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LONG-TERM STUDY BY IOWA STATE RESEARCHER SHOWS ORGANICS' YIELDS SIMILAR TO CONVENTIONAL
Nov. 28, 2011
BrownfieldAgNews reports:
Results of a 13-year study conducted by Iowa State University (ISU) show organic crops systems can provide similar yields and much higher economic returns than a conventional corn-soybean rotation.
ISU agronomy and horticulture professor Kathleen Delate, who heads up the research project, says it's one of the longest running replicated comparisons in the country.
"The yields have been consistently equal, or in some cases greater, for the organic rotations-and then, across the board, we've been able to obtain two times-sometimes three times-higher returns with the organic," says Delate, "and that's due to both lower costs of production-since we're not using any synthetic chemicals in the organic rotations-and also the premium price that you get for certified organic."
Delate says even with the current high prices for conventionally-produced corn and soybeans, the interest in organics remains strong.
"If you base it on how many emails and phone calls I get, I'd say the interest is stronger than ever," she says. "The high conventional prices that are going on right now are somewhat of a deterrent to farmers to make the switch. I think when prices were depressed, there was more interest in looking at alternative systems."
But can organic agriculture meet the food needs of a rapidly growing global population? Delate believes it can.
"I have to be honest and say it's a lot easier to do it here (Iowa)-where we have highly fertile soil-than other places where bringing in your soil fertility is going to be your major constraint. But there's been a lot of studies showing that, in developing countries, the difference between organic and conventional is even greater-once people switch to organic, they will get even higher yields."
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