Impact of Organic and Conventional Farming Practices on Soil Quality: A Global Review

Abstract

As world population grows, the demand for food production increases ultimately creating a huge pressure on our shrinking natural resources. With this increased demand for food researches have realized that conventional farming would neither be able to increase productivity nor would be able to improve the soil quality and there is a need for an alternative farming practice to conserve our environment while sustaining the natural resources. Among the alternative practices, organic farming, which is very popular, aims at reducing the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in order to improve production and ecosystem health. The aim of our paper is to compare the long term effects of conventional and the alternative organic farming practices on soil quality and crop productivity as they are considered to be two major indices that measure agricultural sustainability on long term basis. Therefore, many studies around the world are evaluating the organic farming practices as an alternative was found to be superior in their physical, chemical and biological properties than their conventional counterparts. In addition, the studies showed that the organic farming practices are economically viable in the long term for both crop productivity and environmental sustainability.

The Application of Mixed Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers Drives Soil Nutrient and Bacterial Community Changes in Teak Plantations

“…In recent years, the application of organic fertilizers for soil property has been greatly emphasized [ 8 , 9 ]. Some studies have shown that the application of organic fertilizers could significantly enhance soil quality in terms of soil structure, physicochemical properties and biological characteristics [ 10 , 11 ]. The combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers could mediate organic carbon (C) sequestration, as well as elevate the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) balance in soil environments [ 12 ].…”

Long-Term Chemical-Only Fertilization Induces a Diversity Decline and Deep Selection on the Soil Bacteria

“…Ecological diagnoses of the consequences of agricultural practices are fundamental for deciphering which practices could be best for maintaining the soil fertility ecosystem service. Within this framework, an increasing number of published studies have focused on the consequences of different farming practices (i.e., conventional versus organic farming) on “soil quality” (i.e., soil physical properties, chemical properties, and biological properties) (for a review, see reference 5 ). However, little is known about the effects of the practices on the ecoevolutionary ecology of soil organisms.…”

The effect of organic and conventional management practices on soil macropore structure in greenhouse vegetable production

“…For example, Wang et al (2019) reported that land‐use conversion from a crop field to a greenhouse vegetable field caused degradation of soil macropore structure, with macroporosity decreasing and pore morphology worsening. On the other hand, many studies have reported that organic farming can improve soil structural properties (Sheoran et al, 2019; Xu et al, 2018; Xu, Wang, Xie, et al, 2020). Our results showed that the macroporosity averaged 16.9% in OGV soils, more than twice as high as that in CGV soils.…”

“…Numerous studies have demonstrated that soil organic matter (SOM) exerts a positive effect on soil structure by promoting aggregate formation, decreasing bulk density and increasing porosity (Abdollahi, Schjonning, Elmholt, & Munkholm, 2014; Daynes, Field, Saleeba, Cole, & McGee, 2013; Franzluebbers, 2002; Riley, Pommeresche, Eltun, Hansen, & Korsaeth, 2008; Simansky, Juriga, Jonczak, Uzarowicz, & Stepien, 2019; Six, Paustian, Elliott, & Combrink, 2000; Xu, Wang, Tian, et al, 2020). However, comparisons of the effects of organic and conventional farming on soil structure have yielded inconsistent results (Sheoran et al, 2019; Shepherd, Harrison, & Webb, 2002). One mainstream view is that organic management improves soil structure compared with conventional farming (Fueki, Lipiec, Kus, Kotowska, & Nosalewicz, 2012; Papadopoulos et al, 2014; Pulleman, Jongmans, Marinissen, & Bouma, 2003; Schrama, de Haan, Kroonen, Verstegen, & van der Putten, 2018).…”