What socially motivates farmers to grow organic cotton in central India?

India is the largest producer of ‘organic cotton’, as it contributes about three quarters (74%) to the global organic cotton production. The Nimar valley of Madhya Pradesh in central India is important region for organic cotton production. In general, cotton yields are low and variable in the Nimar valley and often do not reach the attainable levels on several farms of the region. With a steeply increasing demand for organic fibre, it is important to safeguard and increase the production of organic cotton in a sustainable manner. The precise understanding of social and biophysical motivations of different farmers for following their respective farming practices is of high importance for sustainable future of organic cotton in central India. The study of the facts related to adoption of organic cotton production systems in the Nimar valley is particularly valuable for policy makers, smallholder farmers and sourcing organizations

A Diagnosis of Biophysical and Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Farmers’ Choice to Adopt Organic or Conventional Farming Systems for Cotton Production

Organic agriculture is one of the most widely known alternative production systems advocated for its benefits to soil, environment, health and economic well-being of farming communities. Rapid increase in the market demand for organic products presents a remarkable opportunity for expansion of organic agriculture. A thorough understanding of the context specific motivations of farmers for adoption of organic farming systems is important so that appropriate policy measures are put in place. With an aim of understanding the social and biophysical motivations of organic and conventional cotton farmers for following their respective farming practices, a detailed farm survey was conducted in Nimar valley of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The study area was chosen for being an important region for cotton production, where established organic and conventional farms operate under comparable circumstances. We found considerable variation among organic and conventional farmers for their social and biophysical motivations. Organic farmers were motivated by the sustainability of cotton production and growing safer food without pesticides, whereas conventional farmers were sensitive about their reputation in community. Organic farmers with larger holdings were more concerned about closed nutrient cycles and reducing their dependence on external inputs, whereas medium and small holding organic farmers were clearly motivated by the premium price of organic cotton. Higher productivity was the only important motivation for conventional farmers with larger land holdings. We also found considerable yield gaps among different farms, both under conventional and organic management, that need to be addressed through extension and training. Our findings suggest that research and policy measures need to be directed toward strengthening of extension services, local capacity building, enhancing availability of suitable inputs and market access for organic farmers

Self-made pest control products for organic cotton production in Nimar region, Madhya Pradesh, India

Homemade organic pest control products offer an ecological, healthy and low-cost alternative to ready-made products. Yet the recipes are not standardised and the products vary in quality and concentration of the active ingredients. bioRe R, together with the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), engages in research activities to address this challenge and improve pest management strategies in organic farming. During the cotton cropping season 2013–14 one on-station and two on-farm trials were conducted with the objective of comparing different spraying intervals of the most commonly used home-made organic pest control products in order to identify an optimum level of crop protection. The study focused on the effect of the spraying intervals on the most important sucking pests. Besides sucking pest incidences, data on plant stress symptoms and yield formation as well as economic parameters were also collected. Additional on-station trials were established to investigate different measures of early stage crop protection and to detect specific effects of three self made products against certain sucking pests. The products were prepared according to recipes standardised by bioRe R after careful research and hands on experience of its associated scientists and extension workers. This knowledge was reproduced in pictorial technical leaflets, which are easy-to-understand for the local farmers. A total of 11 leaflets — on seed treatments, early stage protection measures, pest control sprays, effective spraying technique and growth promoter were designed in both English and Hindi and will be used for dissemination activities. On-station results were inconclusive due to low pest pressure in this season, as well as the small size of the trial plots. Results of on-farm trials revealed that a suitable strategy for pest monitoring is needed for farmers to determine at what time point pest control interventions are indicated. Further research is needed to understand the specific effects of homemade products on the different insect species. Optimised dosage and application techniques have to be worked out along with other options for integrated pest control (e.g. bird perches, border crops, soil enhancement practices) that could reduce the frequency of time-consuming spraying. These activities would best be conducted in on-farm trials

Organic Wheat Farming Improves Grain Zinc Concentration

Zinc (Zn) nutrition is of key relevance in India, as a large fraction of the population suffers from Zn malnutrition and many soils contain little plant available Zn. In this study we compared organic and conventional wheat cropping systems with respect to DTPA (diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid)-extractable Zn as a proxy for plant available Zn, yield, and grain Zn concentration. We analyzed soil and wheat grain samples from 30 organic and 30 conventional farms in Madhya Pradesh (central India), and conducted farmer interviews to elucidate sociological and management variables. Total and DTPA-extractable soil Zn concentrations and grain yield (3400 kg ha-1) did not differ between the two farming systems, but with 32 and 28 mg kg-1 respectively, grain Zn concentrations were higher on organic than conventional farms (t = -2.2, p = 0.03). Furthermore, multiple linear regression analyses revealed that (a) total soil zinc and sulfur concentrations were the best predictors of DTPA-extractable soil Zn, (b) Olsen phosphate taken as a proxy for available soil phosphorus, exchangeable soil potassium, harvest date, training of farmers in nutrient management, and soil silt content were the best predictors of yield, and (c) yield, Olsen phosphate, grain nitrogen, farmyard manure availability, and the type of cropping system were the best predictors of grain Zn concentration. Results suggested that organic wheat contained more Zn despite same yield level due to higher nutrient efficiency. Higher nutrient efficiency was also seen in organic wheat for P, N and S. The study thus suggests that appropriate farm management can lead to competitive yield and improved Zn concentration in wheat grains on organic farms

Participatory Technology Development (PTD) Trials in India

Background: bioRe Association is working with (about 5000) organic farmers, to solve their major practical farming problems. PTD-approach offers a great opportunity to work with the organic farmers to find solutions to their problems like in nutrient and pest management

Technical efficiencies and yield variability are comparable across organic and conventional farms

Cotton is essentially a smallholder crop across tropical countries. Being a major cash crop, it plays a decisive role in the livelihoods of cotton-producing farmers. Both conventional and organic production systems offer alternative yet interesting propositions to cotton farmers. This study was conducted in Nimar valley, a prominent cotton-producing region of central India, with the aim of categorically evaluating the contribution of management and fixed factors to productivity on conventional and organic cotton farms. A study framework was developed considering the fixed factors, which cannot be altered within reasonable limits of time, capacity and resources, e.g., landholding or years of age and/or practice; and management factors, which can be altered/influenced within a reasonable time by training, practice and implementation. Using this framework, a structured survey of conventional and organic farms operating under comparable circumstances was conducted. Landholding and soil types were significant contributors/predictors of yield on organic farms. In contrast, landholding was not the main factor related to yields on conventional farms, which produced the highest yields when led by farmers with more than five years of formal education and living in a joint family. Nitrogen application, the source of irrigation (related to timely and adequate supply), crop rotation and variables related to adequate plant population (seed source, germination rate and plant thinning) were the main management factors limiting cotton yields among conventional and organic farms. Both organic and conventional farms in the Nimar valley exhibited a similar pattern of variation in cotton yields and technical efficiency. This study highlights the enormous scope for improving cotton productivity in the region by improving technical efficiency, strengthening extension services and making appropriate policy interventions

Influence of the Fast Spread of Bt Cotton on Organic Cotton Production: Examples from India and Burkina Faso

COTTON is grown in more than 120 countries by over 20 million cotton producers on 35 million ha in 2012 (Truscott, 2010, www.fas.usda.gov). In 2011, around 27 million tons of cotton were produced, mostly by smallholder producers in 'developing' countries which cultivate cotton as a cash crop on their own land averaging under 2 ha in size, or as contracted workers for bigger land owners. Cotton is usually grown as a monoculture. In industrialised countries, the level of mechanisation is high, thus cotton production does not provide a lot of work in rural communities. In contrast, in developing countries, the cultivation and harvest is mostly done by hand labour and thus provides a lot of work for the rural population. Cotton, particularly as a monoculture, uses significant amounts of pesticides, fertilisers, fossil fuels and water (Truscott, 2010). There are four commercially exploited cotton species: Gossypium hirsutum and G. barbadense, the 'New World Species', and G. arboreum and G. herbaceum, the Old World Species. Though Old World cottons are still grown in some areas of Africa and Asia, they have been almost totally replaced by New World cottons. Most dominant today are G. hirsutum cultivars, which are spread across 45 countries. About 90% of the annual global cotton harvest is derived from G. hirsutum. One negative outcome of the wide cultivation of G. hirsutum cultivars is the increased pest attacks, particularly by the American bollworm. Hence, cotton cultivation had a very bad reputation as the single largest user of pesticides in the world (Truscott, 2010). In the mid-1990s, conventional cotton production posed a serious threat to the environment, farmers' health and the economy. At one stage cotton accounted for the use of 15% of the world's pesticides and 25% of the world's insecticides.This resulted in two major responses. One response was the development of genetically modified (GM) insect-resistant cotton cultivars, which were rapidly adopted by many countries since its first commercial introduction in 1996. Approximately 82% of the world's cotton-growing area was grown under genetically modified cotton in 2011 (www.isaaa.org2). The other response was the adoption of organic methods of cotton production by farmers who believed that holistic, earth-friendly responses, optimised crop rotation and organic fertiliser could reverse the trend of the soaring use of chemical pesticides. The rapid spread of GM seeds in cotton has resulted in problems for the organic cotton sector, a few of which can be briefly examined, taking India and Burkina Faso as examples (Truscott, 2010)

Partial Acidulation of Rock Phosphate for Increased Productivity in Organic and Smallholder Farming

There is a need to investigate and identify locally available organic substrates with acidifying potential, which can be used as an additive in rock phosphate (RP)-organic material composting mixtures. This paper reviews attempts to increase P availability in the context of smallholder, low-input and organic farming, and presents a case study from Central India that used a participatory approach to address P deficiency issues in cotton-based organic systems. Study was conducted from 2010 to 2014 through 61 on-farm trials and investigated the agronomic effectiveness of buttermilk-acidulated RP compost. The application of buttermilk-acidulated RP manure resulted in higher yields of cotton in all field trials and higher yields of soybean in all but one field trials. While on majority of the farms (18 out of 28), wheat yields increased with the application of buttermilk-acidulated RP compost, a quarter of the field trials (7 out of 28) exhibited yields lower than farmers’ practices. The study showed that it was possible to develop a locally adoptable solution to an agronomic constraint using locally available resources including the indigenous knowhow. Buttermilk proved to be an effective acidulating agent that can be added to RP-amended compost.ISSN:2071-105

Improving the efficiency of rock phosphate on high pH soils: Results from participatory research in India

High soil pH levels may limit the availability of phosphorous (P) to crops. In organic farming, the use of synthetic P fertilizers is not allowed. Application of rock phosphate (RP) to crops is one of the alternatives for organic production. However, RP application shows little effect on high pH soils, because the P is not transformed into plant-available forms under alkaline soil conditions. Aiming at the development of locally adapted solutions, we followed a Participatory Technology Development approach, making use of the local knowledge to identify current practices and associated problems by conducting focus group discussions with organic farmers. Farmers stated that they are facing challenges with a P limitation in their cotton-based production systems. In 2011-12, on-station trials with maize, green gram and wheat investigated the potential of several locally available materials to solubilize RP (phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (PSB), tamarind fruits, local vinegar from mahua trees (Madhuca longifolia), butter milk (BM), incubating RP into compost). The results of these trials showed that the two most promising options for solubilizing RP were BM and Mahua Vinegar (MV). Further on-station trials in 2012-13 investigated the effects of BM and MV more closely, focusing on incubation periods and ratios of RP:acidifying liquids. Another study looked at technologies for improved farm yard manure (FYM) management. Results suggested that acidulating RP with BM for a period of one week in a ratio BM:RP = 10:1 leads to a good solubilization of RP. Furthermore, the so-called “shaded shallow-pit system”, which was favored by local farmers, best conserved the quality of FYM as a fertilizer. Subsequently, the information of the two studies was combined, and the production of RP-enriched FYM (RP-FYM) by five local lead farmers was initiated in 2012. The RP-FYM produced was distributed to associated farmers (4 per lead farmer) to set up several on-farm trials with cotton and soybean in 2013-14. Results showed an increase of soybean grain and seed cotton yields in the RP-FYM treatment of 40% (1’548 kg ha-1 to 2’163 kg ha-1) and 41% (1’170 kg ha-1 to 1’646 kg ha-1), respectively, as compared to farmers’ practices across a range of farms and soils. To further elaborate on the limiting factors in the production systems, future research will explore the specific effects of P as a part of the RP-FYM fertilizer complex. Potential improvements to the RP-FYM technology such as its combination with wood ash and/or PSB will also be explored. Furthermore, the socioeconomic sustainability of the technology needs to be addressed more thoroughly in order to elucidate potential constraints for adoption