Organic Farming Builds More Soil Organic Matter Than No-Till

[Ohiorganic]

Organic Farming Builds More Soil Organic Matter Than No-Till
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2007/070710.htm
A long-term study by USDA's Agricultural Research Service shows that
organic farming can build even more soil organic matter than no-till
farming practices. The study showed that organic matter added by manure and
cover crops more than offset any organic matter losses due to tillage
to control weeds. The research is reported in the July 2007 issue of
Agricultural Research
(http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul07/soil0707.htm) magazine.

[Jennie_in_Iowa]

Hmmm very interesting. I have a question, to anyone that knows. In the article it says, organic farming can build soil organic matter better than conventional no-till farming can.

What do they mean by conventional no-till? Do they mean conventional as in chemical inputs conventional? or no-till as conventionally done for 1000's of years?

[Ohiorganic]

Conventional no till as in the kind of no till that uses herbicides to "burn down" crop residue/weeds before drilling seeds. This technique has been around about 25 years and has long been lauded as far superior to organic farming which does use a lot of tillage.

[Jennie_in_Iowa]

But there's petroleum based chemicals being used? :confused: :( Tilling breaks up the soil, but I would think using herbicides isn't too good for the soil either. Well at least the organic shallow till did better. That's my preferred method.

[Ohiorganic]

There is such a thing as organic no-till. But frankly, when you farm you really need to open up the ground for best results (or get rid of weeds/residue somehow). Farming is not a natural event but rather it's very nature is to fight nature (even organic farming). Nature wants to cover the ground with weeds in a random manner. We farmers want the ground free of weeds so we can grow our crops in precise ways. So we fight with nature over weeds.

[LarryS]

So we fight with nature over weeds.

And the weeds have a natural advantage...
Seriously, I have given up the possibility that we will be able to get rid of
weeds by nonchemical methods.

On our plot, in the past, leaves, grass clippings, etc were cut into the soil
without being composted. There are so many millions of weed seeds in the
soil that it will never be possible to get back to normal.

I have learned one thing, though, this year. I experimented with reinforcing wire cages to grow curcubits and it was very successful. At least it keeps the vines off the ground so that I could till or mow around them, they are
up in the air so mold and rot is less, and the bees seem to pollinate better.

Next year, my Charentias will be airbore as well.

If we could hybridize weeds so that we could eat them, maybe that would be a strategy.

[johno]

mulch mulch mulch

[Ohiorganic]

If we could hybridize weeds so that we could eat them, maybe that would be a strategy.

Most weeds are very edible-purslaine, dandelion, lambsquarter, chickweed, nettles, etc., etc..

[bhpigeon2]

mulch mulch mulch
Mulching isn't the answer to building organic soil matter in organic farming. For every acre of mulched surface, perhaps 10 acres would need to be bared to supply it. In the law of diminishing returns, eventually the 10 acres would be worn out and another 10 acres needed. N, P, and K have to come from somewhere but one doesn't need to produce a vast wasteland in order to create a tiny Eden.

bhp2

[LarryS]

Most weeds are very edible-purslaine, dandelion, lambsquarter, chickweed, nettles, etc., etc..

Well said... I guess that the more invasive the weed, the lower the likelihood
that it might be edible or otherwise beneficial...That seems to be a normal rule.

I have eaten dandelion greens, and loved them (except that, possibly coincidentally, I got an awfully sore stomach and abdomen the next day).

Our distant ancestors ate nettles regularly, but they are seldom eaten today.

The most "weedy" plant I have grown lately is arugula...It is absolutely impervious to disease or pests, grows like a "week", and make pretty darn
good salads.

Bom fin de semana todo o mundo

[bunkie]

that's what i was thinking that a lot of weeds are edible. we haven't tried them yet, but the button weed, i think it's wild morning glory, it's buttons are edible!

i remember when we first moved here, hubby was reading about cattails and how their different parts are edible at different growing times. they were delicious and tasted like cucumber...and we ate too many and got a tummy ache. learned to eat the new stuff in moderation from then on! :O)

fascinating topic here. we shallow till a bit to break the ground after winter here...we also hand weed and mulch. so far so good.