About this Book

Organic farming is a growing a vibrant sector of agriculture in the United States and across the world. The Unites States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines organic agriculture as “a production system that is managed to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity.” Organic Crop Production: Management Techniques for Organic Farming provides an in-depth review of the practices used in growing organic crops. This book represents a current look at what we know about organic farming practices and systems, primarily from the United States perspective. Organic Crop Production is meant to be an easy-to-use guide that describes all aspects of organic crop production written in a nontechnical format designed to be practical and wellsuited for field application. The practices discussed are applicable to both small- and largescale organic crop production. The book is thoughtfully organized presenting a seamless flow of topics within chapters making it easy to find specific information that interests the reader. The text includes many photographs and tables to facilitate the comprehension of the material and van be used for quick reference. References are presented at the end of each chapter to acknowledge the sources in preparing the text and to suggest sources for further information on topics discussed. The text begins in with Chapters 1, which gives a brief overview of the history and philosophy of organic agriculture. Chapters 2 and 3 features a comprehensive discussion of the organic certification process, which allows a farm to sell, label, and represent their products as organic as well as what practices and substances are allowed and required; what is not regulated by the organic standards. Chapters 4 through 10 focus on soil fertility and crop nutrients that are managed through tillage and cultivation practices, cover crops, crop rotations, intercropping, and supplemented with manure and compost, and other allowed substances. Finally, managing pests (e.g., insects, diseases, and weeds) on an organic farm with an integrated pest management (IPM) system that relies on high level prevention, avoidance, monitoring, and suppression techniques that are based on an understanding of pest ecology are discussed in Chapters 11 through 14.