By Joanne Thiessen Martens
Crop rotation is known to have many benefits, especially in organic production, and researchers at the University of Manitoba are adding another one to the list – crop rotation can affect nutrient content in grains such as wheat.
Martin Entz, Soleil Turmel and Keith Bamford of the Department of Plant Science at the University of Manitoba compared the concentration of ten mineral nutrients in wheat grown organically and conventionally in two different crop rotations over first 15 years of the Glenlea Long-Term Rotation Study, located just south of Winnipeg. Preliminary results indicate that including a perennial alfalfa stand in a grain crop rotation boosted the concentrations of certain nutrients in wheat grain.
The two crop rotations used during the nutrient study were a perennial-based rotation of wheat, alfalfa, alfalfa, flax; and an annual rotation of wheat, pea, wheat, flax. Each of these rotations was grown under both conventional and organic management. In the organic systems, crop rotation was the only source of fertility; no animal manures or other products were applied. In the conventional systems, crops were fertilized to soil test recommendations.
Zinc and copper concentrations were higher and phosphorus concentrations were lower in wheat grown in the organic rotation that included alfalfa than in any of the other rotations. Nitrogen and sulfur concentrations were lower in wheat grown in an annual organic rotation than in the perennial organic rotation or in either conventional rotation.
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By Susan S. Lang
ITHACA, N.Y. — Organic farming produces the same yields of corn and soybeans as does conventional farming, but uses 30 percent less energy, less water and no pesticides, a review of a 22-year farming trial study concludes.
David Pimentel, a Cornell University professor of ecology and agriculture, concludes, “Organic farming offers real advantages for such crops as corn and soybeans.” Pimentel is the lead author of a study that is published in the July issue of Bioscience (Vol. 55:7) analyzing the environmental, energy and economic costs and benefits of growing soybeans and corn organically versus conventionally. The study is a review of the Rodale Institute Farming Systems Trial, the longest running comparison of organic vs. conventional farming in the United States.
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Organic farming can be defined as an approach to agriculture where the aim is to create integrated, humane, environmentally and economically sustainable agricultural production systems. Maximum reliance is placed on locally or farm-derived renewable resources and the management of self-regulating ecological and biological processes and interactions in order to provide acceptable levels of crop, livestock and human nutrition, protection from pests and diseases, and an appropriate return to the human and other resources employed. Reliance on external inputs, whether chemical or organic, is reduced as far as possible. In many European countries, organic agriculture is known as ecological agriculture, reflecting this reliance on ecosystem management rather than external inputs.
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Organic farming is a method of crop and livestock production that involves much more than choosing not to use certain pesticides, fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics, and growth hormones that are not permitted by organic standards.
The general principles of organic production, from Canada’s Organic Standards, 2006, include the following:
* protect the environment, minimize soil degradation and erosion, decrease pollution, optimize biological productivity and promote a sound state of health
* maintain long-term soil fertility by optimizing conditions for biological activity within the soil
* maintain biological diversity within the system
* recycle materials and resources to the greatest extent possible within the enterprise
* provide attentive care that promotes the health and meets the behavioural needs of livestock
* prepare organic products, emphasizing careful processing, and handling methods in order to maintain the organic integrity and vital qualities of the products at all stages of production
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The world market for organic food has shown consistent growth for over 15 years. Growth of retail sales in North America is predicted to be 15%-20% per year in the next few years. The retail organic food market in Canada is estimated at $1.3 billion in 2005 and $15 billion (CDN) in the U.S. It is estimated that imported products make up over 85% of the organic food consumed in Canada. The majority of Canada’s organically produced commodities are exported. This is especially true of soybean and grain crops.
The Canadian Organic Growers association reported 497 certified organic farms in Ontario in 2005.
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The main reasons farmers grow organically are concerns about the effects of chemicals on health and the effects of conventional farming on soil quality and conservation.
Organic farming is seen as a steady growth market with many opportunities. Farmers are concerned about the environment. They are also concerned about the amount of energy used in agriculture, since many farm chemicals have energy intensive manufacturing processes that rely heavily on fossil fuels.
Some farmers view organic farming as part of the solution to meeting the challenges of modern day agriculture. Organic farmers find their method of farming to be profitable and personally rewarding.
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