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Managing Crops Organically For many farmers, soil is still just a medium for propping up the crop. Inputs--fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides--do all the work. For organic farmers the opposite is true. Everything starts with the soil--which is understood as a complex living medium that, when well tended, nurtures plants while suppressing weeds and diseases and retaining water and nutrients. By building healthy soils through cover crops, crop rotations, compost and other production practices, organic farmers create a system in which plants will thrive. The National Organic Standards Board, which advises the National Organic Program on organic standards, describes organic farming this way: It is "an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony." In the following sections on managing crops organically, you'll have an opportunity to learn about how organic farmers manage their crops successfully:
Cover Crops and Rotations | Crop Budgets | Pest and Disease Management Weed Management | Soil Health and Nutrient Management Seeds and Planting Stock | Post Harvest Handling
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