Organic Farmer Aug/Sept 2019

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Continued from Page 6 Box # 3: Fear of lower crop yield? As a conventional farmer enjoying a good yield with heavy reliance on synthetic inputs, if you choose to adopt diversified organic systems you may suffer from yield loss initially. However, in the long run, this will not be the case. The crop yield and farm profit of diversified systems that follows mixed and rotational cropping with fewer external inputs could be either similar to, or greater than, those in the conventionally managed systems that follows higher agrochemical inputs [9]. In many cases farmers report an over-yield from the mixed crops, then growing a single crop. Most importantly, other ecosystem services (see box #1, page 4) provided by diversified systems are higher than those provided by intensified monoculture systems [10]. Box #4: Who else can/should help growers adopting diversified organic farming? The public can also reap the benefits and services provided by the ecosystems that the growers manage. Federal/state agencies and university extensions can help growers and other stakeholders on why and how to adopt diversified organic farming and produce vital ecosystem services. For example, the federal government compensates farmers through its conservation reserve program (CRP), and in similar ways can support to diversified organic growers. The public has also demonstrated a willingness to pay a high price or premium for the organic products whether they are produced from monoculture or diversified farming. As an example, we are well-aware that local farmer’s markets are increasingly popular, despite their higher prices compared to the grocery stores. However, for this, the public should also be aware of the ecosystem services that they have been continuously taking for granted. Brood cells 50 100 200 0 a Lasioglossum sp. Halictus sp. Halictus rubicundus Bombus impatiens Halictus ligatus Bombus sp. Sisymbrium altissimum Helianthus annus Medicago sativa Summary Diversified organic farming systems, compared to monoculture-based conventional systems, do not use synthetic insecticides and herbicides and often support a greater diversity of plant species. These agroecosystems also support greater abundance and higher species richness of pollinators and pest regulating beneficial insects like predators and parasitoids, ultimately providing greater ecological services to farmers as well as to the public [9-11]. Hence, following diversified farming, you can minimize future risk in your agricultural production since you will have some crops left to harvest even if one of your crops is completely damaged by a pest outbreak. Diversified organic farming is not the same as ecologically-based farming but b Lasioglossum paraforbesii Pisum sativum Halictus ligatus Descruneria pinnata Bombus nevadensis Thalaspi arvense Conventional Organic d c Halictus spp. Carthamus tinctorius Apidae Lasioglossum spp. Melilotus officinalis Melissodes spp. close to it. Ecologically-based farming is an approach to agriculture that relies on augmenting or intensifying ecological processes to provide the functions necessary for sustained production, thus helping to reduce excessive use of external chemical and mechanical inputs. Examples of ecologically-based diversified farming practices include integrated crop-livestock production, crop rotations, mixed cropping, biological control of pests, reduced or no-tillage, and cover cropping. Ecologically-based diversified farming aims to be multi-beneficial by providing food production, economic well-being, environmental benefits, and important ecosystem services such as pollination, natural pest control, nutrient and water cycling, increased soil organic matter, pollution control, and erosion control. While all diversified organic farming may not provide these ecosystem Bombus spp. Nectar stores 0 100 200 300 400 500 Apis melifera Bombus rufocintus Megachile dentitarsus Bombus impatiens a Lasioglossum (Dialictus) b Megachile spp. Agapostemon virescens Melissodes agilis Melissodes lupina Agapostemon femoratus Conventional Organic 2014 2015 2014 2015 Year Year Figure 6. Effects of conventional and organic farming on number of brood cells (left) and nectar stores (right) of bee colonies. Both brood cells (i.e., future offspring) and nectar stores (i.e., food storage) were greater in organic farms than in conventional farms. Figure 7. Bee-flower networks in conventional and organic farms. Conventional farms relying on herbicides with no crop rotation had lower plant diversity supporting less bee-flower interactions, compared to those of organic farms. In the landscapes with high plant diversity, even if we lose a few species for some reasons, we still have other plants left to support pollinators. Medicago sativa Helianthus annus Sinapis arvensis Lasioglossum sisymbrii c Agapostemon spp. Brassica napus d Halictus rubicundus Salsola kali 8 Organic Farmer August/September 2019
services, majority of them do. To adopt diversified organic farming, you can follow these steps: • Consult with university extension researchers, federal/state employees, and county extension agents. • Consult with other farmers inside and outside the state/country who have already adopted and benefited from the diversified organic systems. • Reduce excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and replace them with cover crops and crop rotation to enhance soil fertility and break pest cycles. • Start mix cropping, intercropping, and integrated crop-livestock production whenever possible. • Plant hedgerows, trees, and native wild flowers and apportion uncultivated land around your farm, to provide food and habitat for the beneficial organisms at your agricultural landscape. Finally, you do not need to start converting all your land into diversified organic at once, but you can begin adopting some of its elements. Gradually, you can learn from your own experiments or experiences and decide whether you want to pursue the quest of diversified organic farming and enhance ecosystem services for the agricultural sustainability. Acknowledgements Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) to F. D. Menalled, Montana State University, and partly by OCIA- International to S. Adhikari. References 1. Assessment, M. 2005. Ecosystems and human well-being: wetlands and water. World Resour. institute, Washington DC. 2. Gallai, N., Salles, J.M., Settele, J., Vaission, B.E. 2009. Economic valuation of the vulnerability of world agriculture confronted with pollinator decline. Ecol. Econ. 68: 810–821. 3. USDA. 2007. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns addressed the problem of honeybee colony collapse disorder. USDA Satellite News Feed July 5, 2007. 4. Ishaq SL, Johnson SP, Miller ZJ, Lehnhoff EA, Olivo S, Yeoman CJ, et al. 2017. Impact of cropping systems, soil inoculum, and plant species identity on soil bacterial community structure. Microb Ecol. 73: 417–434. 5. Adhikari, S.; Burkle, L.A.; O’Neill, K.M.; Weaver, D.K.; Menalled, F.D. 2019. Dryland organic farming increases floral resources and bee colony success in highly simplified agricultural landscapes. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 270–271: 9–18 6. Adhikari, S.; Burkle, L.A.; O’Neill, K.M.; Weaver, D.K.; Delphia, C.M.; Menalled, F.D. 2019. Dryland Organic Farming Partially Offsets Negative Effects of Highly Simplified Agricultural Landscapes on Forbs, Bees, and Bee–Flower Networks. Environ. Entomol. doi:10.1093/ee/nvz056. 7. Adhikari, S., Seipel, T., Menalled, F.D., Weaver, D.K. 2018. Farming system and wheat cultivar affect infestation of, and parasitism on, Cephus cinctus in the Northern Great Plains. Pest Manag. Sci. 74: 2480–2487. 8. Adhikari, S., Adhikari, A., Weaver, D.K, Bekkerman, A, Menalled, F.D. 2019. Impacts of agricultural management systems on biodiversity and ecosystem services in highly simplified dryland landscapes. Sustainability, 11, 3223. 9. Davis, A.S., Hill, J.D., Chase, C.A., Johanns, A. M., Liebman, M. 2012. Increasing cropping system diversity balances productivity, profitability and environmental health. PLoS ONE, 7 p. e47149. 10. S.P. Syswerda, G.P. Robertson. 2014. Ecosystem services along a management gradient in Michigan (USA) cropping systems. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 189: 28–35. 11. Kremen, C. Iles, A. and Bacon, C.M. (2012). Diversified Farming Systems: An agroecological, systems-based alternative to modern industrial agriculture. Ecol. Soc. 17(4): 44. Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com The projects mentioned in this article were funded mainly by United States Colony growth rate (g/wk) 0.08 0.06 0.04 0.02 0.00 a b Conventional Organic 2014 2015 Year Figure 5. Effects of conventional and organic farming on bee colony (hive) growth rate. Colony growth rate was higher in organic farm than in conventional farm in both wetter and cooler 2014 and drier and hotter 2015. c d SAVE THE DATE October 24, 2019 7:00am - 1:00pm Kern County Fairgrounds 1142 S P St, Bakersfield, CA 93307 Sign Up Now at: wcngg.com/events/ Powered by: Free Event Cash Prizes Networking CE Credits Offered Growers, Applicators, PCAs, CCAs, and Processors welcome! Seminars & Workshops Free Industry Lunch August/September 2019 www.organicfarmermag.com 9
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Organic Farmer Aug/Sept 2019

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