creators_name: Mäder, Paul
creators_name: Fliessbach, Andreas
creators_name: Dubois, David
creators_name: Gunst, Lucie
creators_name: Fried, Padruot
creators_name: Niggli, Urs
type: journalp
datestamp: 2005-11-02
lastmod: 2009-08-20 14:27:25
metadata_visibility: show
title: Soil Fertility and Biodiversity in Organic Farming
ispublished: pub
subjects: 4nutrient
subjects: 2soilbiol
subjects: 7biodiversity
full_text_status: restricted
keywords: DOC-trial, soil, efficiency, long-term trial, farming system, Bodenfruchtbarkeit, DOK
abstract: 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
date_type: published
publication: Science
volume: 296
pagerange: 1694-1697
refereed: yes
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two unknown referees for their helpful comments.
This work was supported by the Swiss Federal
Office for Agriculture and the Swiss National Science
Foundation. Supporting Online Material
www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/296/5573/1694/ DC1

citation: 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.
document_url: http://orgprints.org/5514/1/Maeder-2002-Science-DOC-Trial.pdf
document_url: http://orgprints.org/5514/2/maeder-et-al-Science_suppl_mat.pdf