Impact of management regimes on fruit quality of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.)
Bi Zheng Tan a, Sally A. Boundb, and Alieta Eylesc
aSchool of Land and Food, Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia; bTasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia; cARC Training Centre for Innovative Horticultural Products, Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, School of Land and Food, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
ABSTRACT
The impact of alternative farming systems on fruit quality of orchard crops has been rarely examined. This study compared
the effect of two management regimes with or without effective microorganisms (EMs) on fruit quality of sweet cherry (Prunus
avium L. cultivar Sweetheart). After 4 years, EMs had no effect on quality; however, fruit from regime 2 based on organic amendments and no herbicide had higher total soluble solids and malic acid concentration but reduced size, compression firmness, and stem retention force than fruit from regime 1, which was based on current conventional fertigation and herbicide practices. Fruit quality of all treatments was of export standard.
KEYWORDS
Effective Microorganism™ ; soil amendment; sustainable; humates; nutrients
Long-term effects of conversion to organic farming on ecosystem services - a model simulation case study and on-farm case study in Denmark
Fan Fana, Christian Bugge Henriksena, and John Portera
aDepartment of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Taastrup, Denmark
ABSTRACT
Organic agriculture aims to produce food while establishing an ecological balance to augment ecosystem services (ES) and has
been rapidly expanding in the world since the 1980s. Recently, however, in several European countries, including Denmark,
organic farmers have converted back to conventional farming. Hence, understanding how agricultural ES are affected by the
number of years since conversion to organic farming is imperative for policy makers to guide future agricultural policy. In order to investigate the long-term effects of conversion to organic farming on ES we performed i) a model simulation case study
by applying the Daisy model to simulate 14 different conversion scenarios for a Danish farm during a 65 year period with increasing number of years under organic farming, and ii) an on-farm case study in Denmark with one conventional farm, one organic farm under conversion, and three organic farms converted 10, 15 and 58 years ago, respectively. Both the model simulation case study and the on-farm case study showed that non-marketable ES values increased with increasing number of years under organic farming. Trade-offs between marketable and non-marketable ES were not evident, since also marketable ES values generally showed an increasing trend, except when the price difference between organic and conventional products in the
model simulation study was the smallest, and when an alfalfa pre-crop in the on-farm case study resulted in a significantly higher level of plant available nitrogen, which boosted the yield and the associated marketable ES of the subsequent winter ryecrop. These results indicate a possible benefit of preserving longterm organic farms and could be used to argue for agricultural policy interventions to offset further reduction in the number of organic farms or the land area under organic farming.
KEYWORDS
Long-term; conversion; economic value; ecosystem services; organic farming; agricultural policytrade-offs
Management practices and diversity of flower visitors and herbaceous plants in conventional and organic avocado orchards in Michoacán, Mexico
Laura Villamila,e, Marta Astierb, Yair Merlínc,e, Ricardo Ayala-Barajasd, Enrique RamírezGarcíad, Juan Martínez-Cruze, Mariano Devotof, and Mayra E. Gavito e
aPrograma de Biología, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Corporación Universitaria de Santa Rosa de Cabal, Risaralda, Colombia; bCentro de Investigaciones en Geografía Ambiental, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico; cColegio de la Frontera Sur, Unidad San Cristóbal de Las Casas, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, México; dInstituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México; eInstituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Morelia, Michocán,
Mexico; fCátedra de Botánica General, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
ABSTRACT
Despite alleged advantages of organic over conventional farming, management effects on biodiversity are still little known. We related the diversity of herbs and flower visitors to management indicators in avocado orchards and hypothesized that inputs, practices, and context influence diversity of herbs and flower visitors. Using basic classification units, matrix correlation, and multivariate analysis of variance, we found that lowtoxicity insecticides, infrequent herb cutting, and presence of forest areas were related to high biodiversity. Intensification of agricultural management reduced biodiversity both in organic and conventional management type. Our results advocate for an improved, integrative, management classification considering intensification and ecological context, besides input-type criteria.
KEYWORDS
Avocado; floral resources; inputs; biodiversity; pollinators
Does organic farming present greater opportunities for employment and community development than conventional farming? A survey-based investigation in California and Washington
Lynn Finleya, M. Jahi Chappellb, Paul Thiersc, and James Roy Moored
aDepartment of Public Administration, Mark O. Hatfield School of Government, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA; bCentre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, Coventry, UK; cSchool of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver, USA; dSchool of Biological Sciences, Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver, USA
ABSTRACT
Organic farming may present opportunities for job creation over and above those provided by conventional agriculture; this study is one of a small number to have empirically examined this proposition. We compared countywide averages of hired farm labor from the USDA’s 2007 Agricultural Census with data collected through a mirrored survey of organic farmers in the same counties in Washington and California. Based on mixed-effects linear models to estimate differences (if any) in employment between organic farms and countywide farm averages, our analysis indicated that organic farms employed more workers per acre (95% CI: 2–12% more). Further, a greater proportion (95% CI: 13–43% more) of hired labor on organic farms worked 150 days or more compared to the average farm, suggesting increased labor requirements—and potentially more secure employment—on organic farms. We conclude the present study by considering possible policy implications of our findings with regard to organic agriculture as part of regional economic development strategies.
KEYWORDS
Organic farming; conventional farming; employment; labor; regional economic development
Assessing the degree of localness of food value chains
Emilia Schmitt , Barjolle Dominique , and Johan Six
Sustainable agro-ecosystems group, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
ABSTRACT
Consumers’ interest in local food has recently increased, even if the distinction between local and global food still remains
unclear. Aside from the concept of food-miles, no metrics exist to quantify the level of “localness” of a product. In this study, five criteria for making this distinction are derived from the literature: geographical distance, supply chain size, supply chain length, identity, and governance. Two case studies from the Swiss cheese sector are analyzed using these criteria in order to illustrate the application of the framework and to show the differences in their localness. On average, the local cheese obtains a degree of localness of 56% and the global one achieves 31%. There are small differences in “geographical distance” and “supply chain
length”; but the distinction lies more in “supply chain size,” “identity,” and “governance.” This study shows that these cheeses hide a local–global hybridity, by promoting local attributes and values while being embedded in international markets.
KEYWORDS
Cheese; food chain; global food; local food; localness
