Weed Control in Organic Farming

The trend of organic farming is increasing to reduce the rising cost of cultivation and declining fertility of the soil. In organic farming, various materials such as cow dung, cow urine, neem cake, compost manure, ash-based manure, vermicompost, etc., are used as fertilizers to obtain good crops. Not only this, various weeds can also be destroyed through organic methods without using harmful chemicals. In this blog, we will explore various information about controlling pests through organic methods.

Benefits of Controlling Weeds through Organic Methods

• Environment-friendly: Controlling weeds through organic methods does not destroy the microorganisms present in the soil. Along with this, abandoning harmful chemicals removes any adverse effect on the crops and soil of the field.
• Reduction in Costs: The cost of cultivation is reduced when farmers use organic methods to destroy weeds and pests rather than pesticides and weedicides.
• Yield and Quality: The yield and quality of crops are better as they are with fewer chemicals and traditional methods.
• Safe Food: The organic weed control method is safe for both crops and farmers. This leads to no harmful residue of chemicals in crops or soil.
• Fertility of Soil: Minimized usage of harmful chemicals increases the fertility of the soil and reduces adverse effects that may arise from chemical inputs.

Methods to Control Weeds through Organic Methods

Deep Plowing

• For optimal field preparation before sowing, consider deep plowing to effectively eliminate existing weeds.
• Additionally, you have the option to plow and mix the weeds into the soil as green manure. This dual approach not only eradicates weeds but also enriches the soil with essential nutrients, fostering healthier crop growth.

Distance Between Crops

• Take special care of distance while sowing seeds or transplanting plants.
• If the distance is more than required, weeds get space to grow.

Weeding

• Weeding is a major technique that can be helpful in controlling weeds.
• After sowing, the first weeding can be done after 20 to 25 days.
• Subsequently, this process can be repeated as per requirement.
• Weeding ensures that the crop is well nourished and helps in reducing weeds.

Mulching

• Mulching is an effective method to control weeds in the field.
• Covering the land of plants in the field properly from all sides with plastic cover, straws or leaves, etc. is called mulching.
• Due to this, weeds do not germinate or grow. With this technique, the crop can be protected from weeds for a long time.

Tool-based Methods

• Many types of agricultural tools like Khurpi, Paddy Weeder, Cono Weeder, etc. are available in the market.
• Their use proves to be very beneficial for controlling weeds. This saves both time and labor.

Crop Rotation

• Adopt crop rotation cultivation to control weeds.
• Planting different crops according to season in the field can disrupt the life cycle of weeds.
• This reduces the problem of weeds substantially.

Cultivation of Cover Crops

• Cover crops are planted to cover the soil between cash crops.
• Cultivation of cover crops proves to be effective to a great extent in preventing weeds from growing.

What do you do to get rid of the weeds in organic farming? Let us know your answers and experiences through comments. For more such information follow the 'Desi Jugaad' channel now. Also, don't forget to like and share this post.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How to control weeds in organic farming?

A: In organic farming, herbicides containing harmful chemicals are not used in the market for weed control. Weeding can be done by hand to control weeds. But it requires more time and labor. Weeds can also be prevented from growing by the mulching method. Apart from this, adopting crop rotation or cultivation of cover crops also proves effective in controlling weeds.

Q: How are weeds controlled?

A: There are several ways to control weeds, including weeding, mulching, and chemical inputs. Apart from this, many types of agricultural tools are also available with which you can control weeds.

Q: Why is weed control needed?

A: Weeds absorb nutrients from the soil, depriving crops of essential nourishment. Additionally, weeds often harbor insects and fungi that can proliferate and subsequently damage the primary crop. This dual threat not only minimizes crop yield but also compromises its quality. Thus, effective weed control is essential to safeguard crop productivity and quality.