The mineralization of commercial organic fertilizers at 8°C temperature

In organic production only organic fertilizers and soil conditioners can be used to supply the soil with nitrogen. The mineralization of these products is slow and so there can be problems with the supply of nitrogen, when the demand of the plants is high. The supply of nitrogen from organic products depends on the speed of their mineralization which is primarily influenced by the composition and formulation of their raw material. In apple production in the Alps-region especially during spring problems with nitrogen supply are common. In that period, the weather conditions are sometimes bad, the temperature in the soil is low and mineralization starts slowly - apple trees demand more nitrogen than the soil can deliver. To compensate the demand of the apple tree organic growers can not use mineral fertilizers but only organic fertilizers and soil conditioners whose mineralization rate is often unknown. There is a strong need in organic fruit production to receive more information about the behaviour of fertilizers in the soil especially concerning their N-release under different conditions. To acquire that information, incubation experiments under controlled conditions (temperature, type of soil, humidity of the soil) were carried out in the laboratory to determine the mineralization-rate of different organic fertilizers and soil conditioners which are available in our region

Production of organic seeds: Status, Challenges and Prospects

General article on the requirements of organic agriculture for seed production. Beside this the organic agricultural system has other demands for organic seed since it does not use chemical control measures and uses natural fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers. Research can offer an important contribution in the production of seed without diseases

Effect of organic fertilizers on permanent grasslands in the Lower Beskids – the Polish part of the Western Carpathians.

The aim of the study was to determine the actual dispersal of N and P from cattle slurry on permanent grasslands in the Low Beskid Mountains located in the Polish segment of the Western Carpathians. This has a special impact on environmental conservation and quality of life in rural submontane areas. The study used slurry from Simmental and HF cattle. The experiment was conducted on 120 ha of pastures and mown meadows in a clay loam soil. Data were statistically analysed with Statgraph using Duncan’s test. After slurry application, N, P, K content and NH3 emission were measured, and chemical analysis of the plant material was performed. Initial N and P content in meadows was 15.85 and 34.5 kg/ha; in pastures, N content was about 50% higher and P content about 30% lower. This N to P ratio in permanent grasslands resulted, among others, from N loss through emission and leaching. Over 22% and 27% N were leached in meadow and pasture. P loss from leaching was 5.5 kg. The use of slurry as a fertilizer also led to N loss through emission. Following slurry application, N emission as ammonia was 9.8 kg in meadow and 28.9 kg in pasture. Accumulation of elements in grass yields of meadows and pastures was 70.77 – 78.23 kg for N and 20 – 16.5 kg for P. Several technological factors of dairy farming contribute to periodic variations in the biogenic amines content of natural fertilizers. Before their use as fertilizer, the essential and permissible doses must be calculated based on current chemical analyses. Classical methods of soil slurry application cause large N losses as NH3 emissions. N loss from leaching is directly proportional to N content in a single fertilizer dose. This observation refers to the permissible level of 170 kg N/ha. P fertilization also involved a high level of leaching, which is directly related to an almost 80% content of mineral P in cattle slurry

EXTENT OF MINERALIZATION ORGANIC FERTILIZER ON SALT AFFECTED SOIL AND THAT IMPLEMENTATION ON TOMATO

Mineralization of organic fertilizers in saline soil is determined by the level of soil salinity. The higher levels of soil salinity, the lower the ability of organic matter mineralization. Evaluation mineralization levels assessed by the content of N, P, K, C-org in organic fertilizer. Research objectives were to assess the ability of the various formulas of mineralization of organic fertilizer to provide nutrients and suppress soil salinity. Nutritional NPK fertilizers are classified by grade. The results showed that the formula with high-grade organic fertilizer was obtained from a mixture of manure, compost, guano, and straw. High-grade organic fertilizer is not always effective as the controlling soil salinity and aggregate stability, but can increase the CEC and the availability of N, N Ammonium inhibits volatilization, decrese soil EC, but soil pH was increased. Mineralization rate of organic fertilizer on clay-textured soil (Rungkut and Sedati) more slowly than sandy soil (Buduran). Keywords: grade, mineralization, NPK, organic fertilizers, soil salinit

Organic or mineral fertilization

To meet Swedish environmental goals organic farming will play an important role in the development of a sustainable and high quality food production system. However, several conflicts exist, such as the achievement of high yields without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides and the minimization of nutrient losses. In this thesis the effect of organic fertilizers compared to mineral fertilizers on plant product quality was investigated. Tomato yield and quality aspects such as taste and chemical composition were measured. Three greenhouse experiments were performed at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala during 2002 and 2004. Organic fertilizers, based on chicken manure or fresh grass clover mulch, were compared to mineral fertilizer nutrient solutions with ammonium or nitrate as the dominant nitrogen source. In both years yields from the mineral fertilized tomato plants were higher than from the organic fertilized ones. However, plant nitrogen status was similar for all treatments and the limiting nutrient in the organic grass-mulch treatment appeared to be sulphur, as the addition of mineral sulphur increased the yield. The effects on quality appeared to be more complex. While taste test scores and vitamin C contents in 2002 were highest in the organic or ammonium-fertilized tomatoes and lowest in the nitrate-fertilized tomatoes, in 2004 the results were contrary. Taste is a complex quality aspect, affected by sugars, acids and other secondary compounds (aromatic flavour compounds), which apart from nutrient supply are affected by environmental conditions as sunlight and temperature that are beyond the grower’s control. It was concluded that organic or mineral fertilizers are not the major factors affecting yield and product quality. A balanced nutrient supply is important for yield and quality, irrespective nutrient source. A combination of organic and mineral fertilizers should be considered in order to achieve a resource saving and balanced nutrient supply and a high quality tomato yield

GROWING MEDIA FOR ORGANIC TOMATO PLANTLET PRODUCTION

The choice of growing media and the strategy of application of organic fertilizers is considered one of the largest challenges for production of organic tomato plantlets for transplanting. We have measured the growth and the ability of young tomato plantlets to extract plant nutrients from an organic growing media. Plants were grown in 0.45L pots. Plant nutrition were either entirely based on the mineral nutrients, available from the organic growing media or based on a combination of nutrients from the organic growing media and fertigation with water-soluble organic fertilizers during plantlet production. The first results shows that plant dry weigth and uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium was reduced in the organic growing media compared to the control, peat based growing media, but the results also indicate a possibility for optimizing the suggested organic growing media in order to increase the nutrient acquisition and utilization efficiency of the plants. Improved organic growing media can supply most of the necessary plant nutrients needed for the plant, limit the need for supplementary fertilisation, and be an alternative to conventional production with inorganic fertilizers

Sustaining without Changing: The Metabolic Rift of Certified Organic Farming

Many proponents of organic farming claim that it is a sustainable alternative to conventional agriculture due to its reliance on natural agro-inputs, such as manure based fertilizers and organic pesticides. However, in this analysis we argue that although particular organic farming practices clearly benefit ecosystems and human consumers, the social context in which some organic farms develop, limit the potential environmental benefits of organic agriculture. Specifically, we argue that certified organic farming’s increased reliance on agro-inputs, such as organic fertilizers and pesticides, reduces its ability to decrease global water pollution. We review recent research that demonstrates the environmental consequences of specific organic practices, as well as literature showing that global organic farming is increasing its reliance on agro-inputs, and contend that organic farming has its own metabolic rift with natural water systems similar to conventional agriculture. We use a fixed-effects panel regression model to explore how recent rises in certified organic farmland correlate to water pollution (measured as biochemical oxygen demand). Our findings indicate that increases in the proportion of organic farmland over time increases water pollution. We conclude that this may be a result of organic farms increasing their reliance on non-farm agro-inputs, such as fertilizers

Effects of organic fertilisers and compost extracts on organic tomato production

The effects of various fertilizers and different compost extracts on crop health and tomato yield were studied in the field in 2004–2005 in two locations in Iran. Treatments included different fertilizers (cattle, sheep and chicken manures, green waste and household composts and chemical fertilizers) and five aqueous extracts (from cattle manure, chicken manure, green-waste and house-hold composts and water as control). The effect of fertilizer type on tomato yield was significant in both locations (P < 0.05). Organic fertilizer use did not obtain higher yields compared to using chemical fertiliser. Generally, chicken manure and green-waste compost led to the highest and lowest tomato yield among different organic fertilizers, respectively. The effect of aqueous extracts was not significant on either crop health or tomato yield with these results were being very limited and inconsistent. Improved efficacy of acceptable alternatives to agrochemicals, especially in organic farming, is required

A COMPARISON OF ORGANIC AND CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS FOR TOMATO PRODUCTION

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is one of the most popular and versatile vegetables in the world, and organic production with a high yield and desirable quality is a target of many producers. The effect of four different fertilizers (chemical, municipal solid waste compost, cattle manure, and spent mushroom compost) on four commercial tomato cultivars (Redstone, Flat, Peto Pride and Chief) was assessed in this research. The highest yield was obtained with the Chief cultivar when fertilized with chemical fertilizer and the lowest value was obtained with Peto Pride fertilized with 20 tonnes per hectare (t/ha) of cow manure. The difference between the two classes of fertilizers (organic and chemical) was not very high so that organic fertilizers are competitive and may be a suitable replacement for chemical fertilizer. According to our results, to achieve maximum yields with organic fertilizers, 20 t/ha of spent mushroom compost can be recommended for the Redstone cultivar, 30 t/ha of cow manure for Flat, 300 t/ha of municipal solid waste compost for Peto Pride, and 300 t/ha of municipal solid waste compost or 20 t/ha of spent mushroom compost can be recommended for the Chief cultivar. These recommended organic fertilizing regimes achieved cultivar yields comparable to the chemical fertilizer treatments, achieving a yield of 98.4% for Redstone, 99.5% for Flat, 97.6% for Peto Pride, and 95.7% for Chief

The roots of organic agriculture

It was concern about the replacement of traditional organic fertilizers by the then new chemical fertilizers that precipitated the early stirrings of disquiet about the prevailing direction of agriculture and which has grown into today’s organic agriculture movement. Unease about the issue of synthetic fertilizers preceded the current era of concerns about manufactured nanomaterials in food and farming, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), antibiotic-fattened farm animals, and synthetic pesticides. When Dr Rudolf Steiner was urged to give a series of lectures on agriculture at Koberwitz (now Kobierzyce, Poland) in 1924, those farmers were concerned about the encroachment of chemical fertilizers into their domain and their worries were that this was compromising the fertility of their farms and the nutritiousness of their food. The Journal of Organic Systems (JOS) 7(2) presents research from around the world: Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Australia. Four papers reveal empirical results with actionable outcomes for using various organic fertilizer regimes on nominated crops (maize, wheat, tomatoes, and lemon grass), while one paper examines consumer responses to various actions proposed for improving sustainability in the food system. JOS is a free, open access, peer reviewed journal. There is an ongoing call for papers on the multiplicity of aspects of the organics sector in all its diversity worldwid