Organic farming

About: Organic farming is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 7254 publications have been published within this topic receiving 138030 citations. The topic is also known as: pertanian organik & organic farming.

Organic and conventional wheat production: Examination of energy and economics

Abstract: Small-scale wheat production by conventional farming methods averaged 48% higher energy inputs and only 29% higher yields per hectare than wheat produced by organic farming methods. Process analysis was used in evaluating the direct and indirect energy requirements of both production practices. The economic costs averaged 29% less per hectare for conventional wheat production than for organic wheat production, using a standard accounting procedure.

Widespread Occurrence of Pesticides in Organically Managed Agricultural Soils-the Ghost of a Conventional Agricultural Past?

Abstract: Pesticides are applied in large quantities to agroecosystems worldwide. To date, few studies assessed the occurrence of pesticides in organically managed agricultural soils, and it is unresolved whether these pesticide residues affect soil life. We screened 100 fields under organic and conventional management with an analytical method containing 46 pesticides (16 herbicides, 8 herbicide transformation products, 17 fungicides, seven insecticides). Pesticides were found in all sites, including 40 organic fields. The number of pesticide residues was two times and the concentration nine times higher in conventional compared to organic fields. Pesticide number and concentrations significantly decreased with the duration of organic management. Even after 20 years of organic agriculture, up to 16 different pesticide residues were present. Microbial biomass and specifically the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, a widespread group of beneficial plant symbionts, were significantly negatively linked to the amount of pesticide residues in soil. This indicates that pesticide residues, in addition to abiotic factors such as pH, are a key factor determining microbial soil life in agroecosystems. This comprehensive study demonstrates that pesticides are a hidden reality in agricultural soils, and our results suggest that they have harmful effects on beneficial soil life.

Labour, Livelihoods and the Quality of Life in Organic Agriculture in Europe

Abstract: One argument for supporting organic farming has been that it requires more labour and leads to higher rural employment. On the other hand, the high labour costs may constrain the development of the organic sector. This paper reviews the current knowledge about labour use changes in the conversion to organic farming in Western Europe. It discusses how key concepts derived from feminist literature on rural women and agriculture can enlarge the existing knowledge of labour in organic farming which is mainly a product of farm management approaches.

A Handbook of Organic Farming

Abstract: A handbook of organic farming , A handbook of organic farming , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی

The Weed-Competitive Ability of Canada Western Red Spring Wheat Cultivars Grown under Organic Management

Abstract: Competition from weeds can reduce grain yields in both conventional and organic systems. Plant height, tillering, and elevated photosynthetically active radiation interception are some of the traits thought to help confer competitive ability in cereal grains. Crop cultivars developed before the advent of modem, high-input agriculture may be better suited to lower soil nutrient levels and elevated weed competition. Twenty-seven spring bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars, representing 114 yr of Canadian wheat breeding, were grown at conventionally and organically managed sites in north central Alberta over a 3-yr period. Average conventional yields were 63% greater than organic yields, and average overall weed biomass was significantly greater under organic management. Earlier flowering and maturity were more important for achieving high grain yield in organic fields than in conventional fields. Greater numbers of spikes m-2 were associated with increased grain yield in organic fields but were not in conventional fields. In organic fields, increased plant height and early maturity were associated with reduced weed biomass, while strong early season vigor was related to increased yield, increased spikes m -2 , and reduced weed biomass. A competitive crop ideotype for organically grown spring wheat in northern growing regions of the Canadian Prairies should include taller plants, with fast early season growth, early maturity, and elevated fertile tiller number.