{Project} QualityLowInputFood: Improving quality and safety and reduction of cost in the European organic and ‚low input’ food supply chains (Quality Low Input Food (QLIF) Work package 3.1 Identifying soil management practices which optimize soil quality characteristics (mineralization capacity and diseases suppressiveness). Runs 2004 - 2009. Project Leader(s): Tamm, Lucius and Fliessbach, Andreas, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), CH-5070 Frick .
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Document available online at: http://www.qlif.org/research/sub3/wp1.html
Summary
An important characteristic of organic and “low input” production systems is the more frequent use of manure and other organic matter based fertility inputs (e.g. green manures, composts). This and the prohibition (in organic systems) or reduced use (in other “low input” systems) of soil pesticides is thought to result in environmental, biodiversity and/or agronomic benefits. For example, soil biological activity, earthworm number/bio-mass, soil aggregate stability, organic matter content, erosion resistance and the ability of soils to release soil pools of nitrogen were all shown to increase under organic management and/or in soil which receive regular organic matter inputs (Mäder et al. 2002; Drinkwater et al. 1998; Reganold et al. 2001, Langmeier et al. 2002). Also, certain organic matter based inputs are known to reduce the disease incidence in crop production systems (e.g. Hoiting 1986, Bulluck & Ristaino 2002).
Definition of the problem:
- The need to understand nitrogen release characteristics from organic matter based fertility inputs
- Nutrient availability pattern in soils (in particular of N and P) receiving organic matter based fertility inputs (OMFIs) is more difficult to predict than nutrient availability from mineral fertilizer inputs. This is mainly because a large proportion of nitrogen and phosphorus present in OMFIs is in organic form and only becomes available after mineralization by the soil biota (Raupp, 1995; Smith et al. 1998). The mineralization potential in soil is known to be influenced by environmental conditions (in particular soil temperature and matric potential), “inherent” soil biological activity, and plants growing in soil (Raupp, 1995; van der Krift 2001; Mäder et al, 2002). It has also been shown that the “inherent soil biological activity” can be increased by specific long term soil management practices, with organic matter input type and level being important factors (Mäder et al. 2002).
Although the phenomenon is well described in the literature (Hoiting 1986) there is still insufficient information about the mechanisms and modes of action resulting in (a) inherent soil suppressiveness (that resulting from specific long term soil management practices) and (b) short term suppressive effects resulting from specific organic matter based fertility inputs (Berner et al, 2002; Bullock & Ristiaino 2002).
This lack of understanding of underlying mechanisms and “modes of action” makes it difficult to increase the efficacy and commercial use of crop protection strategies based on long term soil management with suppressive organic matter inputs.
Project aims:
The aims of these studies inlcude
• identifying interactions between the inherent soil biological activity (that resulting from specific long term soil management practices) and N-mineralization from different organic matter-based fertility inputs (OMFIs)
• identifying the effect crops have on N-mineralization from different organic matter-based fertility inputs (OMFIs)
• determining soil characteristics and N-mineralisation capacity in soils used in field experiments which aim at developing improved fertility management protocols for selected model crops (wheat, onion, tomato and lettuce)
• providing a set of data which can be used to develop improved algorithms for the prediction of mineralization-driven nitrogen availability pattern in soils fertilized with OMFIs.
• identifying soils which have developed suppressiveness against soil-borne and/or foliar diseases as a result of specific long term agronomic management practices,
• quantifying short term suppressive effects associated with suppressive composts
• identifying interactions between inherent suppressiveness ( resulting from long term soil management practices) and “suppressiveness” conveyed by organic matter inputs
• identifying possible “modes of action” of suppressiveness with particular emphasis on:
(i) quantifying markers for induced resistance
(ii) linking suppressiveness to specific soil biological, physical and chemical characteristics.
Methodology:
See technical annex of the Q-Lif-Project (www.qlif.org)
Results, conclusion, state of the art: See annual reports of Q-Lif-Project (www.qlif.org)
Summary translation
Involved organisations, project partners:
-Swiss Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Frick, CH
-School of Agriculture Food & Rural Development, Stocksfield, UK
-University of Kassel, Kassel, D
-Technological Education Institute School of Agricultural Technology, Heralkion, G
-Louis Bolk Institute, Driebergen, NL
-Westhorpe Flowers & Plants Ltd, Boston, UK
-Roger White & Associates, Boston, UK
-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Lyon, F
-Università di Bologna, Bologna, I
-Guaber, Funo (BO), I
-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Thiverval-Grignon, F
-Institute of ornamental and vegetable crops, Grossbeeren,
-University of Bonn, Bonn, D
-Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming/DIAS, Denmark, DK
-Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, IL
-Gilchester Organics, Stamfordham, UK
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