Organic Vegetable Farming; A Valuable Way to Ensure Sustainability and Profitability

1. Introduction

The world population has been steadily increasing since the end of the Black Death in 1350, when it was estimated to be over 370 million people [1]. Between 1955 and 1975, the world’s population grew at its fastest pace of over 1.8% per year, peaking at 2.1% between 1965 and 1970. By 2050, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs predicts a population of 9 to 10 billion people, with an 80% confidence interval of 10 to 12 billion by the end of the century [2]. Other demographers anticipate that in the second half of the twenty-first century, the world’s population will begin to fall [3]. As of 2012, a typical estimate for the world’s sustainable population was 8 billion people. With a global population of 7.8 billion people as of March 2020 and normal population growth predictions, Earth will be overpopulated by 2050 or sooner. So for a higher population, the scientist needs to produce more yields for people.

By 2050, food consumption is predicted to rise anywhere from 59% to 98%. This will have a profound impact on agricultural markets that we have never seen before. Farmers throughout the world will need to boost crop output, either by expanding the quantity of agricultural area available for crop production or by improving productivity on existing agricultural lands with fertilizer and irrigation, as well as embracing innovative technologies like precision farming. Whereas, some crop productivity factors such as diseases, reduced microbial community, use of pesticides, lower or high pH, salinity, and limited nutrient availability affect crop production [4, 5, 6]. Furthermore, the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and other synthetic products may be useful to produce more food for hungry people while these conventional methods have various consequences. For example, the total rupees used in the acquisition of pesticides are 8,138 million in Pakistan. It was also projected that the import bill of Rs 8.139 billion for 2003 amounted to Rs 19,612 billion [7]. In most cases, green revolution approaches like increased use of artificial agrochemicals such as fertilizers and insecticides, implementation of mineral-responsive, productive crop genotypes, and improved exploitation of irrigation potentials have increased production output. Changes in soil responses, growth of mineral imbalances/shortage, harm to soil vegetation and animals, reduction in the activity of earthworm, decrease in soil humus/organic matter, and altering atmosphere, reduction in soil productivity ventilation, and water holding capacity are all consequences of the improper way out and incessant use of these intense energy inputs [8]. The research found that over-use of chemical fertilizers and their continuous application is very concerned about the health and environmental risks, and farmers are urged to turn their prevailing farms into organic farming in developed countries.

Organic farming is a food-making strategy that emphasizes the relevance of biodiversity, biodiversity of soil, and biological cycles. It is also a technique of production to prevent or to a significant extent remove the use of synthetic fertilizers [9]. Active degradation of organic manures, comprising various agricultural debris and animal waste, might be achieved by the usage of legumes and biological nitrogen fixation. Organic agricultural systems are typically considered to be even more sustainable over conventional and organically-managed farms globally to about 4.4 × 107 ha and are predicted to further expand. Increased sustainable agricultural yield may be achieved by the application of organic matter and improvement of land health through the formation of favorable physical soil characteristics [10]. It focuses on creating natural soil fertility so that plants can absorb the nutrients they need for a consistent benefit inside the soil minerals formed in this manner and extracted in accordance with the needs of plants. Disease and weed management are best achieved through the creation of environmental stability within the system and through the utilization of bio-pesticides and several cultural strategies like crop rotation, integrated planting, and farming. Organic farmers also use entire waste and manure inside the farm, but the exportation of produce from the farm outcomes a constant supply of minerals. The water holding capacity of the soil is improved via organic farming. Organic farm produce is generally of healthier size, taste, and quality. Underground water of the area under organic farming is free of toxic chemicals. Maintains the C:N ratio in the soil and improves the fertility and production efficiency of the soil. Mostly, the sources of organic farming now in days are farmyard manure, composting and biochar that could be used for enhancing the yield, quality, and profitability of various cereal, non-cereal crops as well as vegetables.

Vegetable growing is a key source of funding for farmers in the whole world, including organic agriculture. Overall, vegetable crops make for around 7% of the overall farmland and in developed countries, this figure is generally higher [11]. Vegetables are very adaptive and valuable to farmers in their use of organic sources of nutrients. Organic sources such as vermicompost, biochar and farmyard manure, etc. could be beneficial for vegetable growing. Rekha, [12] found that applied vermicompost enhanced the number of branches and fruits of Capsicum annum (Linn.) Hepper. Vermicomposting has a beneficial influence on crop efficiency [13]. Similarly, a high yield could be obtained of brinjal a crop cultivated with vermicompost, and a significant increase in production in the instance of sweet pepper [14]. Yadav and Vijayakumari [15], reported quality enhancement of various vegetables after the addition of organic sources.