The Sustainability of Organic Grain Production on the Canadian Prairies—A Review

Snyder, Crystal L.; Spaner, Dean

doi:10.3390/su2041016

Cited by 28 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…Revenues accruing from organic orchards, in fact, are guaranteed by a greater willingness on the part of consumers to pay more for organic products, based on the perception that organic farming, on the one hand, reduces the negative impact on the environment with respect to conventional systems and equates to superior nutritional value, hence benefits human health (Snyder and Spaner, 2010;Lin et al, 2009). On the other hand its revenues are also guaranteed by membership in the Producer Organization, which sells the product to the large scale retail channels, with a transition from a competitive to an oligopolistic market (Messori and Ferretti, 2010) that allows farmers to market goods at higher sales prices (Lohr and Park, 2010).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Choice between alternative investments in agriculture: The role of organic farming to avoid the abandonment of rural areas

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Trapani

et al. 2015

Ecological Engineering

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Choice between alternative investments in agriculture: The role of organic farming to avoid the abandonment of rural areas

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Trapani

et al. 2015

Ecological Engineering

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“…Under organic agricultural management, external inputs of soluble P fertilizer are prohibited, and accordingly, STP concentrations under this management regime can decrease over time (Entz et al, 2001; Løes and Ogaard, 2001; Schneider et al, 2017; Welsh et al, 2009). Since options for P‐containing fertility amendments are limited for organic agriculture, the main options being ground raw rock phosphate and composted livestock manure, maintaining a neutral or slightly positive P balance is difficult for some organic farms; this is particularly true for organic farmers on the Canadian Prairies where the majority of farms are focused on crop production and manure availability is limited (Snyder and Spaner, 2010). This could, in part, explain some of the increasing hectares in the low STP concentration range in Saskatchewan, where 23% of the nation's certified organic producers are located (Statistics Canada, 2016).…”

Section: Scope Of Phosphorus Imbalance In Canadamentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing Imbalances in Phosphorus Accumulation in Canadian Agricultural Soils

2019

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Adequate phosphorus (P) is needed for crop production, but excessive P poses a potential risk to water quality. Results from the cumulative P balance calculations within the indicator of risk of water contamination by phosphorus (IROWC‐P) developed in Canada were assessed to determine the spatial and temporal trends in P accumulation at a regional scale and to consider the implications of these trends. Regional cumulative P balances were calculated from census data as a proxy for soil test P (STP) values, including the contribution of fertilizer or manure P to these balances. Ideally, over time we would see a convergence of soil test values at the low end of the critical response range for crop growth, where agronomic and environmental considerations are balanced, but this does not appear to be the case for many regions in Canada. Nationally, about 61% of agricultural land was predicted to be low in STP, and over half of this land is failing to replace the P that is removed each year. While only about 10% of the agricultural land has accumulated significantly more P than is needed for crop growth, almost all of this land is continuing to accumulate P rather than drawing it down. Manure is the dominant P source for continuing accumulation in regions with high or very high estimated STP; reducing this input will be difficult because of the nature of manure and the investment in buildings and infrastructure tied to specific locations, but it is clear that current Canadian policies need strengthened. Core Ideas Neither deficiency nor excess of P in soil is desirable. Imbalanced P distribution across Canada shows significant areas of deficiency and excess. Regions with high P soils continue to be enriched while regions with low P soils are depleted. In most high P regions, continued P buildup is dominated by livestock manure. Options to rebalance P inputs in these regions include dispersing livestock operations.

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“…The absence of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides in organic systems in the Canadian prairies generally leads to greater weed populations, higher tillage intensities, and lower soil nutrient levels (Entz et al, 2001; Snyder and Spaner, 2010). Weed competition reduces crop yields and has been identified by farmers and researchers as a considerable threat to organic crop production (Bàrberi, 2002; Degenhardt et al, 2005).…”

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Yield and Weed Suppression of Crop Mixtures in Organic and Conventional Systems of the Western Canadian Prairie

et al. 2012

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To investigate intercropping as a management strategy to increase crop productivity and weed suppression in organic systems, spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), canola (Brassica napus L.) and fi eld pea (Pisum sativum L.) monocultures were compared with two-, three-, and four-crop intercrops containing wheat at two organic and one conventional site in 2006 and 2007, central Alberta, Canada. We measured crop and weed biomass, grain yield, and crop competitiveness against weeds from a replacement design in a completely randomized block experiment. Pea and canola monocrops on organic sites yielded the least of all crop treatments. Conventional crop treatments generally yielded higher than organic treatments. Few land equivalent ratios (LERs) on organic sites were signifi cantly >1.0. Some wheat intercrops without barley showed overyielding (LER > 1.0) potential. Most of the signifi cant LERs were from three-and four-crop intercrops. More than 50% of the intercrops on organic sites signifi cantly suppressed weeds (based on relative weed biomass) and most of these intercrops had barley in the mixture. Barley as a sole crop and in intercrops suppressed weeds better than all other intercrops and sole crops. Th e wheatcanola intercrop exhibited the best weed suppression of the two-crop intercrops on organic and conventional sites. Th e crop densities used in this study may have contributed to the extremely low pea and canola monocrop yields as well as low LERs. Due to this, our fi ndings should be regarded as showing trends and potential from intercrops only. We therefore recommend further studies to establish ideal densities for the intercrops used.

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The Sustainability of Organic Grain Production on the Canadian Prairies—A Review

Cited by 28 publications

References 71 publications

Choice between alternative investments in agriculture: The role of organic farming to avoid the abandonment of rural areas

Choice between alternative investments in agriculture: The role of organic farming to avoid the abandonment of rural areas

Addressing Imbalances in Phosphorus Accumulation in Canadian Agricultural Soils

Yield and Weed Suppression of Crop Mixtures in Organic and Conventional Systems of the Western Canadian Prairie

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