title: Soil Fertility and Biodiversity in Organic Farming
creator: Mäder, Paul
creator: Fliessbach, Andreas
creator: Dubois, David
creator: Gunst, Lucie
creator: Fried, Padruot
creator: Niggli, Urs
subject:  Nutrient turnover
subject:  Soil biology
subject:  Biodiversity and ecosystem services
description: An understanding of agroecosystems is a key to determining effective farming systems. Here we report results from a 21-year study of agronomic and ecological performance of biodynamic, bioorganic, and conventional farming systems in Central Europe. We found crop yields to be 20% lower in the organic systems, although input of fertilizer and energy was reduced by 34 to 53% and pesticide input by 97%. Enhanced soil fertility and higher biodiversity found in organic plots may render these systems less dependent on external inputs.
date: 2002-05
type: Journal paper
type: NonPeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
identifier: http://orgprints.org/5514/1/Maeder-2002-Science-DOC-Trial.pdf
format: application/pdf
identifier: http://orgprints.org/5514/2/maeder-et-al-Science_suppl_mat.pdf
identifier: Mäder, Paul; Fliessbach, Andreas; Dubois, David; Gunst, Lucie; Fried, Padruot and Niggli, Urs (2002) Soil Fertility and Biodiversity in Organic Farming. Science, 296, pp. 1694-1697.
relation: http://orgprints.org/5514/