Farming practices, conventional

Fig. 16.3 Replicated field trial in Wadenswil, Switzerland where higher bacteria biomass (expressed as microbial bound carbon (Cmic) was found in the organically managed orchard soils (crosses = organic squares = conventional, integrated) than in orchards managed according to integrated farming practice. Higher bacterial biomass was correlated with increased content of water-extractable calcium in soil samples...

It would therefore be expected that farmers with higher levels of education would be more likely to implement pesticide use reduction. Despite, most comparisons between conventional and organic farmers do not show significant differences in level of formal education (Nazarko et al. 2003). There is conflicting evidence over the role of land ownership in the adoption of sustainable farming practices. 

Marti HR, Mills HA (1991) Nutrient uptake and yield of sweet pepper as affected by stage of development and N form. J Plant Nutr 14 1165-1175 Mccann E, Sullivan S, Ericson D, Deyoung R (1997) Environmental awareness, economic orientation, and farming practices comparison of organic and conventional farmers. Environ Manage 21 747-758... 

Stopes C, Lord El, Phillips L, Woodward L (2002) Nitrate leaching from organic farms and conventional farms following best practice. Soil Use Manage 18 256-263... 

Fliefibach, A. and Mader, P. 1997. Carbon source utilization by microbial communities in soils under organic and conventional farming practice. In Insam, H. and Rangger, A. (eds) Microbial Communities - Functional versus Structural Approaches. Springer Verlag, Berlin, pp. 109-120. 

This Pennsylvania farm is known for its Farming Systems Trial (FST), the longest-running U. S. experiment specifically designed to compare organic and conventional farming practices. Their Web site includes research and interesting information, as well as directions to their farm. 

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