What is farming?
Farming is an activity that involves the use of land for cultivation of crops, raising of animals. In other words it is the activity or business of growing crops and raising live stock.

TYPES OF FARMING SYSTEM
 Subsistence farming system
 Conventional farming system
 Alternative farming system
Organic farming system
Permaculture
Natural farming
Bio- dynamic farming system
 Specialized farming system
 Integrated farming system
 Contract farming system

Conventional farming
 conventional farming is also known as industrial agriculture
 farming system which includes the use of
- Synthetic chemical fertilizers
- Pesticides
- Herbicides
- GMO’
- Monoculture production

Organic farming
 Organic farming is a system which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetic inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, feed additives etc
 Rely upon-
- crop rotations
- crop residues,
- animal manures,
- off-farm organic wastes
 It is based on the understanding of a healthy relation between different biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem

Biodynamic farming
 Dr. Rudolph Steiner, an Austrian philosopher , social reformer , architect , and esotericist developed Biodynamic agriculture in 1924
 Biodynamic derived from two Greek words: Bio –life and Dynamos –Energy. Thus it refers to working with the energies which create and maintain life.
 USES 5 SOURCES OF ENERGY
Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Cosmos
SALIENT FEATURES
 It is holistic understanding of agricultural farming that treats soil fertility , plant growth and livestock care as ecologically interrelated task
 It emphasizes the use of composts and input made from various herbal , mineral and manure raw materials excluding the use of artificial chemicals on soil and plants
 Emphasizes on integrating farm animals ,the use of astronomical sowing and plant calender
 It is one of the first sustainable agricultural movement ; produces a living soil and healthy plants as a result of coordinated work of earthly and cosmic energies

Concept of biodynamic farming
Biodynamic relies on following three concepts……
1. Two field sprays– these are called BD 500 which is made from horn manure and BD 501 made from horn silica

BD500-HORN MANURE
 Made with filling cow horn with cow dung
 Buried in the soil during cooler months (oct-nov)
 The preparation after 4 months changed to dark humus
 Sprayed four times a year
BD-502-YARROW FLOWERS

 BD 502 prepared by using YARROW PLANT FLOWERS
 The yarrow flowers are cut from the plants in summer or autumn
 In spring season , the yarrow flowers are dried and place into a stags bladder . Hang the bladder in a tree facing the sun.
 The bladder is taken down and buried in the soil within an earthen pot


2. Five compost preparation– these preparations are mixtures of herbs that are added to compost
3. A moon planting calender—

PRINCIPLES OF BIODYNAMIC Farming
There are 5 principles:
1. Plant diversity
2. Farm unit
3. Homeopathic spray
4. Life forces
5. Animal life

HOMEOPATHIC SPRAY
• Homeopathic solutions are extracted from animal manure, plants and minerals. These extracts are sprayed to treat soil.

LIFE FORCES
The dynamic part of the biodynamic agriculture method draws attention towards the fact that various forces beyond the earth have an effect on plant growth.

LUNAR ORGANICS
NEW AND FULL MOON INFLUENCES
• In the 48 hours leading upto to the full moon there appears a distinct increase in the moisture content of the earth . The growth forces of the plants seems to be enhanced .
• During full moon period there is quick seed germination , fast plant growth and a rapid regrowth of any cut or pruned vegetation.
ASCENDING AND DESCENDING PERIOD OF MOON
 In ascending period , size of moon increase and earth breathes out. This period meant for growth activity of ever ground part. During this sap flow in plant is more which strengthens the plant parts.
 In descending period , size of moon decreases and earth breathes in . During this , underground parts are activated more .

Difference between biodynamic and organic farming



ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING
• The word budget means credit and the phrase zero budget means without spending any credit on purchased input.
• ZBNF or holistic agriculture is a method of agriculture that counters the commercial expenditure and things required for growth of plant are present around the root zone
• Padamshri Subash Palekar studied natural system and verified natural processes of the forest on his farm for six year since 1989-1995
• After six years of verified research project he got the package of technique ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING

Principles of ZBNF
Controversy related to ZBNF

 ZBNF is hardly zero budget as farmer has to invest in cow , preparation of bio inputs and labour too .
 Second there are no independent studies to validate the claims that ZBNF plots have a higher yields than non ZBNF.