10421: Effect of crop management practices on the sustainability and environmental impact of organic and low input food production systems
(2007) Effect of crop management practices on the sustainability and environmental impact of organic and low input food production systems. Paper presented at 3rd QLIF Congress: Improving Sustainability in Organic and Low Input Food Production Systems, University of Hohenheim, Germany, March 20-23, 2007.
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Summary
While organic farming can reduce many of the environmental problems caused by agriculture, organic farming also includes some practices which are questionable in terms of environmental effects. Organic farming practices (rotations, fertilisation regimes, cover crop use) can differ significantly and this leads to large differences in its environmental effects. This leaves considerable scope to improve the environmental effects of organic farming. The environmental aspects of organic farming are discussed, and model simulations are used to illustrate how even moderate changes in organic rotations can have large effects on sustainability, here measured by a simple index of nitrogen lost by leaching relative to nitrogen harvested by the crops. In WP3.3.4 we are working to improve model simulation of organic rotations, and in WP7.1 we are making environmental assessment of organic cropping practices tested in the QLIF project, using model simulations and other approaches.
| Document Language: | English |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | Sustainability, nitrogen leaching, crop rotation, model simulation, catch crop |
| Subject Areas: | Environmental aspects > Biodiversity and ecosystem services |
| Research affiliation: | European Union > QualityLowInputFood > Subproject 7: Horizontal activities International Conferences > QLIF Congress 2007 > 7.1 Envrionment / Sustainability |
| Total budget (Euro): | 0 |
| Orgprints ID Number: | 10421 |
| Contact: | Thorup-Kristensen, Senior scientist Kristian |
| Deposited On: | 12 March 2007 |
| EPrint Type: | Conference paper |
| Published?: | Published |
| Type of presentation: | Paper |
| Peer Review Status: | Peer-reviewed and accepted |
| Additional Publishing Information: | The final version of this paper is published in: Niggli, Urs; Leifert, Carlo; Alföldi, Thomas; Lück, Lorna and Willer, Helga, Eds. (2007) Improving Sustainability in Organic and Low Input Food Production Systems. Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress of the European Integrated Project Quality Low Input Food (QLIF). University of Hohenheim, Germany, March 20 – 23, 2007. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, CH-Frick.http://orgprints.org/10417/ Printed copies may be ordered from the FiBL Shop at www.shop.fibl.org. |
| Related Links: | http://orgprints.org/10417/ |
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