Organic Apple Production Systems Research Articles

Energy, Economic and Environmental Analysis of Organic and Conventional Apple Production in Turkey

The purpose of this study was to compare organic and conventional apple production systems in terms of energy, economics and greenhouse gas emissions at an orchard located at Egirdir Fruit Research Institute Isparta-Turkey, where ’Williams Pride’ apple variety were grafted on M9 rootstock. The results showed that the total energy consumptions for organic and conventional apple orchards were 25,937.58 and 29,199.61 MJ ha−1, respectively (P 0.01). The renewable energy consumed in organic farming (30.19%) was higher than that of conventional farming system (13.58%). Benefit to cost ratio of apple produced organically (1.74) was higher than that of conventional groves (1.46) (P > 0.01). The value of total greenhouse gas emission of organic production was estimated at 1344.27 kg CO2eq ha−1 while conventional production was 1464.07 kg CO2eq ha−1 (P < 0.01). In conclusion, organic apple production systems can reduce the non-renewable energy consumption, protect the environment, and maintain soil quality with comparable apple outputs while yielding higher profits and greater energy efficiency.

Life cycle assessment of conventional and organic apple production systems in China

A life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to characterize the environmental performance and potential improvement opportunities related to conventional and organic apple production systems in two main apple production areas (Shandong Province and Shaanxi Province) in China. Nine impact categories including Non-renewable energy depletion, Water depletion, Land occupation, Global warming potential, Acidification potential, Eutrophication potential, Human toxicity potential, Aquatic toxicity potential, and Soil toxicity potential were selected. The results showed that, despite a lower productivity, organic apple production system versus conventional system could help to reduce the environmental impacts for most of the examined impact categories. Regardless of conventional or organic apple production system, the environmental impacts in Shandong Province were lower than that in Shaanxi Province. A relevant share of the primary non-renewable energy depletion and global warming potential were caused by the agricultural materials input stage, meanwhile a significant share in acidification potential, aquatic eutrophication potential, human toxicity potential, aquatic eco-toxicity potential, and soil eco-toxicity potential were caused by the orchard management stage. Furthermore, a detailed analysis of the farming step showed that the production and associated field-level emissions of fertilizers (i.e. synthetic and manure), and inputs to pest and disease management were major contributors to environmental impacts on conventional apple production system, whereas an important share in the overall environmental impacts was due to the production and usage of organic manure in organic apple production systems. In addition, more gasoline consumption due to long-distance transport of fruits and higher water depletion and land occupation in organic production systems were worth considering.

Effects of different organic apple production systems on seasonal nutrient variations of soil and leaf

An organic apple ( Malus × domestica Borkh.) orchard was established to study the interaction effects of ground cover management systems (GMS) and nutrient sources (NS) on soil and tree nutrients in the Southern U.S.A. GMS mulches as follows: green compost (GC), wood chips (WC), shredded paper (SP), and mow-and-blow (MB). Across GMS, one of three NS treatments was applied: commercial organic fertilizer (CF), poultry litter (PL), and no fertilizer (NF). GC-treated plots had greater soil solution nitrate concentrations in year 3. GC plots also maintained greater seasonal soil organic matter and macronutrient concentrations during 3 years compared with the other GMS. Seasonal foliar nutrient concentrations grown under GMS in year 3 tended to follow nutrient concentration patterns similar to those observed in conventional apple orchards. GC and WC trees had overall greater leaf area, dry weight, and total foliar nutrient contents in year 3 than the SP and MB trees.

Organic Orchard Floor Management Systems for Apple Effect on Rootstock Performance in the Midwestern United States

In organic apple production systems, orchard floor management is of prime importance because it determines weed management and soil fertility. In this experiment, we evaluated the response of the cultivar Pacific Gala on three rootstocks of different vigor: M.9 NAKB 337, M.9 RN 29, and Supporter 4 (in respective order of vigor from dwarfing to semivigorous). The rootstocks were also evaluated for the response to three orchard floor management systems (OFMSs): mulching using alfalfa hay, flame burning, and shallow strip tillage using the Swiss sandwich system (SSS). The experiment was conducted in an experimental orchard planted in 2000.

Atributos microbianos e químicos do solo em sistemas de produção convencional e orgânico de maçãs no estado de Santa Catarina

O estudo foi realizado no município de Urupema-SC, com o objetivo de avaliar os efeitos dos sistemas de produção convencional e orgânico de maçãs sobre a biomassa microbiana do solo, sua atividade e as relações com o C e o N do solo. Foram feitas amostragens de solo junto à copa de 24 plantas distribuídas em uma grade de 45 x 54 m em pomares submetidos aos dois sistemas de produção, na profundidade de 0-10 cm, nos períodos de dezembro/2002 e junho/2003, para quantificação de teores de C da biomassa microbiana (CBM), C orgânico total do solo (COT), N da biomassa microbiana (NBM), N total do solo (NT), respiração basal (C-CO2) e obtenção das relações CBM:COT, NBM:NT e quociente metabólico (qCO2). O pomar orgânico (PO) apresentou, nas duas épocas de amostragem, os maiores teores de CBM, COT e a maior relação CBM:COT, comparado ao pomar convencional (PC). Os atributos NBM e NT e a relação NBM:NT mostraram-se menos sensíveis às mudanças ocasionadas pelos sistemas de manejo dos pomares e épocas de amostragem. O C-CO2 não apresentou diferença entre tratamentos, sendo apenas significativo quanto à época de amostragem, enquanto para o qCO2 os maiores valores encontrados foram no PC.

Analysis of Summer Epidemic Progress of Apple Scab at Different Apple Production Systems in the Netherlands and Hungary

ABSTRACT Two, 4-year studies on summer epidemic progress of apple scab were conducted at Randwijk, the Netherlands, from 1998 until 2001 and at Eperjeske, Hungary, from 2000 until 2003. Disease assessments were made on scab-susceptible cv. Jonagold. A range of nonlinear growth functions were fitted to a total of 96 disease progress curves (3 treatment classes x 2 plant parts x 2 disease measures x 4 years x 2 locations) of apple scab incidence and severity. The three-parameter logistic model gave the most consistent fit across three treatment classes in the experiment (integrated, organic-sprayed, and organic-unsprayed). Parameters estimated or calculated from the three-parameter logistic function were used to analyze disease progress. These were disease incidence and severity on the day of the first assessment (Y(s)); final disease incidence or upper asymptote for incidence (Y(if)) or severity (Y(sf)); fruit incidence and severity on day 40, after which no new lesions on fruits appeared (Y(40)); leaf incidence and severity on day 75, at which shoot growth stopped (Y (75)); relative (beta) and "absolute" (theta) rates of disease progress; inflection point (M); and area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC(S)) standardized by the duration of the total epidemic. Comparisons among disease progress curves were made by correlation and factor analysis followed by Varimax rotation. There were large differences but high positive correlations among the parameters Y(s), Y(f), theta, and AUDPC(S) across the three treatment classes. In the factor analysis, two factors accounted for more than 85% of the total variance for both incidence and severity. Factor 1 gave an overall description of epidemic progress of both scab incidence and severity and included the parameters Y(f), Y(40), Y(75), theta, and AUDPC(S). Factor 2 identified a relationship between the relative rate parameter (beta) and the inflection point (M) for severity and a relationship between disease incidence and severity. For an integrated or an organic orchard, theta, AUDPC(S), and one of Y(f) or Y(75) (because of the link with host phenology) can characterize apple scab epidemics during summer. Based on these findings, improved scab management approaches were provided for integrated and organic apple production systems.

Systematic method for rating soil quality of conventional, organic, and integrated apple orchards in Washington State

Much remains to be known concerning the complex relationships between specific soil property measurements and overall soil quality. The objective of this study was to advance our understanding of these complex relationships by further developing and applying a systematic method for evaluating the effects of conventional, integrated and organic apple production systems on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties using a modified soil quality index. This index utilizes 1998 soils data from these three treatments. The study used four, 0.14 ha replicates of each of the three treatments in a randomized complete block design. Experimental plots were planted to ‘Golden Delicious’ apples ( Malus domestica Borkh.) in 1994 on a commercial orchard in the Yakima Valley of Washington state. Organic soil management practices included additions of composted poultry manure and bark mulches and the use of mechanical tillage for weed control. Conventional soil management practices included additions of synthetic fertilizers and the use of herbicides for weed control. The integrated system utilized practices from each of the other two systems. Increased aggregate stability, microbial biomass, and earthworm abundance were associated with improved soil quality under integrated management when compared to conventional management in 1998. Organic management resulted in lower soil bulk densities and generally improved biological soil properties compared to conventional management. Few significant differences in soil properties were measured between the integrated and organic systems. The integrated production system received a soil quality index rating of 0.92 (out of 1.00), which was significantly higher than the index rating of 0.78 for the conventional production system; the organic production system received a rating of 0.88, which was not significantly different from the other two systems. The study indicates that a well-developed soil quality index can provide an effective framework for evaluating the overall effects of different orchard production practices on soil quality.

APPLYING A SOIL QUALITY INDEX TO CONVENTIONAL, INTEGRATED, AND ORGANIC APPLE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

APPLYING A SOIL QUALITY INDEX TO CONVENTIONAL, INTEGRATED, AND ORGANIC APPLE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Comparison of conventional and organic apple production systems during three years of conversion to organic management in coastal California

AbstractConventional and organic semidwarf Granny Smith apple production systems were compared during three years of conversion to certified organic management. Because of differences in fruit load with hand thinning compared with chemical thinning, apple tonnage was higher in the organic production system (OPS) in 1989 and 1991. The organic system was higher than the conventional system in number and weight of fruit per tree, but smaller in average fruit size. Using grower-receivedfarmgate premiums of 38% (1990) and 33% (1991) for unsorted, certified organic apples, comparative cost accounting showed greater net return per hectare for the OPS. The OPS required higher material and labor inputs in all years.Greater terminal growth in the conventional production system (CPS) in 1991 was the only significant difference in growth indicators between systems. N was generally higher in leaf and new wood bark tissues in the CPS. P was generally higher in the leaf and new wood bark tissues in the OPS. No decline in yield was associated with increased weed biomass in the OPS. There was no difference in fruit damage caused by codling moth between production system treatments (codling moth granulosis virus and pheromone-based mating disruption vs. synthetic insecticide). In 1991, secondary lepidopterous pests (apple leafroller and orange tortrix) caused greater fruit scarring in the CPS. In all years, tentiform leafminers caused greater leaf damage in the CPS. Apple leafhopper density and leaf damage were greater in the OPS in 1990 and 1991.Soil nutrient levels showed few significant changes during conversion to organic management. Soil bulk density and water holding capacity were useful indicators of changes in soil physical characteristics. Potentially mineralizable nitrogen andmicrobial biomass-C were more sensitive indicators of system change than total N or organic C. Two soil biological ratios, the respiratory ratio and biomass-C/total organic-C, were similar in the two production systems. Earthworm biomass and abundance increased in the OPS in the third year. The introduction ofLumbricus terrestrisinto the OPS greatly increased litter incorporation rates.

Fungicides for control of black spot and powdery mildew in organic apple production systems

Fungicides for control of black spot and powdery mildew in organic apple production systems