creators_name: Gosling, Paul
creators_name: Shepherd, Mark
editors_name: Powell, Jane
editors_name: et al., 
type: conference_item
datestamp: 2006-10-23
lastmod: 2009-08-20 14:32:08
metadata_visibility: show
title: Theory and reality of organic soil fertility - organic matter
ispublished: pub
subjects: 9research
subjects: 5soil
subjects: 2farming
subjects: 1soilqual
full_text_status: public
keywords: Colloquium of organic researchers, COR; organic farming; conventional farming; soil organic matter
abstract: This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. Results are reported suggesting no significant difference between the level of soil organic matter on established organic farms in Southern England and paired conventionally managed farms. We discuss the possible reasons for this and also examine why the literature on this subject is frequently contradictory.
date: 2002
date_type: published
publication: Proceedings of the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference
publisher: Organic Centre Wales, Institute of Rural Studies, University of Wales Aberystwyth
pagerange: 137-138
refereed: never
referencetext: Alfoldi T; Mader P; Besson J M & Niggli U (1995) DOC–trial: Long-term effects of bio-dynamic, bio-organic and conventional farming systems on soil conditions, yield and product quality. In: Main effects of various organic and mineral fertilization on soil organic matter and turnover and plant growth. Proceedings of the first meeting in Darmstadt, Germany, 8th-10th May 1995. ed J Raupp pp. 3-15. Institute for Biodynamic Research, 

Darmstadt, Germany. Campbell C A & Zentner R P (1993) Soil organic matter as influenced by crop rotations and fertilisation. Soil Science Society of America Journal 57, 1034-1040. 

Hughes A D (1983) Soils. In The Agricultural Notebook ed. R J Halley Butterworths London pp. 3- 50. 

Johnston A E; McGrath S P; Poulton P R & Lane P W (1989) Accumulation and loss of nitrogen from manure, sludge and compost: long-term experiments at Rothamstead and Woburn. In: Nitrogen in Organic Wastes Applied to Soils eds 

J A A Hansen & K Henriksen, pp. 126-139, Academic Press; London. Reganold J P (1995) Soil quality and farm profitability studies of biodynamic and conventional farming. In: Soil Management in Sustainable Agriculture. eds. H F Cook & H C Lee, pp 1-11, Wye College Press: 
Wye UK. 

Tinker PB (2000) Conclusions. In Shades of green- A review of UK farming systems ed P B Tinker pp. 91-96. RASE; Warwickshire UK.



citation: Gosling, Paul and Shepherd, Mark (2002) Theory and reality of organic soil fertility - organic matter. UK Organic Research 2002 Conference, Aberystwyth, 26-28 March 2002. In: Powell, Jane and et al., (Eds.) Proceedings of the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference, Organic Centre Wales, Institute of Rural Studies, University of Wales Aberystwyth, pp. 137-138.
document_url: http://orgprints.org/8267/1/gosling_shepherd_Theory_soil__fertility.pdf