Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
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had changed so much over the 1938-75 trial period. Here, out of sixty-six
comparisons, organic yields were lower two-thirds of the time; of those,
most of the yield differences were less than 20 percent. Overall, the studies
showed that organic crops outyielded conventional crops in one-third of
the cases, and organic crops generally outperformed conventional crops in
adverse growing conditions. So, taking into account all the systems, crops,
and methods, organic yields were mostly within 10 percent of conventional
yields, and they achieved this with no agrichemicals and relatively little
research information to guide farm management.
A very important article on the long-term productivity of organic farm-
ing was published in
Science
in 2002. Findings were based on twenty-one
years of comparative data from conventional and organic farming systems
with identical crop rotation, varieties, and tillage in Central Europe (Mäder
et al. 2002). In terms of agricultural sustainability: “We found crop yields to
be 20 percent lower in the organic systems, although input of fertilizer and
energy was reduced by 34 to 53 percent and pesticide input by 97 percent.
Enhanced soil fertility and higher biodiversity found in organic plots may
render these systems less dependent on external inputs” (1694). Reading this
concise article, we are encouraged by the authors' suggestions that appropri-
ate plant breeding may further improve yields of some organic crops. Just
imagine how far organic methods could advance if we had research dollars
pouring into these topics. Their soil studies confirm that organic fields
had greater soil stability, microbial diversity, microbial activity, earthworm
biomass, predator insects, weed diversity, andmore completely decomposed
plant materials. In a sense, this long-term organic farming system is similar
to a mature natural system due to its diverse fauna and flora and efficient
resource utilization. Mäder et al. conclude, “Organically manured, legume-
based crop rotations utilizing organic fertilizers from the farm itself are a
realistic alternative to conventional farming systems” (1697).
Farming with organic methods can now produce yields similar to con-
vention methods, and if organic farming methods could obtain agronomic
research funding, these yields would be even greater in the future. While
crop yields are a favorite point of comparison, farms only exist if they are
economically viable. Regardless of how much of a given crop is produced,
organic farmers may be more likely to turn a profit because they don't
have to pay high agrichemical bills. Plus, the economic benefits of selling
organic crops at a price premium often outweigh the slightly lower yields,
thus farmers can be profitable without being caught up on the industrial
treadmill of production.
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