Management & sustainability of stockless organic arable and horticultural systems

Summary

This review draws on the research into stockless systems and addresses the challenges of conversion planning, rotation design, maintaining soil nutrient status, weed control, pest control and economic return.
Traditional organic systems of mixed farming with alternate husbandry rely on fertility building leys and livestock manures to provide break crops and fertility building. However, the trend within agriculture has been a move away from mixed farming systems to specialist units. Stockless organic farming involves the use of green manures and green waste compost to replace livestock and animal manures.
The infrastructure costs (fencing, water and buildings) of introducing livestock into an all arable farm are often prohibitively expensive and preclude conversion to a mixed organic farming system.
A stockless organic system allows conversion to organic farming without the requirement to introduce livestock and their associated infrastructure costs. Totally stockless systems do not import livestock manures but some utilize green wastes.
The review looks at the challenges of stockless organic systems such as Conversion planning, Rotation design maintaining soil nutrient status, weed control, pest control and economic return.
The aim of this review is to address these issues and the main problems faced by producers. The study includes a review of the available research results from Defra and other research programmes, summarises the findings and provides analysis of the results together with a summary of the practical implications for organic farming.