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Kharel, Suman, and Deepak Marahatta. "Conventional Farming Practices around Kathmandu Valley: An Appraisal." Nepalese Journal of Development and Rural Studies 17 (December 31, 2020): 90–103. http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njdrs.v17i0.34982.
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Conventional farming is a new area of research in developing countries. It is rooted in industrial agriculture andfocuses on production as heavily. It demands a high amount of chemical fertilizers. The research follows a case study under the interpretive paradigm using multiple sources of evidence such as interviews, observations, and surveys ofthe literature. Usual to most conventional practices, the local inbreeds of crops are replaced by high yielding varieties of crops. One of the main advantages of conventional farming is the application of a higher amount ofagricultural inputs. The study has shown that the availability of transport made it easy to reach products to the market and has contributed to increasing the income of the farmers. Inadequate knowledge of the use of fertilizers and pesticides results in the origins of new diseases in crops is a major challenge of conventional farming. This research concludes that commercial organic farming can be an alternative to conventional farming. The finding shows the need for agricultural training and capacity building of farmers and also the need to provide subsidies so that farming will be more lucrative.
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Amaral, F., and M. Abelho. "Effects of agricultural practices on soil and microbial biomass carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus content: a preliminary case study." Web Ecology 16, no. 1 (January 18, 2016): 3–5. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/we-16-3-2016.
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Abstract. In this study we assessed the C : N : P ratios in soil and soil microbial biomass subject to conventional farming and three different organic farming practices. The results showed that microbial biomass was P-limited in soils subject to conventional farming and to organic farming with alfalfa green manure. Organic farming with compost amendment showed the best results in terms of microbial biomass carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus (CNP).
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Väre, Minna, Tiina E. A. Mattila, Pasi Rikkonen, Maria Hirvonen, and Risto H. Rautiainen. "Farmers’ perceptions of farm management practices and development plans on organic farms in Finland." Organic Agriculture 11, no. 3 (April 6, 2021): 457–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13165-021-00352-4.
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AbstractOrganic farming is increasing in Finland, and organic farms have become larger than conventional farms, on average. As the structural change has been rapid, farmers need a broad range of new competencies to manage their farms, ranging from agronomic skills to advanced technology, labor management, and marketing skills. In this study, the characteristics of organic and conventional farms and farmers were assessed, with special focus on management practices and future development plans on organic farms. The study was based on telephone interviews of a sample of active farmers who applied for agricultural subsidies in 2014. The data consisted of 3045 farmers; 312 of them practiced organic farming and 2733 conventional farming. The data were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Having beef production as the main production line, having plans to develop farm production in the next 5 years, considering farm management as very important, and frequently experiencing mental strain because of farm management were significant predictors for being an organic farmer. Dairy production was less frequently organic compared to crop production. Nearly half (42%) of organic farmers planned to make changes in their farming, most commonly expanding their production. Thus, competence for managing the farm operation becomes more crucial, which increases the need for training and management consulting services. Organic farming may increase with both farm successions and new entrants joining the farming sector. Special attention should be paid to supporting these new entrants without farm-family background.
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Zinati, Gladis M. "Transition from Conventional to Organic Farming Systems: I. Challenges, Recommendations, and Guidelines for Pest Management." HortTechnology 12, no. 4 (January 2002): 606–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.21273/horttech.12.4.606.
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Conventional agricultural systems increase per-area food production, but deplete natural resources and degrade both crop and environmental quality. Many of these concerns are addressed by sustainable agricultural systems, integrated pest management, biocontrol, and other alternative systems. Environmental and social concerns have escalated the need for alternative agricultural systems in the last decade. One alternative, the organic farming system, substitutes cultural and biological inputs for synthetically made fertilizers and chemicals for crop nutrition and pest management. Practices used for crop and pest management are similar during transition from conventional to organic farming systems, but produce is not certified to be organic during the transition period. During the transition from conventional to organic farming, growers may face pest control difficulties and lower yields when conventional practices are abandoned. The objectives of this paper are to 1) give an overview of the reasons for converting to organic farming and the challenges that growers face during the transition period, 2) outline some potential strategies for crop, soil, and pest management, and 3) list guidelines and recommendations for pest management during the transition to organic farming. Implementation of crop and pest management practices depends on geographical location, climate, available onsite resources, and history of the land. During transition, growers rely on cultural mechanisms and on organic and mineral sources to improve soil fertility, to build a population of natural enemies to suppress pest populations. Pest management practices during the transition period that reduce pest populations to economically manageable levels include crop rotation, cultivation, cover crops, mulches, crop diversification, resistant varieties, and insect traps. These practices also enrich the soil biota and increase crop yields before produce is certified organically grown.
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Sheoran, H. S., V. K. Phogat, and R. Dahiya. "Effect of organic and conventional farming practices on soil microbial population." Journal of Environmental Biology 40, no. 1 (January 1, 2019): 125–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.22438/jeb/40/1/mrn-887.
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Shrestha, Kamal, Gautam Shrestha, and Pradyumna R. Pandey. "Economic analysis of commercial organic and conventional vegetable farming in Kathmandu Valley." Journal of Agriculture and Environment 15 (June 1, 2014): 58–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/aej.v15i0.19816.
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Economics of a farming system is the key determinant of its sustainability. Organic and conventional farming systems are two distinct types of production systems having contrasting farm management practices and output price as well. Furthermore, organic farming system is promoted for environmental protection and conventional farming system is cursed for the environmental degradation. The present study was conducted to compare the economics of organic and conventional vegetable production in Kathmandu valley. Thirty farmers each involved in commercial organic and conventional vegetable farming were selected randomly for the study. Data were collected through survey method using semi-structured questionnaire. The estimated per ropani per year cost of cultivation of vegetables in the organic farm (NPR 69,170) was lesser than in conventional farm (NPR 1,00,562). The gross return per ropani in a year in the organic vegetable farm (NPR 1,01,536) was significantly lesser than from conventional farms (NPR 1,35,747). Benefit to cost ratio (BCR) was higher in organic farm (1.47:1) in comparison to conventional farm (1.35:1). This study revealed that organic vegetable farming was more profitable than conventional vegetable farming in Kathmandu valley. To expand commercial agriculture: quality inputs, input and output price stability, co-operative or corporative marketing should be promoted.
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TRYDEMAN KNUDSEN, MARIE, IB SILLEBAK KRISTENSEN, JØRGEN BERNTSEN, BJØRN MOLT PETERSEN, and ERIK STEEN KRISTENSEN. "Estimated N leaching losses for organic and conventional farming in Denmark." Journal of Agricultural Science 144, no. 2 (February 10, 2006): 135–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0021859605005812.
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The impact of organic, compared with conventional, farming practices on N leaching loss was studied for Danish mixed dairy and arable farms using an N balance approach based on representative data. On mixed dairy farms, a simple N balance method was used to estimate N surplus and N leaching loss. On arable farms, the simple N balance method was unreliable due to changes in the soil N pool. Consequently, the Farm ASSEssment Tool (FASSET) simulation model was used to estimate N surplus, N leaching loss and the changes in the soil N pool.The study found a lower N leaching loss from organic than conventional mixed dairy farms, primarily due to lower N inputs. On organic arable farms, the soil N pool increased over time but the N leaching loss was comparable with conventional arable farms. The soil N pool was increased primarily by organic farming practices and incorporation of straw. The highest increase in the soil N pool was seen on soils with a low initial level of organic matter. The N leaching loss was dependent on soil type, the use of catch crops and the level of soil organic matter, whereas incorporation of straw had a minor effect. N leaching was highest on sandy soils with a high level of soil organic matter and no catch crops. The present results stress the importance of using representative data from organic and conventional farming practices in comparative studies of N leaching loss. Lack of representative data has been a major weakness of previous comparisons on N leaching losses on organic and conventional farms.
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Meemken, Eva-Marie, and Matin Qaim. "Organic Agriculture, Food Security, and the Environment." Annual Review of Resource Economics 10, no. 1 (October 5, 2018): 39–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-resource-100517-023252.
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Organic agriculture is often perceived as more sustainable than conventional farming. We review the literature on this topic from a global perspective. In terms of environmental and climate change effects, organic farming is less polluting than conventional farming when measured per unit of land but not when measured per unit of output. Organic farming, which currently accounts for only 1% of global agricultural land, is lower yielding on average. Due to higher knowledge requirements, observed yield gaps might further increase if a larger number of farmers would switch to organic practices. Widespread upscaling of organic agriculture would cause additional loss of natural habitats and also entail output price increases, making food less affordable for poor consumers in developing countries. Organic farming is not the paradigm for sustainable agriculture and food security, but smart combinations of organic and conventional methods could contribute toward sustainable productivity increases in global agriculture.
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Sihi, Debjani, Biswanath Dari, Zhengjuan Yan, Dinesh Kumar Sharma, Himanshu Pathak, Om Prakash Sharma, and Lata Nain. "Assessment of Water Quality in Indo-Gangetic Plain of South-Eastern Asia under Organic vs. Conventional Rice Farming." Water 12, no. 4 (March 28, 2020): 960. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w12040960.
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Water contamination is often reported in agriculturally intensive areas such as the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) in south-eastern Asia. We evaluated the impact of the organic and conventional farming of basmati rice on water quality during the rainy season (July to October) of 2011 and 2016 at Kaithal, Haryana, India. The study area comprised seven organic and seven conventional fields where organic farming has been practiced for more than two decades. Water quality parameters used for drinking (nitrate, NO3; total dissolved solids (TDS); electrical conductivity (EC) pH) and irrigation (sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and residual sodium carbonate (RSC)) purposes were below permissible limits for all samples collected from organic fields and those from conventional fields over the long-term (~15 and ~20 years). Importantly, the magnitude of water NO3 contamination in conventional fields was approximately double that of organic fields, which is quite alarming and needs attention in future for farming practices in the IGP in south-eastern Asia.
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Victor Cavalcante da Rocha Silva, Antonio, Junia Mariza Alves Araujo, Andrea Rhavena Rodrigues Arruda, Francisco Barbosa de Macedo Jr, Jadson Emanuel Lopes Antunes, and Ademir Sergio Ferreira Araujo. "SOIL RESPIRATION AND BULK DENSITY UNDERORGANIC AND CONVENTIONALFARMINGSYSTEMS." COLLOQUIUM AGRARIAE 14, no. 4 (December 1, 2018): 167–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.5747/ca.2018.v14.n4.a261.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate, in the field, the soilrespiration and bulk density underconventional and organic farming plots. The evaluations were made in different plots established as conventional farming system and organic farming system with six, nine, twelve, fifteen, eighteen and twenty one months old. Plots were divided in four transects (subplots) and ineach subplot were evaluated soil respiration, bulk density and porosity. The soil respiration was significantly greater in organic farming system with fifteen, eighteen and twenty-one monthsold as compared with conventional farming. Soil bulk density decreased fifteen months afteradoption of organic system. Theresults showed that the adoption of practices in organic farming plots increases microbial activity and decreases soil bulk density over time.
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Baležentis, Tomas, Aiste Galnaitytė, Virginia Namiotko, Lina Novickytė, and Xueli Chen. "Are there enough stimuli to develop sustainable farming in Lithuania?" Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal 30, no. 3 (April 8, 2019): 643–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/meq-09-2018-0160.
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PurposeThe new programming period of 2021–2027 of the European Union (EU) Common Agricultural Policy requires reconsidering the policy measures. In the new period, the European Commission is to allow each member state (MS) developing eco-schemes to support and/or incentivise farmers to observe agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment beyond their mandatory requirements. The purpose of this paper is to compare the performance of organic and conventional family farms.Design/methodology/approachOrganic farming under the organic farming measure of the Rural Development Programme is one of the most widely applied sustainable farming practices in the EU as well as in Lithuania. By assessing theex posteconomic impact of the organic farming measure on farm performance indicators, the authors seek to reveal possibilities and obstacles for the implementation of sustainable farming practices. A counterfactualex postimpact assessment method – propensity score matching (PSM) analysis – was used to evaluateex posteconomic impact of the organic farming measure on the performance of farming indicators.FindingsThe application of the PSM allowed assessing both the effectiveness of the implemented measure and possibilities for applying this measure in the future. The research has revealed that organic farming is less profitable and the gap between farm income in organic and conventional farms has increased during the period of 2007–2013.Originality/valueThe most comprehensive economic information about the farm activities from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) was used for theex posteconomic impact evaluation of the organic farming measure in Lithuania. The matched groups of Lithuanian family farms (organic and conventional) were compared. The results of the research provide a new knowledge about the effectiveness of the organic farming measure in Lithuania and suggest the ways of their improvement in the future. The results can also be generalised to other countries with similar agricultural structure.
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Crowder, David W., and John P. Reganold. "Financial competitiveness of organic agriculture on a global scale." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112, no. 24 (June 1, 2015): 7611–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1423674112.
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To promote global food and ecosystem security, several innovative farming systems have been identified that better balance multiple sustainability goals. The most rapidly growing and contentious of these systems is organic agriculture. Whether organic agriculture can continue to expand will likely be determined by whether it is economically competitive with conventional agriculture. Here, we examined the financial performance of organic and conventional agriculture by conducting a meta-analysis of a global dataset spanning 55 crops grown on five continents. When organic premiums were not applied, benefit/cost ratios (−8 to −7%) and net present values (−27 to −23%) of organic agriculture were significantly lower than conventional agriculture. However, when actual premiums were applied, organic agriculture was significantly more profitable (22–35%) and had higher benefit/cost ratios (20–24%) than conventional agriculture. Although premiums were 29–32%, breakeven premiums necessary for organic profits to match conventional profits were only 5–7%, even with organic yields being 10–18% lower. Total costs were not significantly different, but labor costs were significantly higher (7–13%) with organic farming practices. Studies in our meta-analysis accounted for neither environmental costs (negative externalities) nor ecosystem services from good farming practices, which likely favor organic agriculture. With only 1% of the global agricultural land in organic production, our findings suggest that organic agriculture can continue to expand even if premiums decline. Furthermore, with their multiple sustainability benefits, organic farming systems can contribute a larger share in feeding the world.
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Durrer, Ademir, Thiago Gumiere, Maurício Rumenos Guidetti Zagatto, Henrique Petry Feiler, Antonio Marcos Miranda Silva, Rodrigo Henriques Longaresi, Sérgio K. Homma, and Elke J. B. N. Cardoso. "Organic farming practices change the soil bacteria community, improving soil quality and maize crop yields." PeerJ 9 (September 23, 2021): e11985. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11985.
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Background The importance of organic farming has increased through the years to promote food security allied with minimal harm to the ecosystem. Besides the environmental benefits, a recurring problem associated with organic management is the unsatisfactory yield. A possible solution may rely on the soil microbiome, which presents a crucial role in the soil system. Here, we aimed to evaluate the soil bacterial community structure and composition under organic and conventional farming, considering the tropical climate and tropical soil. Methodology Our organic management treatments were composed by composted poultry manure and green manure with Bokashi. Both organic treatments were based on low nitrogen inputs. We evaluated the soil bacterial community composition by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes, soil fertility, and soil enzyme activity in two organic farming systems, one conventional and the last transitional from conventional to organic. Results We observed that both organic systems evaluated in this study, have higher yield than the conventional treatment, even in a year with drought conditions. These yield results are highly correlated with changes in soil chemical properties and enzymatic activity. The attributes pH, Ca, P, alkaline phosphatase, and β- glucosidase activity are positively correlated with organic systems, while K and Al are correlated with conventional treatment. Also, our results show in the organic systems the changes in the soil bacteria community, being phyla Acidobacteria, Firmicutes, Nitrospirae, and Rokubacteria the most abundant. These phyla were correlated with soil biochemical changes in the organic systems, helping to increase crop yields. Conclusion Different organic management systems, (the so-called natural and organic management systems, which use distinct organic sources), shift the soil bacterial community composition, implying changes in their functionalities. Also, our results contributed to the identification of target bacterial groups and changes in soil chemical properties and enzymatic activity in a trophic organic farming system, which may contribute to higher crop yields.
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Malá, Z., and M. Malý. "The determinants of adopting organic farming practices: a case study in the Czech Republic." Agricultural Economics (Zemědělská ekonomika) 59, No. 1 (February 19, 2013): 19–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.17221/10/2012-agricecon.
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The presented article focuses on an analysis of the phenomena appearing in the implementation of the transition from classic conventional technology in the production of agricultural food products to an ecological manner of farming. The main objective is an empirical analysis of the determinants of the implementation of ecological production technology, whereby not only is their definition focused on, but also the quantification of the level of their effect. The primary methodological tool for achieving the objective is a binary choice model, which was estimated in three variants – probit model, logit model and linear probability model. These estimations are conducted on the basis of the unbalanced panel data from 531 agricultural businesses – legal entities obtained over the time period 2004–2008. Results of the analyses indicate that the transition to and implementation of the organic production technology is negatively affected primarily by the higher age of the farmers and the high productivity of labour. On the other hand, the subsidies for the support of organic agriculture, as well as a high return on cost can be considered as the factors which positively influence the implementation of the organic technology. Given this fact, it is possible, through agricultural policy, to effectively influence the number of organically managing farmers, as well as the acreage of the organically managed land. And from the achieved outputs, the type of farm is subsequently characterised where a transition to organic farming may most likely be expected.
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Cakirli Akyüz, Nuray, and Ludwig Theuvsen. "The Impact of Behavioral Drivers on Adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Practices: The Case of Organic Farming in Turkey." Sustainability 12, no. 17 (August 24, 2020): 6875. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12176875.
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Adoption decisions represent a crucial topic in sustainable agriculture research, particularly in the organic agriculture sector; to understand farmers’ decision-making, research has to delve more deeply into the influences of farmers’ behavior. The aim of this study, therefore, is to determine the behavioral intentions of Turkish sultana raisin producers toward organic farming practices. The proposed model integrates basic elements of the Theory of Planned Behavior and the technology acceptance model, which is then tested with survey data gathered from conventional and organic farmers by applying structural equation modeling, a powerful multivariate statistical technique. The results reveal that organic agriculture is perceived as a useful low-cost innovation by conventional farmers. Relating the results to group comparisons indicates that members of the conventional group are significantly more likely to have a positive intention towards adopting organic farming practices. Our results suggest possible interventions that policymakers should implement not only to stimulate adoption intentions of conventional farmers, but also to sustain continuance of organic practices by current operators.
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Jiumpanyarach, Waripas. "Organic Agriculture: Farmers Perception and Adaptation in Northern Thailand." Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development 11, no. 3 (September 6, 2021): 245–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.18488/journal.ajard.2021.113.245.254.
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This study aimed to examine factors impacting on farmers’ decision to convert from conventional to organic agriculture in Phayao and Nan Provinces, Thailand. The perceptions in conversion from conventional agriculture to organic agriculture toward the intention to change behavior, attitudes, and decision-making were analyzed. The data were collected by questionnaires administered to 124 farmers. The theory of planned behavior and the impacting factors of farm practices using logit model were used for analysis. The reasons for adopting organic agriculture were separated into three categories: (1) knowledge and understanding; farmers understood healthy farming but had little organic farm management information; (2) farm size impacts the costs of production; and (3) farm economics, including costs of delivery, storage, and markets, were a barrier to organic farming. These influenced attitudes, group norms, and perceived behavior. The study found that 50% of farmers using conventional practices were unwilling to change their practices, 16.1% had not decided, but 25.8% decided to change to organic practices. Organic agriculture in the study area increased to approximately 30.65%. The study suggests that farmers’ long-term benefits were implementation of agricultural policies supporting equipment, financial resources, knowledge, green technologies, training, and extension.
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Coll, Patrice, Patrice Coll, Edith Le Cadre, Patrice Coll, Edith Le Cadre, and Cécile Villenave. "How are nematode communities affected during a conversion from conventional to organic farming in southern French vineyards?" Nematology 14, no. 6 (2012): 665–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156854112x624195.
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The rate of conversion from conventional vineyards to organic farming practices is increasing. Organic farming improves some soil properties, although some organic practices have negative effects on soils. The objective of this work was to study the long-term effects of organic farming through the use of soil nematodes as bio-indicators of soil processes. Our experimentation was conducted in a commercial vineyard where plots belonged to two types of viticulture: conventional viticulture and organic viticulture (for 7, 11 and 17 years). The nematode community structure and nematode indices were determined. The main result was that organic practices increased soil nematode density. An increase in the available resources, as measured by a higher enrichment index (EI), led to an increase in the microbial feeder density and mainly opportunistic fungal-feeding nematodes. A greater density of plant-feeding nematodes was attributed to the presence of a grass cover. The functioning of the soil was shifted with the decomposition channel of the soil organic matter becoming more fungal than bacterial. Even though changes were observed in the nematode community structure following the conversion, the maturity index (MI), the plant-parasitic index (PPI) and the structure index (SI) remained constant. Consequently, the organic practices did not improve the soil food web length or complexity even though the biological activity, as measured by microbial biomass and total nematode density, increased.
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Shrestha, Gautam. "Soil Properties and Soil Management Practices in Commercial Organic and Conventional Vegetable Farms in Kathmandu Valley." Nepal Journal of Science and Technology 15, no. 1 (February 1, 2015): 13–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njst.v15i1.12005.
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Soil management practices determine the long term productivity of soil. A comparative study of commercial organic and conventional vegetable farming systems was carried out to find out impact of different farming systems on soil properties. This study was executed in Kathmandu valley (Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur districts) among 30 organic and 30 conventional commercial vegetable farmers. Semi-structured questionnaire survey and soil physical and chemical analysis were performed to gather the required information. Results showed that bulk soil pH was significantly higher in the organic field than in the conventional field. Soil organic matter and available soil potassium were significantly higher in amount in the organic farm than in the conventional farm. Total soil nitrogen content and available soil nitrogen content were significantly higher in amount in the conventional farm than in the organic farm. Conventional farmers were applied significantly higher amount of chicken manure and biozyme as compared to organic farmers. Organic farmers applied significantly higher amount of urban compost and bone meal as compared to conventional farmers. Farmers perceived productivity was increasing in trend in the organic farms whereas it was declining in the conventional farms.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njst.v15i1.12005 Nepal Journal of Science and TechnologyVol. 15, No.1 (2014) 13-22
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Ma, Wanglin, Chunbo Ma, Ye Su, and Zihan Nie. "Organic farming." China Agricultural Economic Review 9, no. 2 (May 2, 2017): 211–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/caer-05-2016-0070.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that influence Chinese apple farmers’ willingness to adopt organic farming, paying a special attention to the role of information acquisition. Design/methodology/approach Given that the selection bias may occur when farmers themselves decide whether or not to acquire the information to understand the essence of organic farming, this study employs a recursive bivariate probit model to address the issue of the selection bias. Findings The empirical results indicate that farmers’ decision to acquire information is positively affected by farmers’ environmental awareness, access to credit and access to information. In particular, information acquisition appears to increase the likelihood of farmers’ willingness to adopt organic farming by 35.9 percentage points on average. Practical implications The findings suggest that measures increasing farmers’ information exposure can be promising policy interventions to induce adoption of organic farming. Originality/value While considerable evidence indicates that organic farming provides more benefits than conventional production practice, little is known about farmers’ willingness to adopt in China. This paper provides a first attempt by examining the role of information acquisition in determining Chinese apple farmers’ willingness to adopt.
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Vaitkevičienė, Nijolė, Elvyra Jarienė, Jurgita Kulaitienė, Honorata Danillčenko, Judita Černiauskienė, Jūratė Aleinikovienė, Dominika Średnicka-Tober, and Ewa Rembiałkowska. "Influence of Agricultural Management Practices on the Soil Properties and Mineral Composition of Potato Tubers with Different Colored Flesh." Sustainability 12, no. 21 (November 1, 2020): 9103. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12219103.
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The objective of the work was to investigate and estimate the effects of conventional, organic, and biodynamic farming systems on biological and agrochemical soil properties and mineral composition of potato tubers with different colored flesh. This study compared the same biological and agrochemical soil quality indicators on samples collected at three sampling times: before potato planting, the middle of the potato season, and before harvesting. In addition, macro- and microelement contents were determined in the tubers. The results showed that the highest soil microbial biomass contents, dehydrogenase activity, and humus contents were found before potato planting in a conventional farming system. However, from potato planting until the end of the growing season, these soil biological indicators significantly decreased in the soil of conventional farming, but significant increases were recorded in organic and biodynamic treatments. The highest contents of all tested nitrogen forms, phosphorus and potassium, were found in the middle of the potato growing season in a conventional farming system. Before harvesting, significant decreases in all studied agrochemical soil quality indicators were observed in all farming systems. The organic and biodynamic potatoes contained significantly more K, P, and Ca than conventional potatoes. In addition, organic samples had significantly higher contents of Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, and B in comparison to the biodynamic and conventional ones. The cultivar effect on the content of selected minerals in the samples was also observed. Red Emmalie contained more K, N, and B. Salad Blue had the highest contents of Fe, Mn, and Zn in comparison to other studied cultivars.
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Ponisio, Lauren C., Leithen K. M'Gonigle, Kevi C. Mace, Jenny Palomino, Perry de Valpine, and Claire Kremen. "Diversification practices reduce organic to conventional yield gap." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 282, no. 1799 (January 22, 2015): 20141396. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.1396.
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Agriculture today places great strains on biodiversity, soils, water and the atmosphere, and these strains will be exacerbated if current trends in population growth, meat and energy consumption, and food waste continue. Thus, farming systems that are both highly productive and minimize environmental harms are critically needed. How organic agriculture may contribute to world food production has been subject to vigorous debate over the past decade. Here, we revisit this topic comparing organic and conventional yields with a new meta-dataset three times larger than previously used (115 studies containing more than 1000 observations) and a new hierarchical analytical framework that can better account for the heterogeneity and structure in the data. We find organic yields are only 19.2% (±3.7%) lower than conventional yields, a smaller yield gap than previous estimates. More importantly, we find entirely different effects of crop types and management practices on the yield gap compared with previous studies. For example, we found no significant differences in yields for leguminous versus non-leguminous crops, perennials versus annuals or developed versus developing countries. Instead, we found the novel result that two agricultural diversification practices, multi-cropping and crop rotations, substantially reduce the yield gap (to 9 ± 4% and 8 ± 5%, respectively) when the methods were applied in only organic systems. These promising results, based on robust analysis of a larger meta-dataset, suggest that appropriate investment in agroecological research to improve organic management systems could greatly reduce or eliminate the yield gap for some crops or regions.
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CARUSO, Gianluca, Vasile V. STOLERU, Neculai C. MUNTEANU, Vincenzo Michele SELLITTO, Gabriel Ciprian TELIBAN, Marian BURDUCEA, Ioan TENU, Giuseppe MORANO, and Monica BUTNARIU. "Quality Performances of Sweet Pepper under Farming Management." Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca 47, no. 2 (December 21, 2018): 458–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.15835/nbha47111351.
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Conventional management of sweet pepper is based on farming practices characterized by the use of chemicals with harmful environmental impact. In order to investigate innovative production, research was carried out in order to assess the effects of two pepper cultivars (‘Brillant’ and ‘Yolo Wonder’) in combination with four farming systems (Conventional control-C; Conventional with microorganism-enriched fertilization-CMF; Organic control-O; Organic with microorganism-enriched fertilization-OMF) on plant physiological parameters, yield and fruit quality. Conventionally grown plants showed higher values of assimilatory pigments and of photosynthetic rate compared to the Organically ones. The CMF resulted in the highest early and total yield, followed by the OMF, due to higher fruit number. Higher values of carotenoids, ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol were recorded in ‘Yolo Wonder’ red fruits compared to ‘Brillant’ yellow berries. The highest total polyphenols concentration was recorded under the CMF, whereas OMF resulted in the highest flavonoids concentration and antioxidant activity.
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Lucarini, Massimo, Maria Enrica Di Cocco, Valeria Raguso, Flavia Milanetti, Alessandra Durazzo, Ginevra Lombardi-Boccia, Antonello Santini, Maurizio Delfini, and Fabio Sciubba. "NMR-Based Metabolomic Comparison of Brassica oleracea (Var. italica): Organic and Conventional Farming." Foods 9, no. 7 (July 17, 2020): 945. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/foods9070945.
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Brassicaceae family provides several crops which are worldwide known for their interesting phytochemical profiles, especially in terms of content of glucosinolates. These secondary metabolites show several beneficial effects toward consumers’ health, and several studies have been conducted to identify cultivation factors affecting their content in crops. One of the agronomic practices which is attracting growing interest is the organic one, which consists in avoiding the use of mineral fertilizers as well as pesticides. The aim of this study is to define the metabolic profile of Brassica oleracea (var. italica) and to compare the samples grown using organic and conventional fertilization methods. The hydroalcoholic and organic extracts of the samples have been analyzed by NMR spectroscopy. Forty-seven metabolites belonging to the categories of organic acids, amino acids, carbohydrates, fatty acids, sterols, and other molecules have been identified. Thirty-seven metabolites have been quantified. Univariate and multivariate PCA analyses allowed to observe that the organic practice influenced the nitrogen transport, the carbohydrate metabolism, the glucosinolate content and the phenylpropanoid pathway in B. oleracea (var. italica).
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Kirchmann, Holger. "Why organic farming is not the way forward." Outlook on Agriculture 48, no. 1 (February 27, 2019): 22–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0030727019831702.
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The aim of this article is to provide information about crop production data based on large-scale organic farming and to point toward major consequences. National statistics show lower organic yields than compiled in meta-analyses from farm- and plot-scale. Yields of organically cropped legumes were 20% and nonlegumes 40% lower than those of conventionally grown crops. Area estimates showed that almost two of three crops were legumes or legume mixtures in organic farming, whereas one of three crops was a legume in conventional cropping. Doubling land use for legumes in organic farming affected the type of food produced, being dominated by milk products and red meat. Over all crops, the organic yield gap was 35%. Since yields are lower under organic than conventional practices, more land is required to produce the same amount of agricultural crops. A 35% yield gap means that 50% more arable land is required. A demand for 50% more farmland imposes huge land use changes and makes one realize the wide-ranging environmental consequences that follow when converting to organic farming. In a relevant comparison between organic and conventional cropping systems, environmental consequences caused by land use change such as lost products (timber, fiber, energy, etc.) and lost ecosystem services (sequestered carbon in soil, wildlife, biodiversity, etc.) must be included. The concept of organic farming was founded on philosophical views about nature, not biological science. Natural means and methods were assumed to be superior. Verification of the reasoning and statements of the founders on why to abandon mineral fertilizers cannot be corroborated by science and is incorrect. Scientific evidence for the concept to abandon synthetic mineral fertilizers as nutrients for crops is lacking. The scientific community is obliged to follow rigorous scientific criteria—not biased views, prejudices, or beliefs.
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Jánský, Jaroslav, Iva Živělová, Jan Křen, and Soňa Valtýniová. "Competitiveness of organically grown cereals." Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis 55, no. 3 (2007): 33–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.11118/actaun200755030033.
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The contribution is aimed at the assessment of recommended crop management practices of chosen cereals for organic farming. To increase competitiveness, these practices are modified depending on soil and climatic conditions, and on a way of production use. Furthermore, impacts of the recommended crop management practices on economics of growing chosen cereals are evaluated and compared with economic results obtained under conventional farming. It is assumed that achieved results will contribute to the increase in proportion of arable crops in the Czech Republic where organic production offer does not meet current demands.When evaluating results of growing individual cereal species in a selective set of organic farms, triticale, spelt and spring barley (in this ranking) can be considered as profitable crops. Moreover, triticale and spelt have even higher gross margin under organic farming than under conventional farming (by 62 % in triticale). Oat brings losses, however, it is important for livestock production. Winter wheat seems to be also unprofitable since less grain is produced at lower imputs per hectare and only part of it is produced in quality “bio”, i.e. marketed for higher prices. Rye also brings losses under organic farming, particularly due to lower yields, similarly to the other mentioned cereals. Special cereal species that are still neglected in organic farming systems are of potential use. Durum wheat has vitreous kernels with a high content of quality gluten which is used for pasta production. It can be grown in the maize production area on fertile soils only.
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Tzamaloukas, Ouranios, Marina C. Neofytou, Panagiotis E. Simitzis, and Despoina Miltiadou. "Effect of Farming System (Organic vs. Conventional) and Season on Composition and Fatty Acid Profile of Bovine, Caprine and Ovine Milk and Retail Halloumi Cheese Produced in Cyprus." Foods 10, no. 5 (May 6, 2021): 1016. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/foods10051016.
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The present work aimed to evaluate the effect of farming practices and season on the fat and protein content and fatty acid (FA) profile of milk and Halloumi cheese produced in Cyprus. Over a year, raw bulk-tank milk samples from cow, goat, and sheep farms were collected seasonally from all organic (11) and representative conventional (44) dairy farms, whereas Fresh Halloumi cheese samples were collected monthly from retail outlets (48 organic and 48 conventional samples in total). The different farming practices did not affect the milk fat content of ruminants, while protein levels were decreased in organic bovine and caprine milk. Under organic farming practices, milk and cheese contained increased values of total mono-unsaturated FA (MUFA) and poly-unsaturated FA (PUFA), and specific FA, such as oleic, conjugated linoleic, linoleic, and α-linolenic acids. Total saturated FA (SFA) levels were particularly decreased in organic samples and, consequently, the atherogenic indices of milk and cheese were decreased. Season influenced milk and Halloumi cheese FA profile; spring samples had lower SFA and higher PUFA and MUFA concentrations. Overall, the organic farm practices improved the lipid profile of milk and Halloumi cheese, which is more likely attributed to the different feeding strategies applied in organic dairy farms.
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SHEORAN, H. S., R. KAKAR, N. KUMAR, and SEEMA. "IMPACT OF ORGANIC AND CONVENTIONAL FARMING PRACTICES ON SOIL QUALITY: A GLOBAL REVIEW." Applied Ecology and Environmental Research 17, no. 1 (2019): 951–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.15666/aeer/1701_951968.
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Mancini, Lucia. "Conventional, Organic and Polycultural Farming Practices: Material Intensity of Italian Crops and Foodstuffs." Resources 2, no. 4 (December 9, 2013): 628–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/resources2040628.
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Iofrıda, Nathalıe, Teodora Stıllıtano, Gıacomo Falcone, Gıovannı Gulısano, Bruno Francesco Nıcolò, and Anna Irene De Luca. "The socio-economic impacts of organic and conventional olive growing in Italy." New Medit 19, no. 1 (April 10, 2020): 117–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.30682/nm2001h.
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Olive growing is the most important agricultural activity in Italy, representing, in 2010, 56% of Italian farms and 76% of land used for permanent crops. Producing high-quality products, such as healthy and socially responsible produces, while containing costs, is the current market challenge, and evaluation tools are of utmost importance to help farmers shaping management practices to obtain competitive prod-ucts. This study applies Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and social Life Cycle Assessment (sLCA) as evaluation tools to compare the socio-economic impacts of organic and conventional farming systems of the Italian olive growing. Results showed a similar level of economic profitability in both scenarios, due to the public subsidies for organic farming, which balanced higher production costs. From a social point of view, some differences have been highlighted: organic farming would be suitable not only to increase incomes but also to improve the occupational health of the people involved. ,, Falcone,, Bruno Francesco, Anna Irene De Luca
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Ostapenko, Roman, Yuliia Herasymenko, Vitalii Nitsenko, Svitlana Koliadenko, Tomas Balezentis, and Dalia Streimikiene. "Analysis of Production and Sales of Organic Products in Ukrainian Agricultural Enterprises." Sustainability 12, no. 8 (April 22, 2020): 3416. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12083416.
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As organic farming gains more popularity across the world, it is important to discuss the underlying trends of its development in Ukraine, who is an important agricultural producer. Organic farming may have lower environmental pressures—therefore, we seek to identify the major trends in the production and sales of the organic agricultural products in Ukraine. In this study, data on the production structure, costs, and selling prices from Ukrainian enterprises are analyzed. Conventional and organic enterprises are contrasted in order to identify the possibilities for the development of organic agriculture in Ukraine. Our results suggest that enterprises that use organic farming in Ukraine tend to produce higher output per hectare, as opposed to those engaged in conventional farming. However, labor profitability remains low in labor-intensive organic farming, especially in larger companies, and organic products remain a low percentage of Ukraine’s agricultural exports. This calls for further study into the development of organic production and consumption in the domestic market, as well as the implementation of appropriate certification practices in order to ensure the growth of organic exports.
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Adhikari, Subodh, Laura A. Burkle, Kevin M. O’Neill, David K. Weaver, Casey M. Delphia, and Fabian D. Menalled. "Dryland Organic Farming Partially Offsets Negative Effects of Highly Simplified Agricultural Landscapes on Forbs, Bees, and Bee–Flower Networks." Environmental Entomology 48, no. 4 (May 30, 2019): 826–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvz056.
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AbstractIndustrialized farming practices result in simplified agricultural landscapes, reduced biodiversity, and degraded species-interaction networks. Thus far, most research assessing the combined effects of farming systems and landscape complexity on beneficial insects has been conducted in relatively diversified and mesic systems and may not represent the large-scale, monoculture-based dryland agriculture that dominates many regions worldwide. Specifically, the effects of farming systems on forbs, bees, and their interactions are poorly understood in highly simplified dryland landscapes such as those in the Northern Great Plains, United States, an area globally important for conventional and organic small grain, pulse, forage, and oilseed production. During a 3-yr (2013–2015) study, we assessed 1) the effects of dryland no-till conventional and tilled organic farming on forbs, bees, and bee–flower networks and 2) the relationship between natural habitat and bee abundance. Flower density and richness were greater in tilled organic fields than in no-till conventional fields, and forb community composition differed between farming systems. We observed high bee diversity (109 taxa) in this highly simplified landscape, and bee abundance, richness, and community composition were similar between systems. Compared with tilled organic fields, bee–flower interactions in no-till conventional fields were poorly connected, suggesting these systems maintain relatively impoverished plant-pollinator networks. Natural habitat (11% of the landscape) did not affect small-bodied bee abundance in either farming system but positively affected large-bodied bees within 2,000 m of crop-field centers. In highly simplified agricultural landscapes, dryland organic farming and no-till conventional farming together support relatively high bee diversity, presumably because dryland organic farming enhances floral resources and bee–flower networks, and no-till management in conventional farming provides undisturbed ground-nesting habitats for wild bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea).
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Bhagat, Priya Rani, and Róbert Magda. "Food Security in the Era of Sustainable Organic Farming: A Comparison Between the Visegrad Group and India." Visegrad Journal on Bioeconomy and Sustainable Development 10, no. 1 (June 1, 2021): 14–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/vjbsd-2021-0004.
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Abstract The agriculture industry has undergone many developments that embraced automation, agro-chemical fertilizers, genetically modified organisms etc that brought exponential growth in productivity post industrial revolution. This growth resolved the food availability issues on a global scale, but rapid climate change has brought about a shift in production practices to more sustainable organic farming techniques from the conventional methods. The climate change effects and increase in greenhouse gas emissions adversely affected the overall agricultural output. The widespread perception is that adoption of organic farming can reduce the harmful greenhouse emissions and be less damaging to the environment, although expecting the same level of productivity as conventional farming is challenging. This gradual shift can cause future food security problems such as availability and affordability of food in developing countries. This article compares and analyses such trend in the Visegrad group (V4) and India. The comparison between a group of developed nations and a developing nation is of exploratory interest because V4 countries are regarded as high-income countries and they are leaders in organic cultivation practices since the 1980s, whereas India as a developing country has seen substantial conversion of agriculture land area from conventional to organic farming in the past decade.
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Aninowski, Mateusz, Renata Kazimierczak, Ewelina Hallmann, Joanna Rachtan-Janicka, Elżbieta Fijoł-Adach, Beata Feledyn-Szewczyk, Iwona Majak, and Joanna Leszczyńska. "Evaluation of the Potential Allergenicity of Strawberries in Response to Different Farming Practices." Metabolites 10, no. 3 (March 12, 2020): 102. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/metabo10030102.
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Fruit allergies are a large problem today. Many consumers suffer from food allergies or intolerances. The method of food production has a major impact on its quality. In fruit and vegetable production, three different farming systems are mainly found: conventional, integrated pest management and organic production. The latter is considered the best in terms of fruits and vegetables safety and high quality. The present experiment was performed to demonstrate the effect of the strawberry production method on its allergenic properties and flavonoid content. The strawberry ‘Honeoye’ cv. was used for the study. Fruits from the three cultivation systems, organic, conventional and integrated, were tested for their content of biologically active compounds and their potential allergenicity. The results obtained indicate that the strawberries from the organic system were the safest because they contained the lowest levels of Bet v1 and profilin in comparison with the fruits from the integrated and conventional systems.
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Flaten, Ola, Gudbrand Lien, Martha Ebbesvik, Matthias Koesling, and Paul S. Valle. "Do the new organic producers differ from the ‘old guard’? Empirical results from Norwegian dairy farming." Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 21, no. 3 (September 2006): 174–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/raf2005140.
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Conventional farmers converting to organics have contributed to most of the rapid expansion of organic farming in recent years. The new organic farmers may differ from their more established colleagues, which may have implications for the development of the organic farming sector and its distinctiveness vis-à-vis conventional production and marketing practices. The aim of this study was to explore Norwegian organic dairy farmers' personal and farm production characteristics, farming goals, conversion motives, and attitudes to organic farming, grouped by year of conversion (three groups). A postal survey was undertaken among organic dairy farmers (n=161). The results show that the newcomers (converted in 2000 or later) were less educated than the early entrants (the so-called ‘old guard’) who converted in 1995 or earlier. The frequency of activities like vegetable growing and poultry farming among the old guard was high. The late-entry organic herds were fed with more concentrates and had a higher milk production intensity, showed a higher incidence of veterinary treatments and less frequent use of alternative medicine than the herds of the two earlier converting groups. For all groups of farmers, the highest ranked farming goals were sustainable and environment-friendly farming and the production of high-quality food. Late entrants more often mentioned goals related to profit and leisure time. On average, the most frequently mentioned motives for conversion were food quality and professional challenges. The old guard was more strongly motivated by food quality and soil fertility/pollution issues than the others, whereas financial reasons (organic payments included) were relatively more important among the newcomers. All groups held very favorable views about the environmental qualities of organic farming methods, albeit with different strengths of beliefs. Even though trends towards more pragmatic and business-oriented farming were found, the majority of the newcomers were fairly committed.
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Navarro Chavez, Jose Cesar Lenin, and America Ivonne Zamora Torres. "Performance in the Production of Organic, Biofertilized and Conventional Guava in Zitacuaro´s Region, Michoacan, Mexico." Sustainable Agriculture Research 1, no. 1 (January 29, 2012): 19. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/sar.v1n1p19.
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<p>The organic market is growing at a steady pace of 20 percent annually; this farming method can bring several advantages to the consumers and also to the farmers. Among other things organic farming does not have to rely on access to external inputs such as fertilizer and pesticides because the farmers make use of their own resources. This not only represents a friendlier environment to the farmer or the land but also can be cheaper. The aim of this study is to find out the yield differential between three productions systems (organic, biofertilized and conventional) of guava crops in Zitacuaro, Michoacan, Mexico.</p> The results indicated that the most profitable crop in terms of production costs and profits on Zitacuaro´s region is the biofertilized crop that takes up the sustainable practices combined with conventional practices in a lesser proportion. While organic and conventional crops shows a slide difference between them.
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Campbell, Leslie. "LEARNING FROM THE PRESENT AND THE PAST: A CONTEMPORARY AND HISTORICAL REVIEW OF AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS ON SOIL FERTILITY." AGRICA 4, no. 1 (July 22, 2020): 38–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.37478/agr.v4i1.465.
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Conventional farming involves the use of synthetic and chemical pesticides that increases the short-term productivity of the soil with the expense of its long-term fertility. The emergence of alternative agriculture movement is estimated to have become a progressive response in increasing awareness of the long adverse effects on an effort to promote the soil which is well cultivated by the agro-ecological environment. Although it is a shift from conventional farming, alternative farming practices have not been adequately integrated as organic farming techniques and remain non-organic farming options. In an effort to explore the differences, we conducted a literature review of temperate areas studies comparing to conventional and alternative farming techniques in terms of their effects on soil nutrient levels. This review was found that 70% of the literature supports the use of alternative techniques as the means of reducing the agriculture impact on fertility and health of the soil and highlights the need of further research on the topic of longitudinal studies primarily in the context of the ecology of temperate climate. To contextualize contemporary view with the developing popularity of the alternative conventional farming system, we also explored the literature about the impact of agriculture that expanded again from the 1920s. The historical study examined literature concerning long-term fertility soil in Canada Journal on scientific agriculture to capture general environment narration about alternative farming at that time. It was found that a segment of the pre-1950s literature viewed the farming practices sustainable time, citing the declining yields to support this claim. The latest increasing proved in alternative farming techniques in response to a growing awareness of the long-term effects of conventional farming can be contextualized in the context of history as well as the rise of a more traditional approach to farming.
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Reganold, John P. "Comparison of soil properties as influenced by organic and conventional farming systems." American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 3, no. 4 (1988): 144–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0889189300002423.
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AbstractThis paper summarizes data from previous and current studies on two adjacent farms, one organically managed and the other conventionally managed, in the Palouse region of eastern Washington. The 320-hectare organic farm has been managed without the use of commercial fertilizers and only limited use of pesticides since the farm was first plowed in 1909. The 525-hectare conventional farm, first cultivated in 1908, began receiving recommended rates of commercial fertilizers and pesticides in 1948 and the early 1950's, respectively. The organically-farmed Naff silt loam soil had significantly higher organic matter, cation exchange capacity, total nitrogen, extractable potassium, water content, pH, polysaccharide content, enzyme levels, and microbial biomass than did the conventionally-farmed Naff soil. Also, the organically-farmed soil had significantly lower modulus of rupture, more granular structure, less hard and more friable consistence, and 16 centimeters more topsoil. This topsail difference between farms was attributed to significantly greater erosion on the conventionally-farmed soil between 1948 and 1985. The difference in erosion rates between farms was most probably due to their different crop rotation systems; Le., only the organic farm included a green manure crop in its rotation, and it had different tillage practices. These studies indicate that, in the long-term, the organic farming system was more effective than the conventional farming system in maintaining the tilth and productivity of the Naff soil and in reducing its loss to erosion.
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Sujatha, R. V., K. Suhasini, and Y. Eswara Prasad. "Organic Farming For Sustainable Agriculture: A Comparative Analysis Of Organic Versus Conventional Rice And Cotton." Journal of Global Economy 4, no. 3 (September 30, 2008): 196–207. http://dx.doi.org/10.1956/jge.v4i3.116.
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Organic farming is not new to Indian farming community. Several forms of organic farming are being successfully practiced in diverse climate, particularly in rain-fed, tribal, mountains and hill areas of the country. Among all farming systems, organic farming is gaining wide attention among farmers, entrepreneurs, policy makers and agricultural scientists for varied reasons such as it minimizes the dependence on chemical inputs (fertilizers; pesticides; herbicides and other agro-chemicals) thus safeguards/ improves quality of resources, and environment. It is labour intensive and provides an opportunity to increase rural employment and achieve long term improvements in the quality of resource base.Organic farming has received considerable attention in India in the recent past. In India, the per cent area under organic farming is only 0.03 per cent of the total area under agriculture when compared to Austria (11.30%), Switzerland (9.70%) and Italy (7.94%) according to SOEL Survey, February 2003. Some of the major organically produced agricultural crops in India include crops like plantation, spices, pulses, fruits, vegetables and oil seeds etc
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Fernandez-Cornejo, Jorge, Catherine Greene, Renata Penn, and Doris Newton. "Organic vegetable production in the U.S.: Certified growers and their practices." American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 13, no. 2 (June 1998): 69–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0889189300007694.
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AbstractOrganic farming systems differ fundamentally from conventional ones in their primary focus on management practices that promote and enhance ecological harmony. Organic farmers also tend to have a different socioeconomic profile. In this study, we summarize average socioeconomic characteristics and production practices of a national sample of about 300 certified organic vegetable growers from 14 states and compare them to a large sample of about 6,900 conventional vegetable growers. We also examine the specific materials used by organic growers for pest and nutrient management.Organic vegetable growers tend to be younger, more educated, less experienced in farming, and less likely to have grown up on a farm than conventional vegetable growers, and tend to operate smaller farms. Over three-quarters of the organic vegetable growers surveyed have small operations (less than 10 acres of vegetables), and they are much younger and work fewer days in off-farm jobs than conventional small growers. In contrast to conventional marketing practices, nearly half the surveyed organic growers, and the majority of small ones, market their vegetables directly to consumers through farmers' markets and other direct marketing channels.The organic growers rely primarily on traditional organic processes such as green manuring (legumes), animal manuring, composting, and crop rotation to supply crop nutrients, and on cultural and biological tools, including pest-resistant plant varieties, water management techniques, adjustment of planting and harvesting dates, and beneficial organisms, for pest management. Animal meal, fish products, and lime are their most frequently reported supplemental nutrient sources (14, 20 and 28%, respectively, reported using these materials), and Pyrellin EC and petroleum-based soaps were the most frequently reported supplemental pest management materials (used by 6 and 8%, respectively). The pest and nutrient materials used by the organic growers are generally consistent with current guidelines of major certification organizations that provide services to organic growers, and there is high consistency among those guidelines and national recommendations for most of these materials.
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Tsiplakou, Eleni, Vaios Kotrotsios, Ioannis Hadjigeorgiou, and George Zervas. "Differences in sheep and goats milk fatty acid profile between conventional and organic farming systems." Journal of Dairy Research 77, no. 3 (May 20, 2010): 343–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022029910000270.
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The objective of this study was to investigate whether there is a difference in chemical composition and particularly in fatty acid (FA) profile, with emphasis on cis-9, trans-11 CLA, of milk obtained from conventional and organic dairy sheep and goats farms under the farming conditions practiced in Greece. Four dairy sheep and four dairy goat farms, representing common conventional production systems and another four dairy sheep and four dairy goat farms, organically certified, representing organic production and feeding systems were selected from all over Greece. One hundred and sixty two individual milk samples were collected from those farms in January–February 2009, about three months after parturition. The milk samples were analyzed for their main chemical constituents and their FA profile. The results showed that the production system affected milk chemical composition: in particular fat content was lower in the organic sheep and goats milk compared with the corresponding conventional. Milk from organic sheep had higher content in MUFA, PUFA, α-LNA, cis-9, trans-11 CLA, and ω-3 FA, whereas in milk from organic goats α-LNA and ω-3 FA content was higher than that in conventional one. These differences are, mainly, attributed to different feeding practices used by the two production systems. The results of this study show that the organic milk produced under the farming conditions practiced in Greece has higher nutritional value, due to its FA profile, compared with the respective conventional milk.
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Mohammad Kanedi, Suratman, Nismah Nukmal, and Siti Ardiyanti. "Impact of 2-years practice of organic coffee farming on soil arthropod diversity." World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews 10, no. 1 (April 30, 2021): 168–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2021.10.1.0144.
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Organic farming has been recommended by many experts in the world because of its positive ecological impacts such as increasing biodiversity. In Indonesia, the practice of organic farming is very widespread, including in smallholder coffee plantations. This study was intended to determine the impact of the organic farming system applied by smallholder coffee farmers for 2 years on soil arthropod diversity. On the two coffee farmlands, the conventional and organics (1 ha each), 10 plots of 5 x 20 meters were set and in each of these plots 5 sampling points were defined for collecting soil arthropods using pit-fall technique. The analysis of arthropod diversity in the two fields was quantified using the Shannon-Wiener diversity index model. The results showed that the two compared coffee farming systems had the same index of diversity (H ') and evenness (E). However, statistical tests using the Hutcheson t-test revealed that the variance in diversity of arthropods in organic coffee farms was significantly higher than in conventional ones (α <0.001). Therefore, it can be concluded that the practice of organic coffee farming, although in a short time, has been able and potent to increase the population and/or diversity of soil animals.
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Garnica, Sigisfredo, Ronja Rosenstein, and Max Emil Schön. "Belowground fungal community diversity, composition and ecological functionality associated with winter wheat in conventional and organic agricultural systems." PeerJ 8 (October 13, 2020): e9732. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9732.
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Understanding the impacts of agricultural practices on belowground fungal communities is crucial in order to preserve biological diversity in agricultural soils and enhance their role in agroecosystem functioning. Although fungal communities are widely distributed, relatively few studies have correlated agricultural production practices. We investigated the diversity, composition and ecological functionality of fungal communities in roots of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) growing in conventional and organic farming systems. Direct and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifications spanning the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rDNA from pooled fine root samples were performed with two different sets of fungal specific primers. Fungal identification was carried out through similarity searches against validated reference sequences (RefSeq). The R package ‘picante’ and FUNGuild were used to analyse fungal community composition and trophic mode, respectively. Either by direct or cloning sequencing, 130 complete ITS sequences were clustered into 39 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) (25 singletons), belonging to the Ascomycota (24), the Basidiomycota (14) and to the Glomeromycota (1). Fungal communities from conventional farming sites are phylogenetically more related than expected by chance. Constrained ordination analysis identified total N, total S and Pcal that had a significant effect on the OTU’s abundance and distribution, and a further correlation with the diversity of the co-occurring vegetation could be hypothesised. The functional predictions based on FUNGuild suggested that conventional farming increased the presence of plant pathogenic fungi compared with organic farming. Based on diversity, OTU distribution, nutrition mode and the significant phylogenetic clustering of fungal communities, this study shows that fungal communities differ across sampling sites, depending on agricultural practices. Although it is not fully clear which factors determine the fungal communities, our findings suggest that organic farming systems have a positive effect on fungal communities in winter wheat crops.
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Leary, James, and Joe DeFrank. "Living Mulches For Organic Farming Systems." HortTechnology 10, no. 4 (January 2000): 692–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.21273/horttech.10.4.692.
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An important aspect of organic farming is to minimize the detrimental impact of human intervention to the surrounding environment by adopting a natural protocol in system management. Traditionally, organic farming has focused on the elimination of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and a reliance on biological cycles that contribute to improving soil health in terms of fertility and pest management. Organic production systems are ecologically and economically sustainable when practices designed to build soil organic matter, fertility, and structure also mitigate soil erosion and nutrient runoff. We found no research conducted under traditional organic farming conditions, comparing bareground monoculture systems to systems incorporating the use of living mulches. We will be focusing on living mulch studies conducted under conventional methodology that can be extrapolated to beneficial uses in an organic system. This article discusses how organic farmers can use living mulches to reduce erosion, runoff, and leaching and also demonstrate the potential of living mulch systems as comprehensive integrated pest management plans that allow for an overall reduction in pesticide applications. The pesticide reducing potential of the living mulch system is examined to gain insight on application within organic agriculture.
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Reganold, John P. "Soil quality and profitability of biodynamic and conventional farming systems: A review." American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 10, no. 1 (March 1995): 36–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s088918930000610x.
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AbstractBiodynamic and organic farming are similar in that both are ecologically oriented and do not use chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The main difference is that biodynamic farmers add eight specific amendments, called preparations, to their soils, crops, and composts. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in biodynamic farming practices and systems because they show potential for mitigating some detrimental effects of chemical-dependent conventional agriculture. Only a few studies examining biodynamic methods or comparing biodynamic farming with other farming systems have been published in the refereed scientific literature, especially in English. This paper summarizes data from previous studies, both published and unpublished (theses), that have compared biodynamic and conventional farming systems with respect to soil quality or profitability. These studies have shown that the biodynamic farming systems generally have better soil quality, lower crop yields, and equal or higher net returns per hectare than their conventional counterparts. Two studies that included organic management treatments with and without the preparations showed that the preparations improved biological soil properties and increased crop root growth. However, more research is needed to determine whether the preparations affect soil physical, chemical, and biological properties and crop growth and, if so, their mode of action.
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Mccann, Elizabeth, Shannon Sullivan, Donna Erickson, and Raymond De Young. "Environmental Awareness, Economic Orientation, and Farming Practices: A Comparison of Organic and Conventional Farmers." Environmental Management 21, no. 5 (September 1, 1997): 747–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s002679900064.
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Er, Ah Choy, Habibah Ahmad, and Azima Abdul Manaf. "Comparative Cost Benefit Analysis of Conventional Farming and Agroecological Farming for Paddy Cultivation in Bachok, Kelantan." International Journal of Environmental Science and Development 12, no. 6 (2021): 181–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.18178/ijesd.2021.12.6.1338.
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In Malaysia, conventional rice farming is the predominant method of rice cultivation with attendant problems like the harmful effects of the utilisation of synthetic pesticides and synthetic fertilisers. Thus, conventional rice farming was compared to the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method, a variant of agroecological rice farming, in Kampung Klerek, Bachok District, and Kelantan. It must be noted that the agroecological rice farming method is the farmer’s maiden attempt. Agroecological rice farming is a much more environmentally friendly approach. The aim of this paper is to compare conventional rice farming vis-à-vis agroecological rice farming from a financial perspective. Comparative Cost Benefit Analysis has been adopted to determine which the better alternative is. However, the results go beyond financial consideration as conventional rice farming is chemically driven whereas agroecological rice farming is grounded on environmentalism. The results indicated that agroecological rice farming is a better financial alternative with higher revenue and lower cost of production. The higher revenue is due to higher production yield whereas the lower cost of production is due to contributory factors like lower labour cost, lower seed utilisation and ancillary cost, zero cost for synthetic fertilisers and lower fuel and ancillary cost for machinery despite higher organic fertiliser cost. Thus, on a long-term basis, with the effect of the learning and experience curve, the cost of production can be lowered further. Moreover, the higher rice yield, less seed wastage, utilisation of organic fertilisers, organic pesticides and natural pest control methods are in sync with good environmental practices.
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Milgroom, Jessica, María Auxiliadora Soriano, José M. Garrido, José A. Gómez, and Elías Fereres. "The influence of a shift from conventional to organic olive farming on soil management and erosion risk in southern Spain." Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 22, no. 1 (March 2007): 1–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1742170507001500.
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AbstractNatural resource conservation should be fundamental to organic agriculture, including the prevention of soil erosion. Soil erosion in the olive orchards of southern Spain is recognized as a serious problem causing environmental, economic and social repercussions, both on and off-site. This study describes the changes in soil management practices that accompanied a shift from conventional to organic olive farming and the corresponding effect of those management practices on erosion risk in the province of Córdoba, Andalusia. Interviews with 107 farmers were carried out in two different geographic areas to assess the socio-economic factors influencing farm management decision-making, and on-farm erosion risk evaluations and soil data (organic matter, aggregate stability, infiltration and vegetative ground cover) were taken on 25 farms to assess the effects of those decisions on soil erosion risk. Results from this study show that the shift to organic farming in olive orchards in the province of Córdoba has been accompanied by increased protection of the soil and lowered erosion risk. The most important changes in soil management practices associated with the transition from conventional to organic agriculture were the reduction in tillage and the increase in management systems that incorporate a vegetative cover controlled either by grazing livestock or mowing. However, the shift to organic farming has had more impact in the south of the province than in the north where farm management systems have historically led to less erosion.
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Galnaitytė, Aiste, and Irena Kriščiukaitienė. "SIMULATION OF ORGANIC FARMING DEVELOPMENT." Management Theory and Studies for Rural Business and Infrastructure Development 38, no. 3 (September 29, 2016): 219–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.15544/mts.2016.17.
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A new United Nations sustainable development Agenda underlines the relevance of Organic farming development. In the same line the Government of the Republic of Lithuania seeks to create economically efficient and competitive agriculture, based on low environmental impact farming, to develop organic farming and high quality certified agricultural and food production, conserve natural resources. Transition to the sustainable agricultural development faces the main difficulty, which is formulated as a scientific problem: how to reconcile the economic and political interests? This research is carried out by the purpose to offer alternative possibilities for organic farming development. The research was carried out using mathematical programming model and scenario analysis. Model is formulated as a linear mathematical programming optimization model, consisting of objective function, constraints, expressed as inequalities and fulfilling non-negative values conditions. The model includes existing and results provide the maximum gross value added ensuring crop production structure, taking in to account farming practices applied in Lithuania: conventional, organic, organic in conversion and integrated. The analysis of three scenarios has shown that the majority of compensatory payments and prices of organic production (2013) are insufficient to increase organic crop area to the extent of 10 percent of total agricultural land in Lithuania by 2020: only by one third (31 percent) higher organic production prices, lead to reached 10.5 percent of organic crop area from the total agricultural land. The research results provide scientifically based knowledge to the policy makers about the impact of the policy measure “Organic farming” on the development of organic farming.
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Nyamwamu, Charles N., and B. Elizabeth Onkundi. "Assessment of the Adoption of Organic and Conventional Farming Methods in Kisii Central Sub-County, Western Kenya." Journal of Horticulture and Plant Research 12 (March 2021): 18–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.18052/www.scipress.com/jhpr.12.18.
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This study sought to determine the extent of adoption of various organic and conventional crop and soil management practices in the farms. Ten farms were sampled at an equidistance of one kilometre along a transect laid across each of the eight randomly selected sub-locations in the sub county. A sample size of 80 farms was randomly selected from the Sub-County. The eighty farms were regrouped into two; Organic and conventional farms. A survey of the crop management practises was carried out and the observed methods recorded down. The data collected was analyzed using the Statistical paired t test and descriptive statistics. Use of pesticides recorded the highest percentages (60%) in conventional methods while mulching recorded relatively high percentage (42%) in organic methods. Use of plastic cover recorded the lowest percentage of 4% in conventional methods while vermin-compositing was not embraced in conventional methods. Conventional methods were 3.33 points higher than organic (95% CI [-9.37596, 16.04263]). Conventional and Organic farming methods were strongly and negatively correlated (r = -0.069, p > 0.05). However, there was no statistical significant difference between conventional and organic methods (t5 = 0.674, p > 0.05), [Appendix 1(iii)]. The knowledge obtained will be useful to the farmers and other participants globally to improve crop productivity. The information collected will also enable farmers seek for unconventional ways to alleviate the problem of heavy usage of agrochemicals in order to embrace organic farming for the long run sustainability of the agricultural sector.
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Malissiova, Eleni, Theofilos Papadopoulos, Aikaterini Kyriazi, Maria Mparda, Christina Sakorafa, Antonios Katsioulis, Anna Katsiaflaka, Maria Kyritsi, Antonios Zdragas, and Christos Hadjichristodoulou. "Differences in sheep and goats milk microbiological profile between conventional and organic farming systems in Greece." Journal of Dairy Research 84, no. 2 (March 15, 2017): 206–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022029917000103.
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The aim of this study was to examine differences in the microbiological profile and antimicrobial resistance of bacteria isolated from milk from organic and conventional sheep and goat farms. Twenty-five organic and 25 conventional sheep and goat farms in the region of Thessaly, Greece participated in this study. A standardised detailed questionnaire was used to describe farming practices. A total of 50 samples were collected and analysed for total viable count (TVC), total coliform count (TCC) and somatic cell count (SCC), whileStaphylococcus aureusandEscherichia coliwere isolated using standard methods. Isolates were identified at species level by Api-test and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionisation-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Susceptibility to a panel of 20 forE. coliand 16 forS. aureusantimicrobials was determined by the agar dilution method. Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed forS. aureusandE. coliisolates to determine predominant clones. Lower counts of TVC, TCC and SCC were identified in milk from the organic farms, possibly due to differences in the hygienic farming practices found on those farms. API-tests and MALDI-TOF MS showed no significant differences in theS. aureusandE. coliisolates. Overall, antimicrobial resistance rates were low, while a statistically higher percentage was estimated among strains originating from conventional farms in comparison with organic farms, possibly due to the restriction of antibiotic use in organic farming. PFGE revealed diversity amongS. aureusandE. colipopulations in both organic and conventional farms indicating circulation of 2–3 main clones changing slightly during their evolution. Consequently, there is evidence that milk from the organic farms presents a better microbiological profile when compared with milk from conventional farms.