DOC trial: diversity and metabolic effiency of microbial communities in organic and conventional soils

Soil microbiota are favoured by organic farming systems. Moreover they were found to need less energy fore their maintenance. The diversity of microbial functions was also increased. Our results support the hypothesis that diverse populations make better use of the available resources

Reduced tillage and green manures for sustainable organic cropping systems

The overall aim of the project Reduced tillage and green manures for sustainable organic cropping systems (TILMAN-)ORG are to design improved organic cropping systems with enhanced productivity and nutrient use efficiency, more efficient weed management and increased biodiversity, but lower carbon footprints. The TILMAN-ORG project is funded by the CORE Organic II Funding Bodies being partners of the FP7 ERA-Net project, CORE Organic II. The TILMAN-ORG project’s overall goals are to design improved organic cropping systems with: - enhanced productivity and nutrient use efficiency, - more efficient weed management and increased biodiversity, but - lower carbon footprints (in particular increased carbon sequestration and lower GHG emissions from soils). These goals will be achieved by adapting and integrating conservation agriculture techniques (in particular reduced tillage and improved use of green manures) into organic farming systems to intensify biological soil functions like nutrient cycling, soil carbon build-up, and biological nitrogen fixation, while at the same time optimising management protocols for weeds (which are the main challenge when introducing minimum tillage systems). Project partners - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) - ISARA Lyon - Helmholtz Zentrum München (HMGU) - University of Kassel - Louis Bolk Institute (LBI) - Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR) - ILVO - Public Research Center-Gabriel Lippmann (CRP-GL) - Newcastle University (UNEW) - The Organic Research Centre - Elm Farm (ORC) - Estonian University of Life Sciences (EULS) - Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerche Agro-Ambientali (CIRAA) - Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (SSSA) - Universitat de Barcelona (UB) - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL Austria

What can organic agriculture contribute to sustainable development? – Long-term comparisons of farming systems in the tropics

Despite the high demand for sound data on the agronomic, ecological and economic performance of organic agriculture in developing countries, systematic comparison of organic and conventional farming systems has not so far been carried out. The Research Institute of Organic Farming (FiBL), together with its partners, is presently establishing long-term comparisons of farming systems in various agro-ecological and agro-economic contexts to study the different parameters that are essential for sustainable development. To date, three study areas have been selected: (a) a sub-humid area in Kenya where farming is subsistence-oriented; (b) a semi-arid area in India where cotton is produced for the export market; and (c) a humid area in Bolivia where perennial fruits and cacao are produced for the domestic and export markets. The key elements in these comparisons are replicated long-term field trials. These are complemented by farm surveys and short-term trials under on-farm conditions. This network of comparison of farming systems in the tropics is expected to (1) put the discussion on the benefits and drawbacks of organic agriculture on a rational footing; (2) help to identify challenges for organic agriculture that can then be addressed systematically; (3) provide physical reference points for stakeholders in agricultural research and development and thus support agricultural policy dialogue at different levels

DOC-trail: 20 years of organic and conventional farming affect soil microbial properties

In a long-term field trial (DOC; = bio-Dynamic, bio-Organic, Conventional) at Therwil, Switzerland, agricultural production systems have been compared since 1978. The production systems differ mainly in the amount and form of fertiliser and plant protection strategy. Crop rotation and soil tillage were the same. In the most prominent systems soil microbial properties were investigated for the first time after two crop rotations in 1990. In 1998, after 3 crop rotations, soil microbial properties were investigated in all field plots. Conclusions Agricultural systems exert distinct effects on chemical and microbiological soil properties, prominently the bio-dynamic system with the application of composted manure. Part of the influence on microbiological parameters appears to be indirect through chemical properties. The differentiation of the systems remained stable for the last eight years of the trial

The Impact of Organic Cotton Farming on the Livelihoods of Smallholders. Evidence from the Maikaal bioRe poject in central India

This research report analyses the impact of conversion to organic cotton farming on the livelihoods of smallholders in the Maikaal bioRe organic cotton project in Madhya Pradesh, central India. For that purpose, it compares farm profile data, material and financial input/output and soil parameters of organic and conventional farms over two cropping periods (2003 – 2005). The results show that organic farms achieve cotton yields that are on a par with those in conventional farms, though nutrient inputs are considerably lower. With less production costs and a 20% organic price premium, gross margins from cotton are thus substantially higher than in the conventional system. Even if the crops grown in rotation with cotton are sold without organic price premium, profits in organic farms are higher. In the perception of most organic farmers, soil fertility significantly improved after conversion. However, the analysis of soil fertility parameters in soil samples from organic and conventional cotton fields has shown only minor differences in organic matter content and water retention. The research indicates that organic cotton farming can be a viable option to improve incomes and reduce vulnerability of smallholders in the tropics. To use this potential it is important to find suitable approaches to enable marginalised farmers managing the hurdles of conversion to the organic farming system