Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
•
crop rotation and character of the agricultural system
•
management of nutrients and fertilization
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livestock, improving the pasture utilization and fodder supply
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soil fertility management and restoration of degraded soil
Within the environmentally friendly approach, organic farming systems generally seek more
precisely to work with energy and to minimize inputs and to close the farm cycle as soon as
possible.This leads to a large emission reduction particularly due to the reduction of synthetic
nitrogen fertilizers whose production is among the largest producers of GHG emissions.
Thanks to the use of organic fertilizers and the inclusion of greater proportion of leguminous
plants in crop rotations, the organic farming can contribute significantly to the emission load
formation. Thanks to these measures, mainly N
2
O emissions are reduced, while the N
2
O is
identified as a major greenhouse gas and its effect on climate is often referred to as 300 times
greater as compared with the effect of CO
2
. Another positive aspect of organic farming in terms
of greenhouse gas emissions is the reduction of the number of animals per unit of area and
limitation of point load caused by high concentrations of animals in one place which is typical
for intensive industrial agriculture. Extensiveness of livestock production within organic
farming system leads to reduction of methane production and in addition leads to further
positive effects on soil and water quality, and in the broader context, also on biodiversity.
Measures
Impact
Fertilization
Using leguminous plants in crop rotations for the fixation of nitrogen and using organic
fertilizers replace the use of synthetic fertilizers and the capacity of the soil for carbon
sequestration is increased.
Protection against weeds
Thanks to the emphasis on the structure of crop rotations, mechanical, biological and
other non-chemical methods of plant protection, the application of herbicides is
eliminated.
Protection against pests
Thanks to the selection of resistant varieties, crop rotation edition, use of cover crops,
intercrops and undersowing and support of predators and antagonists, the use of
insecticides is reduced.
Protection against fungi and
mildew
Due to the cultivation of resistant varieties, changes of crop rotation structure, emphasis
on seed quality and the use of non-chemical methods of protection, the use of fungicides
is reduced or even eliminated.
Closed farm cycle
Ensuring the maximum share of feed on the farm and the correct management of the
herd minimize the need to purchase feed.
Continuous soil cover
Minimizing of periods without vegetation cover helps to increase the content of soil
organic matter and its decomposition which reduces the need for fertilization.
Table 2.
Tools for reducing the emission load resulting from the specifics of organic farming (adapted according to
[34])
