Soil Fertility and Biodiversity in Organic Farming
Paul Mader, Andreas Fliessbach, David Dubois, Lucie Gunst, Padruot Fried, Urs Niggli
An understanding of agroecosystems is key to determining effective farming
systems. Here we report results from a 21-year study of agronomic and ecological
performance of biodynamic, bioorganic, and conventional farming systems
in Central Europe. We found crop yields to be 20% lower in the organic
systems, although input of fertilizer and energy was reduced by 34 to 53% and
pesticide input by 97%. Enhanced soil fertility and higher biodiversity found in
organic plots may render these systems less dependent on external inputs.