4384: Comparisons of organic and conventional maize and tomato cropping systems from a long-term experiment in California
(2005) Comparisons of organic and conventional maize and tomato cropping systems from a long-term experiment in California. Paper presented at Researching Sustainable Systems - International Scientific Conference on Organic Agriculture, Adelaide, Australia, September 21-23, 2005.
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Summary
Yield differences and trends, organic matter accumulation, and the loss of nutrients to deeper soil horizons are discussed using data from organic and conventional maize/tomato cropping systems from the Long Term Research on Agricultural Systems Project (LTRAS) at the University of California, Davis. Compared to the conventional system, higher and increasing yields of tomatoes were observed in organic systems, but lower yields of maize. Fruit quality, measured as soluble solids, was not significantly different. Soil organic matter increased in the organic system, but remained stable in the conventional one. More irrigation water was used in the organic system than in the conventional one due to higher rates of infiltration, but less winter runoff occurred during the rainy season for the same reason. There was no measurable loss of inorganic N (NO3, NH4) in soil to 3 m depth in either the conventional or organic system after ten years of farming.
| Document Language: | English |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | organic farming, conventional farming, maize, tomatoes, long-term research |
| Subject Areas: | Knowledge management > Research methodology and philosophy > Specific methods |
| Research affiliation: | International Conferences > ISOFAR conferences > Researching Sustainable Systems 2005 |
| Total budget (Euro): | 0 |
| Orgprints ID Number: | 4384 |
| Contact: | ISOFAR, |
| Deposited On: | 18 November 2006 |
| EPrint Type: | Conference paper |
| Published?: | Unpublished |
| Peer Review Status: | Not peer-reviewed |
| Additional Publishing Information: | The paper archived here is the final paper submitted by the authors to the conference Researching Sustainable Systems. The final and edited papers are available at the following publication: Köpke, Ulrich; Niggli, Urs; Neuhoff, Daniel; Cornish, Peter; Lockeretz, Willie und Willer, Helga, (Hrsg.) (2005) Researching Sustainable Systems. Proceedings of the First Scientific Conference of the International Society of Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR) Held in Cooperation with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia (NASAA), 21 - 23 September 2005, Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide, South Australia. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, CH-Frick, and International Society of Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR), c/o Institute of Organic Agriculture (IOL), DE-University of Bonn. http://orgprints.org/4013/ Distribution: Paper copies may be ordered from FiBL at a cost of 28 Euros plus mailing costs (see FiBL shop at http://www.fibl.org/shop); FiBL order number 1394. A PDF version of the proceedings is available free of charge for ISOFAR members via the member area of www.isofar.org. The final papers submitted by the authors are available at http://orgprints.org/view/projects/int-conf-isofar-2005.html. |
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