Top posting, notice that USUAL Subjects ignores this research that
doesn't fit into his limited opinion.

The big difference comes after a few years because the soil remains better.


Beach Runner wrote:

> Organic farming produces same corn and soybean yields as conventional
> farms, but consumes less energy and no pesticides, study finds
> By Susan S. Lang
> July 13, 2005
>
> http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/...other.ssl.html
>
> ITHACA, N.Y. -- Organic farming produces the same yields of corn and
> soybeans as does conventional farming, but uses 30 percent less
> energy, less water and no pesticides, a review of a 22-year farming
> trial study concludes.
>
> David Pimentel, a Cornell University professor of ecology and
> agriculture, concludes, "Organic farming offers real advantages for
> such crops as corn and soybeans." Pimentel is the lead author of a
> study that is published in the July issue of Bioscience (Vol. 55:7)
> analyzing the environmental, energy and economic costs and benefits
> of growing soybeans and corn organically versus conventionally. The
> study is a review of the Rodale Institute Farming Systems Trial, the
> longest running comparison of organic vs. conventional farming in the
> United States.
>
> "Organic farming approaches for these crops not only use an average
> of 30 percent less fossil energy but also conserve more water in the
> soil, induce less erosion, maintain soil quality and conserve more
> biological resources than conventional farming does," Pimentel added.
>
> The study compared a conventional farm that used recommended
> fertilizer and pesticide applications with an organic animal-based
> farm (where manure was applied) and an organic legume-based farm
> (that used a three-year rotation of hairy vetch/corn and rye/soybeans
> and wheat). The two organic systems received no chemical fertilizers
> or pesticides.
>
> Inter-institutional collaboration included Rodale Institute
> agronomists Paul Hepperly and Rita Seidel, U.S. Department of
> Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service research microbiologist
> David Douds Jr. and University of Maryland agricultural economist
> James Hanson. The research compared soil fungi activity, crop yields,
> energy efficiency, costs, organic matter changes over time, nitrogen
> accumulation and nitrate leaching across organic and conventional
> agricultural systems.
>
> "First and foremost, we found that corn and soybean yields were the
> same across the three systems," said Pimentel, who noted that
> although organic corn yields were about one-third lower during the
> first four years of the study, over time the organic systems produced
> higher yields, especially under drought conditions. The reason was
> that wind and water erosion degraded the soil on the conventional
> farm while the soil on the organic farms steadily improved in organic
> matter, moisture, microbial activity and other soil quality
> indicators.
>
> The fact that organic agriculture systems also absorb and retain
> significant amounts of carbon in the soil has implications for global
> warming, Pimentel said, pointing out that soil carbon in the organic
> systems increased by 15 to 28 percent, the equivalent of taking about
> 3,500 pounds of carbon dioxide per hectare out of the air.
>
> Among the study's other findings:
> # In the drought years, 1988 to 1998, corn yields in the legume-based
> system were 22 percent higher than yields in the conventional system.
> # The soil nitrogen levels in the organic farming systems increased 8
> to 15 percent. Nitrate leaching was about equivalent in the organic
> and conventional farming systems.
> # Organic farming reduced local and regional groundwater pollution by
> not applying agricultural chemicals.
>
> Pimentel noted that although cash crops cannot be grown as frequently
> over time on organic farms because of the dependence on cultural
> practices to supply nutrients and control pests and because labor
> costs average about 15 percent higher in organic farming systems, the
> higher prices that organic foods command in the marketplace still
> make the net economic return per acre either equal to or higher than
> that of conventionally produced crops.
>
> Organic farming can compete effectively in growing corn, soybeans,
> wheat, barley and other grains, Pimentel said, but it might not be as
> favorable for growing such crops as grapes, apples, cherries and
> potatoes, which have greater pest problems.
>
> The study was funded by the Rodale Institute and included a review of
> current literature on organic and conventional agriculture
> comparisons. According to Pimentel, dozens of scientific papers
> reporting on research from the Rodale Institute Farming Systems Trial
> have been published in prestigious refereed journals over the past 20
> years.