Organic farming determination

As far as biodiversity of domestic floral species is concerned, research results concentrate on measuring the parameters crop rotation diversity, number of cultivated crops and grassland composition. Hausheer et al. (1998), evaluated crop rotations on 110 organic, integrated and conventional farms in a Swiss pilot farm project and determined the following situations on organic farms. 

Research is needed to determine the effect on the sustainability of organic farming systems in... 

Yield is not the only indicator of farm productivity. Inputs used to deliver those yields should also be considered, and can be in the form of materials, as discussed below, but they may also be in different forms. For example, one way to manage soil fertility and pest problems on organic farms is to employ a different rotation from that on conventional farms where synthetic fertilisers and pesticides can perform those tasks. Because of the difference in rotation, which may also mean a larger diversity of crops, the whole farm needs to be considered when determining productivity and profitability. 

Diversity and density of habitats in the agricultural landscape may influence the production system, but the overall effects are extremely difficult to determine. There is a great need to intensify research of these interactions and to develop reliable indicators of a supposed functional integrity and both the positive and negative interactions between cultivated and uncultivated areas in organic farming systems (Tybrik et al. 2004). 

Data on P leaching and runoff from organic agriculture are scarce. As nutrient balances for organic farms rarely show a significant surplus of P, losses are assumed to be small (Edwards and Withers 1998). A more reliable indicator to determine losses could be the differences in the dominant loss pathways in livestock and arable farming. 

The long-term view on soil fertility management with its emphasis on the enhancement of SOM is a major case for organic farming. This holds all the more true in SSA, where SOM largely determines soil CEO, pH and Al toxicity in many regions (Schlecht et al., 2006). SOM contains practically all N and 20-80% of all P in the surface horizons of tropical African soils (Bationo et al., 1998), and it positively affects infiltration rate, water holding capacity and soil microbial activity. 

At the root of an understanding of organic farming is an understanding of the soil. The structure of the soil determines what can be grown and how fertility can be maintained. The structure of the soil can be enhanced to increase the efficiency whereby nutrients are created, retained, and taken up by plants. Only when the quantity and fertility of the soil are maintained or increased can farming be truly called organic. 

Scientific research is never value-free and values determine the research questions asked. The organic farming movement has chosen a set of values stated in their production standards (IFOAM 1996). Instead of differentiating the organic research approach from the conventional one, it can be considered compliant to systems theory, as is widely acknowledged. 

The scenario analysis concluded that the most influential and crucial determinants of future development in organic farming are ... 

Table 4.2 Factors determining the future of organic farming and organic farming policy (Zanoii et ai. 2000)...

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