Tradition, Dynamics and Sustainability of Plant Species Composition and Management in Homegardens on Organic and Non-Organic Small Scale Farms in Alpine Eastern Tyrol, Austria

In Eastern Tyrol (Austria), homegardens are an integral part of the farming system. The aim of this paper is to present evidence for the development of gardening in the study area and to identify differences/similarities between gardens at organic and non-organic farms. In 1997 and 1998, in homegardens on 91 organic and 105 non-organic farms from 12 communities, occurrence and abundance of cultivated plant species were surveyed and interviews were carried out about garden history, management and plant use. For the factor organic/non-organic, differences between gardens were statistically tested. Garden management is similar in organic/non-organic gardens, except mixed cropping and the use of alternative remedies to combat diseases, both with significantly higher occurrence on organic farms. Popular innovations from organic farming did not have a strong and clearly visible impact on management of homegardens. The population of cultivated plant species, until the 1960s approx. 51; nowadays approx. 587 species in all gardens, and main use of garden produce has been in a process of change with an increase in importance of species used as food and for decoration, but with no significant differences concerning organic/non-organic. Women farmers gardening in Eastern Tyrol are highly sympathetic to the principles of organic farming, even on non-organic farms. Sustainability can be increased when methods from organic gardening are promoted and tested locally more effectively. Science and policy should recognize the work of women farmers who maintain homegardens with high agrobiodiversity as part of their culture

Urban Organic Farming in Austria with the concept of Selbsternte ("self -harvest"): An agronomic and socio-economic analysis

In Vienna, consultants, organic farmers and green-minded consumers have developed a new concept of urban organic farming, called Selbsternte (`self-harvest'). Organic farmers prepare a plot of arable land (the Selbsternte plot) and sow or plant rows composed of 18-23 plant species. In mid-May the plots are divided into subplots that contain 2-6m of every sown species and are rented to so-called self-harvesters for a period of about 136 days. In 2002 Selbsternte was being practiced at 15 plots in Vienna or in neighboring cities, represented by 861 subplots, with a total area of 68,740m2, and managed by 12 organic farmers for 861 registered self-harvesters. At the Roter Berg plot, experimental subplots were established to evaluate yields and the value of the harvested produce, and interviews were conducted with 27 self-harvesters, the eight Selbsternte farmers and one Selbsternte consultant. The experimental subplots were managed in two different ways, namely, `with low intensity' (LIS) and `with high intensity' (HIS; meaning additional harrowing, mulching and sowing of additional plants). At the LIS 24.2 h and at the HIS 38.9 h of work were invested over 51 days. Monetary investment was US$184 for the LIS and US$259 for the HIS subplots. The total harvest of fresh produce was: 163 kg/subplot for LIS and 208 kg/subplot for HIS subplots. The total value of the harvest at the HIS was US$364 for conventional and US$766 for organic prices. All self- arvesters saw the rental of a subplot and the work as an activity of leisure. More than half of the self-harvesters reported `trying something new' at their subplots. The most frequently mentioned innovation for them was growing an unknown species. Twenty-five self-harvesters sowed 54 different, additional plant species. The motivating factors in establishing Selbsternte plots, as reported by all the farmers, were, primarily, better relations with consumers and work diversifcation, and only then were economic factors a consideration. The contribution of Selbsternte to income varied at the farms, being between 0 and 30% of the total farm income. As a main success factor, all of the farmers reported a close relationship between the self-harvesters and the farmers. Selbsternte subplots can be understood as small experimental stations where self-harvesters merge traditional horticultural techniques with urban ideas on permaculture, sustainable land use and participatory farming. Selbsternte has potential value for the improvement of urban agriculture, but also for the development of organic farming in general

Organic Agriculture in Austria

Organic farming has a long history in Austria, not least due to the fact that Rudolf Steiner, the founder of the bio-dynamic farming movement, was an Austrian. Currently approximately 10% of Austrian farms are certified organic, the highest percentage in the EU

Production and processing of organically grown fiber nettle (Urtica dioica L.) and its potential use in the natural textiles industry: A review

In Europe, the perennial stinging nettle was cultivated during the 19th century until the Second World War and has a long history as a fiber plant. Clone varieties dating back to the early 20th century are still maintained at European research institutions. The fiber content of clones ranges from 1.2 to 16% dry matter, and fiber yields range from 0.14 to 1.28 Mg/ha. Varietal purity of fiber nettle can only be achieved by planting cuttings. The harvesting of fiber starts in the second year of growth and the crop may produce well for several years. Several agronomic practices influence fiber quality, but causal relations are not yet well understood. Various parts of the fiber nettle plant can be used as food, fodder and as raw material for different purposes in cosmetics, medicine, industry and biodynamic agriculture. Organically produced fibers are in demand by the green textile industry and show potential that is economically promising

Comparing Hemp Seed Yields (Cannabis sativa L.) of an On-Farm Scientific Field Experiment to an On-Farm Agronomic Evaluation Under Organic Growing Conditions in Lower Austria

Hemp seed yields of the variety Fedora-19 in an on-farm scientific field experiment on small plots and in an on-farm evaluation in 11 hemp fields under practical organic growing conditions in Lower Austria were compared to give a realistic view of the variability of yields. Dry matter seed yields from the on-farm field experiment ranged from 127 to 143 g/m2. Under practical growing conditions, yields ranged from 34 to 151 g/m2 in the sample plots. The reported hemp seed yield after combine harvesting, drying, and cleaning was between 324 kg/ha and 717 kg/ha. The results of the experiment show that harvesting by hand considerably influences yields. Yields of the manual harvest in sample plots indicate a high correlation with yields harvested by the combine harvester (R2 = 0.91). The commercial yield is 71% of the yields recorded in sample plots in the fields. Our data questions the transfer of results and conclusions drawn from the data of scientific field experiments that employ manual harvest to that of practical circumstances, and support the notion of on-farm research

Organic Farming in Austria

During the present decade, Austria has experienced a dramatic increase in organic farming among those countries that comprise the European Union (EU). For example, in 1992, approximately 2,000 farms were practicing organic, ecological, or biodynamic farming methodes. By 1997 the number of certified organic farms plus those in transition from conventional farming had increased 10-fold to some 20,000 farms. This represents almost 9% of the total farms in Austria and an area of 345,375 ha, or 10% of the total cultivated farmland. The largest concentration of organic farms is in regions with a high proportion of alpine grassland or pastures. Approximately 50% of the organic farms range in size from 5 to 15 ha. The strong organic movement in Austria can be attributed to a) government subsidies which provide incentives to organic farmers and b) widepread acceptance of organic products and their brand names by large food chains and supermarkets. More than 60% of organic farmers are affiliated with associations and organizations that provide advisory and support services in marketing activities. Certification of organic farms and food processors is conducted by seven monitoring bodies according to EU regulations No. 2092/91, which guarantees legally-binding standards of food saftey and quality to EU consumers, and according to the Austian Alimentari Codex. Since January 1998, all monitoring/certifying bodies in Austria must verify accreditation according to rgulation European Norm 45011. The major supermarket chain offers a variety of organic dairy and meat products, as well as organic ice cream, pizza, vegetables, fruits, baby foods, and bread. The current domestic wholesale value of organic products arketed from Austria farms is approximately 170 million US$ annually. Unfortunately, funding for support of scientific research and extension to enhance organic farming and marketing has not kept pace with the increasing number of organic farms and farmers. Additional funding is essential to ensure the sustainable development of the organic movement and the organic market

Das Bio-Kontrollsystem in Österreich

Die Ausweitung der Palette von Bioprodukten im Handel, die Zunahme an Umsätzen von Bioprodukten, das starke Interesse für Bioprodukte nach Lebensmittelskandalen in der konventionellen Landwirtschaft und Betrugsfälle im Bio-Sektor – von Bio-Kontrollstellen aufgedeckt – haben das Interesse an der Verbesserung des Kontrollsystems für den Biologischen Landbau auch in Österreich geweckt

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) as a Resource for Green Cosmetics: Yield of Seeds and Fatty Acids Composition of 20 Varieties under the Growing Conditions of Organic Farming in Austria

The interest in hemp (non-drug Cannabis sativa L.) for skin care and cosmetic use is due to the high content of oil, especially unsaturated fatty acids in seed with technological and therapeutic effects. In a field trial on an organic farm, seed weight and content of fatty acids of 20 hemp varieties were surveyed on three different harvest dates. The dry matter seed yields ranged from 27-149 g m2. The varieties Ferimon-12, Fedora-19, and Bialobreszie produced high seed yields on all three harvest dates but yields were not significantly different from a large group of other varieties. Contents of palmitic acid range from 3.1 to 4.1%, of stearic acid from 0.1 to 1.9%, of oleic acid from 3.7 to 9.2%, of linoleic acid from 44.8 to 60.2%, of α-linolenic acid from 18.2 to 27.4%, and of γ-linolenic acid from 1.6 to 4.7%. The genotype has no significant influence on fatty acid content. All 20 varieties tested show high quantities of fatty acid depending on the harvest date, so that no variety can be favored. Results confirm that hemp is a very good source of fatty acids for skin care and cosmetic use

Magnetic properties of substitutional Mn in (110) GaAs surface and subsurface layers

Motivated by recent STM experiments, we present a theoretical study of the electronic and magnetic properties of the Mn-induced acceptor level obtained by substituting a single Ga atom in the (110) surface layer of GaAs or in one of the atoms layers below the surface. We employ a kinetic-exchange tight-binding model in which the relaxation of the (110) surface is taken into account. The acceptor wave function is strongly anisotropic in space and its detailed features depend on the depth of the sublayer in which the Mn atom is located. The local-density-of-states (LDOS) on the (110) surface associated with the acceptor level is more sensitive to the direction of the Mn magnetic moment when the Mn atom is located further below the surface. We show that the total magnetic anisotropy energy of the system is due almost entirely to the dependence of the acceptor level energy on Mn spin orientation, and that this quantity is strongly dependent on the depth of the Mn atom.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figure

Swiss ethnoveterinary knowledge on medicinal plants - a within-country comparison of Italian speaking regions with north-western German speaking regions

BACKGROUND: Ethnoveterinary knowledge in Europe may play an important role as a basis for sustainable treatment options for livestock. Aims of our study were (a) to compare the ethnoveterinary practices of two culturally and sociodemographically different regions of Switzerland, (b) to compare results with earlier ethnoveterinary studies conducted in Switzerland and in adjacent Italian regions and, (c) to evaluate possible reasons for regional differences in European ethnoveterinary medicine. METHODS: 25 interviews were conducted in 2014 in all Italian speaking regions (ItR) of Switzerland, and 31 interviews were held in five north-western German speaking Cantons (GeC). Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect detailed information regarding plant species, mode of preparation, dosage, route of administration, category of use, origin of knowledge, frequency of use, and satisfaction with outcomes of the treatments. RESULTS: A total of 162 homemade remedies in ItR and 219 in GeC were reported, out of which 125 and 145, respectively, were reported to contain only one plant species (homemade single species herbal remedy report, HSHR). 44 ItR and 43 GeC plant species were reported to treat livestock, of which only a half were used in both regions. For each HSHR, we classified the treatment intention of all use reports (UR), leading to a total of 205 and 219 UR in ItR and GeC respectively. While cattle were the most often treated livestock species in both study regions, in ItR 40% of UR were administered to small ruminants. Main indications in both regions were gastrointestinal diseases and skin afflictions, but in ItR a high number of URs were reported as antiparasitics. URs were mainly handed down from the past generation, but in GeC the source of knowledge for 20% of URs were from courses. Regarding the used plant species, ItR showed a higher concordance with Swiss than Italian studies, but with some differences to all regions. A total of 22 (14 ItR; 8 GeC) plant species in this study have not been reported before in ethnoveterinary studies of Swiss and Italian alpine regions. CONCLUSIONS: ItR and GeC, show differences and similarities with respect to their own ethnoveterinary practices and earlier Swiss and Italian ethnoveterinary studies. Linguistic, geographical, as well as social and farm-structural conditions influence the regional ethnoveterinary knowledge. However, political borders seem to be more important than language or geographical barriers