The methods and materials that organic farmers use are summarised as follows:

To keep and build good soil structure and fertility:

• Recycled and composted crop wastes and animal manures
• Right soil cultivation at the right time
• Crop rotation
• Green manures and legumes
• Mulching on the soil surface

To control pests, diseases and weeds:

• Careful planning and crop choice
• Use of resistant crops
• Good cultivation practice
• Crop rotation
• Encouraging useful predators that eat pests
• Increasing genetic diversity
• Using natural pesticides

Organic agriculture/farming also involves: - Careful use of water resources - Good animal husbandry

Organic Agriculture Methods

Organic agriculture methods combine scientific knowledge of ecology and modern technology with traditional farming practices based on naturally occurring biological processes. Organic farming methods are studied in the field of agroecology. While conventional agriculture uses synthetic pesticides and water-soluble synthetically purified fertilizers, organic farmers are restricted by regulations to using natural pesticides and fertilizers.

The principal methods of organic farming include: crop rotation, green manures and compost, biological pest control, and mechanical cultivation. These measures use the natural environment to enhance agricultural productivity: legumes are planted to fix nitrogen into the soil, natural insect predators are encouraged, crops are rotated to confuse pests and renew soil, and natural materials such as potassium bicarbonate and mulches are used to control disease and weeds. Organic farmers are careful in their selection of plant breeds, and organic researchers produce hardier plants through plant breeding, rather than genetic engineering.