scholarly journals Agronomic Comparisons of Organic and Conventional Soybean with Recommended and High Inputs during the First 4 Years of Organic Management

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 602
Author(s):  
Cox ◽  
Cherney ◽  
Sorrells

Organic soybean hectares will increase in the Northeast United States of America (USA) because of demand by the expanding organic dairy industry. We evaluated organic and conventional soybean with recommended and high inputs (high seeding rate + organic seed treatment in organic system) from 2015 to 2018 in New York, USA to determine if high input management could reduce the yield penalty in organic soybean. Organic compared with conventional soybean yielded similarly in 2015 and 2016 but ≈ 11% lower in 2017 and 2018. Organic compared with conventional soybean had similar early and harvest plant densities in 2017 but lower early and harvest plant densities in 2018 when both densities correlated with yield (r = 0.33 and 0.36, respectively). Weed densities in organic soybean were low (<0.77 weeds/m2 in all years). Nevertheless, organic compared with conventional soybean in 3 of 4 years had greater weed densities, which had significant negative correlations with yield in 2015 (r = −0.36), 2017 (r = −0.53) and 2018 (r = −0.36). Organic compared with conventional soybean mostly had fewer pods/plant and greater seed weight but yield components showed no consistent correlations with yield. Organic soybean had similar weed densities and yield with recommended and high input management in all years indicating that growers should probably plant organic soybean at recommended seeding rates (370,500 seeds/ha) during the first 4 years of organic production under similar environmental conditions of this study.

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 380 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Cox ◽  
Jerome Cherney ◽  
Mark Sorrells

Organic wheat production has increased significantly because of increased demand by consumers. We used the same variety to evaluate organic (seed treatment) and conventional wheat (no seed treatment) under no-till conditions in 2016 and 2018 with recommended (296 kernels/m2 and 80 kg N/ha) and high inputs (420 kernels/m2 and 56 + 56 kg N/ha) to identify the best organic management practices. Organic compared with conventional wheat with recommended inputs had ~13% lower yields in 2016 but ~7.5% higher yields with high inputs in 2018. Organic wheat emerged 1 to 1.5 days earlier, had 10 to 38% higher plant establishment rates, and had similar weed densities (<0.25 weeds/m2) to high input conventional wheat, which received a fall herbicide. Organic compared with conventional wheat had lower grain N% (0.3 to 0.45% in 2016 and 0.17 to 0.27% in 2018). Organic compared with conventional wheat had mostly higher spike densities, especially with high inputs (~60 more spikes/m2 in 2016 and ~130 more in 2018), probably because of better plant establishment, but mostly lower kernels/spike and kernel weight. Organic compared with conventional wheat had comparable yields, probably because of its competitiveness with weeds. We recommend that growers use recommended seeding and N rates on organic wheat because high seeding rates did not improve weed control, and high N rates were not economical.


2016 ◽  
Vol 148 (5) ◽  
pp. 616-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.R. Echegaray ◽  
R.N. Stougaard ◽  
B. Bohannon

AbstractEuxestonotus error (Fitch) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) is considered part of the natural enemy complex of the wheat midge Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Although previously reported in the United States of America, there is no record for this species outside the state of New York since 1865. A survey conducted in the summer of 2015 revealed that E. error is present in northwestern Montana and is likely playing a role in the suppression of wheat midge populations.


Author(s):  
J.H. Brahmbhatt ◽  
S.K. Acharya ◽  
G.S. Patel ◽  
Chirag Thakar ◽  
N.R. Solanki

Background: Organic production of cluster bean is to contribute to the enhancement of production sustainability along with ecology. Sustainability in organic farming must therefore be seen in a holistic sense, which includes ecological, economic and social aspects. A synergistic effectof bio fertilizer with crop increases the crop productivity and sustainability also. Bio fertilizers are low cost, effective and renewable sources of plant nutrients to supplement chemical fertilizers. Therfore to overcome the ill effect of chemical based farming, organic system is becoming the emerging need of the society.Methods: A field experiment ’’was carried out in Pusa Navbahar variety of clusterbean during summer season (February to May) of 2019 at College farm, College of Horticulture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Jagudan, Dist. Mehsana, Gujarat, India. Sixteen treatments having various combinations of organic sources of nutrients (FYM, vermicompost, and neem cake), bio fertilizers (Rhizobium + PSB + KSM) along with RDF (20/40/0 kg/ha) as a control. They were replicated thrice in a randomized block design having a plot size of 3.0 m × 2.0 m with a spacing of 60 cm × 20 cm. Standard practices were followed during the entire course of the investigation.Result: It showed highly significant differences among different treatments for majority of the growth and yield attributing traits, but treatment T6 (75% N through FYM + Rhizobium + PSB + KSM) was rated as the best treatment for characters like days taken for germination, number of root nodules per plant, plant height at 60 DAS (cm), number of pod per cluster, number of cluster per plant, green pod yield per plant (g), green pod yield per plot (kg) and green pod yield per hectare (kg) as compared to other treatment. It can be concluded that the organic nutrient management in cluster bean with the application of 75% N through FYM + Rhizobium + PSB + KSM is beneficial for obtaining a higher yield.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Harumi Niguma ◽  
Jacinta Sanchez Pelayo ◽  
Tereza Cristina Rocha Moreira de Oliveira

The aims of this study were to evaluate the contamination of lettuce (Lactuca sativa), produced in Londrina, Paraná (PR), with total coliform, coliform at 45 °C, E. coli, and Salmonella spp.; and to determine the E. coli contamination of irrigation water used at the farms studied. Four farms were evaluated, of which three produced lettuce using a conventional system and one using an organic system. An evaluation of the production practices of the farms was also carried out. A total of 111 samples were analyzed, 71 lettuce samples from the conventional system and 40 samples from the organic system. A total of eight irrigation water samples were collected for analysis. Coliform at 45 °C counts above the limit tolerated by Brazilian legislation were observed in 2.8% (2/71) of conventionally grown lettuce samples, and Salmonella spp. was isolated in 1.4% (1/71) of those samples. In the organic lettuce samples, 12.5% (5/40) had coliform at 45 °C counts above the limit tolerated and Salmonella spp. was not detected. Irrigation water samples from three farms were unsatisfactory, with counts higher than 102MPN of E. coli per 100mL. The results of this study demonstrate that most conventionally grown lettuce samples show good sanitary conditions in production, and that lettuce contamination is not related to contamination found in irrigation water samples. The results also showed that the organic production practices required by Brazilian certification agencies should be applied to ensure that contamination of produced lettuce remains controlled.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Manriquez ◽  
Liang Chen ◽  
Pedro Melendez ◽  
Pablo Pinedo

Abstract Background Negative energy balance during the transition period is a concern for both conventional and certified organic dairy systems. During early lactation, supplemental strategies are used to cope with nutrient deficiencies that are associated with impaired health, production, and reproduction. As organic certified dairies in the United States face restricted access to dietary supplements, the evaluation of products especially formulated for organic production is needed. Our objective was to assess the effect of supplementing 0.45 kg/d of an organic rumen-protected fat (RPF) on health, metabolic status, and productive and reproductive performance of organic certified Holstein cows from 1 to 150 days in milk (DIM). Two-hundred and two cows were enrolled in a randomized blocked controlled trial conducted from January to July, 2017 in a certified organic dairy located in Northern Colorado (USA). Two groups were randomly assigned to be individually supplemented with organic RPF (ORG; n = 100) or control pellets (CON; n = 102) once per day, in addition to the total mixed ration (TMR). Outcomes of interest included disease occurrence, culling, mortality, serum concentration of glucose and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), milk yield (kg/d) and milk components, resumption of cyclicity, time-to-first artificial insemination (AI), conception at first AI, and conception within 150 DIM. Results A significant effect for the inclusion of RPF was found in daily milk yield; RPF supplemented cows had greater milk yield (1.6 kg/d) compared to CON cows up to 150 DIM (P = 0.03). During grazing, multiparous (MP) ORG cows had greater milk yield compared to MP CON cows, whereas no effect was found in primiparous (PP) cows. Health outcomes, serum metabolite concentrations, and reproductive performance were not affected by the inclusion of RPF. Body condition loss was smaller in the ORG group up to 80 DIM; however, there was no effect on body condition during the grazing season and in the overall study period. Conclusions These results indicate that supplementation of RPF increased daily milk yield and prevented body condition loss during transition. However, RPF supplementation did not affect health, serum metabolite concentration, milk components, and reproductive outcomes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Mounir Louhaichi ◽  
Sawsan Hassan ◽  
Ali Mekki Missaoui ◽  
Serkan Ates ◽  
Steven L. Petersen ◽  
...  

Direct seeding techniques often result in unsatisfactory outcomes in rangeland rehabilitation, primarily because of low seedling emergence and poor establishment. Seed processing techniques aimed at improving seedling emergence have gained interest by pasture managers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the combined effects of bracteole removal and seeding rate on seedling emergence in seven halophytic species: Atriplex halimus, A. canescens, A. leucoclada, A. nummularia, A. lentiformis, Salsola vermiculata and Haloxylon aphyllum under semi-arid conditions in Tel Hadya (Syria). Each of these species was evaluated for seedling emergence under two seed treatments (bracteoles removed and non-removed bracteoles) with three seeding rates (10, 30 and 60 seeds per pot), in a completely randomised block design. The results showed a positive effect of seed treatment on seedling emergence for all studied species. The native A. halimus had the highest emergence percentages whereas the introduced A. mummularia, had the lowest. However, there were no significant effects of seeding rates on seedling emergence. These results showed that bracteole removal could improve germination and seedling emergence, and potentially increase the rate of establishment of the species studied. Therefore, when implementing rangeland rehabilitation projects, bracteole removal needs to be considered. The native S. vermiculata should be recommended for direct seeding in the West Asia and North Africa region given its high seedling emergence, known high palatability, nutritive value, and high auto-regeneration performance.


2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Toscano ◽  
F. Branca ◽  
Antonio Ferrante ◽  
D. Romano

Organic production must be carried out following the EU regulations and their protocols. On the contrary, conventional cultivation instead can be carried out using the best agronomic approaches available and using the latest innovative resources. Organic cultivation is more widespread in permanent crops (olive and grape crops) than vegetable ones, and even less in protected cultivation systems, due to the high intensity production processes which render the application of organic growing protocols more complex. The comparison between the two systems of cultivation, organic and conventional, is difficult because the two cultivation methods are often carried out in different farms and hence in different environmental conditions. Cultivation using the two methods was conducted in a greenhouse from November to March 2017/2018. Results demonstrated that the total fruit yield zucchini squash in organic cultivation was not significantly different to the conventional one (43.2 Mg ha-1 and 46.4 Mg ha-1, respectively). The agronomic inputs (fertilizers, fungicides, and insecticides) were higher in the organic cultivation system than conventional one. The water use efficiency was higher in the conventional cultivation system (150.6 kg m-3 ha-1) compared to the organic one (147.6 kg m-3 ha-1). No statistically significant differences were found for the fruit number per plant and for the marketable fruit at the end of the growing period. Significant differences for the harvest period were only detected for fresh weight, shape index, firmness, and titratable acidity. In conclusion, this work demonstrated that the organic system required higher inputs compared to the conventional cultivation. The extensive experience of the grower allowed for comparable yields between the two systems.


2003 ◽  
Vol 135 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie J. Filotas ◽  
Ann E. Hajek ◽  
Richard A. Humber

AbstractFuria gastropachaecomb. nov. (= Furia crustosa MacLeod et Tyrrell) has long been associated with declines in populations of the forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hübner; however, its prevalence and impact on host populations have never been documented. We clarify the nomenclature for this species, which has previously been called F. crustosa, and describe the morphology of F. gastropachae isolates from Maryland and New York. Epizootics of F. gastropachae were studied in M. disstria populations in New York and Maryland, United States of America. Prevalence (mean ± SE) of F. gastropachae in late fifth instar larvae in New York was 25.6 ± 7.8% compared with 22.2 ± 11.3% infection by virus and 23.3 ± 8.4% parasitism. In Maryland, F. gastropachae was not found in early instars and its incidence in fourth and fifth instars was 14.5 ± 7.3 and 21.6 ± 17.6%, respectively. Dipteran parasitoids were also important natural enemies with 38.3 ± 3.0 and 17.9 ± 1.4% parasitism in fourth and fifth instars, respectively. Virus was found in fewer than 5% of larvae collected. Furia gastropachae showed a marked tendency toward resting spore production in infected larvae, with 100% of larvae collected in New York and >80% of larvae collected in Maryland producing resting spores, either alone or in combination with conidia. The appearance of cadavers of larvae dying from fungal and viral infections was similar. Of 13 species of Lepidoptera exposed to F. gastropachae conidia in host-range bioassays, only 3.3% of Danaus plexippus (L.) (Lepidoptera: Danaidae), 5.6% of Pieris rapae (L.) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), and 3.7% of Manduca sexta (L.) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) were successfully infected by this fungus.


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