We increasingly face ecological and environmental problems as a result of injudicious use of fertilizers and other chemicals (pesticides, herbicides etc.) in intensive agriculture. The deteriorating soil and water quality, and the raising agrochemical toxicity in farming are serious concerns. All these factors jeopardize efforts to sustain growth in food production. The big questions before us are "Can we sustain high productivity with deterioration of soil and water environment?

Most of the additional food grain production must come from irrigated and potential rainfed lands. We need to use more complex technologies and management practices to further intensify crop production systems and to conserve resource base from which all food is produced. The immense task before us is "How to orient our research to generate innovative technologies".

Plants like human being, animals, birds and other living organisms need energy for their survival and proper functioning. Unlike other living organisms, they use to manufacture their food through conversion of solar energy into chemical energy vide process called as photosynthesis. The photo-synthates, thus synthesized, are partly consumed by plants for their growth and development till their active vegetative growth and rest is accumulated which we harvest. The entire process is regulated by various elements which are known as plant food elements. The list of such elements, is gradually enlarged with the advancement of physiological and biochemical knowledge.

These elements, though present in soil yet the quantity being so meager need to be supplemented through their respective carriers called as fertilizers.

Role of fertilizers in boosting agricultural production has already been proved and they have become so essential that the cultivation of present day plant types without them is rather a dream. There has been ever increasing trend in fertilizer consumption starting from negligible quantity in 1950 to over 13 million tones of nutrients or over 28 million tones of fertilizer materials in 1992-93.

Concern about environmental safety and sustainability of land productivity is increasing among scientists, administrators and environmentalists. With increasing population, it is also becoming clear the food security to the teeming millions will not be possible unless the available resources are efficiently utilized for increasing the productivity. The strategy adopted during the green revolution era can not be valid anymore under the prevailing conditions. A new strategy of living with the nature and nurturing it for sustainable high productivity should be evolved. Though use of chemical inputs can not be altogether avoided, their use in agriculture has to be rationalized. Organic agriculture shows us the way of effectively use the available natural resources for the benefit of the mankind. But, unfortunately there are a lot of misconceptions about organic agriculture. Though a large amount of information has been generated on various aspects of agriculture, they are scattered in literature. A compilation of the available information has been a felt need for students, teachers, research workers and administrators in agriculture.

At present, there is no comprehensive text book on Soil Management and Organic Farming and applied aspects suitable for farmers. This book will provide comprehensive information on the subject matter and fulfil the needs of students and other professionals. This book makes an attempt to present the available information  on  organic  agriculture  in  a  cogent  and  easily understandable manner. This is a book containing all sorts of chapters on soil fertility management and organic farming basing on the integrated farming and cropping systems. Though this book primarily written to serve as a text book/reference for the students of agriculture in under graduate and post graduate levels and technologists in developing organizations, it is hoped that this book will be valuable for similar groups in the third world countries of Asia and Africa. This book also serves as a valuable reference for the candidates preparing Agricultural Research Services and other competitive examinations. Professional Institutions in Soil Conservation, Krishi Vigyna Kendras and Rural Institutions and similar other Institutions would find this book very much helpful. The farmers may refer this book to practice integrated farming and cropping systems as the considerable emphasis is placed for obtaining maximum, profitable production per unit area per unit time.

This book contains 21 chapters which include introduction, soil management, soil formation, soil and its physical properties, soil taxonomy and survey, soil colloids and clay minerals, saline, alkaline and acid soils, soil organic matter, soil and water conservation, soil fertility and productivity, nutrient management, source of plant nutrients, fertilizers, green revolution, organic farming, farming systems, components of farming systems, integrated farming systems (IFS) under varying situation, IFS models under agro-ecosystem, organic farming in India and Abroad, and sustainable agriculture with adequate references. It is hoped that the book will serve a good reference source for those interested in organic agriculture. The author welcomes suggestions from the readers for the improvement of the book in future editions.