ABSTRACT
Organic agriculture refers to agricultural production systems that are managed according to a number of standards, which vary by governing body or political entity, but which share a common philosophy and a set of general management practices. In popular culture, organic crop production is generally understood to refer to crop production without the use of genetically modified organisms or synthetically derived pesticides, fertilizers, or growth regulators. This definition often leads conventional agricultural producers and the general public to the conclusion that modern organic farming is no different from farming systems that existed historically and prior to the wide availability of synthetically derived agricultural inputs. While this is largely true in a narrow sense, it fails to acknowledge advancements in scientific understanding as well as the underlying philosophy and ecological principles of modern organic farming systems; principles that are vital to understanding management of plant disease in organic crop production.
