.
The regular use of synthetic fertilisers and lack of organic matter in the soil can cause a reduction in
the soil’s fertility. Cotton production can also require vast amounts of water, particularly in the huge
irrigated cotton fields of Sudan, Australia and the US. Heavy use of pesticides is an inevitable
consequence of the widespread cultivation of cotton and monocultures.
All wild cottons are drought-tolerant with no serious pest problems and are found in dry areas of parts
of Africa, Asia, Australia and America. However, commercial cotton has been bred for higher yields and
to grow under a range of climatic conditions and is now grown as far north as Ukraine and as far south
as Argentina. Therefore cotton is now exposed to a range of environments with no inherent ability to
resist alien pests and diseases. No longer grown as a hardy perennial shrub, commercial cotton is
cropped during its most vulnerable stage - the first year of growth. As a result, commercial cotton is
attacked by more than 46 different pests from 32 different countries - most losses are due to six
different species of bollworm.
GM cotton
The same companies selling chemicals to use on cotton are now developing GM cotton – which is
resistant to herbicides or insects (mainly Bt cotton). Monsanto is the main developer of GM cotton
globally and other companies generally license the technology from this company.
GM cotton is grown commercially in the USA, Mexico, Argentina, China, India, Indonesia, Australia and
South Africa. In the USA and South Africa three-quarters of the cotton area is planted with GM crops.
GM cotton has met with considerable resistance from farmers in developing countries, including India
and Indonesia. GM cotton fields have been destroyed and many demonstrations have taken place.
Concerns over safety and corporate control over crops have been the dominant message.
The same problems are emerging with GM cotton as with other GM crops: the use of sprays is not
necessarily reduced, pesticide resistance is a possibility, as is contamination.
Organic pest control
Organic farmers around the world are showing that there is no need to rely on dangerous chemicals.
Black ants keep caterpillars and other pests under control in Uganda. The ants are collected by farmers
among the leaves below banana trees. They are transferred to the cotton field where two ants patrol
each cotton plant, eating flies and almost any other insects they encounter, including the major cotton
pests, bollworms and budworms. Okra is grown nearby to attract away cotton stainers – one insect
that the ants don’t attack. The Ugandan for organic cotton is pamba nginigini - pamba means cotton
and nginigini are the predatory black ants.
In other countries, mixtures of natural soap, chilli and extracts from local trees are used to repel pests,
which can then be eaten by chickens or other birds. Insect traps can be used to detect when levels of
infestation are rising, allowing farmers to time their applications to gain the best effect.
How farmers benefit from organic cotton
Research by the Pesticide Action Network in sub-Saharan Africa (Benin, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda
and Zimbabwe) found that most farmers reported less illness during the rainy season after switching to
organic cotton growing. Field observations confirm that organic cotton fields have significantly higher
numbers of insect species than conventional ones, especially those that are beneficial.
Farmers say that they do not have to get into debt when growing organically and report that soil
fertility is improved, and some farmers report higher incomes.
Case studies of villages growing organic cotton in Benin and Zimbabwe – provided by the Pesticide
Action Network – are available from the Soil Association.
Processing of conventional textiles
Large amounts of water, energy and chemicals are used at the different processing stages. Inputs
required for processing usually find their way into the local waste water systems, resulting in highly
contaminated effluents. Most effluents from cotton processing arise in the finishing stage and are
characterised by their highly polluting load, high solid content and high temperature. In Sweden, for
instance, every kilogram of textiles manufactured uses almost half a kilogram of chemical, most of
which ends up in waste water.
A Danish study looked at 22 textiles of various fibres to assess the volume of chemicals in the textiles
and the environmental risk from the chemicals when clothes are washed. Of the 27 substances found,
12 had adverse effects on the aquatic environment, and 10 could pose a risk to consumers. Of an
additional 190 chemicals carriers, anti-wrinkle agents and biocides were the most hazardous to aquatic
wildlife. The most dangerous to human health were carriers, biocides, fluorescent whitening agents
and fixatives.
Inputs not allowed under Soil Association standards
Chemicals and processes are assessed for their effects on human health and wildlife and how quickly
they biodegrade. Inputs are not allowed if it is suspected, or proven, that the chemicals or processes
used can cause cancer, birth defects or changes to reproductive organs. Proven or suspected allergens
are also not allowed.
A number of inputs are specifically prohibited including:

Fluorocarbons

Halogenated flame proof agents

Halogenated anti-moth agents

Heavy metals (excluding iron)

Organochloride carriers

Other chlorinated compounds

Pyrethroids

Chlorinated or perborate bleaching agents
Natural dyes from plants or insects that have been organically produced must be used where available
in sufficient quality and quantity. AZO dyes are not allowed as some are carcinogenic. Some have been
banned in Germany (which had to prove to the World Trade Organisation that they were damaging to
health). Some Chinese factories have now stopped using them as a result of the pressure from
Germany.
Petrochemical-derived plastic should not be used where an alternative exists.
Justification must be provided for the use of some non-organic fibres, such as where products cannot
be made without their inclusion e.g. socks and tights.
GM products or products derived from GMOs are not allowed.
Labelling
We recommend that products show the country of origin of the raw material and the countries where
the processing and manufacture were carried out. The label must enable the identification of the final
manufacturers by their name or licence number of by another code that is identifiable to the
certification body. It must also identify the certification body and provide information about the
fastness of the dyes, and shrinking where applicable.
The market for organic textiles

Over the last five years the US and Canada has experienced a 22 per cent increase in organic
textiles sales - the largest growth is in non-clothing products.

Over the next five years the US predicts a 44 per cent growth in organic clothing sales, with
baby products to be the next major growth area.

Over the last five years expenditure on organic cotton textile products has increased by 60 per
cent in mainland Europe.

Over the last two years, sales of organic and environmentally-friendly textile products have
increased by 20 per cent in the UK. One in three UK consumers is making a lifestyle choice and
purchasing eco-friendly products.
Actions – what you can do

Buy organic textiles.

Ask your favourite clothes shops to stock organic items.

Ask retailers whether their clothes contain GM cotton.
Organic Agriculture
http://hsb.iitm.ernet.in/~jm/mar_april02/articles/organic2.htm
Last issue, we saw that plants need several kinds of inputs apart from water and
nutrients, to grow and to be disease-resistant. The soil in which crops grow keeps
changing because of what is added to it by farmers and what is removed from it by the
plants. The most important consideration for sustainable agriculture is to maintain the
constancy of the soil.
When the inputs are not synthetic chemicals, but organic substances, the system is
called organic farming. Why is organic farming being increasingly talked about?
Mostly what is practised today is inorganic farming. The role of the inorganic
fertilisers in the nineteen sixties (during the Green Revolution) was very crucial.
Chemical fertilisers and pesticides both helped India achieve self-sufficiency in food
production. Thus came the chemical fertilizers which supplied the nutrients like
Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium known as the NPK fertilizers.
Uses of NPK
Nitrogen helps plants make lots of leaves and also gives them their green color.
Phosphorous encourages plant cell division. Without phosphorous, flowers and seeds
cannot form. Phosphorous also helps root growth and protects the plant from disease.
Potassium increases the plant's resistance to disease and encourages root growth.
Potassium is needed for the making of chlorophyll, which gives plants their green
colour.
But this approach had its own draw-backs. With the green revolution, agriculture
transformed itself into a very high input agriculture. The high yielding varieties which
were introduced as a result demanded larger amounts of fertilisers, of water and of
course of pesticides too.
Many diseases and pests came due to the ecological imbalance that was created by the
introduction of monocrops which was quite different from the multi-cropping farming
done in the past. There was also the danger that in monocrops systems, continuous and
irrational use of chemicals could lead to resistance building in the pests. So more and
more powerful chemicals were brought in to combat the new strains of pests. While
these pesticides killed the pests it also removed the beneficial insects which to some
extent preyed on the harmful insects.
With the useful insects removed by the pesticides, the pests began to multiply faster
and their resistance to the pesticides also increased. These chemicals also poisoned the
environment and the food grains, etc. Studies show that what ever we eat today also
contain some left-over chemicals in them. The irrational use of DDT which was a very
popular chemical in the sixties has led to poisoning of even the mother's milk since
some of these chemicals build up slowly in the body tissues. Though many of these
harmful insecticides are banned elsewhere, still a number of them are in use in India
and are poisoning our food, our environment and even the children that are still not
born!
Mulching
Mulching is simply a protective layer of a material that is spread on top of the soil.
While grass clippings, straw, etc., are used, stones, brick, chips, and plastic can also be
used. Mulching prevents soil erosion, conserves moisture, and prevents weed growth.
Organic mulches also improve soil condition, are a source of plant nutrients and
provide an ideal environment for earthworms and other such beneficial soil organisms.
New and eco-friendly
It is increasingly clear that such chemical modes of farming are not going to be
sustainable. Therefore many farmers all over the world are resorting to organic
agriculture. The principle aim of this mode of farming is to use materials and practices
that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems. This optimises the health and
productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals, and people.
The chief issue is, how do we compensate the soil nutrients so that the crop yields are
not affected? And how do we control the pests and weeds by not using chemicals? The
primary answer to these questions is in the soil and not in the plants: healthy soil
produces healthy crops and controls pests and disease.
Farmers have over long periods of time evolved many interesting strategies to achieve
this. For instance, use of animal wastes like cow dung mixed with other farm wastes
increases the soil fertility. Pests can be biologically controlled by various methods. A
wide diverse population of soil organisms, insects, birds and other organisms keep
pests under control. For instance, when pest populations get out of balance, farmers
use strategies such as insect predators, traps and barriers. Weeds can also be controlled
by various methods like multi-cropping system or by using a technique which is
known as mulching.
Making organic agriculture sustainable
The main need is to maintain the agricultural inputs like soil nutrients and water in a
sustainable way to match the nutrient depletion from plant or crop harvesting. These
nutrients can be given in the form of compost, green manure or in the form of even
microbial fertilizers.
Weeds and pests can be control biologically by making use of bio-pesticides.
Irrigation can be reduced by mulching and by cultivating fewer water-demanding
crops. Sustainable yields are possible to achieve using these techniques and several
farmers have switched to these techniques.
There has also been increasing awareness among the people that chemical farming is
not sustainable and food grown using high input chemical farming can be injurious to
health. Thus there is a growing demand for organic food products all over the world.
Though referred to as low external input agriculture , organic farming calls for high
input of knowledge from the farmers. This includes an understanding of the soil
dynamism, plant characteristics, inter-relationships of different plants, etc. Thus
organic farming is knowledge-intensive farming. The rewards, however, will last
many generations.
Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA)
This is a form of organic agriculture where the external inputs to agriculture are kept
to the minimum possible and the use of chemical or synthetic inputs are avoided to the
maximum extent possible. In this method, with very low inputs the yields are kept
sustainable. This is achieved by crop rotation, use of crop residues, animal manures,
use of legumes, green manures, off-farm organic wastes, use of natural mineral rocks
and powders etc., and aspects of biological pest control to maintain control of pests
and weeds, etc. For example, leguminous plants have nitrogen-fixing nodules on their
roots, which can trap atmospheric nitrogen into the soil. Plants like Neem, Adathoda,
Ipomoea, Garlic etc., are known for their pest control properties. There are other
situations where certain plants act as pest attractants to protect the main crop. An
example is when castor is grown as an inter crop in cotton (which is the main crop).
Neem also has other properties such as fertilizer, fungicide, etc. In fact almost all parts
of neem (leaves, seed, oil, oil cake) are used in agriculture. In some forms of organic
agriculture, even tilling of land is considered as an avoidable input, where recycling of
all the crop except the grains is adopted to maintain the soil fertility and for pest
control.
-T.P. Reghunath
Imagining a world without cotton is like
imagining life without corn, wheat or rice.
Yet beneath cotton's natural fiber lies a long
chain of chemically-intensive, "unnatural"
processes.
To bring this delicate plant to harvest, it is
heavily sprayed - 8 to 10 times a season in
extreme cases - with pesticides so poisonous
they gradually render fields barren.
And that's just the beginning.
To create finished goods, fabrics are often
colored with toxic dyes and finished with
formaldehyde.
In the United States and other countries,
farmers are raising cotton organically,
without the use of costly, often ineffective and
dangerous chemicals.
They are courageously developing alternative
sources of the world's favorite natural fiber.
Many people consider cotton to be the purest fiber on earth. Or
as a recent ad campaign suggests, "the fabric of our lives." In
fact, cotton cultivation inflicts a heavy toll on the environment.
But a small number of farmers is now growing cotton
"organically." This means they eliminate toxic chemicals in
every step of the growing process, by emphasizing natural,
biological methods which have far less impact on the
environment.
The conventional field is a sterile environment, in which microbial, plant and insect
diversity is selectively eliminated for the purpose of growing just one plant.
By feeding the plants heavy dosages of synthetic fertilizers, and eliminating
competing species, it is reasoned, you create maximum yields.
An arsenal of chemical herbicides, insecticides and defoliants - broadly referred to
as pesticides - exists to combat weeds, ward off insects and facilitate harvest. Without
these chemical tools, it is believed, the unarmed farmer faces near-certain crop failure.
Much of the present conventional farm practice is done in the name of economy and
efficiency. And in the competitive world marketplace, there is the continual pressure
to produce more for less money.
Although government subsidies guarantee U.S. farmers a minimum price for their
crops, financing is almost impossible to receive without chemical programs in place.
The market, the university system, and agri-business are driven by the paradigm that
chemicals are necessary for successful farming
Living soil is the basis of the organic farm: free of toxic chemicals for at least three
years and enriched by compost and other organic matter.
The concept is simple: vigorous plants resist insects, weeds and diseases better than
those under stress due to repeated chemical applications.
By working with nature to create a diverse farm ecosystem, you produce optimal
growing conditions.
The field is a bug eat bug world, in which a "natural enemy complex" of predator
and parasite insects keep pests in check.
Pest infestations are seen as messengers of fields out of balance, rather than signals
for chemical spray programs.
The organic world view requires more "eyes to the acre," walking fields to catch
potential problems early, sometimes substituting hand labor for chemical- oriented
solutions.
Because the majority of the agricultural industry equates organic methods with
assured losses in yields, an assumption which is untrue, the most difficult task these
farmers face is not in growing, but in finding financing or direct markets for their
crops.
or how chemical weapons became the basis of modern agriculture)
While pesticides had existed for centuries, World Wars I and II
served as a watershed for the modern agri-chemical industry.
Chemicals and technologies developed for warfare, were later
focused on the farm.
Crop dusting on cotton began in the Mississippi Delta as early as
1922.
Swiss chemist Paul Müller discovered the insecticidal properties
of DDT in 1939, an innovation that later earned him the Nobel
Prize.
German scientists experimenting with nerve gas during World
War II synthesized the organophosphorous insecticide parathion,
marketed in 1943, and still widely in use today. Throughout the
1950s and 60s, these types of chemicals became major pest
control agents.
Silent Spring, Rachel Carson's landmark challenge to the abuse
of synthetic pesticides, was published in 1962, and initiated the
movement toward agrochemical regulation that is still fiercely
debated.
Today's pesticides are designed to persist for shorter periods in
the environment and are supposedly less lethal than the early
days of calcium arsenate and DDT.
Yet more pesticides are used in more countries than ever before over $26 billion annually.
In response to increasing resistance to chemicals, one
corporation has marketed a new variety of "bio-engineered"
cotton which can withstand even greater applications of
herbicides.
Developing countries
Developing countries are the
fastest growing pesticide markets,
where health and environmental
regulations are extremely limited,
and a great deal of the poisonings
take place.
25%.
Of all insecticides used globally each year, the amount used on cotton:
Number of pesticides presently on the market that were registered before being tested
to determine if they caused cancer, birth defects or wildlife toxicity:
400.
10
Amount of time it takes to ban a pesticide in the U.S. using present procedures:
years.
Number of active ingredients in pesticides found to cause cancer in animals or
humans:
107.
83.
Of those active ingredients, the number still in use today:
Number of pesticides that are reproductive toxins according to the California E.P.A.:
15.
Number of pesticides found to cause reproductive problems in animals:
Most serious cause of groundwater pollution confirmed in California:
14.
agricultural chemicals.
Number of pesticides found in drinking wells of California since 1982:
Number of California wells affected:
68.
957.
36.
Number of farming communities affected:
% of the total U.S. population supplied with drinking water from groundwater:
50%.
Number of different pesticides documented by the E.P.A. to be present in groundwater
in 1988:
74.
Number of states affected:
32.
Most acutely toxic pesticide registered by the E.P.A.:
frequently on cotton).
aldicarb
(used
In California between 1970 and 1994 amount of total aldicarb used on cotton:
to
95%.
85
16.
Number of states in which aldicarb has been detected in the groundwater:
Percentage of all U.S. counties containing groundwater susceptible to contamination
46%.
from agricultural pesticides and fertilizers:
Number of people in the U.S. routinely drinking water contaminated with carcinogenic
14 million.
herbicides:
Percentage of municipal water treatment facilities lacking equipment to remove these
chemicals from the drinking water:
90%.
US$900
million to 2.2 billion.
$25
million
Estimated total costs for U.S. groundwater monitoring:
Estimated costs for U.S. groundwater carbon filtration cleanup: up to
per site.
Percentage of all food samples tested by the FDA in 1980 which contained pesticide
38%.
residues:
Of the 496 pesticides identified as likely to leave residues in food, the percentage
40%.
which FDA tests can routinely detect:
Average number of serious pesticide-related accidents between World War II and
1980:
1 every 5 years.
Average number of serious pesticide-related accidents between 1980 and the present:
2 every year.
Increase in cancer rates between 1950 and 1986:
37%.
Number of Americans who will learn they have cancer this year:
1
million.
500,000.
Number who will die from it:
Cost to U.S. of cancer in terms of lost production, income, medical expenses and
US$ 39 billion
research resources:
each year.
Highest rate of chemical-related illness of any occupational group in the U.S.A.:
farm workers.
Pesticide-related illnesses among farm workers in U.S.A. each year: Approximately
300,000.
Number of people in the U.S. who die each year from cancer related to pesticides:
10,400.
Like most technologies, pesticides are not
neutral.
Yet many people insist that they can behave
selectively, wiping out undesirable elements and
leaving others unharmed.
The list of tragic accidents involving chemicals
used on cotton, however, is lengthy.
The 1984 gas leak at the Union Carbide factory
in Bhopal, India - which included chemicals
used on cotton - speaks to the question of
pollution during manufacturing.
An estimated 25 million people worldwide are
poisoned by pesticides every year, which
translates to 48 per minute.
Transportation accidents occur, like the July
1991 train derailment in which 20,000 pounds of
the herbicide metam sodium were spilled in the
Sacramento River.
The toll on ecosystems is also staggering. In
evaporation ponds of California's Tulare Lake
Drainage District, where irrigation run-off from
surrounding cotton fields has created
wastelands, birds are experiencing birth defects
in record numbers.
So much is made of the economic advantages
of pesticides by chemical companies
interested in sales and by financial
institutions determined to earn a return on
their investments.
But little is said of the hidden costs, the contamination of soil and ground water, as well as the negative effects on
farmers, farm workers and wildlife.
Organic agriculture offers the choice to
Because the hidden costs of conventional agriculture will eventually surface
The only good bug is a dead bug
As frightening as it might seem in the face of
crop loss, organic farmers maintain a balance of
"good" and "bad" bugs.
They depend upon beneficial insects to become
parasites or predators on the pests that could
destroy their cotton.
Beneficials can be released in case of
infestations, but it's best to have them
permanently residing on the farm.
Once a farmer applies pesticides to a field,
however, beneficials are usually eliminated,
triggering the need for repeated spraying
throughout the season.
One of the organic farmer's friends. A 'Catolaccus grandis' parasitizing a boll
weevil larva inside a parafilm cell.
(The following chart details the difference between making a dyed t-shirt, using both organic and conventional
practices.
It shows why, in some cases, it now costs more to produce items organically. Given evolution in the marketplace,
and economies of scale, costs and obstacles are sure to go down in the future.)
Raw Materials
Build healthy soil using natural fertilizers,
such as chicken manure, and cover crops.
Heavy doses of chemicals are used to
control plant growth, soil nutrition, weeds and
pests, and to prepare the crop for harvest.
Pest control through the release and
nurturing of beneficial insects.
Weed control through mechanical or handhoeing techniques.
Natural defoliation using organically approved
While cheaper than more labor-intensive
methods, synthetic fertilizers, herbicides,
growth regulators and defoliants create toxic
runoff into ground water, are harmful to
humans and wildlife and wipe out natural
materials.
biological systems available to the farmer.
Farmer charged more by gin to market
organic fibre due to limited demand.
Gin charges are less due to high market
demand for conventional cotton.
Very limited financing available to farmers
not using chemicals.
Bank financing is readily available to
farmers using chemical-intensive techniques
to ensure yields and returns on investment.
Workers may be exposed to residual
pesticides in ginning and spinning mills.
Yarn and processing
Small number of mills leads to higher
prices due to lack of competition.
Fierce competition between mills keeps
prices low.
Mills charge more due to loss of time in
closing down machines to clean before
running organic.
Mills run continuously and high efficiency
keeps cost down.
Higher costs resulting from extra time
spent training old suppliers and working with
new suppliers.
Established supplier relationships and
methods run automatically with minimum
time and attention.
More costly high fixation dyes used on
cloth results in less water clean-up after
dyeing.
Less water used in dyeing conserves resources
and uses less dyestuff in solution.
Available dyestuffs and dyeing methods
are chosen based on price and performance,
and seldom include environmental effects.
No chlorine bleach used.
Mechanical finishing.
Cutting waste is more valuable due to cost
of raw fibre.
Chlorine and/or hydrogen bleaches used.
Finishes often include synthetic resins
which may contain formaldehyde.
Organic food now symbolizes the highest and
freshest quality available.Suppliers of organic
cotton are not far behind.
If we are really concerned about environmental
issues today, our ideas of excellent product
design must include our impact on the earth.
Yet so much of this environmental quality might
not be immediately visible to the naked eye.
We have to see beyond the clothes themselves
and look to the landscapes - the air, water, soil
and wilderness - where the real differences are
made.
http://sdnp.delhi.nic.in/node/da/stat.htm
Organic Cotton
Cotton, grown on just five per cent of Indian agricultural land, consumers more than 50 per cent of the
total pesticides used in India. Cotton gowers rely heavily on pesticides to control insects, diseases weeds
and growth regulators. The intensive use of pesticides endangers human health as well as soil health,
agro-ecology, leads to reduced profits for the farmers and creates an avoidable monoculture. Organic
cotton is the solution. Organic cotton is cotton grown without the use of synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or
defoliants. Besides, organic cotton commands greater respect in the global market today.
World Organic Cotton Produce
Asia leads in the production of organic, environment-friendly cotton but the over all production is very little
Indian Cotton
India is the third largest producer of cotton
Percentage of agriculture land under cotton production in India:
5 per cent (8.9 million hectares)
Percentage of total pesticide used for cotton cultivation:
54 per cent
cotton makes for 70 per cent of the textile sector's raw material
Organic cotton in Indian
Organic cotton production in india makes for not even a miniscule percentage of the total cotton
production. and while production of insecticide-intentsive cotton farming hits a platuea, organic cotton
production is yet to pick up
Source: Down to Earth. 9(24). 2001, May 15. Pp.56)
http://www.ciks.org/cotton.html
EXPERIMENTAL WORK ON ORGANIC COTTON CULTIVATION BEGINS FOR THE THIRD TIME
We have conducted experiments on organic cultivation for the 3rd time in the village Konganancheri (Kattankalathur block) in a half-an acre
plot. Seeds were sown in the month of January after treatment with cowdung slurry. A spacing of 1½ feet between rows and ½ a feet spacing
between plants was provided. Along with cotton, intercrops like sunflower which attracts the pest army worm, ladies finger which attracts the
pest spotted bollworm and greengram which attracts the green hoppers are grown. Castor is cultivated as a border crop since this attracts a
large number of cotton pests.
STUDY ON NON-CHEMICAL PEST MANAGEMENT IN COTTON
INTRODUCTION
Cotton is an important fibre crop which contributes significantly to Indian
economy. It is a highly valuable commercial crop and is cultivated in
about 7.93 million hectares. 70% of the area is under rainfed condition.
The production is about 13 million bales. However, the average
productivity of lint (227 Kg/ha) is still low compared to countries like
Australia (1,623 Kg/ha), Turkey (958 Kg/ha) and China (820 Kg/ha). The
projected demand is 19 million bales by 2000 A.D.
Among the several constraints for low yield of these crops are low quality
seeds, non availability of good high yielding varieties, staggered sowings,
inadequate fertilisation and irrigation and excessive wet seasons.
However the reason for low yield in cotton which is of foremost
importance is losses due to pests and diseases. About 162 species of
insects have been reported to attack cotton at various growth stages and
of these 15 are considered as key pests. Much of the damage occurs due
to insect in the reproductive phase. Among the several pests that attack
these crops, boll worm (pod borer) Helicoverpa armigera is the most
serious pest and causes about 50% to 60% losses.
NEED FOR NON - PESTICIDAL MANAGEMENT
Insect based problems are the major bottlenecks in realising higher yields. The pests
(the boll worms) attack the crop at the reproductive stage and cause direct loss. The
management practices employed to contain these, rely mostly on insecticides. This
has led to the problems of residues, resurgence and resistance to insecticides. More
than 52% of the total pesticides consumed in the country is finding its way in the
cotton ecosystem alone. Our efforts to combat these pests by the indiscriminate and
injudicious use of pesticides has resulted in several environmental hazards and this
has necessitated the
reorientation of our strategies to
manage pests and diseases in
an ecofriendly manner.
Therefore there is a need for
developing a system with
greater reliance on nonpesticidal management and
ecofriendly pesticides of
botanical and biological origin.
The non pesticidal approach of
managing pests and pesticides
has gained importance in the
backdrop of these ill effects.
Traditional pest management
tactics with indigenous technical
knowledge of farmers are
reported to be effective in
managing pests and diseases to
a large extent. These are the
cultural practices, mechanical
methods, biological methods, host plant resistance and use of biopesticides to
suppress pests. CIKS has undertaken a study on non-chemical pest management in
cotton. The objectives of the study are as follows:
1.
To catalogue all the available non chemical methods of pest control in the
cotton crop from literature.
2.
To catalogue non chemical methods for cotton pest control from farmer's
practices based on surveys.
3.
To carry out a pilot study to test out selected practices experimentally.
4.
To produce a manuscript of the manual on non-chemical pest control in
cotton.
For useful tips on organic cotton cultivation
Back to Traditional Agriculture
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http://www.ciks.org/useful%20tips.html
USEFUL TIPS FOR ORGANIC COTTON CULTIVATION
Yellow sticky trap
It is a yellow colour iron board which is triangular in shape and placed at the rate of 3 / acre. Smear a few
drops of castor oil in the evening hours. We have found that this trap helps to attract the whiteflies and
aphids. This is also very useful in monitoring the pest population.
Pheromone trap
Pheromone traps are very useful for control of American bollworms and spotted bollworms. This trap
contains a lure with the chemical that attracts male moths of the pest. The attracted male moths are
caught in the trap. Based on the catches, the pest population are monitored efficiently.
Since this technique proved to be quite useful we have also distributed traps to nearly 15 farmers in our
neighbourhood. They were also involved in the experimentation and found it quite satisfactory. They are
also willing to cultivate cotton organically in the next season. These farmers have been regular visitors to
our organic cotton field and have learnt a number of techniques from us.
Bird Perches
Bird perches were erected on bamboo sticks at regular intervals inside the cotton fields. They provide a
resting place for birds. Birds which sit on these perches are attracted to the larval pests found in cotton
and have a good feast on these. It is a very simple technique which is extremely cost efficient.
Intercropping with cowpea and greengram
This ensures multiplication of natural enemies such as ladybird beetles and chrysopa which mainly feed
on pests such as hoppers, aphids etc.
Intercropping with Sunflower
This attracts spotted bollworm larva and prevents pest infestation of the cotton crop. Sunflower attracts
adults of bollworms to lay eggs on its leaf surface thereby saving the cotton crop from attack.
Intercropping with ladies finger
Ladies finger attracts American bollworm larva and saves the cotton crop
http://www.manage.gov.in/managelib/faculty/manohari.htm
ORGANIC FARMING FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
by Manohari
INTRODUCTION:
Green revolution in India has witnessed a jump in agricultural production with the introduction of HYVs of
various crops and by following intensive cultivation practices with the use of fertilizers, pesticides and
other inputs. The intensive use of inputs has not only polluted the soil, water and the environment causing
their slow degradation but also affected the human beings. With the increase in the country’s population,
compulsion would be not only to mobilize the agricultural production but also to increase further in a
sustainable manner. The scientists have realized that the green revolution with high input use has
reached a plateau and is now sustained with diminishing return and falling dividend. Therefore, there is a
need to study the past trends in inputs usage like fertilizers and pesticides which are the major
components in crop production and future challenges and strategies for sustainable agriculture. This
paper is an attempt in this direction.
The specific objectives of this paper are :

To examine the trends of chemical fertilizers and pesticides used for agricultural
production.

To study the adverse effects of fertilizers and pesticides

Strategies to overcome adverse effects of fertilizers and pesticides
TRENDS IN CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS AND PESTICIDES USAGE
Chemical Fertilizers:
Consumption of chemical fertilizers has increased tremendously in recent years. Nitrogen, phosphorous
and potassium are the primary fertilizers nutrients which are widely used in our country.
Table-1 : Trends in Consumption of chemical fertilizers in India (in lakh tonnes)
Year Nitrogenous Phosphatic Potassic
(N)
1950- 0.55
51
19602.10
61
197014.87
71
198036.78
81
198872.51
89
198973.86
90
199079.97
91
199180.46
92
199284.27
93
(P)
(K)
Total
(N+P+K)
in
Per
lakh hectare
tonnes (kg)
0.08
0.06
0.69
NEG
0.53
0.29
2.92
1.90
4.62
2.28
21.77 13.13
12.14
6.24
55.16 31.83
27.21
10.68
110.40 61.30
30.14
11.68
115.68 63.49
32.21
13.238
125.46 67.49
33.21
13.61
127.28 69.84
28.44
8.84
121.55 65.53(E)
199387.89
94
199495.07
95
199598.23
96
1996103.02
97
1997117.38
98
26.69
9.08
123.66 66.69(E)
29.32
11.25
135.64
28.97
11.56
73.12(E)
138.76 74.81(E)
29.77
10.29
143.08 76.75
41.09
14.71
173.18
-
The total consumption of chemical fertilizers is in increasing trends from 0.69 lakh tonnes in 1950-51 to
173.18 lakh tonnes in 1997-98. Decreasing trends in total fertilizers consumption is observed from 127.28
lakh tonnes in 1991-92 to 121.55 lakh tonnes in 1992-93. The same decreasing trend is observed in
Phosphatic and Potassic fertilizer consumption during the same period. In case of nitrogenous fertilizers,
continuous increasing trends is observed from 1950-51 to 1997-98. Fertilizer consumption per hectare
was negligible (0.5 kg per hectare) in 1951-52 increased to 76.75 kgs per hectare during 1996-97.
Table-2A : Consumption of pesticides (technical grade material)
(in thousand tonnes)
Year
Pesticides
1950-51
2.35
1960-61
8.62
1970-71
24.32
1980-81
45.00
1988-89
75.89
The trend in consumption of pesticide is increasing from 2.35 thousand tonnes to 75.8 thousand tonnes
from 1950-51 to 1988-89.
Table: 2B Trends in consumption pattern of different groups of pesticides
(Technical Grade Material, MT)
Year Insecticides Fungicides Herbicides Others Total
1988
67692
16365
4160
1020
89237
1989
56424
17530
4730
925
79609
1990
47074
17770
5162
1075
71081
1991
49516
18465
5367
975
74323
1992
55166
18925
6695
1280
82066
1993
56239
17313
9975
1315
84842
1994
55209
16956
10798
1315
84278
1995
59487
19197
10557
1345
90586
1996
38111
20795
10651
1625
71182
1997
37602
21695
11869
1725
72891
Compound Growth Rates (%)
199895
-0.44
1.07
16.52
5.59
1.22
199597
-20.49
6.31
6.03
13.25
10.30
198897
-3.88
2.31
13.70
6.71
-0.59
Source: Various issues of pesticides information (PAI)
Pesticide usage:
Herbicides:
The use of herbicides has gradually improved in the country. During the period 1988 to 1997 herbicides
had an annual growth rate 13.70 percent. The share of herbicides in total pesticides consumption has
increased from 4.7 percent in 1988 to 16.3 percent 1997. The used of herbicides is increasing in
agriculturally in advanced regions of the country due to rising cost of labour and shift of labour from
agriculture to other investors. Nearly, 85 percent of herbicides are used on rice, tea, bee and beans (BAMI
– 1996).
Insecticides:
India is predominantly an insecticides market. The most important crops with regard to insecticide usage
are cotton and rice which account for about 70 percent of total pesticide consumption in India. During the
last 10 year (1988-97), the consumption of insecticide has declined an annual compound growth rate of
3.88 percent. Organo phosphates dominate the Indian market with about 50 percent share followed by the
synthetic pyrephroids(19 percent), organo chlorines (18 percent), carbamats (4 percent) and bio-
pesticides(1 percent). While organo chlorine group of pesticides has been banned and phased out in
advanced countries, India still uses some of this products with adverse impact on environmental and
human health (BAMI – 1996).
Fungicides:
At present, fungicides most commonly used agro-chemicals for growing food crops and vegetables. In
India the use of fungicides is most popular in fruits followed by potatoe, rice, tea and coffee. The use of
fungicides has increased significantly (2.31 percent) during 1988-97 and its share in total pesticide
consumption has increased from about 18 percent to about 30 percent.
PROBLEM POSED BY FERTILIZERS AND PESTICIDES
Fertilizers:
Continuous use of inorganic fertilizers mainly containing major nutrients NPK in large quantities and
neglecting organic and bio-fertilizers paved the way for deterioration of soil health and in turn ill effects on
plants, human being and cattle.
The adverse effects of using fertilizers are explained below.
I Nitrate pollution:
Nitrogen is applied to the soil as urea (Which is readily hydrolyzed to ammonium),
ammonium nitrate or a combination of ammonium and nitrate. About 40-60 percent of
applied nitrogen is lost by voltalization run off, de-nitrification and leaching. The nitrate
that is leached causes a lot of visible and invisible hazardous effects.
Visible effects :
1. Plants become succulent and dark green colour thus becoming more susceptible to pests
and diseases. Ex. BPH in paddy in most of the paddy growing regions.
2. It increases the growth, weakens the stem and brings lodging in crops like paddy. It
reduces the quality of the seed
Invisible effects:
1. Pollution of ground water by nitrates : Excess nitrate moves below the root zone or into
the ground water (once the ground water becoming polluted it remaining for extended
periods of time) and draining of such water causes or disease called
"Methemoglobinemia", where nitrite (reduced form of nitrate) interferes with oxygen
carrying capacity of blood.
2. Japanese encephalitis (JE) : Excess use of urea in rice fields promotes the growth and
spread of vectors causing of human disease called JE. Children between the age group
between 4-14 years are mainly affected.
3. Nitrosomine illness is caused by the presence of secondary amines which causes cancer
in human beings.
4. Feroxyl nitrates, alkyl nitrates, vapours of HNO3 and nitrate aerosoles causes respiratory
illness
5. HNO3 in aerosols may lead to acid rains causing lot of damage to ecosystem and
buildings
6. Nitrate oxide produced by de-nitrification damages the stratospheric ozone layer.
II.
Eutrophication:
This refers to the process of enrichment of surface water bodies with nutrients, addition of plant
nutrients particularly P&N to surface water bodies such as lakes, reservoirs and streams result in
intense prolification and accumulation of algae and higher aquatic plants in excessive quantities
which can result in detrimental changes in water quality and can significantly interfere with man’s
use of the water resource.
III.
Soil acidification and alkalization:
Development of soil acidification and alkalization due to continuos use of acidic (NH 4 Cl (NH2 )
SO4 etc.) and basic (NANO3 ) (CAN basic slag etc.) fertilizers causing imbalance in nutrients
availability to crops and effecting activities of beneficial micro organisms.
IV.
Iron, aluminium and manganese toxicities in acidic soil and sodium toxicity in alkali soils effect the
availability of other nutrients and deteriorate fertility and productivity of soils.
V.
The continuous application of ‘P’ fertilizers can result in the build up of trace metal contaminants
such as arsenic and cadmium contained in the fertilize.
VI.
Excessive application of potassic fertilizers decrease vit "C" (ascorbic acid) and carotene content
in vegetable and fruits.
VII.
. Excessive application of chemical fertilizers lead to malnutrition due to degradation of
carbohydrates and proteins both qualitatively and quantitatively.
VIII.
. Excessive application of chemical fertilizers effects physical properties of soil such as infiltration,
soil aeration, soil structure and bulk density etc.
Pesticides:
Pesticides enter environment mainly by air, water and soil. Pesticides enter air by sprayed drift or
voltalization from soil or water. The entry of pesticides in water is mainly by surface runoff, sediment
transport from treated soil, industrial wastes and direct application of pesticides to control acquatic pests.
Soil receives pesticides when the pesticides are directly applied besides runoff from plants, rains and
dumping of empty containers of pesticides. The challenges posed by pesticide usage are explained
below:
II.
Indiscriminate and defective handling of the pesticides causes environmental pollution and leads
to health hazardous.
III.
Pesticides resistance: Consistent use of pesticide to control pests had led to development of
resistance among pests and vectors and adverse effect on non target organisms.
IV.
Destruction of beneficial organisms: Continuous use of pesticides had an adverse effect on
beneficial organisms like honeybees, pollinators, parasites and predators. At the height of the
American boll worm problem in Guntur and Prakasham districts in Andhra Pradesh in 1986 almost
all the predaceous bird fauna were totally exterminated. The crisis in cotton cultivation posed by
boll worms, white flies etc. leading to total crop loss and eventual frustration and suicides of many
farmers in A.P.
V.
Pesticides poisoning:
a. Manufacturing Level: Persons engaged in manufacturing of insecticides are subjected to
insecticider exposure. This results in chronic poisoning. The poisoning symptoms of aldrin,
dialdrin and endrine are headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, loss of weight and memory.
b. Operating level: The majority of cases occur in hot and humid field conditions. The reason is that
the operators or farmers do not wear protective clothing.
c. Consumer level: Chlorinated hydro carbons can accumulate in the adipose tissues of man. It is
very difficult to ascertain the extent of safety of residue in human beings. However, there are a
number of evidences that some forms of wild life are suffering due to bio-magnification of these
residues.
VI. Pesticide residues:
The widespread use of pesticides provides many possible sources of pesticides in the environment and
living organism. Pesticides after application are known to persist on crop produce, soil, water and air with
harmful effects on human health and the environment. In India problem of pesticide residue in food has
been studied by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Indian Council of Agricultural Research
(ICAR) and other institutions in an isolated manner.
PESTICIDES RESIDUES IN WATER
SAMPLING
AREA
PESTICIDE RESIDUE
LEVEL
1 Ponds in
coffee
plantations,
Chikmagalore,
Karnataka
HCH
0.02 – 0.2
ppm
2 Yamuna,
Delhi
DDT
2.9 – 21.8
ppm
3 Srinagar, J &
K
HCH
2.5 – 73.5
ppm
4 River Khan,
near Indore,
M.P.
Total HCH
0.05 –
0.39 ppm
5 River
Chambal,
near Kota,
Rajasthan
Total HCH
0.06 –
1.49 ppm
6 Drinking water Total HCH
source around
Bhopal
1.5815.88
ppm
3.1534.77
ppm
Source : Handa and Walia (1996)
DDT CONTAMINATION IN MILK
STATE
TOTAL
INCIDENCE(%) SAMPLE
RANGE(ppm)
SAMPLES
ABOVE
TOLERANCE
LEVEL(%)
Punjab
263
97.7
50.6
ND-1.11
120
93.7
05.0
ND-0.33
Himachal
Pradesh
120
100.0
55.8
0.006-0.75
Uttar
Pradesh
240
57.1
10.8
ND-0.652
Madhya
Pradesh
240
95.8
21.7
ND-0.36
299
100.0
74.2
0.02-0.965
120
100.0
70.0
0.015-0.20
240
96.7
57.1
ND-2.224
203
22.2
17.7
ND-1.079
120
95.8
09.2
ND-0.08
120
95.8
19.2
ND-0.08
West
Bengal
120
35.8
12.5
ND-2.82
All states of
India
2205
81.1
36.0
ND-2.224
Haryana
Maharashtra
Gujarat
Andhra
Pradesh
Karnataka
Kerala
Bihar
Source : ICAR PROJECT 1986 - 1999
VALUES FOR DDT AND BHC IN HUMAN MILK
COUNTRY YEAR BHC DDT
Japan
1977 250 1900
USA
197778
NA
NA
Canada
1987
34
840
Great
Britain
1979- 220 1900
80
Germany
1979- 450 1900
81
Italy
1985
Israel
1985
Kenya
1983- 110 6900
85
China
1982 6600 6200
India
1988- 750 3700
89
7
47
390 2800
Figure by which overall intake exceeds the acceptable daily in take (ADI), based on 2 % fat 0.8 litres of
milk per day.
Source : Ho1. E.H.1995 Down to Earth. 4(10). 27-31
6. Destruction of soil microbes spoiling the soil health.

Minor pests become major ones

Increase in investment for crop production

Severe imbalance in ecology
Herbicides:
1. Persistence in soil: The herbicide applied to one crop may persist in the soil at
concentration high enough to damage subsequent sensitive crops.
2. Residues in crops: At coimbatore, the sorghum grain & stalk showed detectable
amount of residues when atrazine was applied at 0.5 and 1.0 Kg / ha which was well
below the MRL.
3. Toxicity: Herbicides like trifluralin were found associated with nitrosamines which are
potent carcinogens. However, at 1.12 kg/ha of trifluralin, the top soil layer (15 cm) would
contain only 0.006 ppb of nitrosamine and this is too small amount to cause cancer
(Witter,
1980).
Fungicides:

Emergence of resistant strains: Improper use of systematic fungicides like (carbendazium)
resulted into development of resistant stains of different plant pathogens.

Health Hazards: Maneb and Streptocycline caused dermititis and some people working with
captan or in fields treated with it showed symptoms of skin irritation and rashes (Sharma Kaur
1990).

Fungicide residues: If the fungicides are used judiciously they may pose serious residue
problems.

Non-target effects: Copper fungicides used for the control of coffee rust resulted in increased
occurrence of coffee leaf miner and of spider mites (Panlam et al 1976)
Beever et al (1984) reported that the residues of captan when used as spray against Botrytis storage of
kiwi fruit were within the acceptable limits when used as per recommended dose. However, the increased
number of sprays resulted in more than acceptable limit of residue levels.
STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES OF PRESENT SITUATION:
After seeing the deleterious effects arising with the use of agro chemicals coupled with the degradation
cultivable land and increasing agricultural pollution has created an unhealthy situation in the country.
order to balance this situation, organic farming, which aims at cultivating the land and raising crops
such a way as to keep the soil alive and in good health may be an alternative to the present system
farming solely depending on chemicals.
of
In
in
of
It is a method of farming which avoids or largely excludes the use of compound chemicals such as
chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. Instead of that natural resources such as organic matters,
minerals and microbes are used. It gives an idea to use all sources which are natural so that soil health is
maintained.
Organic farming systems rely on large scale application of animal or FYM, compost, crop rotations,
cooperative residues, green manuring, vermicompost, bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides and biological control.
Key characteristics:
o
Protecting the long-term fertility of soils by maintaining organic matter levels, fostering soil
biological activity and careful mechanical intervention;

Providing crop nutrients indirectly by using relatively insoluble nutrient sources which are made
available to the plant by the action of soil microorganisms;

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 wastes;

Weed, disease and pest control relying primarily on crop rotations, natural predators, diversity,
organic manuring, resistant varieties and limited (preferably minimal) thermal, biological and
chemical intervention;

The extensive management of livestock, paying full regard to their evolutionary adaptations,
behavioural needs and animal welfare issues with respect to nutrition, housing, health, breeding
and rearing;

Careful attention to the impact of the farming system on the wider environment and the
conservation of wildlife and natural habitats.
ALTERNATIVES FOR CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS
In India the use of organic manures in subsistence forming is an age old practice. Organic manures
improve physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. Addition of organic manure improves
structure aeration, water holding capacity of soils, reduces phosphorous fixation in acidic soil forms
chilates with metallic ions and reduces their toxicity in crops. For substituting the chemical fertilizers
various forms of organic manures and bio-fertilizers are explained below:
1. FYM cow dung is an important source of pl. nutrients. FYM is composed of drug, urine, bedding
and straw. FYM contains approximately 5-6 Kg N, 1.5-2 Kg phosphorus and 5-6 Kg potash/ ton. It
builds up soil health considerably.
2. Green Manuring: It is considered a good source of ‘N’ and it increases the availability of P, K and
secondary and trace elements to the soil.
3. Coir Pith: The annual production of coir pith in India is about 7.5 million tonnes. Preferably biodegraded and amended coir pith can serve as a substitute for FYM or similar organic manure,
plenrotus sojorcaju. As per gillus and Trechoderma are found to be potent degrading of coir pith.
4. Vermicompost: is 5 times richer in N, 7 times in P, 11 times in K, 2 times in Mg, 2 times in Ca & 7
times in actinomy and than ordinary soil. It is a rich source of vitamins and growth hormones like
gibberling which regulate the growth of plant and microbes. The compost prepared by using earth
wiring is called vermi-compost.
5. Biofertilizers: These are living cells of different types of micro organisms which have an ability to
mobilize nutritionally important elements from non usable to usable form. They influence the
avalability of major nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur to the plants.
Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, Blue green algae, Azolla, Mycorrhizae, phosphate
solubilizing bacteria can be used as biofertilizers to increase the crop production. These micro
organisms require organic matter for their growth and activity in the soil and provide valuable
nutrients to the plants in the soil.
Pesticides:
Many of the pesticide applications may be unnecessary and are economically unsound. A range of
alternative methods of pest control to be used inorganic farming are detailed below:
1.
Deep ploughing the fields during summer season help in killing pests, larval & eggs.
2.
Clean cultivation by destruction of weeds and other alternate hosts breaks the carry over of the
pest in succession which considerably reduces the pest numbers.
3.
Adopting crop rotations to avoid carry over of pests from one season to next season.
4.
Change in time of sowing
5.
Draining of water out of fields at times of pests growing in number
6.
Use of resistant varieties
7.
Growing of trap crops
8.
Release of parasites and predators
9.
Use of pheromone traps and light traps
10. Use of biological insecticides
11. Use of mechanical weed control
12. Cover cropping to control weed-seed germination
CONCLUSION:
Organic agriculture is a viable alternative because it enlivens the soil, strengthens the natural resource
base and sustains biological production at levels to commensurate the carrying capacity of the managed
agro eco-system. In addition to this export market can also be tapped by group initiatives in organic
farming. In a country like India, food production has to grow steadily. A sudden switch over to organic
farming is not feasible. The minimum food requirement for the year 2001 is 240 million tonnes. The stage
will be set in due course for a smooth transition to organic farming without causing any decline in
production. The efforts from extension, research, supply of inputs, development of market channels, for
disposal of organic foods are needed to facilitate the successful adoption of organic farming by the
farmers. The approach shall be farmer centred and the programmes developed shall create conditions for
the conservation and efficient use of locally available resources as inputs in agriculture. The role of
MANAGE will be taking up specialized programmes in organic farming for training of extension
personnels.
http://www.kisanwatch.org/eng/cur/cur_an_org.htm#Organic%20Labelling%20and%20Certification
The Organic Food
Market and Organic Labelling
Organic Agriculture brings with it a number of added benefits for example, improved soil fertility and water
quality, prevention of soil erosion , generation of rural employment, etc. But to make this a reality,
developing countries , including India, need to frame supportive policies for encouraging such agriculture
for exports as well as to enhance food security. How will the farmers in a developing country benefit if s/he
switches over from conventional farming to organic farming ?
Read on for more
The concept of food quality has changed dramatically in recent years. It now refers not only to the
characteristics of the final product, but also to the way in which it is produced, processed and transported.
Retailers and importers in developed country markets are applying their own quality standards, which are
often more stringent than the national quality regulations. Consumers in developed countries and a few in
developing countries have become more health conscious and they have started spending on greener,
healthy and natural foodstuffs. They are willing to spend more on organically produced and labeled
products. As a result, farmers in developed countries are encouraged to convert their existing farm into
organic farms and are often fully supported with financial incentives and technical assistance.
What is Organic Farming ?
Of course, a basic issue is defining what exactly is meant by organic farming. Among the more stringent
definitions is that of the US Department of Agriculture, which has defined it as follows : a system that is
designed and mailed to produce agricultural products by the use of methods and substances that maintain
the integrity of organic agricultural products until they reach the consumer. This is accomplished by using,
where possible, cultural, biological, and mechanical methods, as opposed to using substances, to fulfil
any specific fluctuation within the system so as to: maintain long-term soil biological activity; ensure
effective peak management; recycle wastes to return nutrients to the land; provide attentive care for farm
animals; and handle the agricultural products without the use of extraneous synthetic additives or
processing in accordance with the act and the regulations in this part.
But it is also true that consumer perception on the organic production method may, in certain detailed but
important provisions, differ from region to region in the world. That is why both national and international
norms for the definition of organic farming and organic foodstuffs become necessary.
Size of the Organic Food Market
In many developed countries as well as in some of the developing countries with higher income, the sale
counters of retail chains and supermarkets have been given special 'green status' to promote and sell
organic and natural foods. The organic food processing companies are being nurtured and labeled as
environmental friendly companies. This is already a huge market even in 1997, the size of the US organic
food market was valued at $4.2 billion, while the German market was estimated at $ 1.2 billion and that of
Japan at $ 2.5 billion. It is also a rapidly growing market all over the world and particularly in the
developed countries, as Table 1 suggests. The rapid growth in market estimates by 2000 indicate a much
larger market now, especially as the recent food scares relating to the products of industrial agriculture
and livestock rearing make consumers more willing to pay more to ensure food safety.
Further, organically grown food commands higher prices, with premiums for organic products ranging from
10 to 100 per cent. However, it should be remembered that these can disappear when supply increases,
especially in those countries with policies to encourage organic farming.
Table 1 : The International Market for Organic Food Products
(US$ billion)
Country
Sales in 1997
Estimated Sales
Potential in 2000
USA
4.2
8.0
Germany
1.8
2.5
Japan
1.2
2.5
Italy
0.75
1.1
France
0.72
1.25
Great Britain
0.45
0.9
Australia
N.A.
0.17
China
N.A.
0.12
New Zealand
N.A.
0.58
Taiwan
N.A.
0.10
Philippines
N.A.
0.06
Other
1.33
10.38
Total
10.45
19.727
Source : Bhagirath Choudhary,
Organic farming: Indian farmers set to go green, NISTADS, 2000 Partly because of this growing demand,
many countries are in process of developing their own 'organic food' standards and regulations. The US
and the European Union have already announced comprehensive National Organic Programs. Japan,
Canada and Australia have national standard for organic products in practice since early nineties. New
Zealand, Israel and Brazil have almost attained the equivalency status with the standards of the European
Union and USA. China, Thailand, South Korea, Philippines, Turkey and Mexico have established credible
organic certifying agencies and are on the verge of gathering more information on organic policy.
The major organic products sold in global markets include( in order of importance) dried fruits and nuts,
processed fruits and vegetables, cocoa, spices, herbs, oil crops, and derived products, sweeteners, dried
leguminous products, meat, dairy products, alcoholic beverages, processed food and fruit preparations.
Non-food items include cotton, cut flowers, animals and pot plants.
Organic Labelling and Certification
Certain very large organic food markets such as the United States present particular problems for
exporters because of the rigid requirements for labelling. In the US products are accepted as organic only
if they conform to US Department of Agriculture( USDA ) requirements, which are fairly stringent and
require certification which can be costly and cumbersome for exporters form poor countries.
The process of certification is as follows : A grower or handler seeking organic certification submits an
organic farm plan or organic handling plan to a USDA-accredited private or state certification program.
The organic plan must detail all current growing or handling methods, and any materials which will be
used. The plan must also cover future intentions and improvements to all areas of production. Even
growers or harvesters of organic wild crops must develop a plan showing that harvesting practices will not
be destructive to the environment or to the future productivity of the crop.
The USDA further requires that records of all management practices and materials used in organic
production must be kept for five years. In order to be certified as organic, crops must be grown on land
which has been free of prohibited substances for three years prior to harvest. Crops grown on land in
transition to organic (during the first three years after switching from conventional farming) cannot be
labeled as organic. The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) makes no provision for a USDAsanctioned "transitional" label.
OFPA covers organic agricultural methods and materials in great detail, including soil fertility, the
application of manure, crop rotation, and composting. Compost ingredients recommended by the National
Organic Standards Board (NOSB) include crop residues, crop waste from food processing operations,
animal manure, yard waste from private or municipal sources, or other vegetable by-products. NOSB
recommends prohibiting municipal solid waste compost and sewage sludge compost, and the use of any
prohibited material as a compost ingredient.
OFPA also establishes a National List of acceptable and prohibited materials. These can include pest
control treatments as well as other agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and seed treatments. NOSB
recommends that all agricultural inputs be evaluated for their long-term effect on the environment and not
simply whether they are synthetic or natural.
It is obvious that these are fairly stringent requirements and so not at all easy to meet. Apart from this,
though small growers in other countries may well meet the criteria, it is difficult to establish that as, they do
not have nay maintained records.
On an international level, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in collaboration with the World
Health Organization (WHO) has developed the Codex Alimentarius for organic products. FAO has
declared that it will give increasing support to organic farming and wants to achieve harmonization of
different national organic standards to spur international trade with organic products. There is already an
International Federation for Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), which is an International umbrella of
organic agricultural accreditation programmes.
The IFOAM was established in 1972 in France. There are 600 organizational members of IFOAM from
120 countries, including India. The main thrust of IFOAM was to define the concept of organic farming
through their basic standards. Another important task of IFOAM is to harmonize certification programmes
through accreditation system. The other activities of IFOAM include participation in the UN and contact
with international NGOs and communication through seminars, magazines etc.
Organic Farming and Certification in India
In India, the relative lack of national rules, regulations and specific standards relating to organic food
production, inadequate certifying agencies and unrecognized 'green' marketing and retailing channels
have not only been confusing for producers and consumers alike, but have prevented farmers from
exploiting the export market advantages of organic production.
This is a major missed opportunity because most small and marginal farmers in India have actually been
practicing organic farming as part of traditional cultivation practice. Thus they have used local or own-farm
derived renewable resources and managing self-regulating ecological and biological processes. In fact,
this is usually found to be absolutely necessary simply in order to cultivate acceptable levels of crop,
livestock and human nutrition products while protecting them from pests and diseases through biochemicals and bio-fertilizers (such as Neem extract). However, it is true that the higher cost of such inputs
and processes compared to industrially generated fertilizers and pesticides has encouraged many farmers
to shift production patterns.
It is true that the Government of India has now woken up if belatedly to this problem and is now attempting
to establish at least the basic rules and accreditation processes which are necessary. In March 2000, the
Ministry of Commerce launched the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), designed to
establish national standards for organic products which could then be sold under the logo India Organic.
To ensure the implementation of NPOP, the National Accreditation Policy and Programme (NAPP) has
been formulated, with Accreditation Regulations announced in May 2001. These make it mandatory that
all certification bodies, whether already engaged or proposing to engage in inspection and certification of
organic crops and products, should be accredited by an Accreditation Agency. Foreign certification bodies
operating in the country must also be accredited.
The appointed Accreditation Agencies are the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export
Development Authority (APEDA), Coffee Board, Tea Board and Spices Board. At present, only APEDA
has invited applications for accreditation. An appointed Evaluation Agency is to ascertain the programmes
and credentials of the implementing agencies and submit its report to the Accreditation Agency. According
to information from APEDA, to avoid duplication a common Evaluation Agency and Committee for
Accreditation will be formed with experts and members drawn from other Accreditation Agencies.
The Regulations also make a provision for export, import and local trade of organic products. Currently,
however, only the export of organic products comes under the government regulation, while imports and
local trade do not. Thus, an agricultural product can only be exported as an Organic Product if it is
certified by a certification body duly accredited by APEDA as one of the accreditation agencies. The
categories of products covered under accreditation are organic crop production, organic animal
production, organic processing operations, wild products and forestry.
Projects Encouraging Organic Farming in India
The World Bank has organised a project designed to empower rural communities to export organic spices.
The main programmes envisaged under the project are improvement and promotion of organic production
of spices, certification and export of selected spices like black pepper, white pepper, ginger, turmeric,
cardamom, clove, nutmeg and western herbal spices like rosemary, thyme, oregano and parsley. The
programmes are being taken up in selected project sites in Idukki and Wynad districts in Kerala, Nilgiris
district of Tamilnadu and Kandhmal district of Orissa, and implemented through locally based NGOs, from
the year 2000 to 2003.
The salient features of the project are, imparting training to NGOs and farmers on basic standards,
organic production methods, documentation, inspection and certification. The project also envisages
empowerment of NGOs by providing PCs and software for market promotion of organic products. The ITC
will conduct market survey in potential markets of organic products and disseminate the information to the
potential producers in India. Certification of the project areas as organic is also envisaged under the
project.
The many aspects of such a project make it clear that such a process of encouraging a shift to organic
farming along internationally accepted lines, and producing organic food for export, is a very expensive
process. It can only be attempted even by development agencies and NGOS, in specific pockets or
villages, and extending it over wide areas and a sizeable number of cultivators would require large
resources that are not easy to raise or access.
Prospects for Organic Farming in India
Only 30 percent of Indias total cultivable area is covered with fertilizer where irrigation facilities are
available and the remaining 70 percent of the arable land, which is mainly rainfed area, has not been
using any fertilizer. Also, it is estimated that around 600 to 700 million tonnes of agricultural waste is
available in the country every year but most of it is not properly used. There are several alternatives for
supply of soil nutrients from organic sources like wormi-compost, biofertilizers etc. Technologies have
been developed to produce large quantities of wormi-compost. There are specific biofertilisers for cereals,
millets, pulses and oilseeds. However, such biofertilizers and biopesticides have not become very popular
in India for two reasons. The first is the lack of marketing and distributing network. Retailers are typically
not interested in selling bio inputs because their demand is low, supply is erratic and farmers are ignorant
about bio inputs. The second reason is because of the presence of chemical fertilizers and pesticides,
with their heavy advertisement, public support and higher margin for retailers. All these problems also
need to be addressed if a more comprehensive state support for organic farming is to be considered.
There is no doubt that organic agriculture is in many ways an eminently preferable pattern for developing
agriculture and countries like India in particular. Organic agriculture can offers multiple benefits. These
include price premiums, natural resource conservation (e.g. improved soil fertility and water quality,
prevention of soil erosion, preservation of natural and agro-biodiversity) and social effects (e.g. generation
of rural employment and corresponding lower urban migration, improved household nutrition and local
food security, reduced dependence on external inputs).
But to take advantage of trade opportunities, developing countries must contend with a plethora of
national and regional standards, and high certification costs. It is not just that active international efforts
are needed to reduce these costs, particularly for smallholders, and facilitate market access. In addition, a
big role has to be played by developing country governments to develop supportive policies for
encouraging organic agriculture, both for exports and to enhance local food security. In a country like
India, this can imply tensions between pricing policy, input supply and the priorities of ensuring that the
public distribution system actually meets the food needs of all the population.
World Organic Cotton Production 1992-1997 (in tons)
Country
1992
Argentina
Australia
479
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
2
120
126
132
70
500
750
400
500
400
Benin
5
Brazil
Egypt
38
2
9
1
5
5
141
598
600
650
630
450
500
475
400
398
929
900
930
Greece
India
206
268
Israel
100
100
50
90
90
50
16
20
20
20
100
75
50
50
50
700
924
1,516
1,500
650
2
30
20
610
720
750
800
33
100
100
200
16
150
250
300
800
4,274
5,365
7,425
3,396
2,852
35
30
30
Mozambique
Nicaragua
Paraguay
Peru'
400
Senegal
Turkey
130
198
Tanzania
Uganda
United States
2,155
Zambia
Zimbabwe
TOTAL
5
3,408
6,201
9,498
12,864
9,028
7,967
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
Source: Agricola Partners, Pesticides Trust
http://www.ciks.org/useful%20tips.html
USEFUL TIPS FOR ORGANIC COTTON CULTIVATION
Yellow sticky trap
It is a yellow colour iron board which is triangular in shape and placed at the rate of 3 / acre. Smear a few
drops of castor oil in the evening hours. We have found that this trap helps to attract the whiteflies and
aphids. This is also very useful in monitoring the pest population.
Pheromone trap
Pheromone traps are very useful for control of American bollworms and spotted bollworms. This trap
contains a lure with the chemical that attracts male moths of the pest. The attracted male moths are
caught in the trap. Based on the catches, the pest population are monitored efficiently.
Since this technique proved to be quite useful we have also distributed traps to nearly 15 farmers in our
neighbourhood. They were also involved in the experimentation and found it quite satisfactory. They are
also willing to cultivate cotton organically in the next season. These farmers have been regular visitors to
our organic cotton field and have learnt a number of techniques from us.
Bird Perches
Bird perches were erected on bamboo sticks at regular intervals inside the cotton fields. They provide a
resting place for birds. Birds which sit on these perches are attracted to the larval pests found in cotton
and have a good feast on these. It is a very simple technique which is extremely cost efficient.
Intercropping with cowpea and greengram
This ensures multiplication of natural enemies such as ladybird beetles and chrysopa which mainly feed
on pests such as hoppers, aphids etc.
Intercropping with Sunflower
This attracts spotted bollworm larva and prevents pest infestation of the cotton crop. Sunflower attracts
adults of bollworms to lay eggs on its leaf surface thereby saving the cotton crop from attack.
Intercropping with ladies finger
Ladies finger attracts American bollworm larva and saves the cotton crop