Organic vegetables

[Mustansir Billah]

dear Mustansir
You mentioned civilised agriculture.I do not understand.Isnt organic farming more civilised?

I mean civilized farming is essential to fulfill the needs of growing population of the world In addition to, civilized farming has nothing to do with organic and inorganic ways of agriculture.

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

Good going, I am enjoying it

[isaeed]

agriculture yields have increased due to better pest control.nutrient management,water management ,genetic engineering.mechanisation,agricultural practices etc. If under nutrient management farmers would have used organic fertilizers only and no inorganic fertilizers how would it have impacted on the yield other factors mentioned above remaining the same?Substantially, moderately or insignificantly.I hope this is not a naive question even if so would appreciate an answer
irfan saeed

[M Farooq]

If under nutrient management farmers would have used organic fertilizers only and no inorganic fertilizers how would it have impacted on the yield other factors mentioned above remaining the same?Substantially, moderately or insignificantly.I hope this is not a naive question even if so would appreciate an answer
irfan saeed

How many times have we heard of famines (God forbid in Pakistan) or elsewhere in the technologically developed world? Famines were common things. Thanks to synthetic fertilizers we don't have famines anymore. The processes uses nitrogen from the air (dirt cheap) and makes readily available plant food. Urea is also made from nitrogen and carbon dioxide (dirt cheap material) in the air and it is an organic chemical found abundantly in urine.

The organic farming simply cannot cope with the large volumes of food required in the modern world. In organic farming you have to rely on the bacteria to do the job. It is slow. It is simply not efficient on the massive scale. Moreover, these days eating organic food is a sign of elite class - as I said only the rich can afford to buy normal food at twice the ordinary price wrapped beautifully in synthetic plastics made from chemicals :-)

It would be great favour on humanity if someone makes natural pesticides in a economical way. Then there would be no need to prefer organic vs. non-organic food.

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

I am also an agriculturist, for the benefit of city dwellers, the life style in our rural areas has completely changed.
Gone are the days when agriculture was based on cattle/man power. A typical family had two to ...Oxen depending upon their land holding for ploughing, a few milk animals, goats and sheep. Their dung was enough for fertilising the fields, Mechanisation has taken over the cattle/man power. Now there are NO CATTLE,NO DUNG, NO MANURE and there goes your organic farming.
Arif

[isaeed]

Perhaps that is one of the reasons why organic veggies cost more.However could you inform how much effect ,if any ,inorganic fertiliser have on the yields compared to organic ferts..?
Thanks

[M Farooq]

I am also an agriculturist, for the benefit of city dwellers, the life style in our rural areas has completely changed.
Gone are the days when agriculture was based on cattle/man power. A typical family had two to ...Oxen depending upon their land holding for ploughing, a few milk animals, goats and sheep. Their dung was enough for fertilising the fields, Mechanisation has taken over the cattle/man power. Now there are NO CATTLE,NO DUNG, NO MANURE and there goes your organic farming.
Arif

What was used to control pests in those times? I mean what natural ways did the early agriculturists use to control unwanted guests on the plants?

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

Saeed, an everage farmer is still very,very much ignorant about the use of available fertilisers qualitatively as well as quantitatively, we are also miser or can not afford the required quantities. The yields have certainly increased due to multiple factors including fertilisers.
Farooq nothing much in this regards (one of the factors for low yield).

[isaeed]

Quick perusal of Research in Pakistan posted on the internet suggests that inorganic fertilizers results in 30- 40% increase in yield (of maize) as compared to that with organic ferts only.however a feed comprising organic and inorganic fertilizers integrated in an optimised ratio is the best and invariably gave best results not only in terms of yield but other plant parameters as well
Irfan saeed

[M Farooq]

Quick perusal of Research in Pakistan posted on the internet suggests that inorganic fertilizers results in 30- 40% increase in yield (of maize) as compared to that with organic ferts only.however a feed comprising organic and inorganic fertilizers integrated in an optimised ratio is the best and invariably gave best results not only in terms of yield but other plant parameters as well
Irfan saeed

If organic fertilizer is like ordinary food, then a synthetic fertilizer is a multivitamin tablet with glucose. You are right, gardeners like us should have a combination of both organic manure (our ordinary khaad) plus some seasoning of synthetic fertilizers :-). I think most of us do that.