Advances in Organic Farming

This book describes critically reviewed key aspects of organic farming and provides a unique and timely science-based resource for researchers, teachers and extension workers, undergraduates, postgraduate students, primary producers and others interested in organic farming. The first section of the book provides an overview of organic farming: a general introduction followed by the origins of organic farming, the principles of organic farming, challenges for organic farming, crop protection in organic farming and environmental impacts of organic farming. The next section deals with the management of various crop diseases through botanical biopesticides and Integrated Pest Management practices, followed by overarching regulatory and management concerns. The book is written by a range of specialists with direct experience of organic farming over many years. Authors from over a dozen countries in several continents have contributed to this unique and indispensable resource that offers a diverse range of valuable information, data and perspectives on organic farming, at a time when the world community is increasingly aware of the problems of our current agricultural practices and the importance of creating sustainable agricultural and systems for the long-term health of humankind and the biosphere as a whole.