Take the trouble to read the
whole report. It is the only thirty
years study that directly compares conventional and organic on a side by side
basis and it is completely clear that the organic protocol matches and
surpasses what is here now described as the synthetic protocol.
There is a necessary transition
that takes a few years to pass through as the soils adjust and come up to the
organic standard but the results are clear.
Others have been reporting the
same results but in anecdotal fashion, while this study make further argument
moot. The organic approach as presently understood is sufficient in to itself.
I also note that both methods of
agriculture are soon to be entering the organic bio char revolution that will
slowly remove the need for significant soil supplementation itself. This work pretty well ensures that biochar
will be used mostly by farmers converting to organic anyway and possibly as a
way to speed the conversion and reduce the cost of that conversion.
We know a biochar improved soil
cuts the need for chemical fertilizers and that organics are retained in the
soils with the assistance of the biochar.
Thus it makes sense that the long conversion time may become avoidable.
I recently took note that rice
husk conversion is been tested as an easy source of commercial biochar. Other easy feed stocks will make sacked
biochar more available.
Fast Facts
Organic yields match conventional yields.
Organic outperforms conventional in years of drought.
Organic farming systems build rather than deplete soil organic matter,
making it a more sustainable system.
Organic farming uses 45% less energy and is more efficient.
Conventional systems produce 40% more greenhouse gases.
Organic farming systems are more profitable than conventional.
The hallmark of a truly sustainable system is its ability to regenerate
itself. When it comes to farming, the key to sustainable agriculture is healthy
soil, since this is the foundation for present and future growth.
Organic farming is far superior to conventional systems when it
comes to building, maintaining and replenishing the health of the soil. For
soil health alone, organic agriculture is more sustainable than conventional.
When one also considers yields, economic viability, energy usage, and human health,
it’s clear that organic farming is sustainable, while current conventional
practices are not.
As we face uncertain and extreme weather patterns, growing scarcity and
expense of oil, lack of water, and a growing population, we will require
farming systems that can adapt, withstand or even mitigate these problems while
producing healthy, nourishing food. After 30 years of side-by-side research in
our Farming Systems Trial (FST)®, Rodale Institute has demonstrated that
organic farming is better equipped to feed us now and well into the ever
changing future.
History
The Farming Systems Trial (FST)® at Rodale Institute is America’s
longest running, sideby-side comparison of organic and chemical agriculture.
Started in 1981 to study what happens during the transition from chemical to
organic agriculture, the FST surprised a food community that still scoffed at
organic practices. After an initial decline in yields during the first few
years of transition, the organic system soon rebounded to match or surpass the
conventional system. Over time, FST became a comparison between the long term
potential of the two systems.
We selected corn and soybean production as our research focus because
large tracts of land, particularly in our region and the Midwest ,
are devoted to the production of these crops. Corn and soybean acreage
comprised 49% of the total cropland in the U.S.
Throughout its long history, the FST has contained three core farming
systems, each of which features diverse management practices: a manure-based
organic system, a legume-based organic system, and a synthetic input-based
conventional system. In the past three years of the trial, genetically modified
(GM) crops and no-till treatments were incorporated to better represent farming
in America
THE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS
Organic Manure: This system represents an organic dairy or beef
operation. It features a long rotation including both annual feed grain crops
and perennial forage crops. The system’s fertility is provided
by leguminous cover crops and periodic applications of manure or composted
manure. This diverse rotation is also the primary line of defense against pests.
Organic Legume: This system represents an organic cash grain
system. It features a mid-length rotation consisting of annual grain crops and
cover crops. The system’s sole source of fertility is leguminous cover crops
and the rotation provides the primary line of defense against pests.
Conventional Synthetic: This system represents the majority of
grain farms in the U.S. Penn State
University
No-Till Systems: Each of the major systems was divided into two in
2008 to compare traditional tillage with no-till practices. The organic systems
utilize our innovative no-till roller/crimper, and the no-till conventional
system relies on current, widespread practices of herbicide applications and
no-tillspecific equipment.
CROP ROTATIONS
The crop rotations in the organic systems are more diverse than in the
conventional systems, including up to seven crops in eight years (compared
to two conventional crops in two years). While this means that conventional
systems produce more corn or soybeans because they occur more often in the rotation,
organic systems produce a more diverse array of food and nutrients and are
better positioned to produce yields, even in adverse conditions.
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