Effect of homa organic farming practices on biochemical properties in soil and soybean (Glycine max)

Soybean [Glycin max (L.) Merril], a grain legume, is considered as a wonder crop due to its dual qualities viz., high protein content (40-43%) and oil content (20%). Soybean is primarily utilized as a source of protein and oil. The soybean oil comprises mainly mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids like oleic and linoleic acid. Soy protein which is in the range of 3942 per cent is mostly globulin and partly albumins. Being well suited to black soil, transitional tract of Karnataka, Belgaum, Dharwad and Bijapur districts are the major soybean growing areas occupying 41.2 thousand hectare area with 28.3 thousand tones of annual production. Its cultivation has become popular in southern part of Karnataka due to establishment of processing units and remunerative prices (Anon, 2009). Excessive use of chemical fertilizer and pesticide in agriculture has received severe criticism from the environmentally conscious people who opined that increase in agricultural production was achieved at the cost of soil health (Cooke, 1982). The environmental degradation due to chemical dependent agricultural practices has made several experts to focus their attention on ecologically sound, viable and sustainable farming system. Organic farming is the only answer which aims at cooperating rather than confronting with nature. Homa Organic Farming which uses organic farming as a base is a zero technology process for betterment of crops and plants in agriculture, horticulture, forestry and microbes and animals. It is a process of purifying the atmosphere through a specially prepared fire which is a special state of matter. It is a smallest Yajnya or Homa (This is a technical term from the Vedic Science of Bioenergy denoting the process of removing toxins from the atmosphere through the agency of life in specially prepared copper pyramid) and forms the basis of Homa Organic farming. The present investigation was, therefore, carried out on soybean with the following objectives: