The Performance of Oat-Vetch Mixtures in Organic and Conventional Farming Systems

The research aimed to compare the yields and yield components of mixtures of oats with common vetch grown for seeds in organic and conventional farming systems. Moreover, the selection of oat cultivars for the mixture and its performance in a crop rotation experiment in different growing years was analyzed. Additionally, the leaf area index (LAI) and the relative content of chlorophyll (SPAD) of the mixtures were assessed. The field experiment with four-field crop rotation in organic or conventional farming systems was carried out in 2012–2014 in southern Poland. Common vetch (Vicia sativa L., cv. ‘Hanka’) was mixed with one of two oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivars, ‘Celer’ or ‘Grajcar.’ The effects of all of the factors on the mixtures’ canopy indices and yield were found. The canonical analysis revealed that the weather course, especially drought, had the largest effect on the oat-vetch mixtures’ performance. Moreover, the mixtures developed the highest LAI (5.28 m2∙m−2) and seed yield (4.57 t ha−1) in the conventional farming system. On the contrary, the share of vetch seeds in the mixtures was 24% higher in the organic system than in the conventional one. The selection of cv. ‘Grajcar’ oats for the mixture with vetch increased the share of vetch seeds in the yield by 16.5%. In summary, a balanced share of oat-vetch mixture components depends on the proper selection of the oat cultivar, especially for organic farming systems.

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Crop-yield and economic comparisons of organic, low-input, and conventional farming systems in California's Sacramento Valley

American Journal of Alternative Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s0889189300008225 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 109-121 ◽

Cited By ~ 57

Author(s):

Sean Clark ◽

Karen Klonsky ◽

Peter Livingston ◽

Steve Temple

Keyword(s):

Crop Rotation ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Farming System ◽

Grain Legume ◽

Conventional Farming ◽

Management Options ◽

Organic System ◽

Low Input ◽

Sacramento Valley

AbstractWe compared the crop yields and economic performance of organic, lowinput, and conventional farming systems over an eight-year period based on research from the Sustainable Agriculture Farming Systems (SAFS) Project in California's Sacramento Valley. The SAFS Project consisted of four farming-system treatments that differed in material input use and crop rotation sequence. The treatments included four-year rotations under conventional (conv-4), low-input, and organic management, and a conventionally-managed, two-year rotation (conv-2). The four-year rotations included processing tomato, safflower, corn, and bean and a winter grain and/or legume doublecropped with bean. The conv-2 treatment was a tomato and wheat rotation. In the lowinput and organic systems, inorganic fertilizer and synthetic pesticide inputs were reduced or eliminated largely through crop rotation, legume cover crops, composted manure applications, and mechanical cultivation.All crops, except safflower, demonstrated significant yield differences across farming systems in at least some years of the experiment. Yields of tomato and corn, the most nitrogen (N)-demanding crops in the rotations, responded most years to the farming-system years treatments, while bean and the winter grain/legume displayed treatment differences less often and instead tended to vary more with yearly growing conditions. Nitrogen availability and/or weed competition appeared to account for lower crop yields in the organic and low-input systems in some years. The economics of all farming systems depended mainly on the costs and profits associated with tomato production. The most profitable system was the conv-2 system due to the greater frequency of tomato in that system. Among the four-year rotations, the organic system was the most profitable. However, this system's dependence on price premiums leads to some concern over its long-term economic viability. Among the low-input cropping systems, corn demonstrated clear agronomic and economic advantages over conventional production methods. Based upon these findings, we suggest that future research on organic and low-input farming systems focus on developing cost-effective fertility and weed management options based upon improved understanding of N dynamics and weed ecology.

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Effect of Lentil’s Variety and Cultural Farming System on Nutritional Value and Physicochemical Sensory Properties as Related to Human Daily Coverage

10.26420/intjnutrsci.2021.1053 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Karagounis I ◽

◽

Avdikos ID ◽

Pankou CI ◽

Kostoula SD ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physicochemical Properties ◽

Nutritional Value ◽

Principal Component ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Farming System ◽

Conventional Farming ◽

Multivariate Statistical ◽

Calcium Magnesium ◽

Swelling Coefficient ◽

Organic And Conventional Farming

The aim of this study is to determine if there is any influence of lentil variety and environment of cultivation in the chemical composition of seeds originating from organic and conventional farming systems. Particularly, an evaluation was made on the physicochemical properties of three lentil cultivars (‘Thessalia’, ‘Dimitra’, ‘Samos’) and also the effect of farming system towards the composition of seeds to be assessed for discovering the tendency which specific cultivar or farming system are most preferable for the consumers. For the evaluation of the physicochemical properties of lentil seeds: (a) Seed density, (b) Hydration coefficient, (c) Swelling coefficient, (d) pH and (e) Content in macro- and micronutrients (total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, and boron), were estimated. Multivariate statistical analysis was applied for every characteristic in order to determine similarities/ differences among the cultivars in both organic and conventional farming systems. In addition, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were conducted. Regarding the three cultivars under evaluation, cv. ‘Dimitra’ is superior especially in the organic environment, followed by cv. ‘Thessalia’, whose nutritional value increases under organic farming conditions. While ‘Samos’ exhibited a slightly better performance under conventional conditions. Based on the results of this research, the interaction between the lentil cultivar and the cultivating environment can influence the nutritional value and the physicochemical properties of lentil’s seeds.

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Comparing wheat grown in South Australian organic and conventional farming systems. 1. Growth and grain yield

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar03039 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 54 (9) ◽

pp. 889 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

J. L. Kitchen ◽

G. K. McDonald ◽

K. W. Shepherd ◽

M. F. Lorimer ◽

R. D. Graham

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Organic Farming ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Farming System ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Conventional Farming ◽

Wheat Varieties ◽

Organic Farming Systems ◽

Conventional Systems ◽

Organically Grown

Organic farming standards do not allow addition of water-soluble fertilisers and therefore it is likely that growth of organically grown crops will be limited by nutrient availability. However, in marginal rainfall conditions, when growth in conventional systems is limited by water availability, yields of organically grown crops could be comparable with those conventionally grown. Similarly, micronutrient-efficient plant varieties could be expected to perform comparatively better under organic farming conditions than they do in conventional systems, when compared with micronutrient-inefficient varieties.In this study, biomass and grain production of wheat from certified organic farming systems were compared with neighbouring conventional farming systems in 'across the fence' field trials in 1 moderate and 2 marginal rainfall areas of South Australia. Wheat varieties compared included 2 old wheat varieties developed under relatively low-input conditions (Baroota Wonder and Dirk-48) and varieties shown to be micronutrient-efficient (Janz and Trident) and inefficient (Yallaroi).The organic farming systems produced significantly less biomass than the conventional farming systems at late tillering in both the moderate and marginal rainfall areas. Grain yield was variable, but significantly lower in the organic farming system for 11 of the 14 comparisons. None of the varieties showed an adaptive advantage for 1 farming system over the other. The relative yield of the organic system, compared with the conventional system, was not associated with rainfall.

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Effect of Low-Input Organic and Conventional Farming Systems on Maize Rhizosphere in Two Portuguese Open-Pollinated Varieties (OPV), “Pigarro” (Improved Landrace) and “SinPre” (a Composite Cross Population)

Frontiers in Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fmicb.2021.636009 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Aitana Ares ◽

Joana Costa ◽

Carolina Joaquim ◽

Duarte Pintado ◽

Daniela Santos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Farming ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizae ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Farming System ◽

Future Research ◽

Conventional Farming ◽

Maize Rhizosphere ◽

Bacterial Microbiota ◽

Organic Farming Systems ◽

Soil Rhizosphere

Maize is one of the most important crops worldwide and is the number one arable crop in Portugal. A transition from the conventional farming system to organic agriculture requires optimization of cultivars and management, the interaction of plant–soil rhizosphere microbiota being pivotal. The objectives of this study were to unravel the effect of population genotype and farming system on microbial communities in the rhizosphere of maize. Rhizosphere soil samples of two open-pollinated maize populations (“SinPre” and “Pigarro”) cultivated under conventional and organic farming systems were taken during flowering and analyzed by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Phenological data were collected from the replicated field trial. A total of 266 fungi and 317 bacteria genera were identified in “SinPre” and “Pigarro” populations, of which 186 (69.9%) and 277 (87.4%) were shared among them. The microbiota of “Pigarro” showed a significant higher (P < 0.05) average abundance than the microbiota of “SinPre.” The farming system had a statistically significant impact (P < 0.05) on the soil rhizosphere microbiota, and several fungal and bacterial taxa were found to be farming system-specific. The rhizosphere microbiota diversity in the organic farming system was higher than that in the conventional system for both varieties. The presence of arbuscular mycorrhizae (Glomeromycota) was mainly detected in the microbiota of the “SinPre” population under the organic farming systems and very rare under conventional systems. A detailed metagenome function prediction was performed. At the fungal level, pathotroph–saprotroph and pathotroph–symbiotroph lifestyles were modified by the farming system. For bacterial microbiota, the main functions altered by the farming system were membrane transport, transcription, translation, cell motility, and signal transduction. This study allowed identifying groups of microorganisms known for their role as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and with the capacity to improve crop tolerance for stress conditions, allowing to minimize the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (phyla Glomeromycota) were among the most important functional groups in the fungal microbiota and Achromobacter, Burkholderia, Erwinia, Lysinibacillus, Paenibacillus, Pseudomonas, and Stenotrophomonas in the bacterial microbiota. In this perspective, the potential role of these microorganisms will be explored in future research.

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Enzymatic Activity of Loess Soil in Organic and Conventional Farming Systems

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture10040135 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 135 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Cezary A. Kwiatkowski ◽

Elżbieta Harasim ◽

Beata Feledyn-Szewczyk ◽

Jacek Antonkiewicz

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Sugar Beet ◽

Enzymatic Activity ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Red Clover ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Loess Soil ◽

Conventional Farming ◽

Organic System ◽

Organic And Conventional Farming

This study was conducted over the period 2017–2019 in Czesławice (central Lublin region, Poland). The aim of the present study was to compare chemical soil quality parameters (soil pH, available P and K, organic carbon, and total nitrogen content) and soil enzymatic activity (dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, urease, protease) in organic and conventional farming systems. The experimental design included two crop rotations (organic and conventional) in which identical plant species were grown: sugar beet-spring barley-red clover-winter wheat-oats. The loess soil on which the experiment was conducted was characterized by the grain size distribution of silt loam, and this soil was categorized as good wheat soil complex (soil class II). The experiment was set up as a split-plot design in triplicate in plots with an area of 40 m2. Soil sampling was carried out using a soil auger within an area of 0.20 m2 (from the 0 to 20 cm layer) in each plot during the autumn period. Over the 3-year study period, it was found that the organic system contributed to an increased soil content of organic carbon and total nitrogen. Moreover, a significantly higher soil pH value and a favorable narrow C/N ratio were found under the organic system (regardless of the crop species). Under the conventional system, in turn, a higher soil phosphorus and potassium content was observed. Enzymatic tests of the soil in the five-field crop rotation proved significantly higher activity of all the enzymes studied (in particular that of dehydrogenase, protease, and urease) in the organic system relative to the conventional one, regardless of the crop plant. Among the plants grown in crop rotation, sugar beet, and red clover had the most beneficial effect on the activity of the soil enzymes, followed by oats (especially under the organic system). The activity of the studied enzymes in the organic system was positively correlated (statistically significantly) with favorable soil pH, a higher content of organic C, and total N, and C/N ratio.

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Comparative Analysis of Agricultural Incomes from Organic and Conventional Farming Systems in North Benin: Case of the Municipality of Tanguieta

European Scientific Journal ESJ ◽

10.19044/esj.2021.v17n14p85 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (14) ◽

Author(s):

Paul S. Hountondji ◽

Silvère D. Tovignan ◽

Ricardo L. Hountondji ◽

Haroll Kokoye ◽

Christian S. Adjiba ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Comparative Analysis ◽

Organic Farming ◽

Economic Performance ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Conventional Farming ◽

Organic System ◽

Organic Systems ◽

Organic Cultivation ◽

Level Of Significance ◽

Organic And Conventional Farming

It is likely that Goals 2, 14, and 15 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will never be achieved if organic farming remains economically less profitable than conventional farming. This study was aimed at making a comparative analysis of the economic performance of organic and conventional farming systems. The data were collected from 36 organic and 39 conventional farmers, by individual interviews using semi-structured questionnaires. Descriptive, economic performance indicators and ordinary least square (OLS) regression analysis were used. The results show that the cotton farming activity remains economically more profitable in organic systems, despite the technical constraints of farming. In combination with cotton, corn and soybeans are more profitable in organic systems than conventional. Moreover, level of prosperity, distance from home to cotton farms are positively related to conventional farming system income at 1% and 5% level of significance. Agricultural assets, contact with extension agents, experience in organic farming, secondary activity is positively related to organic system income at 1%, 5%, and 5% level of significance; whilst the household size and the cotton acreage are negatively related to organic system income at 1% and 5% level of significance. It would then be necessary to continue and intensify the programs of diffusion of the best organic cultivation practices to the farmers whatever their experience in organic and to be more interested in corn and soy crops.

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Chemical Properties of Soil in Four-Field Crop Rotations under Organic and Conventional Farming Systems

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10071045 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 1045

Author(s):

Cezary A. Kwiatkowski ◽

Elżbieta Harasim

Keyword(s):

Sorption Capacity ◽

Plant Species ◽

Spring Barley ◽

Humus Content ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Loess Soil ◽

Farming System ◽

Field Bean ◽

Conventional Farming ◽

Organic System

In agriculture, the farming system significantly affects chemical soil properties. The organic system, which is based among others on the use of natural (organic) fertilizers, promotes increased soil contents of humus, organic C, and micronutrients. The conventional system, in turn, may cause soil acidification if high rates of mineral (particularly nitrogen) fertilization are used. The crop plant species also modifies soil chemistry by providing different (quantitatively and qualitatively) crop residues. The study was conducted over the period 2013–2016 in Czesławice (Lublin Region, Poland). The aim of this study was to determine the content of some chemical components determining the quality of loess soil on which four plant species were grown under organic and conventional farming systems. This research involved the determination of some parameters of the chemical composition of the soil: soil pH, total sorption capacity, humus content, macronutrient (P, K, Mg) and micronutrient (B, Cu, Mn, Zn) content, organic carbon, and total nitrogen content. The content of different forms of nitrogen, N-NO3 and N-NH4, was also determined. The experimental design included two crop rotations (organic and conventional) in which identical plant species were grown: potato—winter wheat—field bean—spring barley. The experiment was established on loess soil with the grain size distribution of silt loam and classified as good wheat soil complex (soil class II). It was carried out as a split-plot design in three replicates, and the area of a single plot was 80 m2. Soil samples were taken using a soil sampling tube from an area of 0.20 m2 (from the 0–25 cm layer) in each plot at the end of the growing season of the specific crops grown. Over the four year study period, it was found that the organic system contributed to an increased soil content of magnesium, boron, copper, manganese, zinc, organic carbon, and total nitrogen. Moreover, organic cropping promoted more favorable soil pH and higher soil humus content. Organic cropping significantly improved the total sorption capacity of the soil compared to conventional cultivation. Moreover, the organic system contributed to a higher soil content of nitrogen in the form of N-NH4 and its lower content in the form of N-NO3. Under the conventional system, in turn, a higher soil phosphorus and potassium content was observed. To sum up, the study confirmed the assumed hypothesis that the organic farming system would contribute to an improvement in the chemical quality indicators of loess soil. Regardless of the cropping system, potato and field bean had the most beneficial effect on soil chemistry, whereas cereal crops showed the weakest effect. Winter wheat and spring barley had an effect on significantly lower total sorption capacity of the soil and a significantly lower soil content of N-NO3 and N-NH4.

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Termite-Induced Injuries to Maize and Baby Corn under Organic and Conventional Farming Systems in the Central Highlands of Kenya

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects10100367 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 367

Author(s):

John J. Anyango ◽

David Bautze ◽

Komi K. M. Fiaboe ◽

Zipporah O. Lagat ◽

Anne W. Muriuki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Management Practice ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Farming System ◽

Conventional Farming ◽

High Input ◽

Whole Plant ◽

Central Highlands ◽

Cropping Seasons ◽

Organic And Conventional Farming ◽

Input Level

Termite-induced injuries to maize and baby corn were evaluated in on-going comparison experiments on organic and conventional farming systems at two trial sites in the Central Highlands of Kenya (Chuka and Thika). The farming systems were established in 2007 at two input levels: Low input level, representing subsistence farming (Conv-Low, Org-Low) and high input level, representing commercial farming (Conv-High, Org-High). Termite-induced injuries to maize and baby corn, such as tunneling the stem or lodging the whole plant were assessed over two cropping seasons. The lodging occurred exclusively at Thika. It first became apparent in the Org-Low system, with most of lodging occurring during the vegetative stage. Baby corn grown under high input systems showed increasing lodging from the late vegetative crop stage and peaked before the final harvest. Tunneling was recorded at both sites, but was generally below 5%, with no significant differences between the farming systems. Overall, the injury patterns caused by termites appear to be a function of the plant growth stage, termite colony activities, trial site, and the types and levels of fertilizer input. Thus, the management practice used in each farming system (organic or conventional) might have greater influence on crop injuries than the type of farming system itself or the termite abundance within each system.

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Adaptability to organic farming of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) varieties developed from conventional breeding programmes

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s002185961000050x ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 149 (1) ◽

pp. 85-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

D. N. VLACHOSTERGIOS ◽

A. S. LITHOURGIDIS ◽

D. G. ROUPAKIAS

Keyword(s):

Organic Farming ◽

Organic Agriculture ◽

Lens Culinaris ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Direct Selection ◽

Conventional Farming ◽

Organic System ◽

Conventional Breeding ◽

Breeding Programmes ◽

Organic Farming Systems

SUMMARYThe development of organic agriculture has raised the demand for crop varieties well-adapted to organic farming systems. Most of the varieties presently cultivated in organic agriculture were developed from conventional breeding programmes. The objective of the present work was to study the adaptability to organic farming systems of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) varieties developed from conventional breeding programmes. Twenty varieties were evaluated over five environments under organic and conventional farming systems from 2005 to 2007. Genotype×system interactions (GSI) for grain yield were significantly different in four out of the five environments and GSI explained 0·03–0·17 of the variance. Spearman's rank correlation index of the 20 varieties between the conventional and organic system ranged from 0·27 to 0·93 in the five environments. Direct selection of the top five varieties in organic systems resulted in significantly higher grain yields than indirect selection in one out of the five environments. However, among the top five varieties, the highest yielding varieties under conventional farming systems were not always the highest yielding varieties under organic farming systems. These results indicate that the demands of organic agriculture for yield performance could be only partially satisfied by varieties developed under conventional breeding programmes.

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