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We study a cosmological model in Rastall's theory of gravity in the framework of the flat FLRW metric. We formulate the value of the Hubble parameter, which contains two model parameters, $ \alpha $ and $ j $. Employing the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling technique, we determine the values of these model parameters along with their uncertainties. Moreover, we derive the equation of state (EoS) parameter, which converges around the quintessence region. We perform a dynamical system analysis using the linearization technique to validate the results independently. Also, we discuss various physical attributes of the model, highlighting the transition to acceleration and the violation of the strong energy condition (SEC) in the late stages of evolution. In conclusion, our model mimics the behavior of a dark matter fluid during the past epoch and transitions into a quintessence dark energy model in the future epoch., Comment: 18 pages, 17 figures

We propose a novel cosmological framework within the $f(R,T)$ type modified gravity theory, incorporating a non-minimally coupled with the higher order of the Ricci scalar ($R$) as well as the trace of the energy-momentum tensor ($T$). Therefore, our well-motivated chosen $f(R,T)$ expression is $ R + R^m + 2 \lambda T^n$, where $\lambda$, $m$, and $n$ are arbitrary constants. Taking a constant jerk parameter ($j$), we derive expressions for the deceleration parameter ($q$) and the Hubble parameter ($H$) as functions of the redshift $z$. We constrained our model with the recent Observational Hubble Dataset (OHD), $Pantheon$, and $ Pantheon $ + OHD datasets by using the analysis of Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). Our model shows early deceleration followed by late-time acceleration, with the transition occurring in the redshift range $1.10 \leq z_{tr} \leq 1.15$. Our findings suggest that this higher-order model of $f(R,T)$ gravity theory can efficiently provide a dark energy model for addressing the current scenario of cosmic acceleration., Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures

Many plants possess immense pharmacological properties because of the presence of various therapeutic bioactive secondary metabolites that are of great importance in many pharmaceutical industries. Therefore, to strike a balance between meeting industry demands and conserving natural habitats, medicinal plants are being cultivated on a large scale. However, to enhance the yield and simultaneously manage the various pest infestations, agrochemicals are being routinely used that have a detrimental impact on the whole ecosystem, ranging from biodiversity loss to water pollution, soil degradation, nutrient imbalance and enormous health hazards to both consumers and agricultural workers. To address the challenges, biological eco-friendly alternatives are being looked upon with high hopes where endophytes pitch in as key players due to their tight association with the host plants. The intricate interplay between plants and endophytic microorganisms has emerged as a captivating subject of scientific investigation, with profound implications for the sustainable biosynthesis of pharmaceutically important secondary metabolites. This review delves into the hidden world of the "secret wedlock" between plants and endophytes, elucidating their multifaceted interactions that underpin the synthesis of bioactive compounds with medicinal significance in their plant hosts. Here, we briefly review endophytic diversity association with medicinal plants and highlight the potential role of core endomicrobiome. We also propose that successful implementation of in situ microbiome manipulation through high-end techniques can pave the way towards a more sustainable and pharmaceutically enriched future., Correction in: Microbial Cell Factories, vol. 23, issue 1, DOI:10.1186/s12934-023-02281-1QC 20231116

Central Arctic, interglacial intervals have traditionally been associated with diverse and intense bioturbation, and abundant foraminifera, interpreted as indicating relatively low sea-ice concentrations and productive surface waters, while glacial intervals, typically barren, support the inverse. In this respect, the Yermak Plateau is anomalous. Biomarker studies suggest that glacial intervals were characterized by comparatively open water, while interglacials are marked by severe sea-ice conditions. Here we study downcore Ethological Ichno Quotient (EIQ) variations in trace fossils and bioturbation to test the hypothesis that different ethological classes vary in accordance with late Pleistocene changes in sea-ice extent, with deposit feeders increasing during reduced sea-ice cover and chemosymbiotic traces increasing during periods of thick perennial sea-ice conditions. Our results generally demonstrate that the abundance of traces like Planolites, Scolicia, and burrows produced by deposit feeders increase during episodes of seasonal sea-ice cover. In contrast, intervals with more severe sea-ice conditions are characterized by chemosymbiotic traces such as Chondrites and Trichichnus/Mycellia, suggesting lower food delivery and poorly ventilated bottom water conditions. The study thus confirms previous reconstructions of sea-ice conditions on the Yermak Plateau during interglacials, demonstrating that bioturbation variation provides insights into bentho-pelagic coupling under variable sea ice regimes in the Arctic Ocean.

Phosphorus is a key nutrient for food production and essential for growth and development of food crops. Though phosphorous is abundant in the soil, more than 90 % of it is not available for plants. The low availability of phosphorous for plants is due to the fact it easily binds to other elements, making it unavailable for plant uptake. Hence, phosphorous is usually added as external fertiliser in agriculture. In organic farming as synthetic P fertilisers are prohibited, natural sources of phosphorous containing material are recommended (e.g., bone meal, guano, or rock phosphate). Among these available phosphorous sources, rock phosphate (RP) is one of the most promising. However, it is a challenge to extract phosphorous from RP to make it available to plants. It is specifically a challenge to find techniques for doing so that are suitable for local context. Our study region is located in central India, where we work with approx. 3000 organic cotton farmers. Cotton is the main cash crop for farmers in our region. Here we present results from a participatory approach, where we worked with farmers to find solutions to increase phosphorous availability from RP in organic cotton production. Through farmer workshops and field visits we first identified locally available products for acidulation of RP. The products identified were tamarind, tomato, mahua vinegar, gooseberry and buttermilk then we trialed these products in farmer fields to measure their effects. Buttermilk was identified as the most promising product. Being farmer driven, adoption potential of our technique was high; however, challenges remained. We will discuss the process and challenges of such participatory research approaches and ideas to improve their sustainability.

Organic agriculture is a promising solution to sustainably improve crop yields. For several crops, yield from organic farming have been recorded to be lower than yield from conventional farming. However, such data is context dependent and there is very little information on performance of organic systems in the tropics. Particularly, solid data on the benefits and drawbacks of organic agriculture in the tropics is still missing. In 2007, we set up a long-term farming system comparison trials (LTE) for cotton systems in Madhya Pradesh India. Cotton is the main cash crop in our region and is grown in a two-year crop rotation. The other crops grown with cotton in our region are chickpea, wheat and soybean. In our field trials we are comparing the following treatments: (i) organic, (ii) bio dynamic, (iii) conventional, and (iv) BT conventional (genetically modified) cotton. We have been taking data on multiple parameters such as crop yields, soil nutrients, soil microbial properties and system profitability. Our data indicates that with good management organic systems can become more sustainable than conventional systems both economically and ecologically. Multiple indicators in our trials show this; the performance of crops has improved over the years, reducing the profitability gap between organic and conventional farming systems. In addition, positive impacts on soil fertility indicators (e.g., soil organic carbon) are detectable after 10–12 years in our organic LTE systems. We have also recorded our organic systems to harbour higher biodiversity. Despite our positive results, adaption of best management practices by the farmers remains one of the biggest challenges. We need more studies on long-term cumulative effect of system approaches on fertility, health and the productive capacity of agricultural lands in conventional and organic farming systems. We need to understand what extent system approaches can enhance the resilience of cotton systems.

Socio-ecological resilience (SeR) is an integral aspect in enhancing farm system sustainability and this integration is being widely adopted in recent years in development projects. Multiple indicators are used to assess socio ecological resilience of suggested solutions in farming systems or, to design projects with an aim to ultimately enhance SeR. However, the indicators or the suggested solutions remain largely technical; often overlooking the role that social solutions or power relations play in the long term in farming systems sustainability. There is growing evidence indeed that unequal power relations in agriculture are a threat to food security worldwide. Hence, there is a need to focus on equity when determining indicator or when developing solutions for sustainable food systems. We set up a long-term farming systems programme in 2007 in three tropical countries (India, Kenya and Bolivia) to compare organic and conventional management systems across multiple parameters. In all the countries we have been working with small-scale farmers on specific cropping systems (cotton, cacao and maize). The approaches of our programme have been interdisciplinary fo- cusing on all the way from fundamental agronomic questions to participatory farmer research. Over the years multiple studies and analysis have been conducted within our programme to understand the socio-ecological dimensions of sustainable farming practices in our study areas. We will present compiled learnings of these studies with a focus on two of our study regions, India and Bolivia. We will particularly summarise the role that factors such as farmer networks, farmer cooperatives, caste and identity, motivation and extension services play (a) in understanding farming systems and, (b) in adoption of suggested solutions. Using these results, we will discuss additional parameters that need to be considered when assessing social-ecological resilience of farming systems, with a particular focus on power rela

Ist der Ökologische Landbau eine Antwort auf die Düngemittelkrise? Ergebnisse von 15 Jahren Langzeitforschung in den Tropen.

Cotton is the most widely used fibre crop and quality parameters such as fibre length are crucial for successful processing. These quality parameters can be influenced by a variety of factors, such as nutrient supply to the plant and varieties used. Establishing a correlation between these influential factors and the quality parameters of cotton can help improve the production process and enable farmers to earn more income from their cotton production. This study aimed to assess product quality data from a long term farming systems comparison trial under semi-arid conditions in central India in regard to different management regimes. The trial has been running since 2007, comparing biodynamic, organic, and conventional with GM and without GM cotton management. All treatments include a two year crop rotation which is first-year cotton-wheat/chickpea and second-year soybean-wheat. To assess fibre quality, we took sampled plants for ginning and subsequent lab testing for quality parameters like fibre staple length, fibre fineness, maturity index, micronaire etc. Results show that no significant difference in quality parameters like fibre length, fibre fineness, short fibre index, maturity index in both the systems even less percentage of nitrogen was provided in an organic system. The results considering which factors are the most important and which are of lesser importance provide some insight into changes in management effect on lint yield and fibre quality and provide some basis for future investment in research. This bears relevance to stakeholders in the cotton industry including both Indian and international cotton merchants, ginners, spinners, textile mills and commodity exchange.

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

One of the most widely used fiber crops in the world, cotton is utilised in manufacturing clothing and other goods. Its production is highly affected by the American bollworm pest, Helicoverpa armigera. To fight off the attacks of H. armigera, GMO Bt-cotton was designed, which now dominates India’s cotton production. In India, around 90 % of the total cotton production is sourced from Bt Cotton. However, as GMO crops are not allowed in organic farming the attacks of the American bollworm remain a major threat to organic cotton production. At our study site in Madhya Pradesh in central India, we tested different biopesticides on the American bollworm in organic cotton field trials. Three commercially available biopesticides containing the a) Nuclear polyhedrosis virus, b) Bacillus thuringiensis, and c) Metarhizium rileyi were evaluated and compared with the control, which was not treated against pest attacks. The experiment included four replications in 2021 and 2022. We monitored the pest occurrence and started applying the treatments when the economic threshold level was reached. We counted the number of larvae and eggs of the American bollworm on the cotton plants in regular scouting. In both years, the number of H. armigera on the cotton plants was significantly reduced compared to the control. All treated plots had significantly fewer damaged balls when compared to the controls. However, no significant effect on yield could be found. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of commercially available biopesticide products in laboratory tests. Furthermore, we envisage insect ecology studies to better understand the pest dynamics affecting organic cotton production.

The socioeconomic and environmental benefits of organic farming have been widely explored in research, while topics like gender equity and labour are often neglected. In India, the influence of caste and gender identities adds another layer of complexity to these aspects. Using a case of a research and training project implemented in the Nimar Valley region of Madhya Pradesh since 2007, we explore gender and caste intersectionalities within conventional and organic cotton farming systems. The project promotes organic cotton cultivation and food crop diversification, and trains women from marginalised tribal communities, among others. We use a relational approach, as proposed by David Mosse, to understand differences in organic and conventional cotton farming systems in the representation of caste and gender and concerns and barriers to the involvement experienced by different actors. We interviewed 80 respondents employing participatory social network mapping, gendered seasonal calendars, in-depth interviews and participant observation in training, applied during a three-month fieldwork in 2022/23. Preliminary results show among others that, representation in terms of caste and gender has been static in both conventional and organic farming systems. Mainly females from scheduled castes (SC, Dalits) and scheduled tribes (ST, Tribals) are represented as casual labourers in seeding, weeding and cotton picking. The bargaining power of labourers, deciding both wages and working hours, has increased in recent years. This potentially is a positive social change, but puts a higher burden on organic cotton farmers as it is more labour-intensive compared to conventional farming. Our results further indicate that due to high labour wages, there is a resurgence of labour-sharing arrangements for cotton harvesting amongst rich upper-caste farmers and, novel involvement of upper-caste women in cotton farming activities. Tribal farmers in turn start growing conventional cotton. Al

Measuring the impact of project interventions becomes a more and more common request from donor organisations. In the quest for measurable impact and the aim to assess project interventions, the scientific community commonly uses surveys. Indeed, well-planned surveys and interviews are crucial for quantifiable tools such as impact evaluation, which aims to establish a causal relationship between the project intervention and its impact on people’s lives. However, these tools are highly demanding in costs and scientific conceptualisation, usually exceeding the project’s scope. Often a false compromise is made, leading to extensive survey data, which lacks comparability across surveyed groups, causal connection with interventions, or baseline data. When such anonymous quantitative data lacks rigid scientific validation it tells us very little about the lives of the interviewed people. Conclusions from such data make it hard for us to understand the realities of people involved in the project and how the track of their lives might have changed through exposure to project interventions. We have tried out a diametrically different approach within the system comparison trial in the tropics (SysCom) in India. The project works with farmers and a team of national and international researchers on organic cotton. For the series “Faces of Organic Cotton”, we have talked to eleven people involved at some level within the project, including farmers, researchers, cotton processors, and school children. The conversations followed general questions and were guided by curiosity to understand more of the interviewee’s life beyond the project. The result was 11 highly personal stories, where the project and its effect are only one facets of people’s lives. We have considered the inherent challenges of such an approach: translation, bias to over-positivity, and white saviorism. The stories were written in first person, attempting to represent their own stories in their own words as accu

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

Background: Legumes can fx atmospheric nitrogen (N) and facilitate N availability to their companion plants in crop mixtures. However, biological nitrogen fxation (BNF) of legumes in intercrops varies largely with the identity of the legume species. The aim of our study was to understand whether BNF and concentration of plant nutrients by common bean is infuenced by the identity of the companion plant species in crop mixtures. In this greenhouse pot study, common beans were cultivated with another legume (chickpea) and a cereal (Sorghum). We compared BNF, crop biomass and nutrient assimilation of all plant species grown in monocultures with plants grown in crop mixtures. Results: We found beans to exhibit low levels of BNF, and to potentially compete with other species for available soil N in crop mixtures. The BNF of chickpeas however, was enhanced when grown in mixtures. Furthermore, biomass, phosphorous and potassium values of chickpea and Sorghum plants were higher in monocultures, compared to in mixtures with beans; suggesting competitive efects of beans on these plants. Concentration of calcium, magnesium and zinc in beans was higher when grown with chickpeas than with Sorghum. Conclusions: It is generally assumed that legumes beneft their companion plant species. Our study highlights the contrary and shows that the specifc benefts of cereal-legume mixtures are dependent on the growth rate of the species concerned. We further highlight that the potential of legume-legume mixtures is currently undervalued and may play a strong role in increasing N use efciency of intercrop based systems.

Background: Legumes can fx atmospheric nitrogen (N) and facilitate N availability to their companion plants in crop mixtures. However, biological nitrogen fxation (BNF) of legumes in intercrops varies largely with the identity of the legume species. The aim of our study was to understand whether BNF and concentration of plant nutrients by common bean is infuenced by the identity of the companion plant species in crop mixtures. In this greenhouse pot study, common beans were cultivated with another legume (chickpea) and a cereal (Sorghum). We compared BNF, crop biomass and nutrient assimilation of all plant species grown in monocultures with plants grown in crop mixtures. Results: We found beans to exhibit low levels of BNF, and to potentially compete with other species for available soil N in crop mixtures. The BNF of chickpeas however, was enhanced when grown in mixtures. Furthermore, biomass, phosphorous and potassium values of chickpea and Sorghum plants were higher in monocultures, compared to in mixtures with beans; suggesting competitive efects of beans on these plants. Concentration of calcium, magnesium and zinc in beans was higher when grown with chickpeas than with Sorghum. Conclusions: It is generally assumed that legumes beneft their companion plant species. Our study highlights the contrary and shows that the specifc benefts of cereal-legume mixtures are dependent on the growth rate of the species concerned. We further highlight that the potential of legume-legume mixtures is currently undervalued and may play a strong role in increasing N use efciency of intercrop based systems.

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

Measuring the impact of project interventions becomes a more and more common request from donor organisations. In the quest for measurable impact and the aim to assess project interventions, the scientific community commonly uses surveys. Indeed, well-planned surveys and interviews are crucial for quantifiable tools such as impact evaluation, which aims to establish a causal relationship between the project intervention and its impact on people’s lives. However, these tools are highly demanding in costs and scientific conceptualisation, usually exceeding the project’s scope. Often a false compromise is made, leading to extensive survey data, which lacks comparability across surveyed groups, causal connection with interventions, or baseline data. When such anonymous quantitative data lacks rigid scientific validation it tells us very little about the lives of the interviewed people. Conclusions from such data make it hard for us to understand the realities of people involved in the project and how the track of their lives might have changed through exposure to project interventions. We have tried out a diametrically different approach within the system comparison trial in the tropics (SysCom) in India. The project works with farmers and a team of national and international researchers on organic cotton. For the series “Faces of Organic Cotton”, we have talked to eleven people involved at some level within the project, including farmers, researchers, cotton processors, and school children. The conversations followed general questions and were guided by curiosity to understand more of the interviewee’s life beyond the project. The result was 11 highly personal stories, where the project and its effect are only one facets of people’s lives. We have considered the inherent challenges of such an approach: translation, bias to over-positivity, and white saviorism. The stories were written in first person, attempting to represent their own stories in their own words as accu

The socioeconomic and environmental benefits of organic farming have been widely explored in research, while topics like gender equity and labour are often neglected. In India, the influence of caste and gender identities adds another layer of complexity to these aspects. Using a case of a research and training project implemented in the Nimar Valley region of Madhya Pradesh since 2007, we explore gender and caste intersectionalities within conventional and organic cotton farming systems. The project promotes organic cotton cultivation and food crop diversification, and trains women from marginalised tribal communities, among others. We use a relational approach, as proposed by David Mosse, to understand differences in organic and conventional cotton farming systems in the representation of caste and gender and concerns and barriers to the involvement experienced by different actors. We interviewed 80 respondents employing participatory social network mapping, gendered seasonal calendars, in-depth interviews and participant observation in training, applied during a three-month fieldwork in 2022/23. Preliminary results show among others that, representation in terms of caste and gender has been static in both conventional and organic farming systems. Mainly females from scheduled castes (SC, Dalits) and scheduled tribes (ST, Tribals) are represented as casual labourers in seeding, weeding and cotton picking. The bargaining power of labourers, deciding both wages and working hours, has increased in recent years. This potentially is a positive social change, but puts a higher burden on organic cotton farmers as it is more labour-intensive compared to conventional farming. Our results further indicate that due to high labour wages, there is a resurgence of labour-sharing arrangements for cotton harvesting amongst rich upper-caste farmers and, novel involvement of upper-caste women in cotton farming activities. Tribal farmers in turn start growing conventional cotton. Al

Ist der Ökologische Landbau eine Antwort auf die Düngemittelkrise? Ergebnisse von 15 Jahren Langzeitforschung in den Tropen.

Background: Legumes can fx atmospheric nitrogen (N) and facilitate N availability to their companion plants in crop mixtures. However, biological nitrogen fxation (BNF) of legumes in intercrops varies largely with the identity of the legume species. The aim of our study was to understand whether BNF and concentration of plant nutrients by common bean is infuenced by the identity of the companion plant species in crop mixtures. In this greenhouse pot study, common beans were cultivated with another legume (chickpea) and a cereal (Sorghum). We compared BNF, crop biomass and nutrient assimilation of all plant species grown in monocultures with plants grown in crop mixtures. Results: We found beans to exhibit low levels of BNF, and to potentially compete with other species for available soil N in crop mixtures. The BNF of chickpeas however, was enhanced when grown in mixtures. Furthermore, biomass, phosphorous and potassium values of chickpea and Sorghum plants were higher in monocultures, compared to in mixtures with beans; suggesting competitive efects of beans on these plants. Concentration of calcium, magnesium and zinc in beans was higher when grown with chickpeas than with Sorghum. Conclusions: It is generally assumed that legumes beneft their companion plant species. Our study highlights the contrary and shows that the specifc benefts of cereal-legume mixtures are dependent on the growth rate of the species concerned. We further highlight that the potential of legume-legume mixtures is currently undervalued and may play a strong role in increasing N use efciency of intercrop based systems.

The socioeconomic and environmental benefits of organic farming have been widely explored in research, while topics like gender equity and labour are often neglected. In India, the influence of caste and gender identities adds another layer of complexity to these aspects. Using a case of a research and training project implemented in the Nimar Valley region of Madhya Pradesh since 2007, we explore gender and caste intersectionalities within conventional and organic cotton farming systems. The project promotes organic cotton cultivation and food crop diversification, and trains women from marginalised tribal communities, among others. We use a relational approach, as proposed by David Mosse, to understand differences in organic and conventional cotton farming systems in the representation of caste and gender and concerns and barriers to the involvement experienced by different actors. We interviewed 80 respondents employing participatory social network mapping, gendered seasonal calendars, in-depth interviews and participant observation in training, applied during a three-month fieldwork in 2022/23. Preliminary results show among others that, representation in terms of caste and gender has been static in both conventional and organic farming systems. Mainly females from scheduled castes (SC, Dalits) and scheduled tribes (ST, Tribals) are represented as casual labourers in seeding, weeding and cotton picking. The bargaining power of labourers, deciding both wages and working hours, has increased in recent years. This potentially is a positive social change, but puts a higher burden on organic cotton farmers as it is more labour-intensive compared to conventional farming. Our results further indicate that due to high labour wages, there is a resurgence of labour-sharing arrangements for cotton harvesting amongst rich upper-caste farmers and, novel involvement of upper-caste women in cotton farming activities. Tribal farmers in turn start growing conventional cotton. Al

Measuring the impact of project interventions becomes a more and more common request from donor organisations. In the quest for measurable impact and the aim to assess project interventions, the scientific community commonly uses surveys. Indeed, well-planned surveys and interviews are crucial for quantifiable tools such as impact evaluation, which aims to establish a causal relationship between the project intervention and its impact on people’s lives. However, these tools are highly demanding in costs and scientific conceptualisation, usually exceeding the project’s scope. Often a false compromise is made, leading to extensive survey data, which lacks comparability across surveyed groups, causal connection with interventions, or baseline data. When such anonymous quantitative data lacks rigid scientific validation it tells us very little about the lives of the interviewed people. Conclusions from such data make it hard for us to understand the realities of people involved in the project and how the track of their lives might have changed through exposure to project interventions. We have tried out a diametrically different approach within the system comparison trial in the tropics (SysCom) in India. The project works with farmers and a team of national and international researchers on organic cotton. For the series “Faces of Organic Cotton”, we have talked to eleven people involved at some level within the project, including farmers, researchers, cotton processors, and school children. The conversations followed general questions and were guided by curiosity to understand more of the interviewee’s life beyond the project. The result was 11 highly personal stories, where the project and its effect are only one facets of people’s lives. We have considered the inherent challenges of such an approach: translation, bias to over-positivity, and white saviorism. The stories were written in first person, attempting to represent their own stories in their own words as accu

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

Ist der Ökologische Landbau eine Antwort auf die Düngemittelkrise? Ergebnisse von 15 Jahren Langzeitforschung in den Tropen.

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

Background: Legumes can fx atmospheric nitrogen (N) and facilitate N availability to their companion plants in crop mixtures. However, biological nitrogen fxation (BNF) of legumes in intercrops varies largely with the identity of the legume species. The aim of our study was to understand whether BNF and concentration of plant nutrients by common bean is infuenced by the identity of the companion plant species in crop mixtures. In this greenhouse pot study, common beans were cultivated with another legume (chickpea) and a cereal (Sorghum). We compared BNF, crop biomass and nutrient assimilation of all plant species grown in monocultures with plants grown in crop mixtures. Results: We found beans to exhibit low levels of BNF, and to potentially compete with other species for available soil N in crop mixtures. The BNF of chickpeas however, was enhanced when grown in mixtures. Furthermore, biomass, phosphorous and potassium values of chickpea and Sorghum plants were higher in monocultures, compared to in mixtures with beans; suggesting competitive efects of beans on these plants. Concentration of calcium, magnesium and zinc in beans was higher when grown with chickpeas than with Sorghum. Conclusions: It is generally assumed that legumes beneft their companion plant species. Our study highlights the contrary and shows that the specifc benefts of cereal-legume mixtures are dependent on the growth rate of the species concerned. We further highlight that the potential of legume-legume mixtures is currently undervalued and may play a strong role in increasing N use efciency of intercrop based systems.

The socioeconomic and environmental benefits of organic farming have been widely explored in research, while topics like gender equity and labour are often neglected. In India, the influence of caste and gender identities adds another layer of complexity to these aspects. Using a case of a research and training project implemented in the Nimar Valley region of Madhya Pradesh since 2007, we explore gender and caste intersectionalities within conventional and organic cotton farming systems. The project promotes organic cotton cultivation and food crop diversification, and trains women from marginalised tribal communities, among others. We use a relational approach, as proposed by David Mosse, to understand differences in organic and conventional cotton farming systems in the representation of caste and gender and concerns and barriers to the involvement experienced by different actors. We interviewed 80 respondents employing participatory social network mapping, gendered seasonal calendars, in-depth interviews and participant observation in training, applied during a three-month fieldwork in 2022/23. Preliminary results show among others that, representation in terms of caste and gender has been static in both conventional and organic farming systems. Mainly females from scheduled castes (SC, Dalits) and scheduled tribes (ST, Tribals) are represented as casual labourers in seeding, weeding and cotton picking. The bargaining power of labourers, deciding both wages and working hours, has increased in recent years. This potentially is a positive social change, but puts a higher burden on organic cotton farmers as it is more labour-intensive compared to conventional farming. Our results further indicate that due to high labour wages, there is a resurgence of labour-sharing arrangements for cotton harvesting amongst rich upper-caste farmers and, novel involvement of upper-caste women in cotton farming activities. Tribal farmers in turn start growing conventional cotton. Al

Measuring the impact of project interventions becomes a more and more common request from donor organisations. In the quest for measurable impact and the aim to assess project interventions, the scientific community commonly uses surveys. Indeed, well-planned surveys and interviews are crucial for quantifiable tools such as impact evaluation, which aims to establish a causal relationship between the project intervention and its impact on people’s lives. However, these tools are highly demanding in costs and scientific conceptualisation, usually exceeding the project’s scope. Often a false compromise is made, leading to extensive survey data, which lacks comparability across surveyed groups, causal connection with interventions, or baseline data. When such anonymous quantitative data lacks rigid scientific validation it tells us very little about the lives of the interviewed people. Conclusions from such data make it hard for us to understand the realities of people involved in the project and how the track of their lives might have changed through exposure to project interventions. We have tried out a diametrically different approach within the system comparison trial in the tropics (SysCom) in India. The project works with farmers and a team of national and international researchers on organic cotton. For the series “Faces of Organic Cotton”, we have talked to eleven people involved at some level within the project, including farmers, researchers, cotton processors, and school children. The conversations followed general questions and were guided by curiosity to understand more of the interviewee’s life beyond the project. The result was 11 highly personal stories, where the project and its effect are only one facets of people’s lives. We have considered the inherent challenges of such an approach: translation, bias to over-positivity, and white saviorism. The stories were written in first person, attempting to represent their own stories in their own words as accu

Socio-ecological resilience (SeR) is an integral aspect in enhancing farm system sustainability and this integration is being widely adopted in recent years in development projects. Multiple indicators are used to assess socio ecological resilience of suggested solutions in farming systems or, to design projects with an aim to ultimately enhance SeR. However, the indicators or the suggested solutions remain largely technical; often overlooking the role that social solutions or power relations play in the long term in farming systems sustainability. There is growing evidence indeed that unequal power relations in agriculture are a threat to food security worldwide. Hence, there is a need to focus on equity when determining indicator or when developing solutions for sustainable food systems. We set up a long-term farming systems programme in 2007 in three tropical countries (India, Kenya and Bolivia) to compare organic and conventional management systems across multiple parameters. In all the countries we have been working with small-scale farmers on specific cropping systems (cotton, cacao and maize). The approaches of our programme have been interdisciplinary fo- cusing on all the way from fundamental agronomic questions to participatory farmer research. Over the years multiple studies and analysis have been conducted within our programme to understand the socio-ecological dimensions of sustainable farming practices in our study areas. We will present compiled learnings of these studies with a focus on two of our study regions, India and Bolivia. We will particularly summarise the role that factors such as farmer networks, farmer cooperatives, caste and identity, motivation and extension services play (a) in understanding farming systems and, (b) in adoption of suggested solutions. Using these results, we will discuss additional parameters that need to be considered when assessing social-ecological resilience of farming systems, with a particular focus on power rela

Background: Legumes can fx atmospheric nitrogen (N) and facilitate N availability to their companion plants in crop mixtures. However, biological nitrogen fxation (BNF) of legumes in intercrops varies largely with the identity of the legume species. The aim of our study was to understand whether BNF and concentration of plant nutrients by common bean is infuenced by the identity of the companion plant species in crop mixtures. In this greenhouse pot study, common beans were cultivated with another legume (chickpea) and a cereal (Sorghum). We compared BNF, crop biomass and nutrient assimilation of all plant species grown in monocultures with plants grown in crop mixtures. Results: We found beans to exhibit low levels of BNF, and to potentially compete with other species for available soil N in crop mixtures. The BNF of chickpeas however, was enhanced when grown in mixtures. Furthermore, biomass, phosphorous and potassium values of chickpea and Sorghum plants were higher in monocultures, compared to in mixtures with beans; suggesting competitive efects of beans on these plants. Concentration of calcium, magnesium and zinc in beans was higher when grown with chickpeas than with Sorghum. Conclusions: It is generally assumed that legumes beneft their companion plant species. Our study highlights the contrary and shows that the specifc benefts of cereal-legume mixtures are dependent on the growth rate of the species concerned. We further highlight that the potential of legume-legume mixtures is currently undervalued and may play a strong role in increasing N use efciency of intercrop based systems.

Measuring the impact of project interventions becomes a more and more common request from donor organisations. In the quest for measurable impact and the aim to assess project interventions, the scientific community commonly uses surveys. Indeed, well-planned surveys and interviews are crucial for quantifiable tools such as impact evaluation, which aims to establish a causal relationship between the project intervention and its impact on people’s lives. However, these tools are highly demanding in costs and scientific conceptualisation, usually exceeding the project’s scope. Often a false compromise is made, leading to extensive survey data, which lacks comparability across surveyed groups, causal connection with interventions, or baseline data. When such anonymous quantitative data lacks rigid scientific validation it tells us very little about the lives of the interviewed people. Conclusions from such data make it hard for us to understand the realities of people involved in the project and how the track of their lives might have changed through exposure to project interventions. We have tried out a diametrically different approach within the system comparison trial in the tropics (SysCom) in India. The project works with farmers and a team of national and international researchers on organic cotton. For the series “Faces of Organic Cotton”, we have talked to eleven people involved at some level within the project, including farmers, researchers, cotton processors, and school children. The conversations followed general questions and were guided by curiosity to understand more of the interviewee’s life beyond the project. The result was 11 highly personal stories, where the project and its effect are only one facets of people’s lives. We have considered the inherent challenges of such an approach: translation, bias to over-positivity, and white saviorism. The stories were written in first person, attempting to represent their own stories in their own words as accu

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

The socioeconomic and environmental benefits of organic farming have been widely explored in research, while topics like gender equity and labour are often neglected. In India, the influence of caste and gender identities adds another layer of complexity to these aspects. Using a case of a research and training project implemented in the Nimar Valley region of Madhya Pradesh since 2007, we explore gender and caste intersectionalities within conventional and organic cotton farming systems. The project promotes organic cotton cultivation and food crop diversification, and trains women from marginalised tribal communities, among others. We use a relational approach, as proposed by David Mosse, to understand differences in organic and conventional cotton farming systems in the representation of caste and gender and concerns and barriers to the involvement experienced by different actors. We interviewed 80 respondents employing participatory social network mapping, gendered seasonal calendars, in-depth interviews and participant observation in training, applied during a three-month fieldwork in 2022/23. Preliminary results show among others that, representation in terms of caste and gender has been static in both conventional and organic farming systems. Mainly females from scheduled castes (SC, Dalits) and scheduled tribes (ST, Tribals) are represented as casual labourers in seeding, weeding and cotton picking. The bargaining power of labourers, deciding both wages and working hours, has increased in recent years. This potentially is a positive social change, but puts a higher burden on organic cotton farmers as it is more labour-intensive compared to conventional farming. Our results further indicate that due to high labour wages, there is a resurgence of labour-sharing arrangements for cotton harvesting amongst rich upper-caste farmers and, novel involvement of upper-caste women in cotton farming activities. Tribal farmers in turn start growing conventional cotton. Al

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

One of the most widely used fiber crops in the world, cotton is utilised in manufacturing clothing and other goods. Its production is highly affected by the American bollworm pest, Helicoverpa armigera. To fight off the attacks of H. armigera, GMO Bt-cotton was designed, which now dominates India’s cotton production. In India, around 90 % of the total cotton production is sourced from Bt Cotton. However, as GMO crops are not allowed in organic farming the attacks of the American bollworm remain a major threat to organic cotton production. At our study site in Madhya Pradesh in central India, we tested different biopesticides on the American bollworm in organic cotton field trials. Three commercially available biopesticides containing the a) Nuclear polyhedrosis virus, b) Bacillus thuringiensis, and c) Metarhizium rileyi were evaluated and compared with the control, which was not treated against pest attacks. The experiment included four replications in 2021 and 2022. We monitored the pest occurrence and started applying the treatments when the economic threshold level was reached. We counted the number of larvae and eggs of the American bollworm on the cotton plants in regular scouting. In both years, the number of H. armigera on the cotton plants was significantly reduced compared to the control. All treated plots had significantly fewer damaged balls when compared to the controls. However, no significant effect on yield could be found. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of commercially available biopesticide products in laboratory tests. Furthermore, we envisage insect ecology studies to better understand the pest dynamics affecting organic cotton production.

Organic agriculture is a promising solution to sustainably improve crop yields. For several crops, yield from organic farming have been recorded to be lower than yield from conventional farming. However, such data is context dependent and there is very little information on performance of organic systems in the tropics. Particularly, solid data on the benefits and drawbacks of organic agriculture in the tropics is still missing. In 2007, we set up a long-term farming system comparison trials (LTE) for cotton systems in Madhya Pradesh India. Cotton is the main cash crop in our region and is grown in a two-year crop rotation. The other crops grown with cotton in our region are chickpea, wheat and soybean. In our field trials we are comparing the following treatments: (i) organic, (ii) bio dynamic, (iii) conventional, and (iv) BT conventional (genetically modified) cotton. We have been taking data on multiple parameters such as crop yields, soil nutrients, soil microbial properties and system profitability. Our data indicates that with good management organic systems can become more sustainable than conventional systems both economically and ecologically. Multiple indicators in our trials show this; the performance of crops has improved over the years, reducing the profitability gap between organic and conventional farming systems. In addition, positive impacts on soil fertility indicators (e.g., soil organic carbon) are detectable after 10–12 years in our organic LTE systems. We have also recorded our organic systems to harbour higher biodiversity. Despite our positive results, adaption of best management practices by the farmers remains one of the biggest challenges. We need more studies on long-term cumulative effect of system approaches on fertility, health and the productive capacity of agricultural lands in conventional and organic farming systems. We need to understand what extent system approaches can enhance the resilience of cotton systems.

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

Cotton is the most widely used fibre crop and quality parameters such as fibre length are crucial for successful processing. These quality parameters can be influenced by a variety of factors, such as nutrient supply to the plant and varieties used. Establishing a correlation between these influential factors and the quality parameters of cotton can help improve the production process and enable farmers to earn more income from their cotton production. This study aimed to assess product quality data from a long term farming systems comparison trial under semi-arid conditions in central India in regard to different management regimes. The trial has been running since 2007, comparing biodynamic, organic, and conventional with GM and without GM cotton management. All treatments include a two year crop rotation which is first-year cotton-wheat/chickpea and second-year soybean-wheat. To assess fibre quality, we took sampled plants for ginning and subsequent lab testing for quality parameters like fibre staple length, fibre fineness, maturity index, micronaire etc. Results show that no significant difference in quality parameters like fibre length, fibre fineness, short fibre index, maturity index in both the systems even less percentage of nitrogen was provided in an organic system. The results considering which factors are the most important and which are of lesser importance provide some insight into changes in management effect on lint yield and fibre quality and provide some basis for future investment in research. This bears relevance to stakeholders in the cotton industry including both Indian and international cotton merchants, ginners, spinners, textile mills and commodity exchange.

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu

Ist der Ökologische Landbau eine Antwort auf die Düngemittelkrise? Ergebnisse von 15 Jahren Langzeitforschung in den Tropen.

Phosphorus is a key nutrient for food production and essential for growth and development of food crops. Though phosphorous is abundant in the soil, more than 90 % of it is not available for plants. The low availability of phosphorous for plants is due to the fact it easily binds to other elements, making it unavailable for plant uptake. Hence, phosphorous is usually added as external fertiliser in agriculture. In organic farming as synthetic P fertilisers are prohibited, natural sources of phosphorous containing material are recommended (e.g., bone meal, guano, or rock phosphate). Among these available phosphorous sources, rock phosphate (RP) is one of the most promising. However, it is a challenge to extract phosphorous from RP to make it available to plants. It is specifically a challenge to find techniques for doing so that are suitable for local context. Our study region is located in central India, where we work with approx. 3000 organic cotton farmers. Cotton is the main cash crop for farmers in our region. Here we present results from a participatory approach, where we worked with farmers to find solutions to increase phosphorous availability from RP in organic cotton production. Through farmer workshops and field visits we first identified locally available products for acidulation of RP. The products identified were tamarind, tomato, mahua vinegar, gooseberry and buttermilk then we trialed these products in farmer fields to measure their effects. Buttermilk was identified as the most promising product. Being farmer driven, adoption potential of our technique was high; however, challenges remained. We will discuss the process and challenges of such participatory research approaches and ideas to improve their sustainability.

Background: Legumes can fx atmospheric nitrogen (N) and facilitate N availability to their companion plants in crop mixtures. However, biological nitrogen fxation (BNF) of legumes in intercrops varies largely with the identity of the legume species. The aim of our study was to understand whether BNF and concentration of plant nutrients by common bean is infuenced by the identity of the companion plant species in crop mixtures. In this greenhouse pot study, common beans were cultivated with another legume (chickpea) and a cereal (Sorghum). We compared BNF, crop biomass and nutrient assimilation of all plant species grown in monocultures with plants grown in crop mixtures. Results: We found beans to exhibit low levels of BNF, and to potentially compete with other species for available soil N in crop mixtures. The BNF of chickpeas however, was enhanced when grown in mixtures. Furthermore, biomass, phosphorous and potassium values of chickpea and Sorghum plants were higher in monocultures, compared to in mixtures with beans; suggesting competitive efects of beans on these plants. Concentration of calcium, magnesium and zinc in beans was higher when grown with chickpeas than with Sorghum. Conclusions: It is generally assumed that legumes beneft their companion plant species. Our study highlights the contrary and shows that the specifc benefts of cereal-legume mixtures are dependent on the growth rate of the species concerned. We further highlight that the potential of legume-legume mixtures is currently undervalued and may play a strong role in increasing N use efciency of intercrop based systems.

Background: Legumes can fx atmospheric nitrogen (N) and facilitate N availability to their companion plants in crop mixtures. However, biological nitrogen fxation (BNF) of legumes in intercrops varies largely with the identity of the legume species. The aim of our study was to understand whether BNF and concentration of plant nutrients by common bean is infuenced by the identity of the companion plant species in crop mixtures. In this greenhouse pot study, common beans were cultivated with another legume (chickpea) and a cereal (Sorghum). We compared BNF, crop biomass and nutrient assimilation of all plant species grown in monocultures with plants grown in crop mixtures. Results: We found beans to exhibit low levels of BNF, and to potentially compete with other species for available soil N in crop mixtures. The BNF of chickpeas however, was enhanced when grown in mixtures. Furthermore, biomass, phosphorous and potassium values of chickpea and Sorghum plants were higher in monocultures, compared to in mixtures with beans; suggesting competitive efects of beans on these plants. Concentration of calcium, magnesium and zinc in beans was higher when grown with chickpeas than with Sorghum. Conclusions: It is generally assumed that legumes beneft their companion plant species. Our study highlights the contrary and shows that the specifc benefts of cereal-legume mixtures are dependent on the growth rate of the species concerned. We further highlight that the potential of legume-legume mixtures is currently undervalued and may play a strong role in increasing N use efciency of intercrop based systems.

Organic agriculture is a promising solution to sustainably improve crop yields. For several crops, yield from organic farming have been recorded to be lower than yield from conventional farming. However, such data is context dependent and there is very little information on performance of organic systems in the tropics. Particularly, solid data on the benefits and drawbacks of organic agriculture in the tropics is still missing. In 2007, we set up a long-term farming system comparison trials (LTE) for cotton systems in Madhya Pradesh India. Cotton is the main cash crop in our region and is grown in a two-year crop rotation. The other crops grown with cotton in our region are chickpea, wheat and soybean. In our field trials we are comparing the following treatments: (i) organic, (ii) bio dynamic, (iii) conventional, and (iv) BT conventional (genetically modified) cotton. We have been taking data on multiple parameters such as crop yields, soil nutrients, soil microbial properties and system profitability. Our data indicates that with good management organic systems can become more sustainable than conventional systems both economically and ecologically. Multiple indicators in our trials show this; the performance of crops has improved over the years, reducing the profitability gap between organic and conventional farming systems. In addition, positive impacts on soil fertility indicators (e.g., soil organic carbon) are detectable after 10–12 years in our organic LTE systems. We have also recorded our organic systems to harbour higher biodiversity. Despite our positive results, adaption of best management practices by the farmers remains one of the biggest challenges. We need more studies on long-term cumulative effect of system approaches on fertility, health and the productive capacity of agricultural lands in conventional and organic farming systems. We need to understand what extent system approaches can enhance the resilience of cotton systems.

SysCom was initiated to provide evidence for the performance and viability of organic agricultural cropping systems in the tropics. While case studies and long term studies were available for temperate zones, little scientifically backed-up evidence was available to assess the potential of organic agriculture in sustainable development in countries within the tropical climate. Thus in 2007 long term trials in India, Bolivia and Kenya were established, comparing in each country two organic systems with two conventional systems based on locally relevant cropping systems and main crops (cotton, cocoa, maize). Combining the existing practical examples and recommendations from local agricultural institutions organic and conventional treatment were designed, putting high emphasis on the local relevancy and prevalent practices. After the systems established it became clear that organic systems in our long-term experiments (LTEs) were lacking behind in profitability and productivity, not offering a valuable approach for local farmers to sustain their livelihoods. In our analysis we had to realise that often a mere copy of conventional practices, substituting conventional with organic inputs would not suffice to provide solid evidence on the potential of organic agriculture in the tropics. Using the example of the SysCom program, we want to discuss the challenges and opportunities of adapting LTEs, confronting questions on how to adapt the three LTEs implemented in different countries to still be in nexus to each other, how to balance systems approaches to optimise the different compared treatments while still being comparable to each other and finally how to meet the golden mean of innovative and optimised farming approaches while being realistic and relevant to local contexts. The adaptations realised in the annual cropping system LTEs, such as changing input levels and seed material, introducing more complex intercropping patterns and crop rotations are proving to be valu