Bio-Sustainability Flashcards
Sustainability, Bio-sustainability
social goal about the ability of people to co-exist
on Earth over a long time.
consists of fulfilling the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of future generations,
ensuring a balance btw economic growth, environmental care
and social well-being.
Bio-sustainability: The quality of being bio-sustainable
FAO - The production, use and conservation of biological resources,
With related knowledge, science, technology, and innovation to
provide information, products, processes and services to all
economic sectors with the aim of moving towards a sustainable
economy.
Organic farming
method of crop and livestock
production that involves choosing not to use pesticides,
fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics and
growth hormones
Holistic system designed to optimize the productivity and
fitness of diverse communities within the agro-ecosystem,
including soil organisms, plants and livestock
International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements (IFOAM), an international organization made in 1972 for organic farming organizations defines the goal of
organic farming as:
“Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the
health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological
processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions,
rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic
agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit
the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a
good quality of life for all involved”
principles of organic farming and who invented it, key highlight
Protect the environment: minimize soil deg. ,erosion, decrease pollution, optimize biological productivity
- Maintain long-term soil fertility by optimizing conditions for
biological activity within the soil - Recycle materials and resources to the greatest extent possible
- Prepare organic products, by careful processing,
and handling methods in order to maintain the organic integrity and vital qualities of the products - Rely on renewable resources in locally organized agricultural
systems
Albert Howard ,Gabrielle Howard(1921),botanists, founded Institute of Plant Industry to improve traditional farming methods in India.
methods: Crop rotation,
Green manures and compost, Biological pest control, Nitrogen fixing organisms, Natural insect predators
key highlights
in 2015 central government
Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCD) and Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
* to assist farmers to
adopt organic farming and improve incentives due to
high prices.
*The Agri-export Policy 2018 also aims to help India emerge as
a major player in global organic markets.
poly culture and some examples
The science of Agroecology has revealed the benefits
of polyculture (multiple crops in the same space), which is
often employed in organic farming.
variety of vegetable crops supports a wider
range of beneficial insects, soil microorganisms, and other
factors that add up to overall farm health.
Biological process, driven by microorganisms: mycorrhiza, earthworms allows the natural
production of nutrients in the soil throughout
* Organic farmers use a number of traditional farm tools to minimize reliance on fossil fuels
In India, in 2016, Sikkim achieved its goal of converting to
100% organic farming.
Andhra Pradesh is promoting organic farming, especially
Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) which is a form of
regenerative agriculture
As of 2018, India has the largest number of organic farmers
in the world and constitutes to more than 30% of the
organic farmers globally
Organic farming Advantages and demerits
*Farmers can reduce their cost of production as no need for expensive chemicals and fertilizers.
*Pesticides are not used, hence healthier food & no residues
*Organic farms save energy and protect the environment in the
long term.
*Organic farming can slow down global warming.
*Protect Biodiversity (Natural habitat for animals & plants)
*Pollution of groundwater can be reduced.
*Soil is built with natural fertilizers in order to grow crops.
*Soil quality conservation is done due to crop rotation.
*Organic farming creates new living areas for wasps, bugs,beetles and flies by giving them water and food.
-No agrochemicals, No GMOS, Organic fertilizers
- lower water consumption, increased soil organic matter, improved soil water holding
-Reduced soil loss, crop rotation,
- large Floral, faunal, and microbiological biodiversity
- Reducing the use of non-renewable resources
-Tasty and Healthy food, high demand more nutrition, money thru exports
more labour intensive, thus more jobs
Inexpensive process but buyers sell at high profits
Indias major Export and certification of Organic products
flax seeds, sesame,
soybean, tea, medicinal plants, rice and pulses
increase of nearly 50 %
in organic exports in 2018-19, touching Rs 5151 Crore.
The centre is to strengthen the organic e-commerce www.jaivikkheti.in to directly link
farmers with retail as well as bulk buyers. has been one of the
major takeaways during the pandemic period.
Certification of organic product
two central programmes PKVY and MOVCD promote
certification under Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) and
National Program for Organic Production (NPOP)
targeting domestic and export markets.
The Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017
are also based on the PGS and NPOP standards
Jaivik Bharat / PGS Organic logos
look out for the logos of FSSAI
PGS Green
certification is given to chemical-free produce under transition to
‘organic’ which takes 3 years
PGS organic: Farmers which have completed full conversion period without any major or serious non-compliance in case mixed if 95% ingredients is PGS-Organic it can have this label
btw 95-70 it may be labeled as PGS-organic ingredients in this case PGS logo cant be used
types and techniques of Organic farming
and Smart Farming with internet of things
and applications of Smart Farming
Permaculture, Ranching, Hydroponics, Dryland farming
several damaging effects
of our ways in growing crops to the environment including the
flora and fauna.
*To restore the damages, people nowadays develop smart farming with IoT.
to bring more benefits also like higher profit, efficient planting process, premium
harvest and others.
Smart Farming
enhanced objects with technology in processing, sensors,
and more that can send and receiving data to
other networks.
examples of IoT in daily
activities like home automation to save energy,
traffic control, NFC tag, etc.
IoT in Smart Farming:
integration between technology and farmers’
skills is for the best quality and quantity of the commodity
some jobs are taken
by technology including sensors, drones, (AI), robotics to optimize the
process and to ease the farmers.
APPLICATOINS OF SMART FARMING:
smart farming with IoT is set up to overcome certain problems or to reach some goals
After setting up the technology, a regular check is
needed to see the technology performance and the
result.
Smart Mapping tech
Field Mapping or data collection:
Sensors to measure humidity,
temperature, light intensity, wind,
water/rainfall, soil composition
Predictive analysis:
Based on data required from field mapping,
several types of analytic software can predict and suggest the needed actions. some equipped with alert systems of discrepancies or pest attacks.
Data Saving
Using cloud-based, the obtained data are uploaded as a record for future decision making. also shareable for wider
area analytics.
Tracking and monitoring:
might require cameras, drones, tags, and GPS. Drones and cameras provide a visual of the field. Then, tags and GPS supply precise coordinate location of livestock.
Saving energy:
using automation, a system could be built to cut down energy consumption.
Smart irrigation;
could automatically turn the machine off when a sufficient amount of water
in the soil is reached. Drone-spraying only on the necessary spots could
prevent polluting the land.
Labour work: drones, and
robotics are can do labour work such as planting
seeds, watering the plant, harvesting, spraying the
pesticides, milking the cows, picking fruits, irrigating, and more.
Warehousing: In tropical areas like India, farmers utilizing solar-powered refrigerators to store the fruits, veggies right on the farm. Since greens and
fruits are prone to get withered, storing them in fridges directly is a smart way to provide fresh commodities.
Merits of Smart Farming and limitations
Improved products:
high-quality control and experiments, many farming ‘companies’ produce vegetables with a
certain taste that is different from others.
The greens mostly are categorized as organic and
pesticide free.
Precise data:
Assisted with tools, predictions or actions can be made of accurate data. crops rotation is easier to decide. The data can be saved and used as a reference in the
future.
Environmental friendly:
As farmers minimize pesticide use, irrigate water sufficiently, less waste, current farming damages are healing. in the future farmers could build a farm with varied commodities without
removing the endemic flora and fauna.
*Efficient management and cost-effective:
As many labor works are done by the technology, the management costs can be reduced or allocated to maintain the technology. The farmers could also be away, but keep controlling the farm from far away.
Merits
*technology brings positive impacts to farm management.
*As the products increase, more profit could be generated.
*Smart farming also helps farmers to distribute their
commodities to the most rewarding markets or buyers.
*Some software connects the farmers to connect with the nearest potential buyers.
Despite the gained earnings, farmers
should be aware also of the maintenance and installation costs.
*Hence, profit is relative and may differ for each farmer
LIMITATIONS
Without any regular care, technology is prone to get broken, could be a big loss
the maintenance cost is not cheap with updates and further research
Entrepreneurial opportunities of smart farming
start by identifying the goals and
what aspect you are focusing on.
prepare the money and choose the suitable technology, if finances dont support it you can try to collaborate with
researchers.
extensive research in this area leads to get the best crops.
Another way to find potential investors to expand the technology
To filed level.
After the technology is already set, maintaining smart farming is not at intervals.
More research regarding the actions to be taken and possible future technology must be carried.
many countries
like India, Japan,
Canada, Columbia,
Mexico, Brazil, Chile,
and Argentina are doing smart farming.
Vermi Composting and what process is it and earth worm species IMP ISA-2
composting in which certain species of earthworms are used to enhance the process of
organic waste conversion and produce => better
end-product
=>
mesophilic process utilizing microorganisms and earthworms
Vermicompost:
- the product of the decomposition process
- the cultivating of worms for this =>Vermiculture
- uses the mixture of
decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding
materials etc
-turns kitchen scraps and other green waste into a rich, dark soil, smells like earth
-rich in nutrients which are water soluble and loaded with microorganisms that create and maintain healthy soil. and a and soil conditioner in a form
that is relatively easy for plants to absorb.
- provides a way to treat organic wastes more quickly
WORMS USED:
- red wigglers (Eisenia fetida),
- European night crawlers (Eisenia hortensis)
red earthworm (Lumbricus rubellus)
Red wigglers are recommended
,they have the best appetites and breed
very quickly
Worm castings are sometimes used as an organic fertilizer. the earthworms grind and uniformly mix minerals
in simple forms, plants need only minimal effort to obtain them
Vermi Compost at Home, and benefits to soil
kitchen scraps, worms, a
container, and bedding are required.
worms are quite sensitive to both light and noise, a
dark corner works best
Earthworms thrive at temperatures about 13°-25°C
worms needs a PH of 6.4
Bedding should be about 75 percent water and can be made out of strips of newspaper, grocery bags, egg cartons, composted manure, old leaves, coconut coir, or a mixture of any of these substances.
*The material must be clean and non-toxic.
benefits to soil
Improves soil aeration
* Enriches soil with microorganisms (adding enzymes)
* Microbial activity in worm castings is 10 to 20 times higher than in the soils as their gut conditions are favourable for the multiplication of bacteria
and the suppression of fungi.
* Improves water holding capacity and increase soil fertility.
Benefits in plant growth
* Enhances germination, plant growth, and crop yield
* Improves root growth and structure
* Enriches soil with microorganisms (adding plant hormones such as auxins and gibberellic acid)
Benefits for environment
*Bio-wastes conversion reduces waste to landfills
*Elimination of bio-wastes reduces contamination of other recyclables collected in a single bin
* reduces greenhouse gas emissions such
as CH4 and nitric oxide
Uses
*Soil conditioner: Vermicompost can be mixed directly into the
soil, or mixed with water to make a liquid fertilizer known as worm tea.
The implementation of cutting-edge practices
provides tools and techniques to drive climate-smart agriculture,
reduce carbon emissions, and lower the carbon footprint
Hydroponics
Greek words,
“hydro” meaning water and “ponos” meaning labour
concept of soil less gardening or hydroponics has been
around for thousands of years
ex: hanging Gardens of Babylon and The Floating Gardens of China
started experimenting with soil less gardening
around 1950
growth rate on a hydroponic plant is 30-50 percent faster than a soil plant, grown under the same conditions, and the yield is greater also
extra oxygen in hydroponic growing medium helps to
stimulate root growth
nutrients in a hydroponic system are mixed with the
water and sent directly to the root system. The plant doesnt have to search in the soil for the nutrients that it requires. nutrients are being delivered to the plant several times per day
hydroponic plant requires very little energy to find and break down food.
Plant then uses this saved energy to grow faster and to produce more fruit.
also have fewer problems with bug infestations, funguses and disease
uses considerably less water than soil because of the constant reuse the nutrient solutions
can be fertilized with organic or chemical nutrients
Most plants can grow within a pH range of
5.8 to 6.8, 6.3 is optimal
pH in a hydroponic
system is much easier to check than the pH of soil.
since it doesnt use no topsoil, topsoil
erosion isn’t even an issue
growing mediums
A fast draining medium, such as Hydrocorn
* Hydrocorn is a light expanded clay aggregate
* It is a light, airy type of growing medium that allows plenty of oxygen to penetrate the plant’s root system
Rockwool has become an extremely
* Rockwool was originally used in construction as insulation.There is now a horticultural grade of Rockwool.
* Since Rockwool holds 10-14 times as much water as soil and retains 20 percent air it is used
other mediums used are perlite,vermiculite and different grades of sand
three mediums are stable and rarely effect the pH of
the nutrient solution
though they tend to hold too much moisture and should be used with plants that are tolerant to these conditions
characteristics of Hydroponic Systems
characterized as active or passive,recovery or
non-recovery
ACTIVE:
actively moves the nutrient solution, usually using a pump
PASSIVE:
rely on the capillary action of the growing medium or a wick and passed along to the roots by absorption
usually too wet and do not supply enough oxygen to the root system for optimum growth rates
RECOVERY:
or recirculating systems reuse the nutrient solution
NON RECOVERY
nutrient solution is applied to the growing medium and not recovered
examples:
The Wick System- passive non-recovery type hydroponic
system
* The Ebb and Flow System- active recovery type system
* Nutrient Film Technique- active recovery type hydroponic
system
* Continuous Drip- active recovery or non-recovery type
system
