Organic Eprints
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Podcast: Pionierarbeit in der Wüste: Bioanbau als Erfolgsstory | FiBL Focus
No full textIn der Jubiläumsfolge ist Helmy Abouleish zu Gast. Er ist der Sohn des SEKEM Gründers Ibrahim Abouleish. SEKEM gilt als «Biopionier» in Ägypten und fördert seit 1977 nachhaltige Entwicklung in den Bereichen Ökologie, Wirtschaft, Gesellschaft und Kultur. Die SEKEM Holding produziert, verarbeitet und vermarktet biologisch-dynamische Lebensmittel, Textilien und Arzneimittel in Ägypten und auch international. Helmy Abouleish ist der Geschäftsführer der SEKEM Holding und engagiert sich in der nationalen und internationalen Politik für verantwortungsvolle Wettbewerbsfähigkeit, soziales Unternehmertum sowie für die Bekämpfung der großen Probleme des 21. Jahrhunderts, wie Klimawandel und Ernährungssicherheit. Unter seiner Führung wurde die SEKEM Initiative unter anderem mit dem «Alternativen Nobel Preis», ausgezeichnet
Evaluating seasonal serum vitamin D levels and growth performance in pigs from organic farms
Full text linkVitamin D is an essential micronutrient in pig production as it plays an important role in many physiological functions. The aim of this study was to determine serum vitamin D concentration and growth performance in pigs reared on organic farms in different seasons. A total of 109 Krškopolje pigs were selected for this study. Pigs were divided into three groups: low altitude outdoor group A (N = 39), high altitude outdoor group B (N = 36) and indoor group C (N = 34). Blood samples and body weights were collected seasonally in 2022 and 2023. Serum vitamin D levels peaked in summer for outdoor groups A (69.3 ±2.6 ng/ml) and B (65.3 ±4.4 ng/ml) and were the lowest in winter (group A 21.5 ±2.2, group B 35.2 ±2.5). Altitude had no significant effect on vitamin D levels except in winter (p<0.001). Housing type significantly influenced vitamin D levels in every season between groups B and C, and in spring, summer, and autumn between groups A and C. Pigs in the outdoor group A showed higher average final body weights (151.2 ±7.5 kg in 2022 and 146.8 ±3.8 kg in 2023) than those in group C (132.7 ±11.3 kg and 118.5 ±6.9 kg), though this should be interpreted cautiously given variability in initial weights
Cereal-Pea mixed cropping trials under organic management from 2010 to 2015
No full textThis database originates from field trials conducted between 2010 and 2015 by CREABIO at the La Hourre experimental site (southwestern France) and was compiled by ITAB. These trials aimed to investigate cereal–pea intercropping systems under organic management. Each treatment corresponded to the association of one cereal species with one pea variety, under various sowing densities. A total of 34 treatments were implemented, involving 4 soft wheat (Triticum aestivum) varieties, 4 barley (Hordeum vulgare) varieties, 1 oat (Avena sativa) variety, 1 triticale (× Triticosecale) variety, 6 pea varieties, and 1 faba bean (Vicia faba) variety.
The trials were conducted using a split-plot design with 3 replicates.
The database includes information on:
- Field operations: sowing, fertilization, weeding, and harvesting
- Production performance: grain yield, protein content, specific weight, aboveground residue biomass quantity and nitrogen content
- Yield components: plants density (plants/m²), ears density (ears/m²), pods density (pods/m²), grains density (grains/m ²) and ITCF index
- Growth monitoring: cereal height at maturity, cereal dry biomass quantity and nitrogen content at different stages: flowering, ears 1cm
- Disease susceptibility to anthracnose.
In addition, the database contains daily meteorological data (minimum, maximum, mean temperature and rainfall) recorded at the on-site weather station throughout the experimental period, as well as several soil descriptors.
This dataset is part of the database compiled as an outcome of Work Area 1 in project OrganicYieldsUP. Variable definitions can be found here: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15276082
ID abbreviations:
C-P: Cereal/peas intercropping
W: winter wheat
SW: spring wheat
WB: winter barley
SB: spring barley
SP: spring peas
WP: winter peas
WFP: winter fodder peas
FB: faba bean
T: triticale
O: oats
Example « W120-WP70 » correspond to mixed cropping of wheat (W) and winter peas (WP) for respectively 120 and 70 seeds.m-2
Publications based on this dataset (Frensh):
– Synthèse des essais conduits sur les associations Céréales-Pois – Période 2006 à 2013
– Essai Association Céréales-Protéagineux en agriculture biologique - Campagne 2009-2010
– Essai Association Céréales-Protéagineux en agriculture biologique - Campagne 2010-2011
– Essai Association Céréales-Protéagineux en agriculture biologique - Campagne 2011-2012
– Essai Association Céréales-Protéagineux en agriculture biologique - Campagne 2012-2013
– Essai Association Céréales-Protéagineux en agriculture biologique - Campagne 2013-2014
– Essai Association Céréales-Protéagineux en agriculture biologique - Campagne 2014-201
Elisa Lorenzetti lentil collection Unlocking genetic diversity for low-input systems in a changing climate through participatory characterization and GWAS of lentil landraces.
No full textLentils are a vital staple crop in a world seeking sustainable and secure food, but their cultivation face a threat due to yield instability, mainly arising from a lack of genetic diversity in breeding programmes. In this study, we assembled and characterized the genetic and phenotypic diversities of a collection of 106 lentil genotypes, to evaluate their breeding and cropping potential. Lentil landraces from Italy and beyond, either abandoned or still cultivated, were collected from genebanks, seed savers, universities and farmers. We characterized their phenotypic diversity with an augmented block design, using a control plot enabling a spatial analysis. We phenotyped the collection during two cropping seasons for its agronomic performance, involving local practitioners in a participatory variety evaluation. Meanwhile, we genotyped the landrace collection with a DNA sequencing approach, obtaining 91,136 high quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We used SNPs to describe the phylogenetic relation among landraces, unveiling their uniqueness, and combined SNP data with measured traits to conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS) that led to the identification of 32 unique marker-trait associations highlighting lentil genomic loci related with adaptation and performance. The results of this study offer new tools to unlock agrobiodiversity for lentil breeding in the Mediterranean, towards the identification of genetic factors responsible for traits of agronomic interest and providing possible sources of parental material
Methods for Quantifying and Incorporating Biomass Carbon Sequestration by Trees in Life Cycle Assessments
No full textPurpose: Global temperatures are expected to surpass the critical threshold of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels by 2040, necessitating the urgent need for large-scale and sustained carbon dioxide (CO2) removal. Tree-based systems offer a promising solution for carbon (C) sequestration and contribute to climate change mitigation. However, there is no consensus on accounting for biomass C sequestration in greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, particularly in life cycle assessments (LCA). Although LCAs assess GHG emissions from production systems, integrating temporal changes in biomass C stocks remains a significant challenge.
Methods:This study conducted a review to identify different methods for quantifying C sequestration and storage by trees in their biomass, and to quantify the climate impact of this sequestered C for incorporation into LCA. Further, a case study on poplar trees was conducted to discuss these methods.
Results and discussion: LCA practitioners can use several modeling approaches to quantify tree biomass C sequestration and storage, each with distinct strengths and limitations. These approaches include allometric, process-based, C-budget, and parametric models. This study found significant variability in the estimated biomass C sequestration and storage among these approaches, primarily due to the underlying methodological differences. Additionally, the variability in C sequestration and storage estimates increased with longer assessment durations. The results indicated that general allometric models may overestimate biomass C compared with species, climate, or site-specific models. However, when general models are adjusted for site-specific conditions and tree species, they provide more comparable estimates. This review identified nine impact assessment methods to quantify the climate change impacts of tree biomass C sequestration. The results showed that these impact assessment methods are time-sensitive, and the results may vary depending on the specific method and assessment duration chosen.
Conclusions: This study concludes that, while simplified approaches to estimate biomass C sequestration and storage as well as impact assessment methods, are useful, more detailed approaches may offer greater accuracy when detailed data are available. Therefore, in the future, methods for estimating biomass C sequestration and storage and its climatic impacts must strike a balance between complexity, simplification, and accuracy to improve their applicability and reduce uncertainties
Module 16: OHM, General introduction, seed production and traceability
Full text linkThis training material is part of a self-paced e-learning module given by ÖMKi addressing Organic Heterogeneous Material (OHM). It comprises a general introduction, and specific consiterations regarding OHM seed production and traceability.
Organic Heterogenous Material (OHM) is a relatively new legal category for heterogenous plant populations. It offers opportunities for more resilient, diverse and sustainable agricultural systems, particularly within the context of organic farming. Propagating and marketing seed of OHM comes with some specific practical and legal requirements.
The entire module, with detailed guidance, link to the auto-corrected online quiz and additional references can be taken on the following website: https://itab.bio/en/elearningseedproduction/Module1
Effet de la vitiforesterie sur les communautés de champignons mycorhiziens arbusculaires dans un vignoble
No full textLes champignons mycorhiziens arbusculaires (CMA) jouent un rôle clé dans les agroécosystèmes en facilitant l’absorption des nutriments et en améliorant la tolérance des plantes au stress hydrique. L’intégration d’arbres dans le vignoble (vitiforestrie) pourrait favoriser la diversité et l’abondance des CMA, avec des effets potentiels sur la résilience des cultures. Nous avons testé l’hypothèse selon laquelle l’ajout d’arbres favorise la diversité des CMA en étudiant un vignoble établi en vitiforestrie il y a 13 ans, où des saules ont été plantés dans le rang. L’analyse par séquençage d’amplicons n’a pas révélé d’effet des arbres sur la diversité et la composition des CMA. Des analyses complémentaires, portant notamment sur les propriétés physico-chimiques du sol, permettront d’approfondir notre compréhension des effets de la vitiforestrie sur les sols viticoles
Harvest time in willow and poplar affects the yield, quality, nutrient removal and regrowth when harvesting green biomass for feed
No full textTrees grown in outdoor animal farming systems may provide green biomass as a potential feed source, remove nutrients through biomass uptake, and, hence, reduce the risk of nutrient loss. We investigated the effects of harvest time during the growing season in three field experiments with willow and one with poplar, harvested either during the previous winter or one year earlier. Green biomass, including shoots and leaves, was either harvestedon 24th June or 24th September 2021. Regrowth in the subsequent growing season was measured in November 2022 in two of the willow experiments. Biomass yield and removal of N and P with harvested biomass was measured. The nutrient concentration in the biomass decreased significantly from June to September whereas the yield of dry matter (DM), N and P increased. For example, for the willow clone Tordis harvested the previous winter, the N concentration in DM decreased from 2.86% to 1.27% (corresponding to 17.9 and 7,9% crude protein in DM), whereas the DM yield increased from 0.9 to 8.5 Mg ha−1, and removal of nutrients increased from 32 to 114 kg N ha−1 and from 3.8 to 16.5 kg P ha−1. Regrowth of willow was negatively affected by harvest during the growing season; total DM yield over a full harvest rotation was reduced 46–48% and 34–40% when harvesting in June or September compared to no harvest during the growing season. Optimal harvest strategy in willow and poplar may differ whether the purpose is feed production, nutrient removal or maximum DM production
«Wegweisend in die Zukunft»
No full textUnter diesem Motto laden die Themenposten am Bio-Viehtag ein zum Informieren, Fachsimpeln und Diskutieren. Wir stellen vier der zwölf Posten vor
How our diets drive biodiversity loss
No full textBiodiversity and well-functioning ecosystems are essential for the survival of humankind, for example through provisioning of food and feed, energy, materials, medicines and genetic resources. However, most ecosystems of the world have now been substantially altered by humans, which has led to a mass extinction of species. Our food system is one of the largest drivers for transgressing the planetary boundaries.
Agriculture occupies around 40% of the land surface, and crop land often shows very limited diversity. Many species cannot survive in intensely farmed agricultural land. In addition, agriculture strongly alters surrounding habitats through the extraction of water, pollution with pesticides, and the disruption of natural nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon cycles