Impact of organic and integrated production systems on yield and seed quality of rainfed crops and on soil properties

Abstract

Mineral and vitamin deficiencies together affect a greater number of human populations in the world than does protein malnutrition. Organic farming is reported to improve nutritional quality of food grains while also improving soil health. However, sufficient scientific information on several aspects of organic farming based on long-term studies is lacking particularly under rainfed conditions of India. The purpose of this study was to assess the long-term impact of organic and integrated production systems on crops yield and quality, economic returns and soil properties. The study was conducted with three crops, sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.), and greengram [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] under three different production systems, control (use of chemical inputs alone), organic and integrated. The results of the 10-year study revealed that, the average production of integrated system was on par with organic management and recorded significantly higher pigeonpea equivalent yield (PEY) (827 kg ha−1) compared to control (chemical inputs) (748 kg ha−1). In general, the yield gap between organic and integrated production systems declined from fourth year for greengram and eighth year for sunflower, during the 10-year experimental period whereas the pigeonpea yield was similar under both production systems from first year. Plots under organic management had significantly lower bulk density (1.18 mg m−3), higher water holding capacity (38.72%) and porosity (53.79%) compared to integrated production system and control (chemical inputs). The soil organic C (SOC) content in the plots under organic production system was 32.6% more than the initial organic carbon of the soil (0.43%), with higher soil N (205.2 kg ha−1). Plots under integrated production system, however, had higher soil P (26.5 kg ha−1) compared with other treatments. The dehydrogenase activity (5.86 μg TPF g−1 soil h−1) and microbial biomass carbon (317.3 μg g−1 soil) content was higher in the plots under organic production system than under other systems. Organically produced pigeonpea and greengram seeds had similar protein content with that of integrated system, and higher K and micronutrient (Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn) contents than other treatments. The results show the potential of organic production system in improving crop yields, soil properties and produce quality in semiarid rainfed areas.

Land-free bioenergy from circular agroecology—a diverse option space and trade-offs

“…This then results in the corresponding decreasing effects on ancillary biomass availability. We admit there are cases when organic yields may improve gradually and surpass conventional yields in the long run [24]. However, one may expect conventional agriculture to develop further and thus keep up with the yield gap.…”

Sustainability of Organic Farming from a Global Perspective: A Critical Analysis of Soil Types and Fertility Status of Organically Managed vs. Chemicalized Vegetable Fields of South India

“…Adverse pH affects the soil biota negatively (Bisht & Singh Chauhan, 2021), and organic farming causes soil to stabilize soil physicochemical properties (Gopinath et al, 2023;Kaur & Singh, 2023)) and improvement in soil biota (Babu et al, 2023). Since an increase in organic content may cause a decrease in soil pH (Sun et al, 2023), regular monitoring of soil pH has become imperative in organic farms within speci c soil types in the region.…”

“…In general, it is believed that long-term utilization of phosphorus resources for agricultural sustainability, limiting the utilization of mineral P fertilizers and biological means to enhance the utilization of residual P in the eld by plants is highly signi cant (Withers et al, 2014;Solangi et al, 2023). However, certain studies show that soils of organic production systems sometimes have high phosphorous content (Gopinath et al, 2023), which can be an impact of the increased addition of P-rich organic fertilizers into elds. The current study also endorses the same.…”

Pengaruh Penerapan Metode Pertanian Organik dan Penggunaan Pupuk Hayati pada Kualitas Hasil Panen dan Keuntungan Bisnis Petani Buah-Buahan di Jawa Timur

“…Pertanian organik telah terbukti memberikan hasil ekonomi yang positif dalam hal pengurangan biaya dan pertumbuhan keuntungan untuk pertanian padi, terutama ketika terjadi aglomerasi spasial (Changa, Luha, & Hsiehb, 2023). Penelitian jangka panjang telah menunjukkan bahwa sistem produksi organik dan terintegrasi dapat meningkatkan hasil panen, sifat tanah, dan kualitas hasil panen di daerah tadah hujan (Gopinath et al, 2023).…”