Comparisons of Conventional, Organic, and Biodynamic Methods
W. Goldstein (MFAI), W. Barber (MFAI), L. Carpenter-Boggs (WSU), D. Dalsoren (UWM), C. Koopmans (Bolk Inst.)
Little research has been done on this continent with organic and especially with biodynamic
farming methods. Both of these methods generally abstain from synthetic fertilizers and
pesticides. They utilize leguminous forages, rotations, organic manures and cultivation to
sustain soil fertility, supply N to crops, and control weeds. Biodynamic farmers also attempt
to enhance a spiritual factor in agriculture. They structure their farms as ‘super-organisms’
involving ruminant animals, pastures, diversified cash crops, ponds, windbreaks, etc, and
they use biological growth regulators made from fermented natural substances to improve
soil and crop quality. These regulators include herbs that are used to inoculate manure
compost (made from yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.), chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla
L), stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.), oak bark (Quercus robur L.), dandelion (Taraxacum
officinale L.), and valerian (Valeriana officinalis l.)). Also field sprays are used that are
made from fermented cow manure and silica (Koepf et al. 1989) or from composted mixtures
of cow manure with concentrated applications of the above-mentioned herbs (‘compound
preparations’). Biodynamic farmers often make these substances on their own farms.
Two 21-year old experiments in Germany (Raupp, 1995), and Switzerland (FIBL, 2000) and
one 33-year old experiment in Sweden (Pettersson, 1995) compared conventional, organic,
and biodynamic methods. In general, the alternative systems resulted in enhanced soil
quality and somewhat lower production than conventional management. The biodynamic
soils in all three experiments had greater quantities of soil organic matter and greater soil
enzyme activity than the organic system. Results of the German experiment suggested that
the regulators had changed the efficiency of the soil microbial biomass, but part of the effect
of these regulators may be due to increased root growth (Bachinger, 1995).