The Impact of Organic and Conventional Crops on

Productivity, Soil and Water

Kathleen Delate, Professor-Organic Agriculture
Depts. of Horticulture and Agronomy
Iowa State University
Cynthia Cambardella, Research Soil Scientist
USDA-ARS National Lab for Ag & the Environment
Ames, IA
 A Useful

Definition of Sustainable
Development [of agriculture] that:
Meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs
- The Brundtland Report, Our Common Future Oxford
University Press,1987.
- Specific
- Susceptible to Measurement
- Dimensions of what you are doing
- Determine how long you can do it
- Scalable
 How can agriculture be sustained
into the future?
Decrease dependence on non-renewable energy
Improve ag systems to provide own soil fertility and
pest management
Support ag systems that take into account the health
of farmers, farm workers and the environment
 Types of agriculture
Conventional/chemical: Based on
non-renewable resources
Fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides created
from petroleum products
Genetically-modified seeds and food
Issues of pollution from nitrate leaching
(hypoxia dead zones)
Sustainable/organic: Based on
renewable, natural resources
Slow-release natural materials for
fertilizing and managing pests with
limited potential for pollution
Crops are naturally bred (natural
crosses between same crops)
Ron Rosmann, Organic Farmer, makes his own fertilizer

as compost from beef cattle manure and hay/corn stalks

Definition of organic ag emphasizes
relying on farms natural resources

An ecological production management

system that promotes and enhances
biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil
biological activity. It is based on minimal use
of off-farm inputs and on management
practices that restore, maintain and enhance
ecological harmony.
-USDA-National Organic Program-NOSB
 U.S. Organic Production
Total organic acreage in 1992: 935,450
5.4 million acres in 2011
213,700 acres of organic grains: 1995
883,572 acres in 2011

$43.3 billion total

U.S. industry sales in 2015

-Annual growth rate

11% in 2015

-21,781 certified organic operations, a 250%

increase since 2002 USDA-ERS website

Iowa: a leader in organic sales
 We need to close the gap

Farmland LP, San Francisco, CA

Health benefits from organic produce
Organic food consumption lessens the dietary
risks associated with pesticide consumption
Organic foods contain higher antioxidants
Lower levels of toxic heavy metals
Newcastle Univ. study: Summer 2014
Analysis of 343 studies; Baranski et al.
British Jour. Nutrition 2014 Sep; 112(5): 794-811
www.organic-center.org (other studies)
http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/organic/index.html
(Scientific Findings about Organic Agriculture:
Leopold Center website)
Organic Fruit Comparison

Univ. of California - Davis study

Organic & sustainable produce had higher
phenolics than conventional produce
Phenolics = plants natural defense
chemicals, act as cancer-fighting compounds
in humans
Tested corn, strawberries, and marionberry
- March3,2003.Organicallygrownfoodshigherincancerfightingchemicalsthanconventionally

grownfoods.AmericanChemicalSociety.
 Environmental Concerns
Less pesticide exposure to farmers and
farm workers, wildlife, environment
Lower pesticide and nitrogen into
groundwater and water ways
More bio-diversity on organic
farms: crop rotations,
soil microbial populations,
beneficial insects
Des Moines Water Facility Sues Draingage
Districts Over Ag Nitrate Runoff

-Testing since March shows

nitrate levels in one drainage

district were nearly four times

the amount of the federal safe

drinking water standard

-Law suit gone but problems

Agriculture.com January 7, 2015
 Iowa farmers unable to cover costs of
production without government subsidies
 Why more weeds in last 5 years
Herbicide resistance in
Conventional plots
Herbicides not
working
Global climate change
(wetter springs and
summersfewer days Weeds in conv sprayed fields
for weed management)
Poor stands from cool,
wet soils
Organic
Approaches
The farm is a system based on
Agroecological principles: Biodiversity,
Biotic regulation, Stability of production
Multiple plant-pest-beneficial organisms
interacting
Prevention: resistant varieties;
sanitation
Inherent biological control should be
sufficient
When controls are warranted, least toxic
 U.S. and EU Approaches
to Organic Sector
Organic delivers environmental,
U.S. Free Market: policies that
social and other benefits to
facilitate market development society
Some green payments (CSP and EU conversion subsidies and
EQIP) for positive impact on soil direct payments to farmers
quality and erosion Infant industry that needs
support; EU policies to support
Farm Bill has direct payments to
research and educational
offset certification fees activities in organic (Horizon
USDA regulates the organic label 2020; CORE Organics)
21,781 organic farms E.U. Commission regulates the
organic label
$60 M on organic research
Delate et al. Participatory Organic Research in the U.S. and Italy: 186,000 organic farms;
Across a Continuum of FarmerResearcher Partnerships, RAFS, 2016
$180 M on research
 Literature on Biodiversity in Organic
Compared to paired conventional farms, organic farms studied had:
An overall 12% increase in biodiversity
More plant diversity
Greater floral diversity
More earthworms
More insects
More butterflies
Increased numbers of some types of birds
Conventional farms in landscapes with a high level of organic farming
also had a higher level of biodiversity

Gabriel et al. (2010) Ecology Letters

 Higher biodiversity on organic farms
Organic farms
have 46 to
72% more
semi-natural
habitats and
host 30% more
species and
50% more
individuals than
non-organic
farms.
Sustainability determined by:

long-term trends in yield

profitability
efficiency in use of limited resources
(water or energy), and
environmental impact (e.g., leaching of
nitrates and pesticides)

-Kate Scow, UC-Davis

 Long-term organic comparisons show
the viability of organic production
Name of Date started Comparison Main crops Lead entity
Experiment Location
FarmingSystems 1981 Conv. C-S vs. Corn, Rodale
Trial Org. 3 and 4- soybean, Institute
yr rotations wheat Pennsylvania
Sustainable 1988 Conv. C, W & Corn, tomato, University of
Ag Farming T vs. Org. C, wheat California-
Systems W, T Davis
(SAFS)
Variable 1989 Conv. C-S vs. Corn, University of
Input Crop Org. 3 soybean, oat, Minnesota
Management (dropped Org alfalfa (Lamberton,
Systems 2) and 4-yr MN)
(VICMS) rotations
Wisconsin 1989 Conv. C-S vs. Corn, University of
Integrated Org 3 and 4- soybean, Wisconsin-
Cropping yr rotation wheat, oats, Madison
Systems alfalfa (Arlington,
Trials WI)
(WICST)
BeltsvilleFarming 1996 Conv. C-S vs. Corn, USDA-ARS
SystemsProject Org 2, 3 and soybean, Beltsville, MD
(FSP) 6-yr rotation wheat
Long-Term 1998 Conv. C-S vs. Corn, Iowa State
 ISU Neely-Kinyon LTAR Site

(Long-Term Agroecological Research)

Close-up of 0.25 acre plots

Farmers develop LTAR design

Forty-four plotsfour rotationsfive crops

2017: Ninteenth-year comparison of conventional & organic crops

 LTAR Parameters
Economics

Yields
Plant Tissue Nutrients

Pest Insects Beneficial Insects

Plant Pathogens Grain Quality

Soybean Cyst Nematodes

Weeds

Soil Quality: Chemical, Biological, Physical

 ISU Neely-Kinyon Farm LTAR Site:

Completely randomized experimental design; certified

organic to encourage transition to organic

Delate, K., C. Cambardella, C. Chase, A. Johanns, and R. Turnbull. 2013. The Long-Term Agroecological Research

(LTAR) experiment supports organic yields, soil quality, and economic performance in Iowa. Crop Management doi:

10.1094/CM-2013-0429-02-RS.
LTAR Yields: 1998-2014
Average yields (1998-2014)

County average
Conventional
Organic (3 year)
Organic (4 year)
Average Corn Yields
LTAR2002-2010

Corn yields at 15.5% moisture

No difference between organic and conventional yields

Average Corn LSNT
LTAR2002-2010

Yields the same despite lower N at late spring testing in organic,

Average Soybean Yields

LTAR2002-2010

Soybean at 13% moisture

No difference between organic and conventional yields

2012: Yields down 20 90% in Iowa
Not just drought but high heat too

4th hottest and 5th driest

summer among 140 years of

5 4.7 Org. C-S-O/A-A
4.5 4.31
records 4
4.07
3.87

3.5
ton/ acre

3
2.5
2 Average Alfalfa Yields
1.5
1 0.77 LTAR2008-2012
0.5
0
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
 Weed Management
Use preventive
measures: cover crops,
esp. rye (allelopathy)
Crop rotations
Manage when weeds are
first emerging (white
thread stage) and at
appropriate intervals to
prevent establishment
/weed seed production
Rotary hoe, row cultivator
Flame-weeder when wet
 Average LTAR Corn Performance
2005-2015
Rotation Average yield Grass weeds Broadleaf weeds
(bu/acre) (weeds/m2 ) (weeds/m2)

CONV C-S 161.52 0.40 1.34

ORG C-S-O/A 146.78 6.89 5.83

ORG C-S-O/A-A 159.53 11.20 4.40

p value 0.6473 0.1031 0.1269

NS NS NS
 Average LTAR Soybean Performance
2005-2015
Rotation Average yield Grass weeds Broadleaf weeds
(bu/acre) (weeds/m2 ) (weeds/m2)

CONV C-S 51.56 1.66 3.23

ORG C-S-O/A 49.76 6.32 4.97

ORG C-S-O/A-A 50.82 8.63 4.87

p value 0.9005 0.1506 0.7221

NS NS NS
Costs of Rotational Average ($/acre) between
Conventional and Organic Systems at LTAR
C. Chase & A. Johanns, ISU

Costs average about $100/acre less in organic

LTAR Returns: 2005-2014
Average economic returns (2005-2014) Conventional C-Sb
Organic C-Sb-O/A-A

726.20

533.10

370.40

124.30 111.90 118.10

Returns in organic systems: 1.5 to 2x conventional

 Organic soybean: 9 and 33% less CO 2 eq. emissions
than conventional producers using no-till and
conventional-till

Conventional Organic
Farms Farms
-1
CO2 eq. emissions from nitrogen additions by tillage practice (kg CO2 eq. acre yr )

No-Till Mulch Reduced Conv- Reduced- Conv-till

Till Till Till Till

Nitrogen 5.25 5.42 6.00 5.09 0 0.41

Qty. 1.23 3.59 2.00 3.72 4.60 5.49
nitrogen in
manure
Total 6.48 9.02 8.00 8.82 4.60 5.90
Singerman, A., Delate and Chase. 2011. Profitability of Organic and Conventional Soybean. Renewable Ag. and Food Systems
 Conclusions
Organic systems show equal yields under
normal rainfall/timely weed management
Diversity = stability: longer rotations with
perennials provide greater weed
management, yields and returns

-Policies should be increased to support

organic farmers who provide ecosystem

benefits
Thank you for your interest!

Contact info:
Kathleen Delate
kdelate@iastate.edu
515-294-7069

Rosmann piglet posing for New Farm

magazine