BACKGROUND: Organic field-scale vegetables are among the most profitable enterprises in organic farming systems. They are also some of the most nutrient-demanding crops, and many organic arable systems with field-scale vegetables are stockless. Without livestock manure inputs, nutrient supply depends on fertility-building crops, which generate only costs and no income. Different strategies of fertility management were compared on a central England research farm. Fertility management treatments consisted of different lengths of fertility building with green waste compost additions. Outputs and inputs in terms of nutrients and economics were monitored for 31 rotations during 1996-2002.