Pharmaceutical Technology

BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURE
Dr. Sanchita Das (Assistant Professor)
Herbal Drug Technology (BP603T), Unit I
B. Pharm, 6th Semester
Dept. of Pharm. Tech
Brainware University
 consider
s farm as
a living Pharmaceutical Technology
system
where
What is biodynamic agriculture?
one
activity
is
affected
by the
other.
The term
biodyna
mic has
been
derived
from the
Greek
term
bios
meaning
life and
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Principles of Biodynamic

Biodynamic is ecologically oriented on a wider scope and

includes sun, moon, planets, subterranean features and
mental factors. All the natural things of the World are
formed by the transformation and intimate combination of
four elements like fire, earth, water and air.
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Harvesting Cosmic forces

The earthy forces of Moon, Mercury and Venus soak into earth from the
air above, and the cosmic forces of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn upwards
soak into earth from the rocks below. They interact in the clay region so
the plants are in regular rhythms. Each contributes to the life growth
and farm of the plant.
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Biodynamic calendar
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Biodynamic farming Biodynamic farming restores the Various mineral nutrients like
restores the humus status soil for a balanced functioning of
nitrogen, phosphate, potash,
flora and fauna as soil is a living
of soil ecosystem to retain system wherein the microbes can
calcium, magnesium etc. are
its fertility and be fully established and
required in biodynamic farming
as the factors for soil life.
productivity. maintained.

In biodynamic farming, a Biodynamic farming considers a

plant grows under the plant as living entity consisting of It gives importance
mineral elements like N, P, K, Ca,
influence of some abiotic
Mg, Cl, Fe etc. and organic matters to enzyme and
factors like temperature,
oxygen, CO2, light, water etc.
like proteins, carbohydrates,
cellulose, starch etc.
growth substances.

It involves in restoring soil

It maintains the environmental conditions,
forests, wind protection
soil structures. and water regulation.
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Advantages

Shows Yield potentials

Produces are equal or
continuous
quality with better than
improvement
respect to those harvested
in physical,
nutrition and Eco-friendly. after application
chemical and of
appearance,
biological recommended
and improves
properties of doses of
shelf-life.
soil. agrochemicals.
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Organic Farming

Organic farming is a system which avoids or excludes the

use of synthetic inputs such as fertilisers, pesticides,
hormones, feed additives etc. It involves crop rotation,
biopesticides, soil fertility biofertilizers etc. In 1939, the
term ‘Organic Farming’ was used and it was used by Lord
Northbourne.
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Goals
A high level of productivity
Compatibility of cultivation with the natural cycles of the production
system.
Maximum uses of renewable resources.

Creating a harmonic balance between crops and animal husbandry.

Maintaining and increasing the natural diversity and agro-biodiversity.

Protecting and learning indigenous knowledge and traditional
management system.
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In organic
farming, Soil
fertility is an
important
factor which is
dependent on
organic matter
and water
holding
capacity of the
soil. The The microorganisms fix the
organic matter atmospheric nitrogen in
is developed suitable conditions of pH (6.5-
from organic 7.5) and temperature of 23-
manure,
compost, oil 270C and optimum moisture.
cakes of castor,
neem etc. These
organic matters
are served as
food for
earthworms
and soil
microorganism
s.
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Microbial biopesticides registered in India

Bacillus thuringiensis

Pseudomonas
fluorescens

Trichoderma sp.

Gilocladium sp.
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Insects used for bio control in India

Trichogramma chilonis

Trichogramma japonicum

Trichogramma pretiosum

Trichogramma exiguum

Bracon sp. etc.

These insects act as prey or antagonists to other insects. They are used
for the management of insects or pests.
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Pheromone traps for pest management

Pheromone for monitoring, e.g.- Earias vitella, Spodoptera litura, Pectinophora

gossypiella etc.

Pheromone for mating disruption, e.g.- Pectinophora gossypiella PB rope.

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Biopesticides

Properties of Biopesticides:
Biopesticides suppress the diseases and act as plant
Seed borne
growth diseases can be controlled.
promoters.
Plant growth is promoted.
Useful in nurseries.
Better results are observed
Pulses and vegetables are grown during nursery phase.
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Advantages of Organic farming

Nutritional, poison free and tasty food: The nutritional
value of food is a function of its vitamins and minerals. The
mineral content of organically-grown food is more than that
of food grown by modern conventional methods.

Lower growing cost: The economics of organic farming is

characterised by increasing profits by reducing water use,
lowering expenses on fertilisers and energies.

Enhances soil nourishment: Organic farming effectively

addresses soil management. Damaged, saline and eroded
soil feed on micronutrients via crop rotation, inter-cropping
techniques and extensive uses of green manure.
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More energy efficiency: Growing organic rice is much more energy efficient
than conventional method.

Less water pollution

Environment-friendly practices: Green pesticides (Neem, tea etc.) are

environment friendly and non-toxic. They help in identifying and removing
diseased and dying plants, thus, increase the crop defence system.

Source of productivity for labours.

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Disadvantages of Organic farming

Lower productivity: The productivity or yield is not as much
as that of a conventional method.
Requires skill: The organic farmers should have greater
understanding of the crops and should closely watch them as
pesticides or chemical fertilisers cannot be used as quick fixes.

Time-consuming

More labour intensive

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Methods involved in Organic farming

practices
Crop rotation

Cover cropping

Green manure

Animal manure

Weed management

Pest management

Livestock management
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Cultivation Techniques
There are two types of techniques involved in cultivation of medicinal
plants. They are-

Sexual Method or Seed Propagation: In this method, new plants known as

seedlings are grown by sowing seeds that are free from extraneous matter,
diseases, insects, used seeds etc. Some of the methods of sowing seeds are:

Broadcasting method: This method is used for those seeds which are extremely
small in size.

Dibbling method: This is used for those seeds which are average in size and
weight.

Other methods: Most of the plants are grown by sowing seeds in the nursery
beds. After 2-3 months, seedlings are transplanted to farms for further
development. Plants like cinchona, digitalis, clove, cardamom are cultivated by
this method.
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Advantages of Sexual Method

Plants propagated from seeds last for a long time.

Plants bear more fruits.

The plants so obtained are stronger and healthier.

This method is inexpensive and easy.

Propagation of plants with highly superior varieties is possible.

Seed propagation is the only method of choice for plants which cannot be
grown by vegetative propagation.
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Disadvantages of Sexual Method

By seed propagation, uniformity is growth and yielding capacity is not possible.

Harvesting and pest control are highly expensive.

Implementation of modern techniques is not possible.

Plants take more time to bear fruits.

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Vegetative propagation or Asexual Method: There are

three methods of propagating plants by vegetative means:

Natural methods: In this method, new plants are raised by

sowing various vegetative parts like stems, roots, corms,
bulbs etc.
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Artificial method: There are various methods for propagation

of vegetative parts:

Cutting: Portions of the plants which are capable of developing

into new plants are separated by cutting in this method.

Layers: In this method, the part of the plant that has grown out
from the stem is partially slit from the main plant. Example:
Simple layering is employed for lemon and guava plant.

Grafting: In this process, a piece is cut and removed from a

living plant and fixed in a cut, made into another plant, so that
the two cut surfaces grow together. The newly grown plant is
known as stock.
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Budding: In this process, a T-shaped cut or a cavity is made on the stock bark in
order to introduce a piece of bark which consists of a bud.

Fermentation: It is the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeast or

other microorganisms which is used in the manufacture of antibiotics.

Inoculation: It is the introduction of microorganisms, infective materials into

the tissues of living plants. Example: In the propagation of Ergot plant, fungal
spores are injected into the rye.
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Layering Cutting Grafting

Budding Fermentation Inoculation

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Advantages of Artificial Methods

Processes like harvesting Disease-resistant
and marketing are easy plants can be
due to uniformity in fruit obtained by budding
quality. and grafting.
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Micro propagation by aseptic Method or Tissue

culture

In this technique, a small segment like cell, callus, embryo,

root tip etc. of the plant is developed into a new plant under
aseptic condition in artificial medium.
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Advantages of Asexual Method

The new plant which is grown from the vegetative part is same and
undifferentiated from the parent plant.

Yielding capacity and growth of these plants are uniform.

Production of parthenocarpic (Seedless) fruits is possible in this method.

Compared to seedlings, plants grown by vegetative propagation bear fruits

earlier.
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Disadvantages of Asexual Method

Rapid growth and production Development of new
of long lasting varieties is not varieties is not possible
possible in this method. in this method.
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Pest and Pest control

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Types Ascochyta atropae is a fungi which is

of responsible for necrosis of leaves.

Pests Cercospora atropae causes round to angular

brown spots with chestnut coloured
margins on both sides of leaves. It is called
Leaf spot.
Phytophthora nicotianae causes
Fungi phytophthora root-rot, which is a dreadful
disease occurring on belladonna and other
plants.
Fusarium solanii and Pythium butleri
together cause damping off in young
seedlings.
Phytophthora erythroseptica causes damping
off in young seedlings and wilt in matured
plants. It turns the root black and this is
known as Phytophthora rot disease.
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Necrosis Leaf Spot Phytophthora root-rot

Damping off
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Tobacco mosaic virus, cucumber mosaic
virus and tobacco ring spot virus attack
digitalis and a strain of cucumber mosaic
virus attack hyoscyamus. These viruses
cause necrosis of leaves, petioles and stem
of different plants belonging to family
Solanaceae.

Viruses cause disease symptoms on

Viruses rauwolfia, tobacco, datura, vinca and
eucalyptus.

Yellow vein mosaic virus, graft

transmissible virus, distortion mosaic,
rugose leaf curl and Raga tabaci are
other viruses attacking the medicinal
plants.
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Diaphania nilgirica, Indomia cretaceus, Plantia

viridicolis and various beetles attack rauwolfia.

Papilioma chon and Hyadaphis coriandri attack

dill.

Insects
Agrotis flammatra and Gonocephalum species
cause loss of belladonna leaves.

Caterpillar, cutworms, grass-hopper, termites,

ticks, mites etc. are other insects which are
responsible for attacking medicinal plants.
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Some weeds cause allergies e.g. hay fever caused

by ragweed, Medican tea, yellow dock,
Weeds parthenium etc.

A weed is undesired Corn cockle contains cyanophore glycosides and

plant. Weeds are the seeds of this plant have fatal effects.
considered as pests. If
weeds cannot be
controlled or handled
properly, it leads to loss Poison ivy, western poison oak, varnish tree,
of nutrients, water, light poison sumac etc. causes dermatitis.
and space, increase in
cost of labour and
equipment, low product
quality, enhanced chances Datura and monospermous species etc. are
for attacks of bacteria, poisonous plants which grow as weeds.
fungi, viruses and insects.
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Vertebrates: Rats, monkeys, birds, rabbits and

hares, squirrels, antelopes, deer, pigs etc.

Non-insect
Pests
Invertebrates: Nematodes, crabs, snails, mites
and syphilis.
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Methods of Pest Control

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Mechanical Method
This method involves in collection and destruction of pests by
using different devices like hand-picking, pruning, burning and
trapping of pests. Eggs, larvae, pupae and adults of insects are
collected and destroyed suitably.
The better way for protection from rodents like rats is
construction of concrete warehouses. These warehouses should
have metal reinforcement corners on window frames. The rat and
mouse traps are also used.
Flavoured attractants, prepared by mixing rose oil, anise oil etc.
with sawdust, are placed in funnel-shaped containers for trapping
flying insects which can easily enter the trap but could not come
out.
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Hand-Picking Pruning Burning

For Rat Control Trapping

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Agricultural method

This method involves advanced techniques of plant breeding which produces

pest-resistant species by genetic manipulations. By this method, hybrid
varieties resistant to fungal and bacterial attack have also been produced.
Systemic insecticides are also applied. They get absorbed through the roots
and reach the leaves to distaste the foliage portion for insects.
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Biological method
These methods involve combating the pests (insects especially) with
other living organisms (often parasites). If properly designed, this pest
control method proved to be effective, safe and economic.

Some female insects produce and release sex pheromones (a chemical

substance which induces a sexual response in the male insects), e.g. 7,8-
epoxy-2 methyloctadecane from gypsy-moth.

Another approach involves using Australian lady beetle (ladybug) to

eat the cottony cushion scale insect on citrus crop, various birds to eat
the insect pests. The larger harmful insects are often destroyed by
hatching the eggs of certain types of flies and wasps.
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Australian Lady Beetle Cottony Cushion Scale

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Chemical Method
I. Rodenticides: Warfarin, strychnine, arsenic trioxide, red squill
etc.
II. Insecticides: DDT, gammaxine, methoxychlor, parathion,
malathion etc.

III. Ascaricides: Tetradifon, chlorbenzolate etc.

IV. Fungicides: Chlorphenols, antibiotics, quaternary ammonium

compounds etc.

V. Herbicides: Calcium arsenate, Sulphuric acid etc.

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Natural pest control agents

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Biopesticides

Biopesticides are
naturally occurring
substances of living
organisms, their
products or by-products
that can control pest by
non-toxic mechanisms.
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Types of biopesticides
Plant-Incorporated-Protectants
Microbial pesticides: These (PIPs): PIPs are also known as
pesticides are derived from Genetically Modified Crops
(GMCs). They are biopesticidal
microorganisms like bacteria, substances produced by plants
fungi and viruses. Example: from genetic material added or
Trichoderma, Phytophthora etc. incorporated into their genetic
makeup.

Biochemical or herbal
pesticides: Biochemical pesticides Semiochemicals: These are
are derived from natural sources. chemical signals produced by an
These are used for controlling organism which causes a
pests through a non-toxic behavioural change in an
mechanism. Plants producing individual of the same or
secondary metabolites are also different species.
considered as biopesticides.
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Advantages
Biopesticides are used to control the target species and do not show any toxic
effects towards beneficial species.

They are ecofriendly and biodegradable.

Biopesticides in minute quantities are effective in controlling environmental

pollution.

They are less toxic than chemical pesticides.

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Examples of Registered Biopesticides

Bacillus thuringiensis

Bacillus sphaericus

Trichoderma harzianum

Trichoderma viride

Neem based pesticides

Cymbopogan
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Examples of Biopesticides used successfully

in India
Bacillus thuringiensis is used successfully against diamondback months.

Neem based pesticides are used to control white fly in cotton.

Trichogramma is active against sugarcane bores.

Trichoderma products are active against rots and wilts in many of the crops.
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