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Training Manual for Organic Agriculture in the Tropics

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Training Manual for Organic Agriculture in the Tropics Training manual for ORGANIC AGRICULTURE Edited by Nadia SCIALABBA Climate, Energy and Tenure Division (NRC) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation (FAO) Compiled by Ilka GOMEZ and Lisa THIVANT TECA Team – Research and Extension Division (DDNR) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation (FAO) 2015 Technologies and practices for smallholder farmers ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The production of this manual is a joint activity between the Climate, Energy and Tenure Division (NRC) and the Technologies and practices for smallholder farmers (TECA) Team from the Research and Extension Division (DDNR) of FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The realization of this manual has been possible thanks to the hard review, compilation and edition work of Nadia Scialabba, Natural Resources officer (NRC) and Ilka Gomez and Lisa Thivant, members of the TECA Team. Special thanks are due to the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and the International Institute for Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) for their valuable documents and publications on organic farming for smallholder farmers. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of figures ................................................................................................................................................................ 4 List of tables .................................................................................................................................................................. 5 1. Introduction to Organic Agriculture ....................................................................................................... 6 2. Considerations for Conversion to Organic Agriculture ................................................................ 11 A. Analysis of the location .............................................................................................................................................. 11 B. Farm-related challenges to conversion ............................................................................................................... 12 1. Farms with high external input use ................................................................................................................. 12 2. Farm with low external input use ..................................................................................................................... 14 3. Mixed farm .................................................................................................................................................................. 15 4. Degraded land ........................................................................................................................................................... 16 C. Climate related challenges to conversion ........................................................................................................... 18 3. Step by Step Conversion to Organic Agriculture ............................................................................. 20 A. Step 1: Good information first ................................................................................................................................. 20 B. Step 2: Getting familiar with organic practices ................................................................................................ 21 C. Step 3: Full conversion to organic farming ........................................................................................................ 24 4. Mulching in Organic Agriculture ............................................................................................................ 28 5. Water Management in Organic Agriculture ....................................................................................... 32 A. How to keep the water in the soil? ........................................................................................................................ 32 B. Harvesting water........................................................................................................................................................... 33 1. Increasing infiltration ............................................................................................................................................ 33 2. Water storage ............................................................................................................................................................ 37 C. Drip irrigation systems ............................................................................................................................................... 37 6. Crop Planning and Management in Organic Agriculture ............................................................. 39 A. Crop rotation .................................................................................................................................................................. 39 B. Intercropping: ................................................................................................................................................................ 43 C. Cover crops ...................................................................................................................................................................... 45 D. Crop –Animal association .......................................................................................................................................... 46 E. Designing cropping systems .................................................................................................................................... 46 7. Nutrient Management in Organic Agriculture ................................................................................. 50 A. Composting ...................................................................................................................................................................... 52 1. The heating phase:................................................................................................................................................... 52 2. The cooling phase: ................................................................................................................................................... 52 3. The maturing phase: ............................................................................................................................................... 52 4. Different systems and methods ......................................................................................................................... 54 B. Green manures ............................................................................................................................................................... 55 2 1. Green manures have a number of benefits: .................................................................................................. 55 2. Factors to consider before growing green manures: ............................................................................... 56 3. How to use green manures .................................................................................................................................. 56 C. Animal manure .............................................................................................................................................................. 58 D. Microbial fertilizers ..................................................................................................................................................... 59 E. Mineral fertilizer ........................................................................................................................................................... 60 8. Pest and Disease Management in Organic Agriculture ................................................................. 61 A. Prevention practices and monitoring ................................................................................................................... 62 B. Curative methods .......................................................................................................................................................... 66 9. Weed Management in Organic Agriculture ........................................................................................ 76 A. Preventive practices .................................................................................................................................................... 76 B. Biological control of weeds ....................................................................................................................................... 79 C. Mechanical control ....................................................................................................................................................... 79 10. Soil Cultivation and Tillage in Organic Agriculture........................................................................ 81 A. Creating good growing conditions for plants .................................................................................................... 81 B. Minimum disturbance ................................................................................................................................................. 81 C. Soil compaction ............................................................................................................................................................
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