A guide to organic grassland

Organic farming systems in the UK are traditionally based on ley/arable crop rotations. Up to 70% of the farmed area comprises of mixed grass and legume leys. These leys offer a powerful mechanism for supplying nitrogen through their potential to harvest biologically fixed nitrogen to support both animal production and a subsequent phase of arable cropping. This bulletin answers some of the common questions about organic grassland management

Animal Health and Welfare in Organic Agriculture

A brief report is given of the 4th Network for Animal Health and Welfare in Organic Agriculture (NAWHOA) workshop at Wageningen in the Netherlands, held in March 2001. The workshop focussed on breeding (especially dairy, pigs and poultry) and feeding, as opposed to yield and productivity, with the emphasis on food quality. Feeding was discussed from two angles: feeding for production, and feeding to protect the animal from disease or parasitic infection. A vision of the future was described, in which higher prices are gained for fewer animals, better housed and with a regional approach to breeding, processing and marketing

Tools for managing manure nutrients

Manures are a valuable source of nutrients (and organic matter), and can be seen as a method of transferring nutrients around the farm (for homeproduced manures) or as a method of importing fertility (imported manures or composts). Good manure management offers a ‘win-win’ opportunity: benefits to soil fertility and benefits to the environment (less pollution). This paper describes two tools for manure nutrient planning: the use of look-up tables to assess nutrient content, and the development of a Decision Support Tool for describing nutrient transformations during manure management

Development of an agroforestry system for chicken production

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. Because conventional production of chickens has gone further than any other animal production system towards complete control of the animal’s brief lives, development of effective silvo-poultry systems seems particularly necessary for these essentially woodland birds. The objective is to develop a production system that closely matches the physiological and behavioural needs of the animals being reared. For the example of chickens, this means trying to mimic a woodland/forest-clearing environment. By providing a wide range of trees, shrubs and herbs, it should be possible to provide shelter, nutrition and medicinal benefits for the birds. At the same time, the system needs to fulfil other functions in terms of biodiversity and community assets for the farm, together with profitable organic chicken production

Managing Manure on Organic Farms

The booklet provides information on typical nutrient contents of livestock manures – from organic and ‘conventional’ sources; describes the availability of manure nutrients to the growing crop; outlines best management practices to optimise manure nutrient supply and outlines best management practices to optimise manure nutrient supply. It draws on scientific research undertaken in the 1990, much of it in the UK, and most of it funded by DEFRA

Carrot or stick? – Would information concerning the economic value of nutrient losses, and their impact on food quality achieve greater environmental protection than regulation?

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. Organic standards have, since their origin (Soil Association 1967) required high standards of manure management, but in reality, these have not been implemented, possibly because of perceived costs of improved handling. However, a cost/benefit analysis of intermediate steps of nutrient conservation and manure handling may provide a practical solution, optimising retention of nutrients, financial and time inputs and environmental protection. Recent research on composting with conventional manures has quantified nutrient losses from heaps with different treatments (Parkinson et al, 2001). Financial and environmental costs and benefits of different management approaches are discussed

The long-term agronomic performance of organic stockless rotations

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. Two long-term experiments were established with the aim of evaluating the agronomic and economic performance of organic stockless rotations. In total, four different rotations were evaluated at two sites in the south (Elm Farm Research Centre) and east (ADAS Terrington) of England. All of the rotations included either a one or two-year red clover green manure crop to provide nitrogen for subsequent crops and it was found that this was sufficient to support three or four years of arable cropping. Over a period of eleven years at EFRC and five years at ADAS Terrington, there was no evidence of a decline in crop yield, although there were significant year-to-year variations. Crop yields were generally equivalent to or greater than average organic yields. Levels of soil available P and K was maintained at both sites at non-limiting levels. Pest and diseases were not problematic, but perennial weeds posed the most significant problem

The Establishment of a Preliminary Weight Profile for the 257 Table Birds within the Sheepdrove Organic Farm Organic Silvo-Poultry System.

A preliminary weight profile was produce for the organic silvo-poultry system on Sheepdrove organic farm. Seven batches (each of 20 hens and 20 cocks) were weighed over a two month period (January/February 2003). No current organic silvo-poultry weight profile was available but the weights achieved were found to exceed those of the nearest suggested profile (ISA 657) but were beneath the weights required for Sheepdroves markets. There was great and inconsistent variation between the batches and between sheds. This suggested that environment and management of particular houses could be having a large impact on final chicken weights

Elm Farm Research Centre Bulletin 78

Regular newsletter and technical update

Organic Farming and the Energy Crisis: Saint or Sinner?

Food production systems are partially responsible for contributing to elevated levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to the heavy reliance on fossil fuels and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Organic farming systems, however, strive to work so far as possible within closed systems, which attempt to use appropriate technologies and scarce resources sparingly. Drawing data from recent case studies this paper examines how close modern UK organic farming can come to these ideals. The paper will conclude with recommendations for the organic farming sector to deliver a food production system that will be required to operate within tighter economic, social and environmental constraints in the future