Abstract
(Englisch)
|
The EU project VEGINECO supported the development of sustainable farming systems for field grown vegetables. The participating countries were The Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Switzerland.
Integrated and organic farming systems were described by means of standardised parameters. National targets were assigned to the parameters and the realisation was monitored. Since integrated and organic farming had already been well established in Switzerland, the national data could be gathered at commercial pilot farms instead of experimental farms as in the other countries.
Farm continuity
In comparison to integrated farms, the income of organic farms is equal or higher. Organic farms are often more flexible in the pricing of their produce and thus can compensate for a lower quantity and quality.
Quality production
In the three-year VEGINECO period in Switzerland, the average quality production of selected crops at the chosen pilot farms seems to be comparable in integrated and organic production (figs. 1.3.1-1.3.6). In general, abiotic causes and pests, weeds and diseases more often lead to yield loss in organic than in integrated production since the last has more possibilities (synthetic fertilisers and pesticides) to react on those problems.
Nutrients
Integrated farmers use mineral fertilisers and often meet the nutrient demands of the crops better than organic farmers (especially for phosphorus and potassium). Therefore, optimised integrated farming systems may have a less harmful impact on the environment. Nearly all pilot farms fulfilled the target for nitrogen available reserves except those with organic soil. Thus, the organic matter content of the soil is more important for the nitrogen available reserves than the cropping system. Phosphorus and potassium available reserves are above the desired range. It will take more than a four-year project period to measure a reduction of these reserves. The same is valid for changes in organic matter content.
Pesticides
For a further reduction of pesticide use an intensified private or public extension service is required. Nevertheless, the number of treatments that can be saved by supervised control of pests and diseases and manageable cropping strategies depends on the pest and disease pressure at a site and on the quality requirements of the trade channel. At present, organic farms apply a lower number of treatments on most vegetable crops compared to integrated farms. However, since the wholesale distributors started to sell organic food the quality requirements and the crop protection strategies for organic vegetables have gradually been adjusted to integrated standards.
From the Swiss perspective active ingredients alone are of very limited use. Very active compounds like the synthetic pyrethroids are used in very low amounts of active ingredients per ha but, nevertheless, can have serious side effects. Since every treatment has known or unknown negative side effects, the Swiss partner characterises the pesticide input and the pesticide emission by the number of treatments. The management of pest resistance makes the application of pesticides with a different mode of action necessary.
At present, copper is the only available fungicide for organic farms to control very harmful fungi like downy mildew in onion. Until now, a renunciation does not seem to be possible in organic farming.
Ecological infrastructure
Ecological infrastructure areas, which are part of the Swiss label guidelines, are well established at integrated and organic farms in Switzerland. However, quality aspects of ecological infrastructure are still a matter of discussion and shall be improved.
Conclusions
In Switzerland, the commitment of the wholesale distributors MIGROS and COOP was very important for the breakthrough of integrated and organic production. In the last years, the marketing of organic vegetables has led to increased quality requirements which have gradually been adjusted to integrated standards. Therefore, integrated and organic production and the corresponding cropping strategies are becoming more and more similar. The impact on the environment is stronger influenced by the site of the farm than by the production system itself.
|
