Biodynamic Preparations Research Articles

Can silica application enhance vine performance and quality?

Consumer awareness of environmental sustainability and concern for food safety and quality is driving increased demand for organic and biodynamic (BD) produce. This is coupled with a more physically and economically challenging environment pushing producers to explore more sustainable management techniques. Biodynamic viticulture has both environmental and marketing benefits as drivers and involves the application of a series of nine preparations to soil and plants. Biodynamic preparation 501 is silica-based and has minimum yearly use requirements for certified growers. There are conflicting reports of silicon-based foliar sprays eliciting favourable plant reactions about improvements in quality, yield, and resistance against pests and diseases. Here, vine growth, yield components, berry and wine composition analyses, and sensory evaluations were conducted in two seasons to compare the effects of biodynamic and commercial silica treatments against a water control on Semillon and Cabernet-Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) vines. In both seasons differences in yield and vine growth were observed. Generally, yield was greater with the application of biodynamic silica and potassium silicate. Basic berry compositional attributes pH, TA, TSS, and total anthocyanins and phenolics showed little to no differences. Sensory descriptive analysis of berries and wine indicated significant differences in attributes related to skin and seed tannins, implying that these analyses may better detect subtle yet important variations in the vineyard. The results of this study suggest a direct correlation between silicon and polyphenols, potentially influencing sensory mouthfeel characteristics through changes in skin thickness and/or structure. This study indicates that applying silica can positively impact vine performance and quality.

Effects of organic amendments, biofertilisers and biodynamic preparations on soil properties and leaf nutrient concentrations in grapevine

ABSTRACT Excessive and unbalanced use of chemical fertilisers can lead to depletion of physical and chemical properties of the soil and have negative impacts on the environment. This investigation was conducted at Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram, India and aimed to evaluate effects of organic amendments, biofertilisers and biodynamic preparations on soil properties and leaf nutrient status of grapevine. The experiment was laid out in randomised block design with 14 treatments consisting of different combinations of organic amendments, biofertilisers and biodynamic preparations viz. farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost (VC), pig manure (PIM), neem cake (NC), Azospirillum, phosphate solubilising bacteria (PSB), potash solubilising bacteria (KSB), Trichoderma harzianum, cow pat pit (CPP) and biodynamic preparations BD500 and BD501. The results demonstrated that the use of organic amendments in combination with biofertilisers and biodynamic preparations enhanced leaf nutrient status as well soil properties in the vineyard. Among all the tested combinations, the highest concentrations of Mn, Zn, chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll in the leaves and concentrations of soil organic carbon, inorganic carbon, total carbon, total N, available N, P, K, Mn and Zn, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and abundance of bacteria and Actinomycetes in the soil were recorded with application of PIM + Azospirillum + PSB + KSB + T. harzianum + CPP + BD 500 + BD 501. This treatment was therefore recommended as a suitable option to meet the demand for long-term maintenance of soil fertility as well agroecosystem conservation and sustainability.

Structural elements of grain yield in triticale (х Triticosecale Wittmack) grown under organic farming conditions

Abstract During the period 2018-2020 in the experimental field of the Agricultural Institute, Shumen, on calcic chernozem soil type, a field experiment with triticale (x Triticosecale Wittmack) was conducted. The experiment was based on the block method, in four replications with a size of the experimental plot of 10 m2. Sowing was carried out in October with a sowing rate of 500 germinate able seeds/m2 after the predecessor sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.). In the appropriate periods treatments were made in 4 variants: 1) Control-untreated variant. 2) Treatment with biodynamic preparations: Preparation 500 (5% solution) + Fladen preparation (1.5% solution) + preparation 501 (1.5 g for 300 l H2O/ha). 3) Treatment with biological preparations: Heliosulfur (500 ml/ha) + Free N (500 ml/ha). 4) Combined treatment with the same biodynamic and biological preparations. The following indicators were studied: plant height, number of spikelet’s per spike, number of grains per spike, grain weight per spike. After the statistical analysis for the first year of the study, a proven positive difference was found in all indicators in the combined biodynamic + biological method of cultivation, as well as in the stand-alone biological. In the second year of the study, a proven positive difference was obtained in all studied indicators in the variants treated with biodynamic preparations and the combination of biodynamic + biological preparations, with statistical significance for p<0.001. A positive correlation was found between all variants of the observed indicators at p<0.05.

Enrichment of putative plant growth promoting microorganisms in biodynamic compared with organic agriculture soils

Abstract The potential of soils to maintain biological productivity, defined as soil health, is strongly influenced by human activity, such as agriculture. Therefore, soil management has always been a concern for sustainable agriculture and new methods that account for both soil health and crop yield must be found. Biofertilization using microbial inoculants emerges as a promising alternative to conventional interventions such as excessive mineral fertilization and herbicide use. Biodynamic preparations used as a central part of biodynamic agriculture have various effects on soil properties, such as microbial biomass and respiration. We conducted several biomarker experiments to infer the effect of biodynamic preparations on soil prokaryotic and fungal communities and compared results to organic management. Potential plant growth promoting amplicon sequence variants were quantified using a commercial database based on their taxonomic identity. We found significantly higher numbers of putative plant growth promoting amplicon sequence variants in biodynamically compared with organically treated soils. Furthermore, prokaryotic amplicon sequence variants enriched in biodynamic preparations were found in higher numbers in biodynamically treated soils, indicating successful colonization after treatment. Experiments were conducted at three locations in Germany and 21 locations in France covering different crops and soil types. Altogether, our results indicate that biodynamic preparations can act as biofertilizers that promote soil health by increasing the abundance of plant growth promoting microorganisms.

Quality of Bokashi-Type Biofertilizer Formulations and Its Application in the Production of Vegetables in an Ecological System

Current agriculture faces the challenge of producing food with the least interference from the environment. In this sense, the implementation of ecological agricultural practices is essential to obtaining healthy and more sustainable production systems. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of different inoculation technologies on formulations of bokashi-type biofertilizer and its application as soil and substrate organic amendment. We examined the effects of treatments on the chemical and biological quality of the evaluated formulations, as well as their influence on the agronomic and nutritional characteristics of red-beet and cabbage crops in the field. The metagenomic analysis of the taxonomic profile of the microbiological populations revealed relative abundance of plant growth-promoting rhizobacterial genera, including Azospirillum sp., Rhizobium sp., Bradyrhizobium sp., Burkholderia sp., Paraburkholderia sp., and Paenibacillus sp. in the evaluated formulations. Additionally, no phytopathogenic contaminants were detected among the investigated treatments. The highest yields of field-grown beet crops were obtained from seedlings produced using the following treatments: bokashi biofertilizer + biodynamic preparations P502-P507, bokashi + Chamomilla 12 CH, and bokashi + Carbo vegetabilis 12 CH. The increase in productivity of cabbage plants was higher in the treatment bokashi + Calcarea carbonica 12 CH.

Impacts of plant growth-promoting bacteria, compost and biodynamic compost preparations for alleviating the harmful effects of salinity on essential oil characteristics of lavender

BackgroundBiodynamic agriculture and the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPBs) have been demonstrated to offer various benefits for achieving agricultural sustainability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of PGPBs Azotobacter and Azospirillum, compost, and compost with biodynamic preparations (BD) on the essential oil (EO) characteristics of lavender under salinity stress.Research methodsThe experiment was carried out in a greenhouse for 2 years and involved three factors: four PGPBs, three types of compost, and three levels of salinity stress.ResultsThe results indicated that the essential oil (EO) characteristics increased with 50 mM NaCl but decreased with 100 mM NaCl. Salt stress reduced the cell membrane stability (CMS) and auxin content, while increasing proline contents. However, the application of PGPBs, compost, and compost with biodynamic preparations had an opposite effect on CMS, auxin, and proline parameters compared to salt stress. Based on the results, the treatment that combined compost + BD with Azotobacter was found to be the most effective in enhancing the EO characteristics under both mild and severe salinity stress conditions.ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest that compost, biodynamic compost preparations, and PGPBs could be useful in enhancing the EO in medicinal plants and alleviating the adverse effects of salt stress on plants.Graphical

Physio-chemical and microbial characterization of organic and biodynamic manures collected from different farms in India

The organic and biodynamic manures based on animal, plant and house hold waste which have both direct and indirect benefits to soil and crop growth. This paper reports the characterization of organic and biodynamic manures collected from three farms in India. A total of 14 manures were collectedand processed for determination of physico-chemical properties such as pH, EC, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, organic carbon and humic acids and microbial enumerations by following the standard methods.The present work on the physico- chemical analysis of different organic and biodynamic manures corroborated with all the results that the biodynamic preparations are rich in micronutrients and BD compost, CPP vermicompost and FarmYard Manure was high in major nutrients (N and K).Based on physico-chemical properties the nutritional index of biodynamic manures was derived. Agriculture or domestic waste can be effectively converted into nutrient enriched manures for soil fertility.

Marna Pease (1866-1947): Founder of Biodynamics for the English-Speaking World

Marna Pease (1866-1947) was the founder of Biodynamic farming in Britain. The ‘Anthroposophical Agricultural Foundation’ (AAF) was inaugurated at the ‘World Conference on Spiritual Science and its Practical Applications’ (WCSS), London, July 1928, with Marna as the Honorary Secretary. Under the auspices of the AAF, Marna shepherded the fledgling Anglo Biodynamic (BD) movement through the turbulent times of the Great Depression (1929-1939), the Great Anthroposophy Purge (1935), and World War II (1939-1945). Marna stepped down in 1946. By that time there were reportedly over 400 members of the AAF. With Dr Carl Alexander Mirbt, she produced the first BD preparations in Britain at her home, Otterburn Tower, Northumberland. She took up the role of Honorary Secretary of both the AAF and the ‘Experimental Circle of Anthroposophical Farmers and Gardeners’. The AAF initially operated out of Otterburn (315 miles north of London, 74 miles south of Edinburgh). Marna was a member of the Executive Council of the Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain. She relocated to the Old Mill House at Bray-on-Thames (30 miles west of London) in 1930. Marna typed, bound, and despatched copies around the world, of the English translation of Rudolf Steiner’s ‘Agriculture Course’, to those who joined the Experimental Circle. She edited the first Biodynamics journal in English: ‘Anthroposophical Agricultural Foundation Notes and Correspondence’. Marna provided members with the BD preparations and she published BD pamphlets. She established a showcase Biodynamic garden and apiary at Bray-on-Thames. She recruited members, hosted visitors, and maintained an international correspondence with enquirers and members. Marna hosted Carl Mirbt (aka Mier) and his family, first at Otterburn and then at Bray. She hosted Dr Eugen Kolisko, Lilly Kolisko, and their daughter at Bray. Lilly’s ‘Biologisches Institut am Goetheanum’ (Biological Institute at the Goetheanum) relocated from Stuttgart to Bray in 1935. Marna was fluent in German and she translated Steiner’s ‘Nine Lectures on Bees’ (published 1933) and Lilly’s ‘The Moon and the Growth of Plants’ (published 1938). Marna’s legacy continues with the Biodynamic Agricultural Association (BDAA) in Britain, and with BD agriculture in the Anglo-sphere presently accounting for 30% of global BD agriculture.

Dynamic use of Cow Pat Pit, Biodynamic Preparations and Peppering in Organic Farming

Working with the energies that produce and maintain life is referred to as biodynamic farming. It is a type of organic farming using farming inputs made from herbs, minerals, and raw materials processed in complex ways, and then applied to the soil and crops in minute doses. However, what distinguishes biodynamic farming from organic farming is that biodynamic farming makes use of an astrological calendar to determine the most auspicious times for planting, cultivating, and harvesting. It collaborates with the energy of the Sun, Moon, constellations, and planets to produce and sustain life. The ideas of biodynamic agriculture include substance and energy, soil, organic matter, humus, cow manure, cosmic forces, biodynamic preparations, crop rotation, peppering, farm organisms, and the control of weeds, pests, and disease. The main objective of this paper is to review and briefly highlight biodynamic cow pat pit (CPP), different types of biodynamic preparations, biodynamic peppering, and how they are related to the cosmic cycles. Biodynamic Cow Pat Pit (CPP) is a biodynamic preparation that uses cow manure to boost the humus-forming processes of the soil and encourage soil activity. On the other hand, biodynamic preparations are numbered from 500 to 508 and are straightforward, all-natural homeopathic remedies prepared from yarrow, chamomile, horn silica, and other plants. And lastly, biodynamic peppering deals with an unbalanced insect problem, animal pests, or weed problem. So, overall biodynamic agriculture uses the natural resources and energy available upon itself to create and maintain life. It somehow increases the nutritional quality of the food, improves seed vitality, fewer weeds, pests, and disease infestation, and produces living soil and healthy plants for sustainable agriculture.

Effects of biodynamic preparations 500 and 501 on vine and berry physiology, pedology and the soil microbiome

In the pursuit of increasing sustainability, climate change resiliency and independence of synthetic pesticides in agriculture, the interest of consumers and producers in organic and biodynamic farming has been steadily increasing in recent decennia. This is, in particular, the case for the vitivinicultural industry in Europe, where more and more producers are converting from organic to biodynamic farming. However, clear scientific evidence showing that biodynamic farming improves vine physiology, vine stress resilience, soil quality related parameters and berry or wine quality is still lacking, despite the growing number of research studies on this issue. To investigate whether biodynamic farming methods have an impact on vine physiology, berry quality and the environment, a five-year experiment was set up in 2016 in a commercial vineyard in Switzerland. In this trial, the two main biodynamic preparations 500 and 501 were applied and compared to an organic control. Vine and berry physiology (net photosynthesis, vigour, sugar, organic acids, berry weight, yield) were assessed from 2016 to 2020. Soil physical properties (soil bulk density, water holding capacity, soil structural stability, macropore volume) were analysed from 2017-2020, and, soil fungal communities were analysed by DNA-sequencing in the last year of the experiment (2020). None of the parameters related to vine and berry physiology showed significant differences throughout the duration of the experiments, except photosynthesis, which was higher when biodynamic preparations were applied at one time point. Similarly, the soil’s physical properties were not influenced by the application of the two biodynamic preparations in all years. Regarding the soil microbiome, the preparations 500 and 501 neither led to significant differences in fungal diversity nor seemed to impact the soil fungal communities. The present study confirms previous findings of different research teams that did not observe significant differences between organic and biodynamic farming methods in terms of observed soil and vine parameters.

Analytical perception and kinesthetic engagement in evaluation of copper chloride crystallization patterns of wheat, grape juice and rocket samples from conventional, organic and biodynamic cultivation

BackgroundWhen a dihydrate cupric chloride solution is crystallized in a petri dish in the presence of extracts of food products, dendritic crystal patterns emerge. The degree of growth, ripening and decomposition of the product is reflected in these patterns as salient unities (gestalts) of phenomenological features. In the present study we evaluated wheat, grape, and rocket (arugula) samples grown under different farming systems, fertilization treatments or horn silica application. The hypothesis of the present study was: samples are more precisely differentiated with a kinesthetic engagement in the perception of the gestalt decomposition than with ranking solely based on analytical criteria.ResultsIn six out of seven panel tests with three different agricultural products grown with different methods, the following rankings for accelerated decomposability were derived:For wheat: biodynamic < organic < conventional (mineral fertilization and manure) < mineral (mineral fertilization only)For grapes: biodynamic < organic < conventional (mineral fertilization and compost)For rocket (arugula): biodynamic < organic < mineralFor rocket (arugula): with horn silica < without horn silica application.Analytical assessment was compared with kinesthetic priming of the evaluation panel. In six out of seven tests kinesthetic assessments (i) yielded more highly significant differences in ranking between the cultivation methods; (ii) clearly improved matching of the samples in a confusion matrix to the ranking of the cultivation methods; and (iii) generated lower RMSE values.ConclusionsKinesthetic engagement in gestalt evaluation proved superior to an evaluation based on analytical perception. Highly significant differences between biodynamic and organic variants and also between treatments with and without horn silica application were found in six out of seven tests. In five of the six tests the only difference between organic and biodynamic variants was the application of the biodynamic preparations. The results indicate increased resistance to deterioration of the biodynamic variants, in terms of lower degradation in the crystallization images. This prompts additional research to establish whether the crystallization method can serve as a universal test to monitor the stress resistance of plants.Graphical

Deciphering the microbial composition of biodynamic preparations and their effects on the apple rhizosphere microbiome

Soil microbial communities are crucial for plant growth and are already depleted by anthropogenic activities. The application of microbial transplants provides a strategy to restore beneficial soil traits, but less is known about the microbiota of traditional inoculants used in biodynamic agriculture. In this study, we used amplicon sequencing and quantitative PCR to decipher microbial communities of composts, biodynamic manures, and plant preparations from Austria and France. In addition, we investigated the effect of extracts derived from biodynamic manure and compost on the rhizosphere microbiome of apple trees. Microbiota abundance, composition, and diversity of biodynamic manures, plant preparations, and composts were distinct. Microbial abundances ranged between 1010-1011(bacterial 16S rRNA genes) and 109-1011(fungal ITS genes). The bacterial diversity was significantly higher in biodynamic manures compared to compost without discernible differences in abundance. Fungal diversity was not significantly different while abundance was increased in biodynamic manures. The microbial communities of biodynamic manures and plant preparations were specific for each production site, but all contain potentially plant-beneficial bacterial genera. When applied in apple orchards, biodynamic preparations (extracts) had the non-significant effect of reducing bacterial and fungal abundance in apple rhizosphere (4 months post-application), while increasing fungal and lowering bacterial Shannon diversity. One to four months after inoculation, individual taxa indicated differential abundance. We observed the reduction of the pathogenic fungusAlternaria, and the enrichment of potentially beneficial bacterial genera such asPseudomonas.Our study paves way for the science-based adaptation of empirically developed biodynamic formulations under different farming practices to restore the vitality of agricultural soils.

Biodynamic compost effects on soil parameters in a 27-year long-term field experiment

BackgroundSoil samples were taken after 27 years from a long-term field experiment to study the effects of composted pure cattle farmyard manure (FYM) and two FYM treatments with biodynamic preparations on soil chemical and microbiological properties.MethodsSoil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen, basal respiration, fungal ergosterol, microbial biomass C (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) were analyzed in a 6-field crop rotation system, conducted as a randomized block design with six replicates. The multi-substrate-induced respiration (multi-SIR) approach was used to assess microbial functional diversity by the respiratory response of 17 low molecular weight organic substances.ResultsAll composted FYM treatments revealed generally positive effects on SOC, total N, basal respiration, MBC, and MBN in contrast to control without FYM. Only fungal ergosterol was not increased by FYM application. After 27 experimental years, discriminant function analysis of multi-SIR data not only revealed significant general effects of biodynamic preparations, but was also able to differentiate between the sole application of the Achillea millefolium preparation and the standard application of all 6 biodynamic compost preparations.ConclusionsThe Achillea preparation was specifically able to improve the N status of the microbial community as indicated by the higher catabolic use of D-glucosamine as well as the amino acids γ-aminobutyric acid, L-cysteine, and L-leucine. The reason for different effects of the sole Achillea preparation and all 6 preparations cannot be explained by the current study.Graphical

Stanisław Karłowski (1879-1939): Pioneer of Biodynamic Farming and Organic Agriculture in Poland

Stanisław Karłowski (1879-1939) was one of the great champions of Biodynamic farming during its formative years. After an illustrious career as an international banker, in 1920 he purchased the Szelejewo Estate in Poland comprising 1,724 hectares. Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) presented his Agriculture Course at Koberwitz (now Kobierzyce, Poland) in the summer of 1924. Rudolf Steiner called for farming to be based on natural and biological principles and the farm to be considered as an organism. His seminal course laid the grounds for the subsequent development of Biodynamic and organic farming. Stanisław Karłowski encountered Biodynamics in 1929. He converted his Szelejewo Estate to Biodynamics, thereby creating what was, at the time, likely the largest Biodynamic (BD) farm in Europe, and perhaps the world (c.f. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer’s farm, Loverendale, Netherlands, was 320 hectares). Stanisław Karłowski published a series of seven booklets (in Polish) promoting the practice of Biodynamics (including a translation of Ehrenfried Pfeiffer); these are believed to be the first Biodynamics publications in Polish. Stanisław Karłowski ran courses on Biodynamics at his Estate and made BD preparations available. He engaged in lively debate and advocacy for Biodynamics in Poland’s ‘Agricultural Gazette’. He implemented Rudolf Steiner’s injunction to test the ideas of the Agriculture Course and he published his results and observations in ‘Demeter’, the leading Biodynamics journal of the time. With a leading Polish Anthroposophist artist, Franciszek Siedlecki, he developed advertising material for Biodynamic bread from his Szelejewo Estate. Stanisław Karłowski was a member of Rudolf Steiner’s ‘Experimental Circle of Anthroposophic Farmers and Gardeners’, the ‘inner sanctum’ of those pioneering the development of Biodynamics in its gestational years of the turbulent interwar period. He founded an association to progress biological farming practices. The breadth and depth of Stanisław Karłowski’s dedication to Biodynamics flags him as an exceptional member of the Experimental Circle. He brought to the task an economic viewpoint, the attention to detail of a banker, and the independence of thought of a non-Anthroposophist. Within weeks of the German invasion of Poland, Stanisław Karłowski was executed by a Nazi firing squad in the town square of Gostyń, his wife was deported, his beloved Szelejewo Estate was appropriated by the Nazis, and Poland was extinguished as a sovereign state. The present paper establishes Stanisław Karłowski as a pre-eminent pioneer and champion of Biodynamic and organic agriculture.

Variations of elements, pigments, amino acids and secondary metabolites in Vitis vinifera (L.) cv Garganega after 501 biodynamic treatment

BackgroundThere is a need for new approaches in agriculture to improve safety of final products as well as to increase environmental acceptability. In this paper, the biodynamic preparation 501 (horn silica) was sprayed on Vitis vinifera (L.) cv Garganega plants in two vineyards located in Veneto region, North-East Italy. Leaf samples were collected on the day of 501-treatment and 11 days later, and berries were sampled at harvest time. Leaves and berries samples were analysed combining targeted and untargeted measurements related to primary metabolism (pigment, element and amino acid contents) and to secondary metabolism. Chlorophyll content in leaves, and amino acid and element (C, N, S) analysis in berries were combined with untargeted UPLC-QTOF metabolomics.ResultsThe discriminant compounds related to the 501-treatment were annotated on the basis of accurate MS and fragmentation and were identified as secondary metabolites, namely phenolic constituents belonging to the shikimate pathway. The level of most of the identified compounds increased in plants treated with 501 preparation.ConclusionsResults highlight the prominent value of the metabolomic approach to elucidate the role of the 501 applications on grapevine secondary metabolism.Graphical

Mitigating the adverse effects of salinity stress on lavender using biodynamic preparations and bio-fertilizers

Sustainable agriculture involves different environmental methods of farming that cause the production of crops by conserving natural resources and preserving biodiversity. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of biological fertilizers and biodynamics on some characters of lavender under salinity stress. The experiment was performed as a factorial in a completely randomized design with three factors including four levels of biological fertilizers (i.e., control, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, and a combination of Azotobacter and Azospirillum), three levels of biodynamic (BD; i.e., control, BD compost, and BD preparations), and three concentrations of salinity stress (i.e., 0, 50, and 100 mM). The results showed that plant height (PH), stem length (SL), root length (RL), fresh weight (FW), dry weight (DW), relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll a (Chla), chlorophyll b (Chlb), total chlorophyll (TChl), and essential oil yield (EOY) were significantly decreased by salinity stress (P < 0.01). According to the results, the interaction effect of the BD preparations with Azotobacter bacteria was the most effective treatment for significant enhancement of FW, DW, RWC, and EOY under salinity stress. Also, the interaction effect of BD preparations with Azospirillum was the best treatment to enhance the PH, SL, and RL under salinity stress. Based on the results, it is suggested that the interaction of the BD preparations and bio-fertilizers could be applied as a salt alleviator to enhance the EOY.

Concentration and Uptake of Micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn) in Soybean and Wheat under Organic, Biodynamic and Inorganic Nutrient Management in Semi-arid Tropical Conditions of Central India

ABSTRACT In the present investigation, the concentration and uptake of four micronutrients (iron-Fe, zinc-Zn, copper-Cu, and manganese-Mn) in soybean (Glycine max, cv. JS 335) and wheat (Triticum durum, cv. HI 8498) crops under organic, biodynamic, and inorganic nutrient management was studied. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with seven treatments in four replications. The treatments involved different nutrient inputs, namely, organic manure (OM) (T1); biodynamic preparation (BD) (T2); OM+ panchagavya (OM+PG) (T3); OM+BD (T4); OM+PG+BD (T5); control (T6); and recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) (T7). Cattle dung manure on N equivalent basis to soybean in kharif and cattle dung manure (CDM) + vermicompost (VC) + poultry manure (PM) (1:1:1 on N equivalent basis) to wheat were applied as organic manure, whereas nutrients were supplied in the form of chemical fertilizers in RDF treatment. The results revealed that the micronutrient concentration in soybean seed under organic nutrient management registered an increment of 13–16% in Fe, 16–19% in Zn, 20–23% in Cu, and 19–25% in Mn over the treatment T7 (RDF). Similarly, an increment of 16–19% in Fe, 21–27% in Zn, 20–23% in Cu, and 20–26% in Mn content of wheat grain was also observed over RDF. The micronutrient uptake by soybean-wheat sequence was found higher under organic treatments (Fe:20–29%; Zn:13–22%; Cu:11–19%; and Mn:12–19%) as compared to RDF. The availability of Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn was increased by 30–36%, 32–45%, 5–12%, and 20–36%, respectively, under organic treatments over RDF.

Phenological attributes, fruit set, fruit drop, yield and quality of Khasi mandarin Orange as influenced by application of organic amendments and biodynamic preparations

ABSTRACT The present study investigated the effects of applying organic amendments and biodynamic preparations on phenological attributes, fruit set, fruit drop, yield and quality of Khasi mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata Blanco). There were eleven treatments; T1: farmyard manure (FYM); T2: vermicompost (VC); T3: pig manure (PIM); T4: poultry manure (POM); T5: neem cake (NC); T6: FYM + cow pat pit (CPP) + biodynamic preparation (BD) 500 + BD 501; T7: VC + CPP + BD 500 + BD 501; T8: PIM + CPP + BD 500 + BD 501; T9: POM + CPP + BD 500 + BD 501; T10: NC + CPP + BD 500 + BD 501 and T11: control (RDF). The results revealed that the use of combinations of organic amendments and biodynamic preparations influenced the phenology, fruit drop, fruit set, yield and quality of the mandarin. Among different treatments, POM + CPP + BD 500 + BD 501 (T9) had the lowest number of days from flowering to fruit set and from fruit set to ripening. The same treatment also had the highest % fruit retention, lowest % fruit drop and highest number of marketable fruits. T9 also resulted in the highest weight, length, diameter and volume of the fruit, the highest pulp weight, pulp thickness and pulp:peel ratio, lowest peel weight, highest juice content and second highest concentrations of reducing and total sugars. Hence, T9 was considered an effective combination in terms of influencing the phenology, fruit drop, fruit set, yield and quality of Khasi mandarin.

Metagenomic analysis decodes the fungal diversity of bio-dynamic preparations

Aim: Biodynamic farming system involves use of 8 different biodynamic preparations (BD 500-BD 507). Multi functionality of any ecosystem is due to its microbial diversity and community composition of microbes. So the present study was aimed to determine the total fungal population viz. unculturable ones, metagenomic analysis was done. Methodology: In the present study, 18S rDNA sequencing of V3-V4 amplicon regions was performed to identify and characterize fungal diversity, which existed in these preparations. Results: Alpha diversity was found to be maximum in BD506 with 868 OTU (operational taxanomic units) and minimum in BD507 with 254 OTU. At phylum level, the most abundant phylum was Ascomycota as recorded in 7 BD preparations with exception in the BD 500 (Unassigned). At genus level highest percentage of OTU abundance was observed for unassigned genus in all BD preparations, except Mortierella in BD 500 and BD 502; Microascus in BD 501 and BD504; Gymnoascus in BD503, Scedosporium in BD 505, Mucor in BD 506 and Hyphopichia in BD 507. On the basis of species diversity, BD502, 503 and 506 showed high percentage of OTU abundance for Mucor racemosus, while Mortierella oligospora was abundant in BD500, Dipodascus geotrichum in BD 501, Kernia pachypleura in BD504, Petriella setifera in BD505 and Hyphopichia burtonii in BD 507. Interpretation: This indicated a unqiue class of fungus predominating each type of BD preparation. Furthermore, a large proportion of unassigned fungi at phylum and genus level were detected in metagenome analysis which might have specific roles in contributing for their overall effectiveness of each kind of BD preparations.

Effect of biodynamic package with vermicompost on growth, yield, quality and economics of potato under Malwa conditions of Madhya Pradesh

A field experiment was conducted to assess the impact on growth, yield, quality and economics of potato at the research farm of College of Agriculture, Indore, Madhya Pradesh during rabi season 2021-2022 in RBD with 3 replications. Ten treatments viz T0 (Control), T1 [Biodynamic preparation 500 (BD 500) @ 2.5 g/l], T2 (BD 500 @ 5.0 g/l), T3 [Biodynamic preparation 501 (BD 501) @ 2.5 g/l], T4 (BD 501 @ 5.0 g/l], T5 (Vermicompost @ 2.5 tons/ha), T6 (BD 500 @ 2.5 g + vermicompost @ 2.5 tonnes/ha), T7 (BD 500 @ 5.0 g + vermicompost @ 2.5 tonnes/ha), T8 (BD 501 @ 2.5 g + vermicompost @ 2.5 tonnes/ha) and T9 (BD 501 @ 5.0 g + vermicompost @ 2.5 tonnes/ha) were used. The treatments T9 (BD 501@ 5.0 g + vermicompost @ 2.5 tonnes/ha) (53.83 g) and T8 (BD 501 @ 2.5 g + vermicompost @ 2.5 tonnes/ha) (53.67 g) recorded higher fresh weight of leaves per plant as compared to T0 (Control) (49.33 g). Diameter of tubers was highest in T9 (8.42 cm) followed by T8 (8.23 cm) and lowest in T0 (6.33 cm). T9 recorded highest net income and B-C ratio (Rs 5,75,070.67 and 1:3.72 respectively) followed by T8 (Rs 5,06,428.33 and 1:3.71 respectively). Thus it can be concluded that the vermicompost and biodynamic approach are advantageous sources for sustainable agriculture specially for heavy feeder crops like potato.