Organic and carbon farming: friends or foes? How German farmers perceive compatibility using Q methodology

Comparative biodiversity of insects and mites was studied in organic and conventional farming systems (FS) of tomato at certified organic farming unit of ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry (ACHF) and conventional farm of N. M. College of Agriculture (NMCA), Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat during 2018 – 2020, respectively. Total 1016 insect and mite individuals belonging to 9 insect and 1 mite orders, 14 insect and 2 mite families of 20 species of insects and 2 mites were recorded at organic farm (FS) against 967 individuals belonging to 8 insect and 1 mite orders, 13 insect and 2 mite families containing 17 insect and 2 mite species at conventional farm (FS). The diversity of insect and mites was higher in organic as compared to conventional FS. Higher species richness (22), species abundance (1016), species evenness (J= 0.76), species richness index (R= 3.03) and Shannon diversity index (H= 2.36) was observed at organic FS against lower species richness (19), species abundance (967), species evenness (0.69), species richness index (2.62) and Shannon diversity index (2.04) in conventional FS. Insect order Hemiptera and mite order Acarina were more represented at conventional farm (49.63 and 30.50 %) as compared to organic farm (46.99 and 24.17 %). Insects of Coleoptera order were more abundant at organic FS as compared to conventional FS. Relative abundance of herbivores was higher (82.10 %) with lower species evenness (0.71), species richness (1.20) and Shannon diversity index (1.55) in conventional FS as compared to lower relative abundance (69.68 %) with higher species evenness (0.74), species richness (1.37) and Shannon diversity index (1.71) in organic tomato FS. Similarly, 288 insect and mite predators were recorded at organic farm as compared to 161 individuals of insect and mite predators in conventional tomato FS. The relative abundance of predators was higher (28.30 %) with higher species evenness (0.70), species richness (1.59) and Shannon diversity index (1.64) at organic farm whereas, relative abundance (16.55 %), species evenness (0.67), species richness (1.59) and Shannon diversity index (1.64) remained lower at conventional farm. Similarly, higher parasitoids (21), relative abundance (2.02 %), species evenness (0.96), species richness (0.37) and Shannon weiner index (0.67) was observed in organic FS as compared to conventional FS (15, 1.52, 0.91, 0.34 and 0.63). In the present investigation, no pollinators were observed in both the farming systems.

This review provides an introduction to organic farming, its history and concepts, organic certification systems and governmental support, impacts to the environment and food security, the quality of organic food, and the impact of organic farming on human health. Organic farming is a holistic approach to agriculture and food systems that is based on agroecosystem health, soil fertility, reduction of inputs, and locally to regionally adapted farming systems. The first organic ideas were developed after World War I in Europe as an alternative to the existing conventional farming systems which induced rapid and crucial social and environmental changes in rural areas. Today, organic farming is growing rapidly on a global scale, with around 370 million hectares currently under certified organic management and a turnover of organic products amounting to 60 billion US dollars. Given that organic farming has environmental benefits, some governments are subsidizing organic farmers, while others establish legally valid organic standards that must be followed to enhance consumer trust in organic labeling.Many recent studies comparing organic and conventional farming have been performed, although almost exclusively in North America and Europe. These studies show that environmental impacts of organic farming are less than those from conventional farming, but the conclusions depend on the different farming systems used for comparison and on the parameters that were assessed. For soil parameters such as organic matter or aggregate stability, the effect from organic farming systems was positive compared to conventional farming systems, although contrary results exist in some cases. For nitrate leaching, study results are diverse and depend on production systems (animal husbandry, crop production, proportion of legumes). For greenhouse gas emissions, organic farming provides lower emissions on a per hectare basis compared to conventional farming, but the same or higher emissions on a product basis because of lower yields. If the yield gap between organic and conventional farming systems could be reduced, the potential for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions would rise. Organic farming performed better with regard to biodiversity compared to conventional farming for most taxa assessed. The impact of organic farming on food security cannot be clearly assessed because studies on the performance of organic farming in developing countries are lacking. Currently, some authors argue that organic farmers in developing countries profit from organic production if they can realize a price premium for the products and reduce input costs.One of the most important consumer motivations for the purchase of organic products is their health benefits. Organic products performed better than conventional products for different food compounds by containing less pesticide residues that are harmful to human health, having more desirable bioactive substances, and in the case of organic meat and milk, having more desirable fatty-acid composition. Animal experiments have shown positive health impacts from organic food. Several studies conducted on rats have indicated higher immune system reactivity in organically fed rats compared to conventionally fed animals. Similar results have been obtained for chickens and cows.The rapid growth of organic farming also can be a threat to future development if the organic sector cannot maintain its integrity and credibility. Organic products are available not only in farmer markets but in on-farm shops and organic food stores and are becoming increasingly present in conventional supermarkets. This involves long supply-chains, large suppliers, as well as processing, distribution, and trade via conventional processors and wholesalers. This conventionalization of organic food-chains may challenge the credibility of the organic sector as an environmentally friendly and socially fair form of agriculture. As the organic sector depends very much on this credibility, the question of how to retain this authenticity will be a major concern for the future.

Crop yield gap and stability in organic and conventional farming systems

The Republic of Indonesia Government through the Ministry of Agriculture has launched a program of “ Go to Organic 2010” in order to accelerate the development of organic agriculture in some regions of Indonesia. This research aims to study the implementation of organic rice farming systems in District of Susukan , Semarang Regency. Specifically, the objectives of this study were (1) to analyze the program implementation of organic rice farming in the district of Susukan Semarang Regency , and (2) to e valuate the implementation of organic rice farming systems in terms of organic farming standards. The experiment was conducted in the Susukan District of Semarang Regency ranging from April to August 2013. Primary data were obtained from direct observations in the field using a questionnaire at predetermined sample area. Variable s observed include correspondence between the implementation of organic rice farming in the community with organic farming criteria. The results showed that the farmers have implemented Organic Rice Farming Systems ( ORFS ) with a percentage of 83.3 percent and Conventional Farming Systems (CFS ) 16.7 percent. The government has had a policy of organic rice farming, among others in the form of socialization in the development of organic rice farming and technical guidance in the development of organic rice farming. In general, community in the Susukan District of Semarang Regency has know n environmentally farming of organic rice farming. In the rice farming community has grown organically and still need to be developed. Basically organic paddy cultivation in the district of Susukan District of Semarang Regency actually can not be said to be fully as organic rice farming, or more accurately called as semi-organic farming systems. Normal 0 false false false IN X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:Table Normal; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri,sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Times New Roman; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Times New Roman; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

Agriculture is a contributor of nitrate to natural waters and there is concern about the excess nitrogen burden loadings from agriculture on natural waters. Agricultural practices that reduce nitrate leaching from arable land are needed. It is postulated by certain groups that organic farming practices reduce nitrate leaching among other environmental benefits. The objectives of this paper are: (1) to compile, summarize and critically analyse information about NO3-N leaching from farming systems that were managed according to organic farming principles; (2) to compare NO3-N leaching from organic farming systems with that from conventional systems. This review consists of several parts. The available literature on leaching of NO3-N from organic farming and conventional farming systems was analysed. Leachable amounts of NO3-N in soils from two types of farming systems were compared. Finally NO3-N leaching from animal manure versus inorganic fertilizer was examined. In all studies we found in the literature, both the sequence and type of crops grown, and the input intensity of N was different in organic and conventional systems. Organic farming systems had on average a lower N input and more legumes in rotation. Average leaching of NO3-N from organic farming systems over a crop rotation period was somewhat lower than in conventional agriculture. If the different input intensities of N between organic and conventional systems were taken into account and corrected for, no differences in leaching losses between systems were found. However, a proper comparison of leaching between the two types of systems should take the yield into account. Attempting to do this in this review, we found only two studies which provided data for this. In both studies, specific conditions of the soil—a high organic matter content resulting in a high N mineralization at one site and a heavy clay texture resulting in very small leaching losses at the other site—did not enable us to come up with a clear-cut answer. Nevertheless, we could not find any evidence that nitrate leaching will be reduced by the introduction of organic farming practices, if the goal is to maintain the same crop yield levels as in conventional farming systems. Reduction of nitrate leaching is not a question of organic or conventional farming, but rather of introduction and use of appropriate counter- measures. This insight should guide our thinking when developing environmentally friendly and sustainable cropping systems.

Soil organic carbon is affected by organic amendments, conservation tillage, and cover cropping in organic farming systems: A meta-analysis

2Organic food production faces rapidly growing consumer demand in the U.S. and other industrialized countries, along with a worldwide regulatory framework and rapidly developing support infrastructure, making it a premier technology in the efforts of many public and private organizations that advocate more sustainable farming practices. The use of organic farming systems for crop production in the U.S. has grown rapidly during the last decade, but is still under 0.5 percent of total U.S. farmland—substantially less than in many countries in Europe and elsewhere. Within the U.S., conversion to organic farming systems has been more extensive in particular commodity sectors and regions. In California, for example, about two percent of the state’s crop acreage is managed under organic farming systems, and over 15 percent of the dairies in some New England states are organic. The objectives of this paper are to examine commodity-sector adoption rates and trends for organic farming systems in the U.S., and determine the impact of evolving markets and public support on adoption. First we will describe the current adoption and trends for the US and the world for organic production. Next we will examine current research on consumer attitudes towards organic products. We will then look at relevant issues raised from the results of research trials comparing the risks and input requirements of organic versus conventional agriculture. In most cases organic producers rely on price premiums to offset the increased risks and production costs. We will discuss market policies that directly and indirectly affect the profitability of organic production. We will then look at current farm policies in the context of adoption of organic production. Finally, we will discuss organic production in the context of the next farm bill.

<p>The application of organic farming on rice farming in Indonesia is still new to know. The farming interested if efficiency economics. The meaning efficiency economics if the technical efficiency. This research aimed to evaluate the performance of organic rice farming systems, focusing on: (1) identifying the range of application of organic farming on rice farming, (2) analyzing the productivity and income from applying organic farming, and (3) analyzing the technical efficiency of applying organic farming and identifying factors that influence it.<br />The study was conducted in Malang Regency with take sample Sumber Ngepoh village, Lawang, Malang. This village is purposively taken because this is only a village in East Java which has obtained a certificate as a producer of organic rice from Organic Certification Agency. Furthermore, farmers did not interested application of organic farming. The sample of farmers 120 respondents selected by using non-proportionate stratified random sampling among those applying organic rice farming. The data are anal<br />The results at the study stage show that there was diversity between implementing organic and agricultural organic farming system. This diversity reached only 8,33 percent application of organic rice farming of the total land area, while the rest was still in the transitional stage of applying organic system. The application of organic rice farming must independently be able to increase production and income of the farmer. <br />Judging from the level of technical efficiency, the application of organic rice farming is generally quite high, above the value of TE (technical efficiency) 0.8, while applying an independent organic farming has higher technical efficiency than others. Determinant of technical efficiency is the practice of Sekolah Lapang or Field School and the independence of farmers in affording resources locally.</p><p>Keywords: Technical efficiency, independence of rice farming system, Organic farming applications.<br /><br /></p>

The application of organic farming on rice farming in Indonesia is still new to know. The farming interested if efficiency economics. The meaning efficiency economics if the technical efficiency. This research aimed to evaluate the performance of organic rice farming systems, focusing on: (1) identifying the range of application of organic farming on rice farming, (2) analyzing the productivity and income from applying organic farming, and (3) analyzing the technical efficiency of applying organic farming and identifying factors that influence it.<br />The study was conducted in Malang Regency with take sample Sumber Ngepoh village, Lawang, Malang. This village is purposively taken because this is only a village in East Java which has obtained a certificate as a producer of organic rice from Organic Certification Agency. Furthermore, farmers did not interested application of organic farming. The sample of farmers 120 respondents selected by using non-proportionate stratified random sampling among those applying organic rice farming. The data are anal<br />The results at the study stage show that there was diversity between implementing organic and agricultural organic farming system. This diversity reached only 8,33 percent application of organic rice farming of the total land area, while the rest was still in the transitional stage of applying organic system. The application of organic rice farming must independently be able to increase production and income of the farmer. <br />Judging from the level of technical efficiency, the application of organic rice farming is generally quite high, above the value of TE (technical efficiency) 0.8, while applying an independent organic farming has higher technical efficiency than others. Determinant of technical efficiency is the practice of Sekolah Lapang or Field School and the independence of farmers in affording resources locally.<br /><br />Keywords: Technical efficiency, independence of rice farming system, Organic farming applications.<br /><br />

Field experiment was conducted to compare the soil status of organic and conventional farming system under rice and wheat cropping system. Laboratory analysis was made on the soil samples collected from a longterm organic farm (SOF) at Department of Soil Science, Khalsa College, Amritsar and compared with the soil samples collected from different conventional fields (SCF) after the harvest of rice crop to investigate the effect of organic sources and chemical fertilizers. The results of the study revealed that soil physical properties viz., bulk density, particle density and porosity varied from 1.26 g/cm3 to 1.31g/cm3 (SO) and 1.35 g/cm3 to 1.44 g/cm3 (SC), 2.62 g/cm3 to 2.67 g/cm3 (SO) and 2.62 g/cm3 to 2.68 g/cm3 (SC) and 50.19 to 52.80 per cent (SO) and 45.48 to 48.49 per cent (SC), respectively. Soil pH showed slightly acidic to alkaline (6.75 to 7.34) range in organic soil samples while conventional soil samples showed alkaline range (7.98 to 8.28). The electrical conductivity (EC) of conventional farming system was significantly higher than organic farming system. The highest value (0.421dS/m) of EC was observed in conventional farming system field while lowest (0.391 dS/m) in organic field. Soil organic carbon (OC) content in surface soil ranged between 0.74 to 0.85 per cent and 0.26 to 0.35 per cent in organic and conventional farming systems, respectively. Similar trends were observed in soil status of available N, P and K under organic and conventional farming systems.

Organic farming is gaining global recognition in terms of the role it plays in providing safe and healthy food, income, and maintaining a sustainable environment. Despite these aspects , it faces constraints that, if identified, will play a vital role in its development and formulating policy for its sustainability. Creating an effective policy to improve organic farming necessitates identifying the influencing factors in organic farming method selection as well as barriers encountered. This study, therefore, examined the common types of organic maize farming, their determinants, and their challenges in Nigeria. Primary data collected from 480 respondents were analysed with descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression. The result revealed that organic manure, compost manure, biocontrol, and cover cropping were used by the farmers to enrich the soil. Farming experience, membership in a farm-based organization, farm distance, education, income, extension contacts, farm size, and cultural compatibility were the influencing factors of different organic farming systems used in maize production. Inadequate organic food accrediting agencies, inability to meet export demand, high cost and scarcity of organic seeds, lack of financial support, poor marketing system, inadequate supporting infrastructure, poor technical know-how, and pest infestation were the most common problems encountered in organic farming. To enhance participation in organic maize farming practices, there is a need to support organic farmers with financial support, accessible organic accreditation centres, training, educational support, and inputs.

The health of the soil, recognized by its active role in the linked processes of decomposition and nutrient supply, is considered as the foundation of agriculture by the organic farming movement. Nutrient management in organically managed soils is fundamentally different from that of conventional agricultural systems. Crop rotations are designed with regard to maintenance of fertility with a focus on nutrient recycling. Where nutrients are added to the system, inputs are in organic and/or non-synthetic fertilizer sources that are mostly slow release in nature. Hence a greater reliance is placed on soil chemical and biological processes to release nutrients in plant-available forms. In this respect, nutrient availability in organically farmed soils is more dependent upon soil processes than is the case in conventional agriculture. The development and use of biological indicators of soil quality may therefore be more important in organic (and other low input) farming systems. The aim of this paper is to evaluate current evidence for the impact of organic farming systems on soil biological quality and consider the identification of appropriate biological indicators for use by organic farmers and their advisors. Organic farming systems are generally associated with increased biological activity and increased below-ground biodiversity. The main impacts on biological fertility do not result from the systemsper sebut are related to the amount and quality of the soil organic matter pool and disruptions of soil habitat via tillage. Even within the constraints of organic farming practices it is possible for farmers to make changes to management practices which will tend to improve soil biological quality. It is, however, by no means clear that distinct indicators of soil biological quality are needed for organic farming systems. It is important not only to identify the most appropriate indicators but also to ensure that farmers and land managers can understand and relate to them to support on-farm management decisions.

Economics of a farming system is the key determinant of its sustainability. Organic and conventional farming systems are two distinct types of production systems having contrasting farm management practices and output price as well. Furthermore, organic farming system is promoted for environmental protection and conventional farming system is cursed for the environmental degradation. The present study was conducted to compare the economics of organic and conventional vegetable production in Kathmandu valley. Thirty farmers each involved in commercial organic and conventional vegetable farming were selected randomly for the study. Data were collected through survey method using semi-structured questionnaire. The estimated per ropani per year cost of cultivation of vegetables in the organic farm (NPR 69,170) was lesser than in conventional farm (NPR 1,00,562). The gross return per ropani in a year in the organic vegetable farm (NPR 1,01,536) was significantly lesser than from conventional farms (NPR 1,35,747). Benefit to cost ratio (BCR) was higher in organic farm (1.47:1) in comparison to conventional farm (1.35:1). This study revealed that organic vegetable farming was more profitable than conventional vegetable farming in Kathmandu valley. To expand commercial agriculture: quality inputs, input and output price stability, co-operative or corporative marketing should be promoted.

<p>Reviews and meta-analyses generally support the perception that organic farming systems are more environmentally friendly than conventional farming systems. Organic agriculture results in more soil organic matter and higher microbiological activity, thus, providing better water holding capabilities, decreased both runoff and concentration of nitrate in soil, leading to fewer risks of nitrate leaching loss from the soil to water bodies. However, environmental quality parameters can differ between organic plant and animal production farms, moreover, they can be higher calculated per unit product.</p><p>We used the ARMOSA process-based crop model (Valkama et al., 2020) to evaluate contribution of plant and animal organic farming to soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and N leaching loss reduction compare to conventional systems in South Savo (Finland). Since organic systems often produce about 30% less yields compared to conventional systems, we calculated SOC changes per total gross energy in harvested yields. For model inputs we used daily meteorological data, statistical annual crop yields, statistical data for sales of nitrogen fertilizers in the region during the last 20 years (1999-2018). Five-year crop rotations were simulated on loamy sand soil (C 3.5 %, C/N ratio 17, pH 6.2). On plant production farms, rotations consisted of cereals (with addition of pea in organic), oilseed rape and grass. Conventional crops were fertilized with mineral fertilizer, and residues were removed (PC-R) or retained (PC+R). Organic crops were fertilized with green manure only (PO<sub>g</sub>+R) or also with commercial organic fertilizer (PO<sub>f</sub>+R). On animal production farms, conventional (AC-R) and organic (AO-R) rotations consisted of 2 years of cereals and 3 years of grass, sown with clover in organic system. Conventional animal system was fertilized with mineral fertilizer and slurry, while organic system with slurry only, and residues were removed in both systems.</p><p>Simulations showed that both conventional plant production systems (PC-R and PC+R) led to SOC decline of 650 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>yr<sup>-1</sup> at 0-30 cm soil depth. Organic systems showed either less SOC decline (120 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>yr<sup>-1</sup>) as in PO<sub>g</sub>+R, or slight SOC increase (55 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>yr<sup>-1</sup>) as in PO<sub>f</sub>+R. In contrast, organic animal production system did not differ from conventional system in terms of SOC change, showing a slight decreasing trend of about 150 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>yr<sup>-1</sup>. Estimates of SOC per gross energy in harvested yields showed the highest value (1.3 kg GJ<sup>-1</sup>) for organic plant production fertilized with commercial organic fertilizer (PO<sub>f</sub>+R), while the lowest value (-18 and -13 kg GJ<sup>-1</sup>) for conventional plant production systems (PC-R and PC+R, respectively). In contrast, the estimates did not differ much between organic (-2.2 kg GJ<sup>-1</sup>) and conventional (-1.8 kg GJ<sup>-1</sup>) animal production systems. Simulated N leaching loss varied between 6 and 9 kg ha<sup>-1</sup> yr<sup>-1</sup> for all systems, except for organic plant rotation with green manure (PO<sub>g</sub>+R), which N leaching loss was only 3 kg ha<sup>-1</sup> yr<sup>-1</sup>. </p><p>The modelling results suggest that organic plant production farms can be more environmentally friendly per unit area as well as per unit product compared to conventional farms, while organic animal production farms seem to cause similar environmental impact as conventional farms.</p>

Soil quality and phosphorus status after nine years of organic and conventional farming at two input levels in the Central Highlands of Kenya