creators_name: Thorup-Kristensen, K.
type: conference_item
datestamp: 2007-03-12
lastmod: 2009-08-20 14:35:40
metadata_visibility: show
title: Effect of crop management practices on the sustainability and environmental impact of organic and low input food production systems
ispublished: pub
subjects: 7biodiversity
full_text_status: public
keywords: Sustainability, nitrogen leaching, crop rotation, model simulation, catch crop
abstract: 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.
date: 2007
date_type: published
refereed: yes
citation: Thorup-Kristensen, K. (2007) Effect of crop management practices on the sustainability and environmental impact of organic and low input food production systems. 3rd QLIF Congress: Improving Sustainability in Organic and Low Input Food Production Systems, University of Hohenheim, Germany, March 20-23, 2007.
document_url: http://orgprints.org/10421/1/thorup-2007-crop_management.pdf