Organic Management Systems Research Articles

Balancing Efficiency and Environmental Impacts in Greek Viticultural Management Systems: An Integrated Life Cycle and Data Envelopment Approach

Greek wines excel in quality and exports, but the viticultural sector faces significant challenges from complex supply chains, shifting European policies, and the growing need for sustainability amidst climate change and economic pressures. External environmental costs could affect significantly the decision-making process of farmers, reflecting a broader evaluation of sustainability in viticulture. This study evaluates the economic and environmental impacts of organic, integrated, and conventional viticulture management systems in Drama, Greece using a life cycle (LC) approach and data envelopment analysis (DEA) to determine efficiency, quantify environmental impacts in monetary terms, and incorporate these costs into the analysis. Organic management systems have lower energy consumption and emissions compared to integrated and conventional systems, with organic systems ranging from 4546 to 6573 kWh/ha in energy use and 1358 to 1795 kg CO2 eq./ha in emissions, while integrated and conventional systems range from 9157 to 12,109 kWh/ha and 2961 to 3661 kg CO2 eq./ha. The DEA analysis reveals that most organic systems perform efficiently when accounting for environmental costs, whereas conventional systems face significant efficiency declines, with only a few maintaining optimal performance. Policy-supported transitions based on the provider gets principle are crucial for balancing economic and environmental goals in viticulture, as the integration of shadow prices significantly impacts efficiency.

Productivity and energetics of basmati rice-wheat cropping systems under different farming conditions in northwest India

ABSTRACT Basmati rice-wheat cropping systems have the potential to upscale organic agriculture in India because of the lower nutritional requirements and the geographical indication status of basmati rice. The energetics of organic production of basmati rice-wheat needs to be assessed to delineate its efficiency as compared with conventional production. An experiment with different management systems was conducted at Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana, Punjab, India during 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons to assess the productivity, economics and energetics of this cropping system in different organic and conventional management systems. The experiment was conducted in a randomised complete block design, replicated thrice, with nine treatments, including organic, chemical, natural farming, integrated nutrient management (INM) and integrated crop management (ICM). The highest basmati rice grain yield (3390 kg ha−1) was obtained with chemical management, which was statistically at par with ICM, INM and FYM treatments, but was significantly higher than that in the organic and natural farming treatments. The highest wheat grain yield (4450 kg ha−1) was recorded with ICM, which was statistically at par with INM and chemical management. Higher productivity in basmati rice was achieved with chemical and integrated management, but the highest net returns and benefit-to-cost ratio (2.89) were recorded under organic farming due to the price premium obtained for the produce. In wheat, despite higher cultivation costs, organic farming had lower returns, while chemical management had the highest net returns and benefit-to-cost ratio (2.9). Natural farming treatments were more energy efficient than the other systems because of low energy inputs.

Improved Tomato Breeding Lines Adapted to Organic Farming Systems Have Enhanced Flavor, Yield, and Disease Resistance

Most of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) varieties currently used in organic farming were bred for conventional farming, often characterized by high-input use. These varieties do not perform as well in low-input organic systems, generating the need to develop varieties that are adapted to organic management systems. This project focused on improving flavor, disease resistance, and yield, all identified as key traits by organic tomato farmers in the Upper Midwest, USA. Ten advanced tomato breeding lines and two check varieties were developed and evaluated for 16 traits in organic high tunnel systems in 2020 and 2021. The line CSDE-F6.47 averaged 6.32 kg/plant and obtained high flavor intensity and overall flavor scores (3.78 and 3.69 out of 5, respectively). The line JBDE-F5.31 was another outstanding line, with a yield of 5.18 kg/plant, with good flavor intensity (3.32) and overall flavor (2.92) scores. Broad-sense heritability of marketable weight per plant was high (0.91), and the genetic variance was also high, which shows the opportunity to continue to increase the marketable weight in lines with excellent flavor. A significant positive correlation was found between overall flavor and °Brix (0.56), and titratable acidity (0.70), indicating that both measurements can be good predictors of overall flavor. The most promising lines will be further evaluated on-farm to evaluate their potential as releasable varieties.

Effects of several long-term soil health treatments on populations of Pratylenchus penetrans and the soil microbial community

Soil suppressiveness can reduce the damage by plant parasitic nematodes (PPN) in agricultural soils and is conveyed by the activity of soil microorganisms. While natural suppressiveness has been reported, it is still poorly understood if soil suppressiveness can be elicited by manipulating the soil microbial community. In the present study we assessed the number of the Pratylenchus penetrans (Pp) and the bacterial and fungal community composition over 7 years in a long-term soil health experiment. The field experiment consisted of an organic and conventional agricultural land management system and three soil health treatments (SHT): an untreated control (CT), anaerobic disinfestation (AD) and a combination of marigold cover cropping, compost and chitin amendment (CB). The land management systems were kept continuously, while the soil health treatments were applied only twice in seven years. The microbial community significantly differed between the organic and conventional system, but there was no significant difference in Pp numbers between the two systems. However, both the CB treatment and to a lesser extent the AD treatment reduced Pp numbers and increased yield with the effect being the strongest in the years immediately after the treatment. Accordingly, both the bacterial and fungal community differed significantly between the treatments, the differences being largest in the years after the treatments. Notably, the CB treatment elicited both long-term changes in the microbial community and a reduction of Pp numbers lasting for at least three years. These results indicated that a combination of treatments can lead to an altered soil microbial community in combination with persisting suppressiveness of Pp.

Optimization of ultrasonication and alkalinization as pretreatment methods for leachate co-digested with food waste toward maximum synergistic effects

Anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) of food waste (FW) and landfill leachate has shown promising results in enhancing the methane yield. However, leachate includes toxic and refractory compounds that may impact the decomposition process. In this research, co-digested leachate was pretreated using ultrasonication and alkalinization to manipulate its characteristics toward improved synergism with FW. Experimental optimization was conducted through biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays to identify the optimum operating conditions of the pretreatment methods. The study evaluated the synergistic effects of co-digestion with raw and pretreated leachate on enhancing the performance in terms of feedstock solubilization and methane production. The BMP test demonstrated that alkalinization and ultrasonication improved the total methane generation by 35% and 27%, respectively, yielding around 397 and 375 mL CH4 per g of volatile solids. Moreover, ultrasonication and alkalinization enhanced the synergistic effects by 28% and 36%, respectively, compared to co-digestion with untreated leachate. Optimization by response surface methodology revealed that maximum performance could be achieved with leachate sonication at 212 W for 37.5 min or augmenting 788 g NaOH per kg of volatile solids. Kinetic and statistical models were derived to simulate and assess the impacts of the pretreatment parameters on the AcoD process. The results indicated that the ultrasonication energy had a higher influence on total solubility and methane production than alkaline dosage. Additionally, energy efficiency analyses were performed to examine the overall viability of the examined management approach and found that alkalinization increased the net energy efficiency by 23%, whereas ultrasonication was inefficient within the examined laboratory conditions despite the improved performance. The findings support an integrated organic waste management system where separated FW is co-treated with landfill leachate.

Improving Decision Support Tools for Quantifying GHG Emissions from Organic Production Systems

AbstractAs food companies have adopted sustainability metrics to quantify the environmental impacts of supply chains, we need data-driven decision support tools that represent organic management practices. Decision support tools such as COMET-Farm and the Cool Farm Tool have been developed to estimate management practice impacts on soil carbon and greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural systems, but these tools have primarily been developed and used to evaluate conventional management systems. We provide an overview of the research, outreach, and educational activities used to improve these tools to better integrate organic management practices with a focus on cover crops. We summarize our previously published findings from a meta-analysis of the average potential soil carbon benefits of cover crops in temperate climates that identified planting window, biomass production, and soil texture as important predictors of cover crop soil carbon outcomes. We demonstrate how these findings were applied to improvements in process-based models and the parameterization of empirical models. In addition, we solicited feedback from organic community members on the utility of these tools and identified barriers to adoption. Finally, we evaluated both tools as resources for teaching undergraduate students about organic management systems and their impacts on greenhouse gas emissions. While both tools contain a range of customizable, organic amendment options, grazing management options still need further improvement. These improved decision support systems can help identify opportunities for enhancing the sustainability of organic systems.

Pendampingan dan Pengembangan Sistem Pengolahan Sampah serta Perancangan Produk Pupuk Cair Bernilai Market sebagai Produk Inovasi di Kelurahan Perwira Kota Bekasi Jawa Barat

Waste management using the Reuse, Reduce and Recycle method or known as 3R has been introduced to the public by the government, researchers and other institutions more than 10 years ago. This method is effective in reducing the volume of waste and also the negative impacts caused by waste. In the Perwira sub-district, Bekasi City has implemented waste management with this method but is limited to inorganic waste. This paper reports on the program for developing an organic waste management system into a community-based innovation product. This activity consists of a quantitative study of waste production, workshops on waste management to become innovative products and have market value. The results of the evaluation of this activity show that there is an increase in public awareness of organic waste management, increased insight into innovative product development systems and digital marketing strategies. More than 70% of the community felt that this activity was useful and needed to be continued.

Evaluation of soil fertility index in organic, semi-organic, and conventional rice field management systems

Rice farming in Madiun Regency implements three different management systems, that is organic, semi-organic, and conventional. The different implementation of these rice field management systems impacts soil fertility index and rice productivity. This purpose of this research was to know the effect of rice field management systems on soil fertility index and rice productivity in the Madiun Regency. The research uses an explorative descriptive qualitative method with a survey approach. Soil samples were taken using a random sampling method and 3 types of soil management systems (conventional, semi-organic and organic), and rice production samples were taken using an estimation method. The research results show that the soil fertility index ranges from 0.78 to 0.82, which is high. The highest soil fertility index is in the semi-organic management system and the lowest is in the organic management. The management system of semi-organic gave a response to the highest rice production of 6.89 tons/ha. Management system of semi-organic is a better management for increasing and maintaining soil fertility and crop production than conventional or organic. Farming activities results show that organic management systems increase the highest income, increasing 115.58% and 53.30% in semi-organic compared to conventional. The rice field management system has the effect of increasing the worm population density with the highest in the organic system, namely 4.19 individuals m-2. The Pontoscolex worm type dominates the three management systems. There is a correlation between organic matter content and earthworms.

Production, Composition and Nutritional Properties of Organic Milk: A Critical Review.

Milk is one of the most valuable products in the food industry with most milk production throughout the world being carried out using conventional management, which includes intensive and traditional systems. The intensive use of fertilizers, antibiotics, pesticides and concerns regarding animal health and the environment have given increasing importance to organic dairy and dairy products in the last two decades. This review aims to compare the production, nutritional, and compositional properties of milk produced by conventional and organic dairy management systems. We also shed light on the health benefits of milk and the worldwide scenario of the organic dairy production system. Most reports suggest milk has beneficial health effects with very few, if any, adverse effects reported. Organic milk is reported to confer additional benefits due to its lower omega-6-omega-3 ratio, which is due to the difference in feeding practices, with organic cows predominantly pasture fed. Despite the testified animal, host, and environmental benefits, organic milk production is difficult in several regions due to the cost-intensive process and geographical conditions. Finally, we offer perspectives for a better future and highlight knowledge gaps in the organic dairy management system.

Effect of Diverse Production Systems on Growth, Yield and Economics of Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern and Coss) Varieties

An agronomic experiment to study the effect of diverse production systems on growth, yield and economics of Indian mustard varieties was conducted in the research farm of Division of Agronomy, ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India during rabi season of 2021. The field experiment was laid-out in split-plot design in fixed layout with three replications. The field experiment comprised four main plot treatments (Production systems: Organic Management System (OMS), Integrated Crop Management (ICM), Conventional System (CS) and Conservation Agriculture (CA) and three sub-plot treatments (Mustard varieties-PM 26, PM 28 and PDZ 1). The results revealed that the plant height (cm), Dry matter accumulation (DMA), Leaf area index (LAI) of different varieties of Indian mustard under diversified production scenarios was significantly (p<0.05) influenced at 30, 60 90 days after sowing (DAS). There was almost 14% increase in seed yield was recorded under ICM compared to CS. Among the mustard varieties, PM 26 resulted in maximum seed yield (2206 kg/ha), closely followed by PM 28 (2123 kg/ha), while least seed yield was recorded under PDZ-1. Under OMS and ICM higher harvest index i.e., 0.23 and 0.24 respectively was observed which was higher than CS (0.22) and CA (0.20). The maximum net return (NR) was obtained under ICM (Rs 76583/ha) and among the varieties, PM 26 gave maximum NR of Rs 76060/ha. ICM and CA resulted in higher B:C ratio (2.87 and 2.97 respectively) compared to CS and OMS, while among the varieties maximum B:C ratio was from PM 26 (2.87) and least was from PDZ-1 (2.18).

Resource potential of municipal solid waste in Odesa Region

Despite the widespread use of the term "municipal solid waste" (MSW), the main regulatory and legislative documents of Ukraine use the term "household waste". International practice also does not have a clear definition of the "municipal solid waste" concept, however, there are a number of related terms. Municipal solid waste is defined as a waste that is generated in the course of human activity, accumulated in residential buildings and social institutions and considered as unsuitable for further use at places of its generation. As for the related terms used in foreign and national practice, the term “household waste”, i.e. waste generated directly by households, is more appropriate. Municipal solid waste is a heterogeneous mixture that has a complex waste composition and its quantitative and qualitative characteristics are not constant and depend on characteristics of a certain country, region, city or town where it was generated, season and other factors. Growing volumes of municipal solid waste is one of the components of growing anthropogenic load that poses a threat to environmental safety of the country's regions and public health and negatively affects the state of our environment. The main methods of such solid waste management in Ukraine include landfilling, incineration, recycling and recovery. Out of the total annual waste volume generated on the post-Soviet territories, 93% are taken to landfills or dumpsites, 4% – incinerated, and only about 3% – recycled.
 Therefore, creation and implementation of an effective system of solid waste management is an important task for ensuring environmental safety and sustainable development of the country's regions. Moreover, solid waste is a significant reserve for obtaining secondary material resources. According to the circular economy concept, almost all components of solid waste should be reused for production of new items. This will minimize negative impact on the environment and allow rational use of natural resources. The article analyses the current state of municipal solid waste management system in Odesa Region and assesses resource value of such waste. Secondary raw materials worth of almost UAH 1.4 million can be produced annually from the total flow of municipal solid waste in Odesa Region. And this figure does not take into account liquidity of food and other waste. After establishing an effective food and other organic waste management system, such amount may be significantly increased. Separation of resource-value components from the total solid waste flow and their subsequent use will help to reduce technogenic load on the environmental natural components and improve the overall environmental situation in Odesa Region.

Sulfur-improved manganese fertilization for sweet cassava under an overlimed organic management system

The current farm management practices used to cultivate cassava, in a farm from Lago Oeste, Federal District, increased soil pHwater value to 7.11, lowering Mn availability to plants, leading to low root yields. The soils were overfertilized and overlimed. The objective of this work was to evaluate Mn availability for cassava plants, as well as its yield under MnSO4 and elemental sulfur (S0) fertilization, in a high pH soil. An experiment was designed for evaluating MnSO4 (0, 2.5, 5 and 10 kg Mn ha-1) and S0 (0 and 150 kg S0 ha-1) doses on cassava yield. The application of 150 kg S0 ha-1 increased cassava fresh root yield (25.7%), fresh shoot yield (17%), the number of roots (20%) and the starch percentage (7%), and decreased the cooking time (-13%), when compared with treatments without S0. The application of 10 kg Mn ha-1 increased the fresh root yield by 70% as compared to the control treatment. The highest yield was obtained when 10 kg Mn ha-1 and 150 kg S0 ha-1 were applied, rendering 20.16 t fresh roots ha-1, contrasting to the control, which produced 8.83 t ha-1. The applied treatments were essential to increase cassava yield, however, were unable to provide adequate levels of Mn to plants.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OJIR APPLICATION AT CENTRAL WASTE BANK IN MALANG DISTRICT FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF HOUSEHOLD-SCALE ORGANIC WASTE DIVERSIFICATION PROCESSES

The Ojir application, a mobile-based innovation for organic waste management at Central Malang Waste Bank (BCM), provides an effective solution to streamline the collection and management of organic waste. Addressing environmental concerns such as food scraps, dry leaves, and fruits, the application responds to Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) data indicating that approximately 61.50% of total waste is organic, necessitating efficient management to reduce waste volume. Established in 2016, BCM faced challenges in manual data management and limited organic waste search capabilities. To address these issues, Ojir was introduced to modernize the organic waste management system. This innovation surpasses traditional waste management by incorporating a process of diversifying organic waste into maggot raw material. Beyond resolving existing waste bank issues, Ojir enhances management efficiency, allowing users to easily track and manage organic waste with increased accuracy. Consequently, the paradigm of organic waste management shifts towards modernity, effectiveness, and efficiency. Aligned with efforts to create a clean and sustainable environment, Ojir represents an innovative step in reinforcing the role of waste banks in handling organic waste in the technological era. The incorporation of the maggot raw material process further exemplifies the forward-thinking approach in sustainable waste management

Yield and cost–benefit analyses for apple scab sanitation practices in integrated and organic apple management systems

Societal Impact statementReduced fungicide use lowers environmental pollution and enables safer food production. The usage of fungicides in apple orchards can be reduced through the application of sanitation practices which decrease the inoculum sources of apple scab disease on fallen leaves. This study found two non‐chemical sanitation practices, namely the collection of fallen leaves (CFL) and CFL combined with straw mulch in tree rows, were beneficial. These two practices are not only biologically and environmentally valuable, as they reduce disease levels and can replace chemical fungicides, but they are also economically efficient options for integrated and organic orchards compared to non‐sanitized ones.Summary Severe fungicide use can be reduced by applications of sanitation practices in order to reduce scab incidence, yield and fruit quality losses in apple orchards. In a 5‐year study, we aimed to investigate the effect of sanitation practices on biological and cost–benefit parameters in two sustainable apple management systems, and to find significant correlations among the parameters. We investigated the effect of five sanitation treatments (lime sulphur, leaf collection, mulching, lime sulphur + leaf collection, leaf collection + mulching) on four biological (scab incidence, fruit parameters: total yield, yield class I and II) and seven cost–benefit (three cost types, three annual revenue types, income surplus/deficit) parameters in integrated and organic apple orchards. Correlation, linear regression and principal component analyses (PCA) were performed to find correlations among biological and cost–benefit parameters. Results showed that fruit scab incidence was 3.4–8.1 times higher, while total yield was 1.4–1.8 times lower in the organic management system than in the integrated one. The treatment of leaf collection and/or leaf collection + mulching showed higher total cost (180.3 and 675.2 EUR ha−1) but lower scab incidence (5.3 and 27.3%; 4.8 and 26.7%, integrated and organic, respectively) and higher yield with greater total revenues (10,235 and 10,329 EUR ha−1; 8,136 and 8,230 EUR ha−1, integrated and organic, respectively) and income surpluses (851 and 451 EUR ha−1; 897 and 496 EUR ha−1, integrated and organic, respectively) compared to non‐sanitized control treatments in most cases. Other sanitation treatments provided fewer biological and/or no financial benefits. Results from correlation and linear regression analyses indicated strong relationships among the factors of total yield vs surplus, class I vs surplus, and fruit scab vs class II) in both management systems. Further relationships were detected among almost all parameters in the PCA. Overall, our study demonstrated that two non‐chemical sanitation treatments could not only reduce scab incidence and increase fruit yield, but could show positive cost–benefit outcomes in both management systems.

Extended soil surface drying triggered by subsurface drip irrigation decouples carbon and nitrogen cycles and alters microbiome composition

IntroductionIrrigation management dramatically alters soil water availability and distribution and could impact soil microbial communities and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling to an even greater degree than observed in rainfed systems. Adoption of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) in California’s Mediterranean agroecosystems provides agronomic benefits but wets only a portion of the soil volume near the root zone, leaving the rest dry throughout the growing season. In contrast, traditional furrow irrigation (FI) has periodic wetting events with more homogenous moisture distribution. With conversion to precision irrigation methods, how will the microbiome respond to changes moisture availability, and how is their response influenced by soil C and N resource levels?MethodsIn a field experiment in California, we compared SDI and FI’s effects on microbial communities and evaluated how long-term organic and conventional management systems impact outcomes. Throughout the growing season, soil samples were collected at two depths (0-15, 15-30 cm) and three distances from bed center (10, 25, 45 cm) where the drip tape is located.ResultsAt harvest, soils irrigated using SDI had lower microbial biomass C (MBC) than under FI at the surface and showed a build-up of soluble C and N relative to MBC at the bed edge, indicating reduced microbial uptake. Community composition at the bed edge also diverged between SDI and FI, favoring Actinobacteria in the former and Acidobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes in the latter. Regardless of irrigation type, dry areas of the bed had the highest alpha diversity indices. Response to SDI was similar in organic and conventional systems, though organic had higher MBC, DOC, and relative abundance of Proteobacteria and fungal lipids, regardless of irrigation.DiscussionProlonged dry conditions in SDI appeared to limit microbial access to resources and changed community composition. As seen in non-agricultural systems, the severity and frequency of moisture changes, adaptation of the communities, and resource availability affect microbial response. Decoupling of C and N pools in dry surface soils under SDI may increase the potential for losses of DOC and nitrate with the first winter rains in this Mediterranean climate.

Weed Population Dynamics under Organic, Bio-dynamic, Conventional Bt and Non-Bt Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)

Aim: In order to compare the weed seed bank and population dynamics under organic, biodynamic, Bt-conventional, and non-Bt conventional management systems of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), a field experiment was carried out.
 Study Design: Randomized Block Design (RBD)
 Place and Duration of Study: bioRe-FiBL research trails, bioRe Association, Kasrawad, Khurgone, Madhya Pradesh during the kharif season of 2020-21.
 Methodology: Five distinct crop management techniques were used in the field experiment, each duplicated four times, and the experiment was set up using a randomized block design. The treatments were distributed at random to different plots. The five management treatments were Absolute Control (no fertilizers), Conventional management of non-Bt cotton, Conventional management of Bt cotton, Bio-dynamic and Organic management of cotton. For the duration of the experiment, four 1 m × 1 m (1 m2) quadrats were randomly placed on each experimental plot's four sides, and different biometric observations were recorded from each quadrant according to its treatment. For the purpose of collecting the necessary observations, two of these quadrants were regularly weeded every 20 days, while the other two were left unweeded for the duration of the experiment.
 Results: The dominant weed species includes Panicum dichotomiflorum, Cyperus rotundus, Paspalum dilatatum, Euphorbia hirta, Acalypha indica and Digeria arvensis. Poaceae was the dominant family in terms of composition. There was very less variation in the weed flora between the treatments. Significantly higher weed seed bank, weed species, weed density and weed dry weight were observed in Organic and Biodynamic cotton than in the Conventional cotton. Weed control efficiency was found to be maximum in the Conventional cotton compared to the Organic and Biodynamic cotton.
 Conclusion: From the experiment, it can be concluded that the Conventional cotton especially Conventional management Bt Cotton was found to be most efficient among all the treatments. However, the Organic cotton was observed with high number of overall plant species and best in conserving the plant species biodiversity.

Organic management is a viable alternative for arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea L.)

ABSTRACT Organic production of under-utilised tuber crops, like arrowroot, is preferred due to benefits related to safety, sustainability, human health and environmental impact, but there is very little information on organic management of arrowroot. Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea L) is valued for its quality starch, used for human food, animal feed, cosmetic and industrial purposes. Field experiments were undertaken during 2015–2017 at ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, India, to compare growth, yield, economics, quality and soil properties of organic vs conventional management of arrowroot. The organic management system was found to be a good alternative, with the yield in the organic (with biofertilisers) treatment (12.81 t ha−1) being comparable to that in the conventional (13.05 t ha−1) and integrated (12.93 t ha−1) practices. Due to the small yield benefit, the conventional practice resulted in a higher net return (US $ 3345 ha−1) and benefit:cost ratio (2.22), but these were closely followed by integrated and organic (with biofertilisers) treatments. For the soil, the organic (with biofertilisers) practice significantly enhanced exchangeable Ca (in 2016–17) and appeared to result in slight improvements in pH, organic C, CEC, available Zn and Cu concentrations (though not statistically significant). The soil in the organic treatments also had a lower bulk density than that in the conventional treatment. The organic management systems investigated in this research could enable further expansion of the cultivation of this crop in hitherto unexplored areas.

Effect of Inorganic Fertilizers and Organic Manures on Physical Properties of Soil: A Review

Deterioration of physical properties of soil and there after depletion the soil fertility are the main constrains in food and environment security of any country. This review paper summarizes the current knowledge and information on the effect of inorganic fertilizers and organic manures on soil physical properties. The use of inorganic fertilizer or organic fertilizer alone has both positive and negative effects on soil properties, plant growth and nutrient availability. Most of earlier investigators confirmed that combined application of inorganic fertilizers and organic manures improved the physical properties and available nutrient status in soils. Organic manures improve physical properties of soil but they are comparatively low in nutrient content, addition of larger quantity of manures is required for successful plant growth. However, inorganic fertilizers is contain all the essential nutrients which are early accessible for plants. Due to continuous use of inorganic fertilizers alone causes soil organic matter degradation, soil acidity or alkalization, soil deterioration and environmental pollution, so integrated or mixed inorganic and organic nutrient management system is an alternative system for the sustainable and cost effective management of soil and the result is improve in soil properties and raising soil fertility without affecting environment. The objective of the review is to assess the effect of inorganic fertilizer and organic manure on physical properties of soil. The study revealed that appropriate application of inorganic fertilizers with organic manures improves soil physical properties and increases the productivity without negative effect on soil health than the values obtained by organic or inorganic fertilizers separately.

Comparison of Soil Properties in Different Fertilizer Input Systems in Lowland Rice at the Third Year in Transition

Synthetic inorganic fertilizers (SIF) have the potential to impose detrimental environmental effects and are frequently utilized in Sri Lankan conventional rice farming. To maximize rice yield while maintaining soil health, soil nutrient management is vital. In this study, the soil properties of rice fields maintained using conventional (as recommended by the Department of Agriculture (DOA), 2013), reduced (50% DOA + 50% organic), and organic Input Management Systems (IMSs) were studied. The Rajarata University of Sri Lanka's Faculty of Agriculture established this experiment during the Maha season of 2020–2021 utilizing a Randomized Complete Block Design. At the initial, 50% flowering, and harvesting stages, soil samples were obtained from three distinct IMSs with three replicates at surface (0 - 15 cm) and subsurface (15 - 30 cm) soil depths. The data were analyzed using linear mixed effect models followed by Tukey's mean comparison. Three IMSs and three different stages of rice growth exhibited substantially varying soil pH, EC, available P, and exchangeable K values in this third transition year (p<0.05). Despite being highly varying across IMSs, soil CEC was not significantly different (p>0.05) among the stages of rice growth. Three IMSs' soil available N did not change significantly (p>0.05) yet differed across growth stages (p<0.05). In comparison to those obtained with conventional IMS, rice grain yield with organic IMS produced levels that were noticeably similar. The highest grain yield was produced with reduced IMS (p<0.05). This illustrates the possibility of boosting yields and sustaining soil fertility by substituting organic manure for 50% of SIF.

Land conversion impacts on soil macroaggregation, carbon sequestration and preservation in tree orchards located in Mediterranean environment (Spain)

Agricultural soils degradation is a global challenge that affects food security, climate change, environmental risks, and the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. In this on-farm study conducted in the Mediterranean mountain area of southern Spain, we used a natural area (NAT) as reference and compared the effect of three tree cropping systems – conventional olive (COL), organic olive (OLO) and organic almond (OAL)– on soil aggregation, aggregates-associated soil organic carbon and carbon preservation capacity. This was conducted to evaluate the hypothesis that the organic management system affects soil stability, soil organic carbon sequestration and soil organic carbon distribution among aggregate fractions. Soil samples were collected at five different depths (0–10, 10–20, 20–30, 30–40 and 40–50 cm depth) to analyse the management impacts on deeper soil layers. Aggregation indices showed an increase in the topsoil layers (0–10 and 0–20 cm depth) under organic managements with higher large macroaggregates (> 2000 µm) percentages in OLO (+10.9 % and 21.8 %) and OAL (+15.25 % and 28.5 %) respectively compared to COL. A significant decarbonization process was detected and the total carbon preservation capacity (0–50 cm depth) decreased from NAT (159.24 g kg—1) to cultivated plots, that stored a − 53.8 % OLO (73.45 g kg—1), − 66.3 % OAL (53.69 g kg—1) and − 70.4 % COL (47.22 g kg—1). In this regard, the management change from conventional to organic increased total carbon preservation capacity and caused a change in the distribution of soil organic carbon pool observed in a higher carbon content in large macroaggregates (+47.3 %). These findings indicate that organic farming affects not only to the soil organic carbon sequestration but also to the extent of soil organic carbon protection.