Organic Agriculture

LESSON 2: Philippine Natural Farming System

At the end of this lesson, students are expected

to:
1. Identify common farming modalities that exist
in the country
2. Explain the differences between different
methods of farming
 Philippines...

- Agricultural country
- Archipelagic country
- Luzon and Mindanao
 Farming System

- is a kind of set of
principles or ideas or
activities about farming
which have same
economic patterns as
well as strategies.
 Traditional Farming
• Old fashioned and back breaking
• It is labor intensive and uses animals like
the carabao or horses as beasts of burden.

• Slash and burn (“kaingin”)

• Application of insecticides and inorganic
fertilizers is a part of the practice of
traditional methods of farming.
• Making the soil acidic and deteriorate in
the long run.
• Uncontrolled usage of insecticides can turn
pests immune to those pesticides and
worst; insecticides can enter to the body of
consumers by eating plants with pesticide
residues.
 Modern Farming
• It uses more machinery like harvesters,
tractors, transplanters.
• Pesticides and fertilizers are used in a
selective manner.
• Breeding and selection of plants and
animals to adapt to maximize yields are
done.
• The difference between traditional and
modern farming systems is only on the
use of machinery and usage of cross bred
materials.
• Both systems use inorganic fertilizers and
pesticides than can harm the
microorganisms in the soil and insects in
the environment.
 Traditional vs. Modern Farming

Traditional farming is related

to low capitalization in
contrast to modern farming
which requires big capital. In
terms of productivity,
modern farming systems
have bigger yields as
compared to traditional
system.
 Subsistence Farming
• Subsistence farming is set of farming
practices associated with very low
inputs.
• The products from this system are only
good for the consumption of the farmer.
• A true subsistence farmer is rare since
that farmer has only enough products for
consumption but have excess in other
crops or agricultural products for sale.
• Polyculture in small scale farming is
common.
• Thus that farmer may only dependent on
a particular crop but sells other
agricultural products.
 Commercial Farming
• Commercial farming is a set of
practices where huge areas are
used and the products are destined
for sale.
• This activity involves mechanization
for efficiency.
• Only one commodity is being
planted and referred to as
plantation.
• Examples are pineapple or banana
plantation in vast hectares of lands.
Subsistence vs. Commercial Farming
• Subsistence and traditional
systems of farming are
usually associated.
• Commercial farming is
associated to modern
farming systems.
 Organic Farming System
• It has also been known that the use of these products has long term effects to the farming environment as
well as to the health of consumers. Because of this, the principle of natural farming is revived. In land-based
agriculture, the health of the soil is given importance as well as the diversity of crops that are planted as well
as the biological organisms that surround it.
• By diversity, it means that polyculture is encouraged and respect of the organism’s life is given importance.
By this, the use of inorganic chemicals that kills pests is prohibited as well as inorganic fertilizers that make
soil acidic. At first, this sounds absurd but analysis of this idea coupled with experiences with inorganic inputs
makes organic farming feasible. As discussed, the usage of inorganic fertilizers make the soil acidic by
excessive use of Ammonium (NH4+)based fertilizers. If the N is not taken by plant, it drains from the topsoil
dissociating H ions and raising the acidity. This condition of the soil eradicates the bacteria like in the genus
Rhizobium which is present in roots of legumes. This depletes of the natural Nitrogen fixing capacity of the
soil and in the long run renders the soil devoid of nutrients. The effect would be disastrous since there will be
constant dependence to inorganic fertilizers, and in the long run it will be expensive to produce crops from
this kind of soil. Usage of inorganic pesticides can make pests immune to it and the consequence would be
again reliance to these chemicals adding to the cost of the product, not to mention a high residue of the
pesticides that ends up in the table of consumers. To date organic farming is making a trend in the country.
About 3,000 farms practice organic farming in 2009, though the quantity is many but the land utilized for
organic farming is only a measly 45% of the total farm land.
Self-Test Questions: Directions: Compare and contrast the
following terms:

1. Subsistence from commercial farming

2. Polyculture from monoculture
3. Traditional from Modern Farming
4. Organic from Modern farming
 Easy-essay

1. Explain why traditional farming destroys the

environment?
2. Why is it that the use of inorganic fertilizer renders the
soil useless in a long-term use? Explain.
 True or False!

1.The difference between subsistence

from commercial farming systems is the
input and output of two systems.
2.The inputs of subsistence farming are at
minimum resulting to small output in which the
farmers of such systems consume
immediately.
3.The inputs of commercial farming are in its grand
scale, machineries hybrid seeds and others
agricultural implements are used to achieve the
highest output possible.
4. Monoculture is usually practiced by
commercial farmers where vast track of land
are being utilized just for farming one type of
crop.
5. Traditional method of farming uses the
usually practiced strategies of farming which
has been handed down from one generation of
farmers to another.
6. Subsistence Farming practiced
utilization of waste materials of living
organisms or the living organism itself to
nourish the plants or animals.
7. Modern farming utilizes inputs
including from inorganic sources to
nourish plants or animals.
8. Traditional and modern farming
systems both use pure organic
inputs for agricultural production.
9. Polyculture is a practice
where one crop or animal is
planted or raised
10. Selling the agricultural products
of the subsistence farmer is
impossible or minimal only.