Organic Farming: A tool of Water Conservation and the Contribution of Mahatma Gandhi

In India, the best practices of agriculture need to improvise for the betterment of society and the community. To meet the need of society, a farmer needs to adopt different methods of cultivation of crops, storing grains to produce food and enhance the method of producing.

Farmers face difficulties in getting loans, allowances to cultivate plants. Farmer should take the initiative to introduce fertilizer free agriculture and regenerate soil fertility. They should stop using chemical fertilizer and synthetic seeds, as it harms the overall health of the community.

To introduce healthier agricultural practices, we should remember Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy on regenerative agricultural movement.

A famous quote from Mahatma Gandhi is very much applicable in today’s agricultural scenario.

“The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not for everyone’s greed.” By M.K. Gandhi

Gandhiji’s Principle in agriculture contributes a lot in natural farming or Organic farming. It helps to conserve water to produce clean, fresh crops today. The appropriate method of farming and irrigation makes our society to move green environment.

Current Situation

After globalization, agriculture has a global impact, as it is the basis of all industries. After the introduction of genetically modified crops from synthetically processed seeds, Organic farming and other advanced methods of agriculture make the farmers comparatively happier than before and they are earning more, in turn, getting richer, no doubt about it. But, in the broader aspect if we analyze the current situation impacts the farmer in different ways:

• Failing to achieve the government’s approach towards the environment
• Making the farmers greedy to earn more within less time
• Only a few farmers can avail the Government assistance
• Several farmlands are going out for the industrialization

Government’s Initiative

We need to gather farmers’ community wise and aware of why natural farming or organic farming is important for our society?

At this moment, we are approaching towards the green environment, save the planet, we should take initiative with the help of govt to produce organic or healthy, tasty, seasonal, and local food which is less in meat constituents. If we produce fertilizer free food, we can significantly save water-polluting from harmful chemicals, pesticides used in fertilizers and turn to save our society and communities which is our main goal. We should also reduce food waste that contributes to a healthier environment. Whatever food wastes generate that can go as animal fodder to the production of biogas. Thus we can offer a sustainable everyday life to our society.Using this regenerative approach of agricultural practice brings us towards the Green Planet concept throughout the nation.

Organic Farming Conserves Water to Meet Water Management

Water is an essential part of agriculture. So, proper management of water is fundamental for organic farming. We need to practice crop rotations, using green manure, etc. It shows that nutrients run-off from the soil to the water bodies. By using chemical fertilizer, and pesticides results in water pollution that generates a huge environmental loss. By Organic farming we can put more emphasis on soil, and improve the humus quality, which helps to increase water holding capacity of the soil, thus helps to sustain in extreme climatic conditions like drought or heavy rainfall. So, to maintain a healthy ecosystem and socio-economic condition of farming long-term, it is essential for our society. In that way, we can conserve water significantly from contamination and manage it in a better way.

In the current agricultural inclination, there is high environmental pressure on the resources of water through:

• Water Pollution: The use of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers water contaminates, in turn, impacts society hugely. It’s a challenge to reduce the contamination of the ground and surface water.
• Water over-pumping: The excessive water pumping beats the capacity of the earth for replenishing the water level affects agriculture.

Designing the Irrigation System

Organic Farming can use clean and healthy water filled with nutrition to the crop field by irrigation. Conservation of water is important in organic farming. The farmer needs to design the irrigation system for his organic farm where he has to focus on energy usage as well as water usage factors in a constructive way. He has to design in such a way that it helps in the conservation of water and energy. He can recycle the wastewater or through solar power as the energy for irrigation systems. If he is farming in an arid area, he needs to irrigate throughout the growing process. But if he is farming in comparatively humid areas he may need to use irrigation to supplement the rainwater in drought environments.

Several types of methods of Irrigations in Organic farming:

• Surface method: By this method water moves through the downhill by using gravity, No pump is needed.
• Drip Method: It supplies the water to the crop roots (ground level or under the soil surface) through low-pressure pumps.
• Manual Process: It is possible only for small farms, where farmers need to put water to the crops or plants manually.
• Center pivot method: In this method, they need a pump to supply water through the sprinklers on towers. Generally, for large farms, this process is used.

Resources of Water for Irrigation

Producers can use local water facilities such as a well, stored rainwater or even from preserved wastewater after treating them. They need to make sure the water is clean so that they can use it for healthy crop production.

Application

According to the farm, size farmer needs to use the particular irrigation method. For organic farming surface irrigation process works well. Especially for the deep-rooted crops. Some farms can use renewable energy to pump the water uphill by solar energy or wind generator. Then release the water to the plants, gravity pushes the water down to the crop fields.

Conclusion

By applying these fresh and natural cultivation methodologies, we can achieve in getting fresh and healthy food by organic farming and can reach our water conservation goal in the future. We should educate our farmers from different communities and bring an overall change in our society.