Presence of pesticides in the environment, transition into organic food, and implications for quality assurance along the European organic food chain – A review
The use of synthetic pesticides is not allowed in organic production, but traces of synthetic pesticides are regularly detected in organic food. To safeguard the integrity of organic production, organic certifiers are obliged to investigate the causes for pesticide residues on organic food, entailing high costs to the organic sector. Such residues can have various […]
Early life multiple exposures and child cognitive function: a multi-centric birth cohort study in six European countries
Epidemiological studies mostly focus on single environmental exposures. This study aims to systematically assess associations between a wide range of prenatal and childhood environmental exposures and cognition. The study sample included data of 1298 mother-child pairs, children were 6–11 years-old, from six European birth cohorts. We measured 87 exposures during pregnancy and 122 cross-sectionally during […]
Effect of Blanching Process and Frozen Storage on Bioactive Compounds and Some Quality Parameters of Organic and Conventional Green Bean
A great global interest in organic cultivation not only helps in enhancing the availability of nutrients but also reduces dependency upon external inputs as it near to nature. The market for organic foods and other products has grown rapidly due to consumers often find organic foods to be more nutritious and healthier than conventional foods. […]
The role of cover crops in improving soil fertility and plant nutritional status in temperate climates. A review
Cover crops (CCs) are a promising and sustainable agronomic practice to ameliorate soil health and crop performances. However, the complex of relationships between CCs, the soil, and the plant nutritional status has been little investigated. In this article, for the first time, we critically review, under a holistic approach, the reciprocal relationships between CCs and […]
Agronomic and genetic assessment of organic wheat performance in England: a field-scale cultivar evaluation with a network of farms
Yield gaps between organic and conventional agriculture raise concerns about future agricultural systems which should reduce external inputs and face an unpredictable climate. In the UK, the performance gap is especially severe for wheat that, as a result, has a small and shrinking organic acreage. In organic wheat production, most determinants of crop performance are […]
La fertilità della terra
E’ stata pubblicata la nuova edizione del libro “La fertilità della terra” di Ehrenfried Pfeiffer edito dalla Editrice Antroposofica, Milano, il primo e fondamentale testo dell’agricoltura biodinamica, frutto di esperienze fatte sul campo e in laboratorio, sempre tenendo conto dei problemi ecologici. “Fino a che l’uomo sarà partecipe della natura, traendo da essa il suo […]
Preventive and indirect measures to regulate woolly apple aphid in organic orchards (Biofruitnet Practice Abstract)
The Woolly apple aphid (E. lanigerum) can cause severe damage, especially in organic cultivation; sucking activity causes bark growth, the so-called blood louse canker. Promoting natural antagonists in organic orchards is a key element in controlling E. lanigerum. Further, the tree growth should be balanced through proper (root) pruning. A combination of preventive measures and […]
Targeted timing of hairy vetch cover crop termination with roller crimper can eliminate glyphosate requirements in no-till sunflower
No-till cropping systems with cover crops can improve soil health, but often rely on glyphosate, which is a contentious herbicide. In this study, we investigated whether a system based on the direct sowing of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) in the dead mulch of a roller-crimped hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) could be competitive with a system where […]
Strip tillage: a method to limit the time needed for soil tillage in diversified crop systems: an example in sugar beet
Diversified cropping systems can be time consuming for the farmer, finding techniques that can save farmers time is therefore a key goal. For the Syppre experiment in the Champagne region, France, crop diversification involves the use of diverse cover crops, to protect the soil, improve soil fertility, and store carbon. The planting of crops and […]
Effects of riboflavin supplementation level on health, performance, and fertility of organic broiler parent stock and their chicks
RELACS – Improving inputs for organic farming – Data from breeder hens and chicks are particularly critical for the development of vitamin B2 recommendations for organic poultry. To test safe thresholds of supplementation, 100 breeder hens (Hubbard JA 57 K) and ten cockerels were allocated to ten housing groups, with each receiving supplementation of either 4.0 […]
