As consumers want for more natural products produced with fewer chemicals, the cultivation of organic crops has grown in popularity throughout time. Organic management practices may start to gain even more traction among farmers as a result of rising pesticide and fertilizer costs and possible shortages.
In organic farming, farmers don’t use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers and produce their crops on ground that hasn’t had any banned compounds put to it for at least 36 months. A planter must comprehend the guidelines and requirements to produce crops that adhere to the National Organic Program’s (NOP) criteria in order to be recognized as USDA Organic. Growers can use the USDA Organic label provided they receive certification from a certifying agent. If a crop needs to undergo further processing before being turned into a finished good, that processing must use authorized materials in the manufacturing process to be considered organic as well.
The certification process might not be for everyone. Costs associated with certification include annual inspections required to preserve organic status. Additionally, managing a crop organically is more expensive than growing it conventionally, and yields in organic systems have traditionally been lower. Greater expenses for organic seeds or plants, certification, labor, machinery, and fuel account for the higher cost of organic production.
Instead, some farmers choose a hybrid system that combines conventional and organic management techniques. Many hemp producers currently adhere to management procedures that are consistent with organic farming procedures because there are few pesticides available (the majority of which are allowed for use in organic agriculture). Hemp is undoubtedly a viable choice for converting land to organic farming.
Producers who are ready to go through the certification procedure to become fully organic will still receive a value-added bonus. Crops farmed organically yield higher gross returns to farmers than crops grown conventionally.
The grower can begin by implementing the following field management strategies this season, whether they intend to apply for organic certification or merely integrate specific methods.
Crop Picking
Organic farming focuses on maintaining good soil and preventing issues before they arise. Agricultural rotation, cover crops, minimal soil disturbance, and integrated pest management are some of the concepts of organic crop management. (Conventional farmers are adopting these ideas more frequently.)
All farmers should rotate their crops, but organic farming requires it more than conventional farming because there are fewer pesticides available. These crops help the field they are cultivated in while also preventing soil erosion. When they are not planting cash crops, farmers utilize cover crops.
Hemp growers should create a rotation strategy for their fields rather than cultivating hemp continuously on the same location. It may be possible to stop epidemics by rotating hemp with crops that disrupt the cycles of disease and insect pests. A reduced risk of crop loss in following years results from breaking the insect cycle. Although the ideal crop rotation for hemp has not yet been found, the crop that comes before and follows hemp shouldn’t have the same illnesses and pests. The operator should have the tools, equipment, and capacity to sell each crop in the rotation, and the rotation should also be in line with their goals.
The choice of a cover crop will also be influenced by the seed supply, the types of crops that grow well in the region, the frequent diseases and pests that affect cover crops, and the objectives that the farmer may have for the field sites. Some of these objectives can be to stop soil erosion, fix or scavenge nitrogen, control weeds, loosen up compacted soil, and boost soil organic matter. Knowing the requirements of the field site can help you decide which cover crops are best. Several farmers choose to plant several different types of cover crops together because they believe that having a variety of species has many advantages.
Organic Materials
One of the most widespread misconceptions about organic farming is that pesticides cannot be used by farmers. The Organic Materials Review Institute must approve organically derived insecticides for use in organic crop production before they can be used by organic farmers (OMRI). The OMRI seal and organic insecticides must both be naturally sourced. Among these items are viruses, entomopathogenic fungi, plant extracts, minerals, and other naturally occurring items.
The approved list of pesticides permitted for use in hemp is similar to that used by organic farmers, but as more conventional products are licensed for use, this is expected to change in the future years. The best method for managing pests is to employ integrated pest management concepts because utilizing pesticides can be expensive. The same general principles apply to both conventional integrated pest management and organic pest management: identify your pest enemies; create a management plan; prevent outbreaks through hygienic procedures, variety selection, and site selection; scout early and frequently; and have pest management tools on hand. The utilization of beneficial organisms, good site drainage, the exclusion of pests via netting, and mechanical weed control are a few examples of these tools. Finding a mix that works for the operator’s systems from the long list of ways is the best course of action.
However, they only use recognized sources, such as compost, fish emulsion, bloodmeal, and bone meal, to mention a few. Organic farmers also fertilize their crops. Access to some fertilizers may become challenging as fertilizer prices rise. Growers can balance the price of fertilizer with meeting the nutrient requirements of their crops by using cover crops and maintaining good soil. To determine how much fertilizer to use on each field location, growers should examine their soil. Knowing the type of soil is also necessary because various soils can store varying amounts of nutrients.
Additionally, growers must whenever possible source from producers that are certified organic. However, if there are commercially available organic cultivars, growers must purchase from certified organic farmers even if they choose to cultivate organically.
As hemp is a more recent crop, this becomes increasingly difficult. Clear guidance on where to get hemp seeds and plants can be found from certifying organizations. The use of genetically modified or transgenic organisms obtained by contemporary molecular technology is prohibited by organic producers. This implies that a hemp cultivar produced through genetic engineering or gene editing would not be acceptable for use in organic farming. This is not equivalent to conventional breeding methods.
Going Natural
Universities and nonprofit organizations like the Rodale Institute and the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute are actively conducting research on the cultivation of organic hemp. The network of certifiers can be accessed on the USDA website if hemp farmers are interested in converting their property to organic. The network of certifiers may offer detailed information on products, the transition procedure, and obtaining certified. Prospective and current organic growers might find useful tools on the USDA’s organic website.
Farmers may wonder whether producing hemp organically is more cost-effective than growing it conventionally. In the manufacturing of cannabinoids and essential oils from hemp, labor costs are already significant. Depending on management techniques, input prices for fertilizer and pesticides may be cheaper than for conventional producers. Numerous organic farmers also use specialized machinery to manage their crops, which might raise the cost of production. Devices for burning weed pests in the field with strong heat could be among this machinery.
