Description:
Advances in Organic Farming: Agronomic Soil Management Practices focuses on the integrated interactions between soil-plant-microbe-environment elements in a functioning ecosystem. It explains sustainable nutrient management under organic farming and agriculture, with chapters focusing on the role of nutrient management in sustaining global ecosystems, the remediation of polluted soils, conservation practices, degradation of pollutants, biofertilizers and biopesticides, critical biogeochemical cycles, potential responses for current and impending environmental change, and other critical factors. Organic farming is both challenging and exciting, as its practice of "feeding the soil, not the plant" provides opportunity to better understand why some growing methods are preferred over others.
In the simplest terms, organic growing is based on maintaining a living soil with a diverse population of micro and macro soil organisms. Organic matter (OM) is maintained in the soil through the addition of compost, animal manure, green manures and the avoidance of excess mechanization.
Brief description:
Dr. Stanley was born on 8th October, 1980 at Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India. He is graduated in Agriculture from Agricultural College and Research Institute, Killikulam and did his M.Sc and Ph.D in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. He joined Agricultural Research Service (ARS 2005) of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi in 2008 and currently working as Senior Scientist (Agricultural Entomology) in ICAR-VPKAS, Almora, Uttarakhand.
He is working on the integrated management of agricultural pests especially using bioagents and pheromones. He is also working on pesticide toxicity to non-target organisms i.e, biocontrol agents and other beneficial insects/ organisms. He is also working on pollinator management. He has successfully completed four research projects and five projects are currently being handled including projects of FAO, DST, NASF etc. He has published more than 40 research papers, 3 books and 6 book chapters. He has filed three patents and two of his technologies are commercialized for mass production and use.