Institute of Organic Farming (IOF), University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Krishinagar, Dharwad- 580 005, Karnataka State, India

e-mail: iofdwd@uasd.in

Ph: +91-836-2214 305 / +91-836-2955 809                 

Institute of Organic Farming, UAS, Dharwad

Organic farming is a holistic production management system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It emphasizes, on the use of management practices in preference to the use of off –farm inputs. It is based on the consideration that the regional conditions require locally adapted systems. Organic production is accomplished by using, wherever possible, agronomic, biological, and mechanical methods, as opposed to using synthetic materials, to fulfill any specific function within the system. As organic farming addresses soil, human and environmental health employing eco-friendly approaches, it is an important option for sustainable crop production and crop yields. It combines both tradition and modern agriculture science to produce crops and livestock that flourish in the absence of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and hormones. Organically grown foods are free from residues and currently this aspect is receiving attention of consumers and all stake holders eventually resulting in bringing organic policies.

India is not only bestowed with varied  agro-climatic zones suited for growing different crops but also rich traditional knowledge which has contributed to native and traditional organic production systems in countless villages and farming communities. Our country endowed with natural resources to promote organic farming has the comparative and competitive advantages to produce organic foods at lower cost and round the year. This is also possible as large number of crops can be grown round the year owing to diverse but favourable climatic conditions in India. This is evident from the fact that organic farming has been one of the fastest growing markets in agriculture during the last twenty years. Hence, there is immense scope for the organic producers in the country to tap the steadily growing market both in domestic as well as international market.

Considering the role of organic production in improving health, environment and its potential impact on the economy, the Government of India initiated the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) in the year 2001. This national programme involved the accreditation programme for certification agencies, norms for organic production, promotion of organic farming etc. In view of increasing demand of organic agricultural product, Government has been promoting Organic farming as a chemical free farming   through dedicated schemes namely Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) since 2015-16. Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Padhati (BPKP) has been introduced as a sub scheme of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) since 2020-21 for the promotion of traditional indigenous practices including Natural Farming (NF).Under PKVY & MOVCDNER schemes farmers are provided financial assistance of Rs 31000/ ha / 3 years and Rs 32500/ ha/ 3years respectively for organic inputs such as seeds, bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, organic manure, compost/ vermi-compost, botanical extracts etc.  In addition to above, support is also provided for group/ Farmers Producers Organization (FPO) formation, training, certification, value addition and marketing of organic produce. Under BPKP, financial assistance of Rs. 12200/ha for 3 years is provided for cluster formation, capacity building and continuous hand holding by trained personnel, certification and residue analysis.

The Government of Karnataka has brought out a policy for the first on organic farming (Savayava Krishi Neethi, 2004) subsequently the Karnataka State policy on organic farming 2017, to promote organic agriculture in the state in tune with the global movement and local needs. State level empowered committees and the working committees have been constituted for effective implementation of the policy. In 2018-19 the state Government launched zero budget natural farming as a scheme to grow safe food, to save soil fertility and to protect environment is the need of the hour.

Establishment of Institute of Organic Farming (IOF)

Keeping in view, the prospective role of organic farming in mitigating the problems of resource (soil, water, and bio-diversity) degradation and to minimize the implications of climate change on agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad is the first SAU’S in the country to begin comprehensive organic research programmes under UAS  Net work Project on organic farming in the year 2003 on 26 research stations, mainly to bring predominant crop / crops of the region under organic cultivation. Looking into the trends after consolidation of first three year of research, in 2006 the research Institute on Organic Farming was established. Ever since the institute with its multi disciplinary approach is engaged in organic research, education and human resource development. The centre also operates All India Network   Project on Organic Farming (AI-NPOF) and was adjudged as the best centre for the period 2021-22 by the ICAR- Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research, Modipuram, Meerut. The Institute has laboratory infrastructure for quality analysis of plant, soil and mass production units for bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides. Fixed plots for evaluating crops and cropping systems under organic, integrated and conventional production systems. A bio-resource centre with animal and crop husbandry, organic input production units with prominent cropping systems is a certified organic block over 42 acres of land which is also a model organic farm for learning.

The Institute of Organic Farming, UAS, Dharwad is presently engaged in research programmes to study productivity, profitability, sustainability, quality and input use efficiency of conventional and organic production systems across different agro-climatic regions of Northern Karnataka. The institute is also engaged in standardizing protocol for organic agriculture production, to develop beneficial microbial strains, to mass produce, popularize and supply quality organic manures, bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides and their quality analysis.

All India Network Programme on Organic Farming (AI-NPOF)- Dharwad centre at IOF

Studies on “Evaluation of organic, inorganic and integrated production system and ‘Evaluation of bio-intensive complimentary cropping systems under organic production system) are being carried out in a fixed plots with an area of 1.20 ha (E-121) and 0.80 ha (E-122), respectively at Main Agricultural Research Station (MARS), University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Krishinagar, Dharwad. These studies help to evaluate crops and cropping systems suitable for organic cultivation under rainfed farming situation of Northern Transition Zone (Zone 8) of Karnataka State.

The results of studies under the ICAR-Network Programme on Organic Farming and UAS Network Project on Organic Farming, have been useful to know the comparative performance of important crops in a cropping systems viz., Rice, pulse, maize-chickpea, chilli + cotton, groundnut-sorghum, soybean-wheat, potato-chickpea, pigeonpea, greengram, blackgram, pigeonpea + bajra, sunflower, safflower and sugarcane under organic, integrated and conventional systems. Among the systems groundnut-sorghum, soybean-wheat, blackgram, greengram, pigeon pea, pigeonpea + bajra and potato-chickpea were found more profitable. Similarly, new genotypes of crops are being evaluated under organic production system.

Scientific validations of indigenous technologies related to organic farming

At the Institute of Organic Farming (IOF), UAS, Dharwad, the scientific validations of indigenous technologies have been carried out for greater adoption. Systematic and holistic research efforts resulted in formulating very effective and efficient methods for production of compost, vermicompost, other organic manures and liquid organic manures. Standardized protocols have been adopted by farming communities.

Establishment of referral soil testing laboratory

           With the assistance of Government of India a Referral Soil Testing Laboratory has been brought up at IOF during 2016 and presently the facilities are being used for analyzing the soil samples of different districts of Northern Karnataka for their nutrient status under soil health card scheme of Government of India.

Isolation, multiplication and mass production of bio-fertilizers at Institute of Organic Farming

The IOF has facilities for mass production of biofertilizers. Among the biofertilizers mass produced and supplied are; Rhizobium (strains specific for soybean, groundnut, chickpea), Azospirillum, Gluconacetobacter, Phosphate solubilizing bacteria, Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi, NPK consortia and consortium of lignocellulolytic fungi for rapid recycling of agro-residues. Both liquid and lignite based
bio-fertilizer formulations are mass produced under the state license with Registration No – FE19-20134382 and Certificate No – JDA/F&PP/KAR/FE19-20125533/2022-2023.

Isolation, multiplication and mass production of bio-pesticides (bio-insecticides and bio-fungicides / bactericides)

The bio-pesticides developed in the University over the years have been finger printed and the technology for their mass production has been standardized at IOF.  These include Trichoderma harzianum (for management seed and soil borne diseases, fungal pathogens such as Sclerotium sp, Fusarium sp and Phytophthora sp as well as nematodes), Pseudomonas fluorescens (for management of root rot, stem rot, sheath blights, leaf spot, wilt, powdery mildew, seed and soil borne diseases), Bacillus subtilis (for control of downy mildew, powdery mildew, gray mold and leaf spot diseases), Paecilomyces lilacinus (for management of plant root nematodes, including root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) and cyst nematodes (Heterodera spp. and Globodera spp.). Similarly, Metarhizium anisopliae (for the management  of termites, locusts, larvae and adults of soil insects like root grubs, root weevils, various ticks, ants, thrips, brown plant hoppers, white plant hoppers and larvae of Lepidopteron insects), Beauveria bassiana (for management of wide range of Lepidoptera, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera including coffee berry borers and graminaceous crop stem borers) and Lecanicillium (=Verticillium) lecanii (for control of sucking insect-pests such as thrips, leaf/planthoppers, aphids, jassids, white fly, mealy bugs, mites and scale insects) and Metarhizium rileyi (for management of defoliators such as Spodoptera litura, Helicoverpa armigera and other lepidopteron insects) are standardized at the Institute of Organic Farming, UAS, Dharwad. All these strains are local efficient strains developed at UASD.

Bioresource centre

Bio-Resource Centre (BRC) has been developed over an area of 16 ha of land during 2005 at the Main Agricultural Research Station (MARS), UAS, Dharwad (Longitude: 74⁰15’06.1E Latitude: 15⁰30’15.2” N Altitude: 683 m MSL). The bio-resource centre is a certified (by KSOCA) farm since 2017.  It has dairy unit with mixed breeds, goat unit, compost unit, vermicompost unit, bio-digester unit, bio-gas unit and azolla production unit as a part of integrated organic farming system components. The vermicompost, earthworms and enriched compost are produced in large scale and utilized in different crop production activities of Bio-Resource Farm and supplied to the needy farmers. The unique feature of the Bio-Resource Farm is that it has integrated farming system programmes such as Agri-Horti, Silvi-Horti, Horti-Pasture, Agri-Silvi and Horti-Pastoral systems and all are being managed by using in-situ available natural resources depicting greater crop and animal bio-diversity. This has been a model organic farm for learning.

IOF team is extending this by establishing model organic farming with the objectives of organic seed production on different research stations viz., RARS, Vijayapur, ARS, Nippani, ARS, Bailhongal, ARS, Hukkeri, ARS, Kallolli, ARS, Konnur, ARS, Hombala, ARS, Belavatagi, ARS, Mundagod, ARS, Malalgi, ARS, Sankeshwar, ARS, Arabhavi, ARS, Annigeri, IOF, Dharwad under UAS jurisdiction using the funds sanctioned by Government of Karnataka under Savaya Siri programme.

List of important research and development projects at IOFs

Infrastructure facilities at the Institute Organic Farming, UAS, Dharwad

Well equipped laboratories with modern instruments for research on soil microbiology; and soil, water and organic manure testing.

Laboratories for quality analysis of different bio-fertilizers, bio-insecticides and bio-fungicides/bactericides.

Facilities for large scale multiplication and production of different bio-fertilizers, bio-insecticides and bio fungicides/bactericides.

Bio-Resource Farm in an area of 16 ha with vermi-composting and composting units at Bio-Resource Farm

 On-going research activities in the Institute Organic Farming, UAS, Dharwad

Evaluation of organic, inorganic and integrated production system, Evaluation of bio-intensive complimentary cropping systems under organic production system and Evaluation of response of different varieties of major crops under ICAR-Network Project on Organic Farming

Developing technologies to enhance bio-efficacy and field performance of different bio-agents

Identification and evaluation of newer bio-agents for crop production and crop protection both under Organic and conventional Farming

Salient Accomplishments of Institute Of Organic Farming

University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad centre of Network Project on Organic Farming was awarded as best centre at National level for the year 2021-22.

A model, certified bio-resource farm with various components.

Mass production of bio-fertilizers to the tune of 12-15 tonnes and 14-15 tonnes of bio-pesticides annually for supplying to the farming community.

Development of organic blocks and on farm demonstration of organic farming practices in different crops in the farmer’s participatory mode in selected villages of Northern Karnataka districts.

Twenty Nine research projects with a total outlay of   Rupees 25.19 crores.

State of the art field and laboratory facilities for research are established.

Developed 17 organic package of practices in 14 field crops

Human resource development and consultancy services in organic agriculture

Book on Comprehensive Information on Organic Farming

Technical bulletin on Network Project on Organic Farming and documentary DVDs on organic practices