• Authors:
    • Bazewicz-Wozniak, M.
    • Wach, D.
  • Source: Acta Scientiarum Polonorum - Hortorum Cultus
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: With the uptake of organic farming the importance of green manures increases, and the cultivation of cover crops plays an ever important role both in agriculture and in horticulture. The fertilizer value of plants cultivated for green manures is largely dependent on the biomass produced, and also the nutrients that were accumulated within it. The aim of this work is to determine the influence of weather conditions in the second half of summer on the fertilizer value of catch crops intended for cultivation of vegetables. The research included: spring rye ( Secale cereale), oats ( Avena sativa), common vetch ( Vicia sativa), white mustard ( Sinapis alba), tancy phacelia ( Phacelia tanacetifolia), buckwheat ( Fagopyrum esculentum), fodder sunflower ( Helianthus annuus). The catch crop plants, cultivated as a pre-crop for the cultivation of vegetables proved to be a rich source of organic matter and nutrients for the following crops. The course of weather had a major influence on the volume of biomass, and the chemical composition and fertilizer value of cover crops. Shortage of water and high temperatures after rainfalls, causing the formation of crust on the soil did mostly limit the growth of catch crops. The biggest biomass among the investigated catch crops was created by sunflowers, phacelia and rye, the lowest by common vetch. White mustard and sunflower provided the biggest amount of nitrogen in their role as catch crops. The sunflower proved to be a rich source of K, Ca and Mg. The most Ca was left in the field by tancy phacelia, which also proved to be a good source of K. The biomass of buckwheat provided large amounts of Mg, but it was poor in N, P and S. Rye and oats proved to be a rich sources of P, but they also contained small amount of Ca and Mg. The most sulphur was left over by the biomass of white mustard. The common vetch proved to be the most weather-sensitive of all plants. Its biomass left the least P, K, Mg and S in the field, the Ca content was also small, compared to other catch crops. Nitrogen content of dry matter of common vetch was high, but not the highest in the three year average.
  • Authors:
    • Kristoffersen, A.
    • Loes, A.
    • Clasen, P.
    • Torp, M.
    • Bernhoft, A.
  • Source: Food Additives and Contaminants Part A-Chemistry Analysis Control Exposure & Risk Assessment
  • Volume: 29
  • Issue: 7
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: A total of 602 samples of organically and conventionally grown barley, oats and wheat was collected at grain harvest during 2002-2004 in Norway. Organic and conventional samples were comparable pairs regarding cereal species, growing site and harvest time, and were analysed for Fusarium mould and mycotoxins. Agronomic and climatic factors explained 10-30% of the variation in Fusarium species and mycotoxins. Significantly lower Fusarium infestation and concentrations of important mycotoxins were found in the organic cereals. The mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and HT-2 toxin (HT-2) constitute the main risk for human and animal health in Norwegian cereals. The impacts of various agronomic and climatic factors on DON and HT-2 as well as on their main producers F. graminearum and F. langsethiae and on total Fusarium were tested by multivariate statistics. Crop rotation with non-cereals was found to reduce all investigated characteristics significantly - mycotoxin concentrations as well as various Fusarium infestations. No use of mineral fertilisers and herbicides was also found to decrease F. graminearum, whereas lodged fields increased the occurrence of this species. No use of herbicides was also found to decrease F. langsethiae, but for this species the occurrence was lower in lodged fields. Total Fusarium infestation was decreased with no use of fungicides or mineral fertilisers, and with crop rotation, as well as by using herbicides and increased by lodged fields. Clay and to some extent silty soils seemed to reduce F. graminearum in comparison with sandy soils. Concerning climate factors, low temperature before grain harvest was found to increase DON; and high air humidity before harvest to increase HT-2. F. graminearum was negatively correlated with precipitation in July but correlated with air humidity before harvest. F. langsethiae was correlated with temperature in July. Total Fusarium increased with increasing precipitation in July. Organic cereal farmers have fewer cereal intense rotations than conventional farmers. Further, organic farmers do not apply mineral fertiliser or pesticides (fungicides, herbicides or insecticides), and have less problem with lodged fields. The study showed that these agronomic factors were related to the infestation of Fusarium species and the concentration of mycotoxins. Hence, it is reasonable to conclude that farming system (organic versus conventional) impacts Fusarium infestation, and that organic management tends to reduce Fusarium and mycotoxins. However, Fusarium infestation and mycotoxin concentrations may be influenced by a range of factors not studied here, such as local topography and more local climate, as well as cereal species and variety.
  • Authors:
    • Stehno, Z.
    • Honsova, H.
    • Konvalina, P.
    • Capouchova, I.
    • Chaloupsky, R.
  • Source: Journal of Food Agriculture & Environment
  • Volume: 10
  • Issue: 2 part 2
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Lately, the organic cereals field has been progressively developing. A limitation of conventional untreated seed application plays an important role there. On the other hand, there has been a longtime deficiency of certified organic seeds. Therefore, oat was experimentally used as a model crop in order to demonstrate results of the assessment of particular biological traits of various seed categories (certified organic, conventional untreated, farm). The seeds' biological traits (energy of germination, germination, energy of emergence, emergence, thousand grain weight - TGW) were assessed before seeding and the impact of the seed quality on the grown seeds was also studied. Small-plot trials including four varieties of naked and hulled (common) oat were set up in three localities in the Czech Republic between 2010 and 2011. As for the quality of the seeds serving for the establishment of the small-plot trials, the conventional untreated seeds proved the highest quality for the energy of germination (86.3%), the germination (88.3%), the energy of emergence (72.8%), the emergence (79.1%) and the TGW (31.9 g). On the other hand, as for the organic seeds, these originating from the certified organic crop stands proved the highest quality for the energy of germination (90.4%), the germination (92.6%), the energy of emergence (79.4%), the emergence (85.8%) and the TGW (30.8 g), just as these originating from the farm crop stand the energy of germination (90.2%), the germination (88.3%), the energy of emergence (79.2%), the emergence (85.4%) and the TGW (30.4 g). The energy of germination, the germination and the energy of laboratory emergence were ( p
  • Authors:
    • Wesoowski, M.
    • Makarska, E.
    • Cioek, A.
    • Cierpiaa, R.
  • Source: Journal of Elementology
  • Volume: 17
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The success of organic farming results from the need to produce top-quality food and, additionally, to protect the natural environment by applying eco-friendly agricultural practices and abandoning synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of organic and conventional production systems on the content of minerals and fatty acids in grain of oat, wheat and hulled and naked barley. Wheat grain from organic farming was characterized by a higher content of Mn and by significantly higher content of Fe, Zn, Ca and Mg when compared to grain originating from conventional farming. The increased availability of potassium in soil, caused by the applied potassium salt fertilization, was reflected in a higher content of this macronutrient in grain of all cereals from conventional cultivation. The tillage system was found not to exert the same effect on the content of Ca and Mg in all the cereals examined. Lower content of iron and zinc was determined in organic grains of barley and oat. Grain from the conventional cropping system (except naked barley) proved to be richer in lipids. Crude oil of organic cereals was richer in the most valuable polyunsaturated fatty acids than that of the conventionally-grown crops The study demonstrated a stronger dependency between the level of the elements examined and cereal species than between the level of elements and cultivation system.
  • Authors:
    • Fetere, V.
  • Source: Zinatniski praktiskas konference, "Zinatne Latvijas Lauksaimniecibas Nakotnei: Partika, Lopbariba, Skiedra un Energija", Jelgava, Latvia, 23-24 February 2012
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The aim of studies was to define the impact of pre-sown crop winter rye and buckwheat on the plant growth, yield and grain quality of spring cereals. During research there were evaluated the traits characterizing the yield and grain quality of wheat 'Uffo' and barley 'Rasa'. The soil of biological crop rotation within the period of two years on average was processed with 20.1 t ha -1 of buckwheat green manure or 5.4 t ha -1 buckwheat dry matter and 4.2 t ha -1 rye straws or 2.5 t ha -1 dry matter of rye straws. According to the chemical analysis, the buckwheat dry matter contained nitrogen and phosphorus, which was three times higher than dry matter of rye straws, potassium and calcium was two times higher, but magnesium - five times higher than dry matter of rye straws. Spring wheat 'Uffo' (4.36 t ha -1) and spring barley 'Rasa' (3.23 t ha -1) provided significantly (p
  • Authors:
    • Ochodzki, P.
    • Goral, T.
    • Bulinska-Radomska, Z.
  • Source: Biuletyn Instytutu Hodowli i Aklimatyzacji Roslin
  • Issue: 263
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The aim of the study was to determine Fusarium head blight resistance of spring type genotypes from the genera Triticum, Avena and Hordeum, and to determine the content of Fusarium mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol - DON and its derivatives) in grain. Head and kernel infection of barley was low and amounted 7.3% and 8.3%, respectively. However, barley accumulated 1.23 ppm of DON in grain. As for oat varieties, 26.5% of panicles showed FHB symptoms. Fusarium kernel damage was low and amounted 6.0%. Oat accumulated low amounts of DON in grain (0.44 ppm). Significant variation was found in genotypes of the genus Triticum in head infection (1.0-34.7%), kernel damage (0.7-30.1%) and accumulation of deoxynivalenol in grain (0.26-6.61 ppm). The cultivars of bread wheat were the most susceptible. There was also a significant intraspecific diversity of resistance in wheat, spelt and emmer. Fusarium head blight resistant and medium-resistant genotypes were identified.
  • Authors:
    • Bohm, H.
    • Gronle, A.
  • Source: Julius-Kühn-Archiv
  • Volume: 1
  • Issue: 434
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The reduction of soil tillage depth is of special interest in organic farming. However, shallow ploughing often results in higher weed abundances in comparison to deep ploughing. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate whether the high weed suppressive ability of spring and winter pea-cereal intercrops can compensate for the higher weed growth in shallow ploughing compared to deep ploughing in organic farming. Peas and cereals were grown as sole crops and intercrops under shallow and deep ploughing in experiments on a sandy loam soil in Northern Germany in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Semi-leafless spring peas-oats, semi-leafless winter peas-triticale and regular-leaf type winter peas-triticale intercrops were examined. At harvest, weed shoot biomass in semi-leafless spring and winter pea sole crops under deep ploughing were slightly higher than those of the corresponding intercrops under shallow ploughing. Whereas weed shoot biomass in semi-leafless winter peas-triticale intercrops under deep ploughing was comparable to shallow ploughing, the cultivation of spring peas-oats intercrops under shallow ploughing led to a significantly higher weed growth than did deep ploughing. The regular-leaf type winter pea grown as a sole crop, or an intercrop with triticale, showed a higher weed suppressive ability than the semi-leafless peas. The tillage system had no significant influence on the weed infestation of sole and intercropped regular-leaf type winter peas. Semi-leafless spring peas-oats and winter peas-triticale intercrops could compensate for weed infestation differences under shallow ploughing compared to the corresponding pea sole crops under deep ploughing. Due to the high weed suppressive ability of regular-leaf type winter peas, shallow ploughing and deep ploughing, as well as sole cropping and intercropping, led to comparable weed infestation.
  • Authors:
    • Dziamba, S.
    • Martyniak, D.
    • Szydowska, A.
    • Mauszynska, E.
    • Dziamba, J.
  • Source: Biuletyn Instytutu Hodowli i Aklimatyzacji Roslin
  • Issue: 263
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The aim of this study was to evaluate germination capacity after seed treatment with three formulations containing effective microorganisms: EM-Farming, Ema Plus, ISD. The experimental material were the seeds of spring wheat, barley, oats, phacelia, serradella, yellow lupine and blue lupine from organic farming. Germination capacity was evaluated in accordance with the ISTA Rules (2010). Seed treatment with effective microorganisms had no effect on germination capacity of wheat and barley. Only for one variety of oat, (Polar), from four tested, germination capacity was improved after seed treatment, but the difference was not statistically significant. After soaking in the solution of Ema Plus and ISD germination capacity of serradella seed was higher, but the difference was also not statistically significant. After application of each seed treatment the blue lupine germinated slightly better than the control seeds. Seeds of lacy phacelia showed higher germination after application the solution of the ISD. The three formulations with effective microorganisms did not cause significant increase in seed germination, but there were less abnormal seedlings and dead seeds.
  • Authors:
    • Inubushi, K.
    • Ohkubo, S.
    • Kato, S.
    • Nagano, H.
  • Source: Soil Science & Plant Nutrition
  • Volume: 58
  • Issue: 6
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Here we have investigated the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) from long- and short-term organic farming Andosols in Matsumoto city of Nagano, in central Japan. We focus on three upland plots in Matsumoto, distinguished by how long they had each experienced continuous organic farming (OF)in these three cases, since 1971, 2009, and 2010 (plots hereafter termed M39-OF, M1-OF, and M1F-OF, respectively). Since 2001, in M39-OF, mainly rye (Secale cereale L., as green manure) and soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merril, as crop] were cultivated, in winter and summer respectively, without tillage, other fertilizers and agro-chemicals. In contrast, from 2001 to 2008 in M1-OF, and from 2001 to 2009 in M1F-OF, these plots underwent conventional farming of some vegetables with tillage, fertilizer and agro-chemicals. Soils sampled from M39-OF and M1-OF in August 2009 were incubated for 4 weeks in darkness at 25 degrees C. During these 4 weeks, M39-OF emitted 8.0 times more CO2 and 274 times more N2O than M1-OF. Less than 2?mu g carbon (C) kg1?dry soil of CH4 was emitted from both soils. From February 2010 until January 2011, CO2, CH4, and N2O emission rates of M39-OF and M1F-OF were measured almost monthly, using a closed-chamber method. Annual CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions were 317, 1.7, and 27?g CO2-C equivalent m2 in M39-OF, and 138, 0.2, and 21?g CO2-C equivalent m2 in M1F-OF, respectively. The rye yield in M39-OF was 334?g?C?m2. Soybeans in M39-OF and M1F-OF yielded 290 and 286?g?C?m2, and withdrew 230 and 224?g?C?m2, respectively. Greenhouse gas (GHG) balance was calculated at 52 and 97?g CO2-C equivalent m2 in M39-OF and M1F-OF, respectively. Negative GHG balance indicated that M39-OF was acting as a GHG sink, with higher CH4 absorption than M1F-OF. Further, this beneficial function for global warming was thought to be based on its cultivation system, which had included green manure application since 2001. The difference in gas exchange between incubation and field experiments was considered a reason for the difference in N2O emission between incubation and field experiments.
  • Authors:
    • Healey, J.
    • Attarzadeh, N.
    • Soto, G.
    • Haggar, J.
    • Edwards-Jones, G.
    • Noponen, M.
  • Source: Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment
  • Volume: 151
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Coffee plays a key role in sustaining millions of livelihoods around the world. Understanding GHG emissions from coffee supply chains is important in evaluating options for climate change mitigation within the sector. We use data from two long-term coffee agroforestry experiments in Costa Rica and Nicaragua to calculate carbon footprints (CF) for coffee and identify emission hotspots within different management systems, levels of inputs and shade types. Management system and input level were the main cause of variation in CFs. Carbon footprints for 1 kg of fresh coffee cherries were between 0.26 and 0.67 kgCO(2)e for conventional and 0.12 and 0.52 kgCO(2)e for organic management systems. The main contributor to GHG emissions for all management systems was the inputs of organic and inorganic nitrogen. Nitrous oxide emissions from pruning inputs contributed between 7% and 42% of CFs. However, these estimates were strongly influenced by the choice of emission factor used in the calculations. Research is required to develop emission factors that account for different qualities and management of nitrogen inputs to enable effective calculation of the CF from different management strategies, and especially from the pruning and organic inputs managed in agroforestry systems. As such, effective climate change mitigation strategies can only be developed from site-specific studies which utilise accurate accounting and regional-specific emission factors. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.