Source: Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Objectives
- To study productivity, profitability, sustainability, quality, and input-use-efficiencies of different crops and cropping systems under organic farming in different agro-ecological regions.
- To develop efficient crop and soil management options for organic farming.
- To develop need-based cost-effective new techniques for farm-waste recycling.
The genesis of the NPOF
- In order to develop a comprehensive technological package of organic farming for different crops in system mode at various locations of the country, a Network Project on Organic Farming (NPOF) was initiated during 2004-05 by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi with Project Directorate for Farming Systems Research (PDFSR) as nodal institute.
- Four experiments were planned and conducted at 13 centers to address, all issues such as
- Comparison of organic
- Inorganic and integrated nutrient management practices
- Method and source of nutrient application
- Management of pest
- Diseases and weeds in various crops/ cropping systems.
- The mandate of the project is to infuse scientifically validated organic farming approaches and to develop location/ region-specific management protocols for organic farming.
- In the 12th plan, the Directorate was renamed as ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research.
