A comparison of organic and conventional wheat production with particular reference to soil fertility

Bell, R.W.ORCID: 0000-0002-7756-3755, Deria, A. and Rowdon, J. (1994) A comparison of organic and conventional wheat production with particular reference to soil fertility. In: Transactions of the 15th World Congress of Soil Science, 10 - 16 July, Acapulco, Mexico.

Abstract

In organic productions systems, farmers in Europe and North America achieve comparable financial returns to conventional farmers because their yields which are generally 10-15% lower, are offset by decreased costs of production (1, 2). Yield depressions in the organic system compared to the conventional system, were greater for wheat crops than for other crops including oats, and maize. By contrast with the soils of Europe and North America, those in southern Australia are often highly weathered and have very low nutrient reserves (3). In conventional farming systems in south-west Australia, nitrogen inputs from symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legume-based pastures may be appreciable but phosphorus fertiliser rates barely replace what is removed in the wheat grain harvested. The present study was conducted to quantify wheat production levels in organic and conventionally grown wheat fields in south-west Australia, and to relate these to soil nutrient status.

Item Type:	Conference Item
Murdoch Affiliation(s):	School of Environmental Science
Publisher:	International Society of Soil Science
Copyright:	© International Society of Soil Science and Mexican society of Soil Science
Notes:	Transactions XVth World Soils Congress, Acapulco, Mexico, 10-16 July 1994. J.D. Etchevers B. (Ed). Volume 5B, pp.62-63.
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/17940

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