Step By Step Conversion To Organic Agriculture

Step by step conversion to organic agricultureSource The International Federation of Organic AgricultureMovements (IFOAM - Organics International),The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)Keywords Organic agriculture, sustainability, biodiversity, croprotation, genetically modified organisms, pesticides, soilfertilityCountry of first practiceKenyaID and publishing year8364 and 2015Sustainable Development GoalsNo poverty, industry, innovation and infrastructure, andlife on landSummaryThis practice describes how to convertinto organic agriculture step by step.The following provides introductoryinformation on how to become an organicfarmer, indicating that knowledge onthe functioning and the possibilities ofmanagement of natural processes is firstand foremost important. Familiarizationwith organic practices is also recommendedsuch as mulching, intercropping,composting, green manuring, organic pestmanagement, appropriate seed plantingmaterial, leguminous tree planting,farm‑owned animal feed growth, andbunds. Specifications are also given onwhich crops to grow during conversion andcriteria for this crop selection. Details onfull conversation indicate how to mitigatecontamination risks of pesticides andgenetically modified organisms. Implement organic practices on the entirefarm.1.1 Good information firstSuccessful organic farming requiresconsiderable knowledge on the functioningand the possibilities of management ofnatural processes. Interest in learningabout the possibilities to support naturalprocesses to sustain and improve harvestsis essential for successful organic farming.Farmers who are interested in adoptingorganic farming practices are recommendedto get in contact with farmers in the area,who already practice organic farming tolearn from them. Some farmers may begood at making compost, some at growinggreen manures, and some at making plantor manure tea. Learning from experiencedfarmers allows to get first-hand experienceunder local conditions, and thus to learnabout the advantages and potentialchallenges related to implementing organicmethods.Description1. How to become an organic farmerIn order to become an organic farmer,specific steps need to be followed.Farmers who are interestedin converting their farm toorganic agriculture, need toknow specific information. Collect information. Try out the most promising practices on asmall-scale.1/8TECATECHNOLOGIESand PRACTICESfor SMALLAGRICULTURALPRODUCERS

Crop Production How to improve soil fertility?Please check also other practices in TECAfor more information, “Improve soilfertility”. How to keep crops healthy? How to best increase diversity in thefarm? How to keep livestock healthy? Pleasecheck also other practices in TECA formore information, “Animal health” How to give value to organic products andhow to successfully sell them?Figure 1. How to become an organic farmerand avoid frustrating overload, farmersare recommended to implement organicpractices step-by-step to a limited extent,selecting specific practices at a time andtesting them on selected plots or selectedanimals only. But which practices shouldone choose to start with? As wouldseem natural, farmers should start byapplying practices that are of low riskand investment, require little specificknowledge, limited additional labour, andwith high short term impact. FAO/TECA1.2.1 Examples of recommendedinterventions MulchingCovering the soil with dead plant materialis an easy way to control weeds andprotect the soil in annual crops. Thispractice can be implemented into mostexisting cropping systems. The mainquestion may be, however, where to getappropriate plant material from. FAO/TECAFigure 2. How to get information on organic agriculture1.2 Getting familiar with organic practicesAfter having collected information aboutthe requirements, the potentials and themain practices related to conversion,farmers should start to learn from theirown experience on their farms. To minimizerisks of crop failure and losses of animals,2/8 IntercroppingGrowing two annual crops together,commonly a leguminous crop like beansor a green manure crop in alternatingrows with maize or another cereal cropor vegetable is a common practice inorganic farming to diversify productionand maximize benefits from the land. Inintercropping, special attention must bepaid to avoid competition between thecrops for light, nutrients and water. Thisrequires knowledge on arrangements,which promote growth of at least one ofthe crops. CompostingApplication of compost to the fields canhave a major impact on crop growthand yields. To start compost production,farmers will need enough plant materialsand animal manures, if such are available.

In case such materials are scarce, farmerswould first have to start producing plantmaterials on the farm by sowing fastgrowing leguminous plants that builda lot of biomass, and by introducingsome livestock on the farm for manureproduction, if this proves appropriate. Toget familiar with the process of makingcompost, farmers should be instructed byan experienced person. Proper compostproduction requires some knowledge andexperience and additional labour, but islow in investments.protection from insects, birds and animals;modifying habitat to encourage pollinatorsand natural enemies; and trapping pests inpheromone attractants. Appropriate seeds and planting materialUse of healthy seeds and plantingmaterials, and robust and/or improvedcultivars can make a big change in cropproduction. This practice may requiresome information on selection ofseeds and planting materials includingavailability of improved varieties and seedtreatments. Generally, locally-adaptedseeds are preferred because of theirresilience to local conditions. Green manuringThe practice of growing a leguminousplant species for biomass production andincorporation into the soil may be new tomost farmers. Nevertheless, this practicecan greatly contribute to improvement ofsoil fertility.Green manures can be grown as improvedfallows, as seasonal green manures inrotation with other crops, or in stripsbetween crops. Proper green manuringfirst requires information on appropriatespecies. Organic pest managementCareful associations and management ofplants and animals in order to prevent pestand disease outbreaks. Initially, bio-controlagents may be applied but organic pestmanagement is best achieved throughecological approaches that establish apest/predator balance.While the choice of resistant varietiesof crops is paramount, other preventionmethods include choosing sowing timesthat prevent pest outbreaks; improvingsoil health to resist soil pathogens; rotatingcrops; encouraging natural biologicalagents for control of disease, insectsand weeds; using physical barriers for3/8 Planting of leguminous treesIn perennial crop plantations such asbanana, coffee or cocoa, planting ofleguminous trees such as gliricidia,calliandra, and sesbania may improve thegrowing conditions of the fruit crop byproviding shade, mulching material andnitrogen through nitrogen fixation. Inaddition, some leguminous trees providegood fodder for livestock. This practicerequires some knowledge on shade andspace requirements of the tree crops andthus on ideal planting patterns for theleguminous trees. Growing farm-own animal feedsTo improve available feeds for thelivestock, farmers may grow grasses andleguminous fodder crops around, betweenother crops or in rotation. As animal feedmust be of organic origin, feed sources arebest addressed by considering farm grownfeed. Terraces and soil bundsConstruction of terraces and soil bundsalong the curves of hills is a key measurefor soil conservation. This practice buildsthe foundation of further improvement

to soil fertility on slopes. It is of highrelevance, but requires much labour andsome specific knowledge for appropriateimplementation.1.2.2 Which crops to grow duringconversionLooking at the organic farm as being‘one organism’, the focus does not lie oncultivating specific crops only. Rather,the focus is on choosing crops that caneasily be integrated into the existingfarming system and will contribute toits improvement. But the choice alsodepends on the farmer’s knowledge onthe right management of the crops, theircontribution to a diverse family diet ortheir demand in the market.Besides growing crops for food, farmersmay need to grow leguminous cover cropsto provide high-protein feed for livestockand to be used as green manures tofeed the soil. Planting trees for shade, aswindbreak, for firewood, feed, mulchingmaterial or for other uses, can berecommended in most situations.1.2.3 Criteria for crop selection duringconversion In the first place, organic farmers shouldgrow enough food for the family. Butthey may also want to grow crops for themarket to get money for other familyneeds. The farmers should also growcrops that contribute to improvement ofsoil fertility. Farmers who keep livestockneed to grow pasture grass and legumes. Basically, farmers should select cropswith low risk of failure. Cereals andlegumes such as maize, sorghum, millet,beans and peas are especially suitablefor conversion, since they cost littleto produce, generally have moderatenutrient demands and are robust4/8against pests and diseases. In addition,many of the traditional crops can bestored and sold in domestic markets.High-value short term crops, such asmost vegetables, are more delicate togrow and highly susceptible to pest anddisease attack. Therefore, they shouldnot be grown on a larger scale, unlessthe farmer can sustain some losses inharvest. The crops to grow for sale should includecrops that can be sold at the farmgate, at the roadside market or can betransported directly to nearby marketsin urban centres. Choosing the right cropto sell on the market may require somemarket information. Decision making forcrops for local or export markets requiresdetailed information from traders orexporters on the crops, requestedvarieties, quantities, qualities, regularityand season. High-value perennial crops such as fruittrees take at least three years until thefirst harvest from the date of planting.This makes them appropriate cropsfor the conversion period. For newplantations, species and varieties mustbe carefully selected to suit the organicmarket and production requirements.For conversion of an existing orchard,it might be necessary to replace oldexisting varieties, if they are verysusceptible to diseases and the productquality does not match with the marketrequirements. The success of a crop will also dependon provision of favourable growingconditions. The better a crop varietymatches local soil and climateconditions, and is tolerant or resistant tocommon pests and diseases, the better itwill grow.