GMW: Organic farming produces same yields but uses less engery and no pesticides

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GMW: Organic farming produces same yields but uses less

engery and no pesticides

" GM WATCH " <info

Thu, 14 Jul 2005 09:47:05 +0100

 

 

 

GM WATCH daily

http://www.gmwatch.org

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Organic farming produces same corn and soybean yields as conventional

farms, but consumes less energy and no pesticides, study finds

Susan S. Lang

Cornell University, July 13, 2005 [via agnet]

 

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Organic farming produces the same yields of corn and

soybeans as does conventional farming, but uses 30 percent less energy,

less water and no pesticides, a review of a 22-year farming trial study

concludes.

 

David Pimentel, a Cornell University professor of ecology and

agriculture, concludes, " Organic farming offers real advantages for

such crops

as corn and soybeans. " Pimentel is the lead author of a study that is

published in the July issue of Bioscience (Vol. 55:7) analyzing the

environmental, energy and economic costs and benefits of growing soybeans

and corn organically versus conventionally. The study is a review of the

Rodale Institute Farming Systems Trial, the longest running comparison

of organic vs. conventional farming in the United States.

 

" Organic farming approaches for these crops not only use an average of

30 percent less fossil energy but also conserve more water in the soil,

induce less erosion, maintain soil quality and conserve more biological

resources than conventional farming does, " Pimentel added.

 

The study compared a conventional farm that used recommended fertilizer

and pesticide applications with an organic animal-based farm (where

manure was applied) and an organic legume-based farm (that used a

three-year rotation of hairy vetch/corn and rye/soybeans and wheat).

The two

organic systems received no chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

 

Inter-institutional collaboration included Rodale Institute agronomists

Paul Hepperly and Rita Seidel, U.S. Department of Agriculture's

Agricultural Research Service research microbiologist David Douds Jr. and

University of Maryland agricultural economist James Hanson. The research

compared soil fungi activity, crop yields, energy efficiency, costs,

organic matter changes over time, nitrogen accumulation and nitrate

leaching across organic and conventional agricultural systems.

 

" First and foremost, we found that corn and soybean yields were the

same across the three systems, " said Pimentel, who noted that although

organic corn yields were about one-third lower during the first four

years

of the study, over time the organic systems produced higher yields,

especially under drought conditions. The reason was that wind and water

erosion degraded the soil on the conventional farm while the soil on the

organic farms steadily improved in organic matter, moisture, microbial

activity and

other soil quality indicators.

 

The fact that organic agriculture systems also absorb and retain

significant amounts of carbon in the soil has implications for global

warming, Pimentel said, pointing out that soil carbon in the organic

systems

increased by 15 to 28 percent, the equivalent of taking about 3,500

pounds of carbon dioxide per hectare out of the air.

 

Among the study's other findings:

 

In the drought years, 1988 to 1998, corn yields in the legume-based

system were 22 percent higher than yields in the conventional system.

 

The soil nitrogen levels in the organic farming systems increased 8 to

15 percent. Nitrate leaching was about equivalent in the organic and

conventional farming systems.

 

Organic farming reduced local and regional groundwater pollution by not

applying agricultural chemicals.

 

Pimentel noted that although cash crops cannot be grown as frequently

over time on organic farms because of the dependence on cultural

practices to supply nutrients and control pests and because labor costs

average about 15 percent higher in organic farming systems, the higher

prices

that organic foods command in the marketplace still make the net

economic return per acre either equal to or higher than that of

conventionally produced crops.

 

Organic farming can compete effectively in growing corn, soybeans,

wheat, barley and other grains, Pimentel said, but it might not be as

favorable for growing such crops as grapes, apples, cherries and

potatoes,

which have greater pest problems.

 

The study was funded by the Rodale Institute and included a review of

current literature on organic and conventional agriculture comparisons.

 

According to Pimentel, dozens of scientific papers reporting on

research from the Rodale Institute Farming Systems Trial have been

published

in prestigious refereed journals over the past 20 years.

 

 

 

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