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Never change a running system? Balancing systems approach and comparability when adapting LTEs

Bautze, David; Goldmann, Eva; Adamtey, Noah; Riar, Amritbir; Singh, Akanksha; Huber, Beate; Cotter, Marc; Rüegg, Johanna and Armengot Martinez, Laura (2023) Never change a running system? Balancing systems approach and comparability when adapting LTEs. Paper at: Long Term Experiments: Meeting future challenges, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK, 20.-22. June 2023. [Completed]

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Summary in the original language of the document

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics.
Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valuable additions to our experiments. The positive impacts on productivity and profitability, especially on the organic systems can serve as a examples of sustainable locally adapted production systems, allowing also smallholder farmers to sustain their livelihood also in the future on farming.


EPrint Type:Conference paper, poster, etc.
Type of presentation:Paper
Keywords:Annual cropping systems, cotton, India, Kenya, long-term trial, SysCom, Abacus, FiBL6524604
Agrovoc keywords:
Language
Value
URI
English
cropping systems
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1971
English
long-term experiments
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_4f8733aa
English
India
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3825
English
Kenya
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_4086
English
cotton
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1926
Subjects: Crop husbandry > Production systems
Knowledge management > Research methodology and philosophy > Research communication and quality
"Organics" in general > Countries and regions > Africa
"Organics" in general > Countries and regions > India
Research affiliation: Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Crops > Special crops > Cotton
Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Crops > Anbautechnik
Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > International > Agriculture in the Tropics and Subtropics > Long-term experiments
Related Links:https://systems-comparison.fibl.org/index.html
Deposited By: Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau, FiBL
ID Code:52834
Deposited On:13 Mar 2024 11:09
Last Modified:13 Mar 2024 12:03
Document Language:English
Status:Unpublished
Refereed:Not peer-reviewed

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