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Biodynamic Farming: A Promising Path towards Tomorrow"s Sustainable Agriculture
Abstract
Bio-dynamics is a holistic, ecological and ethical approach to farming, gardening, food and nutrition. Biodynamic farming is a form of alternative agriculture very similar to organic farming, but it includes various esoteric concepts drawn from the ideas of Rudolf Steiner. Biodynamics has much in common with other organic approaches. It emphasizes the use of manures and compost, and excludes the use of artificial chemicals on soil and plants. As of 2016, biodynamic techniques were used on 161,074 hectares in 60 countries. The biodynamic movement has reached India in the early 90’s when Peter Proctor, a farmer from New Zealand working with biodynamic agriculture since 1965 was asked to come to India by T.G.K. Menon of Indore in 1993 to teach Indian farmers about biodynamic farming. Unlike most modern agricultural techniques, this practice is entirely environmentally and socially sustainable. Some researchers believe that a “large-scale shift towards biodynamic farming would not only increase the world's food supply, but might be the only way to eradicate hunger”. Biodynamic agriculture is indeed a very sustainable agricultural practice in terms of environmental and social sustainability, where this practice lacks in economic sustainability. It is one of the most environmental friendly farming practices in the world and is well on its way to being one of the sustainable options for the future. So, more and more researches need to be conducted, in order to sustain the world’s supply of food through organic means.
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Biodynamic agriculture is a unique organic farming system that utilizes, in addition to the common tools of organic agriculture, specific fermented herbal preparations as compost additives and field sprays. The objective of this work was to determine whether biodynamic compost or field spray preparations affect the soil biological community in the short term, beyond the effects of organic management. Four fertilizer options: (i) composted dairy manure and bedding (organic fertilization), (ii) the same material composted with biodynamic compost preparations, (iii) mineral fertilizers, and (iv) no fertilizer were investigated with and without the biodynamic field spray preparations. Both biodynamic and nonbiodynamic composts increased soil microbial biomass, respiration, dehydrogenase activity, soil C mineralized in 10 d (MinC), earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris) population and biomass, and metabolic quotient of respiration per unit biomass (qCO 2 ) by the second year of study. No significant differences were found between soils fertilized with biodynamic vs. nonbiodynamic compost. Use of biodynamic field sprays was associated with more MinC and minor differences in soil microbial fatty acid profiles in the first year of study. There were no other observed effects of the biodynamic preparations. Organically and biodynamically managed soils had similar microbial status and were more biotically active than soils that did not receive organic fertilization. Organic management enhanced soil biological activity, but additional use of the biodynamic preparations did not significantly affect the soil biotic parameters tested.
Ten paired irrigated dairy farms under biodynamic (BD) and conventional (CV) management were compared over a 4-year period (1991–94). The paired farms were located in the irrigation districts of northern Victoria and southern New South Wales and were matched for soil type, climate, cattle breed and farm area. Farms had been practising BD principles for an average of 16 years before the commencement of the study and had not received phosphorus (P) fertiliser for an average of 17 years. The effects of farm management on soil chemical and biological properties and the nutritive properties and botanical composition of pasture were examined at varying sampling times during the study.
Soil Olsen extractable P concentrations were consistently 2–3 times higher under CV management at various sampling depths (mean = 22 mg/kg, 0–10 cm), and were generally marginal under BD management in the surface 10 cm (mean = 8.5 mg/kg). Low soil extractable P concentrations were also reflected in consistently lower mean pasture P concentrations under BD management (0.25 compared with 0.35% on CV farms). Lower soil and pasture P concentrations under BD management were the result of a large negative P balance across BD farms (–17 kg P/ha.year). A mean negative P balance under BD management was a result of low P imports (2 kg P/ha.year) in comparison with large quantities of P (19 kg P/ha.year) effectively lost from the farming system through animal products, estimated losses in water runoff and slowly reversible soil P reactions. These results suggest that greater P imports are required to ensure the future sustainability of BD dairy pasture farming systems. There were few differences in soil biological properties, with earthworm weights significantly higher under CV management, but no difference in soil organic carbon, humus concentration, the weight of the organic mat or microbial biomass, between the two management systems.
Biodynamic (BD) agriculture is an organic farming system that relies heavily on compost as a fertilizer. Six herbal preparations are added to composting materials in order to make BD compost. Proponents claim these additions produce higher quality compost under farm conditions. In this study, BD compost preparations were applied to 3.5 t compost piles made of dairy manure and woodshaving bedding. Application of the BD preparations also requires 6 1 soil and 8 1 water; therefore control piles received the same additions of soil and water as BD compost piles, but no BD preparations. Biodynamic-treated composts maintained an average 3.4°C higher temperature throughout the eight-week active composting period, suggesting more thermophilic microbial activity and/or faster development of compost with BD treatment. Final samples were taken when active composting slowed and the piles entered a ripening stage. At the final sampling, BD-treated piles respired C02 at a 10% lower rate and had a larger ratio of dehydrogenase enzyme activity to C02 production. Microbial communities in the finished BD and control piles were differentiated by principal component analysis of microbial phospholipid fatty acids. Final samples of BD-treated composts also had 65% more nitrate than control piles. Biodynamic preparations thus effected discernible changes in compost chemical and microbial parameters.
Organic farming in its various forms is seen by many as a sustainable alternative to conventional farming. This review considers and compares aspects of soil and environmental quality associated with organic and conventional farming systems under New Zealand conditions. The sustainability parameters considered include soil quality, nutrient dynamics, nutrient budgets, trace elements, and pesticides. The review used information from appropriate comparative studies conducted in New Zealand and overseas. However, because of the shortage of data on nutrient dynamics under organic systems in New Zealand, we also used a nutrient balance model (OVERSEER) and a nitrogen leaching estimation model to assess the comparative sustainability of typical model systems. Interpretation of the measured data coupled with the results of the modelling exercise suggests that organic farming carried out according to the Bio‐Gro New Zealand production standards can be sustainable if sufficient amounts of nutrient are returned to match removal and losses. Bio‐dynamic farming may be unsustainable because nutrients removed in farm produce are not adequately replaced. Soil organic matter content and biological activity is generally higher under both types of organic system than under conventional systems. Trace element availability and use may limit the sustainability of organic systems if no attempt is made to address natural deficiencies common in New Zealand soils. The reduced use of pesticides may be beneficial for the wider environment. The main conclusion is that a concerted research effort is urgently required to address various soil and environmental quality issues associated with the large‐scale adoption of organic farming practices in New Zealand.
Biodynamic and organic farming are similar in that both are ecologically oriented and do not use chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The main difference is that biodynamic farmers add eight specific amendments, called preparations, to their soils, crops, and composts. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in biodynamic farming practices and systems because they show potential for mitigating some detrimental effects of chemical-dependent conventional agriculture. Only a few studies examining biodynamic methods or comparing biodynamic farming with other farming systems have been published in the refereed scientific literature, especially in English. This paper summarizes data from previous studies, both published and unpublished (theses), that have compared biodynamic and conventional farming systems with respect to soil quality or profitability. These studies have shown that the biodynamic farming systems generally have better soil quality, lower crop yields, and equal or higher net returns per hectare than their conventional counterparts. Two studies that included organic management treatments with and without the preparations showed that the preparations improved biological soil properties and increased crop root growth. However, more research is needed to determine whether the preparations affect soil physical, chemical, and biological properties and crop growth and, if so, their mode of action.
Wines produced from biodynamically grown grapes have received increasing attention. Similar to organic agriculture, biodynamics eliminates synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The primary difference between the two farming systems is that biodynamics uses a series of soil and plant amendments, called preparations, said to stimulate the soil and enhance plant health and quality of produce. Whether these preparations actually augment soil or winegrape quality is unclear and controversial. A long-term, replicated, 4.9-ha study was initiated in 1996 on a commercial Merlot vineyard near Ukiah, California, to investigate the effects of these biodynamic preparations on soil and winegrape quality. The study consisted of two treatments, biodynamic and organic (the control), each replicated four times in a randomized, complete block design. All management practices were the same in all plots, except for the addition of the preparations to the biodynamic treatment. No differences were found in soil quality in the first six years. Nutrient analyses of leaf tissue, clusters per vine, yield per vine, cluster weight, and berry weight showed no differences. Although average pruning weights for both treatments in 2001 to 2003 fell within the optimal range of 0.3 to 0.6 kg/m for producing high-quality winegrapes, ratios of yield to pruning weight were significantly different (p < 0.05) and indicated that the biodynamic treatment had ideal vine balance for producing high-quality winegrapes but that the control vines were slightly overcropped. Biodynamically treated winegrapes had significantly higher (p < 0.05) Brix and notably higher (p < 0.1) total phenols and total anthocyanins in 2003. Biodynamic preparations may affect winegrape canopy and chemistry but were not shown to affect the soil parameters or tissue nutrients measured in this study. Copyright © 2005 by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture. All rights reserved.
Effects of alternative farming systems on soil structure need to be quantified to judge the sustainability of the systems. This study was conducted to compare two farming systems by converting 'static' basic soil properties into a 'dynamic' assessment using simulation modeling. Increasingly popular biodynamic farming systems use no commercial fertilizers and pesticides but apply organic manure and compost. Soil conditions on four fields on two farms where biodynamic and conventional soil management had been practiced for about 70 yr were investigated with morphological and physical methods. Soils (loamy, mixed, mesic Typic Fluvaquents) were pedologically identical. Four procedures were used to express differences in soil structure as a function of different management: (i) morphological description; (ii) measurement of basic and static soil parameters such as bulk density, organic matter, and porosity; (iii) measurement of soil hydraulic characteristics; and (iv) determination of simulated water-limited yields. The latter procedure provides a criterion that is quantitative, is directly related to a practical aspect of soil behavior, and reflects the highly nonlinear soil-water processes. The WAVE simulation model was used to predict water-limited potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) yields with climatic data of 30 yr. Basic static soil parameters were not significantly different but simulated yields were significantly different and were 10 200 and 10 300 vs. 9400 and 9700 kg dry matter tuber yield ha-1 yr-1 for the biodynamic and the conventional fields, respectively. Simulation modeling of crop yields thus provides a relevant expression fur the production potential of the two different farming systems.
Biodynamic farming practices and systems show promise in mitigating some of the detrimental effects of chemical-dependent, conventional agriculture on the environment. The physical, biological, and chemical soil properties and economic profitability of adjacent, commercial biodynamic and conventional farms (16 total) in New Zealand were compared. The biodynamic farms in the study had better soil quality than the neighboring conventional farms and were just as financially viable on a per hectare basis.
Over the years, different procedures and extracting solutions have been followed by conventional laboratories for testing soil primary, secondary and micronutrients. AAT was developed for testing soil nutrients by following the circular paper chromatography technique and evaluated for its reliability by comparing the results of soil nutrients with conventional analysis by four different laboratories and soil testing kits. Significant differences (20 to 110%) of soil nutrients were recorded among conventional soil testing laboratories. Even after the standardization of procedures and type of equipments used in selected two laboratories were recorded differences upto 20% of soil nutrients. Due to the large variations in the soil nutrients test reports among conventional laboratories the comparison of the soil nutrients was made based on the same (Low-Low, Medium-Medium, High-High), nearby (Low-Medium, Medium-High) and not matching category (Low-High). AAT developed recorded for acceptable level of accuracy (>90 %) for all nutrients such as OC, N, P, K, Ca,Mn,Mg, Cu, pH, Fe and Zn except S (89 %). Increasing the AAT database by over 40% has reduced variations from 30% to 11% between conventional lab and AAT. Therefore, AAT is simple, quick, cost effective, reliable and reproducible for testing soil nutrients.
Crop yields of cereals, carrots, beetroots and potatoes from 28 different field plot and pot experiments (on a site near Marburg/Germany) were compared to determine the influence of the biodynamic preparations 500 and 501 on yields. Under generally low yields the preparations tended to increase the yields. When the yields reach a medium level this positive effect was smaller. At higher yield levels preparations tended to lower yields. For the yield effect of the preparations 500 and 501 (= Y) and the yield levels in the untreated control (= X) a significant linear regression could be calculated: Y = 4.497—0.181 X (r = −0.615; α < 0.01%). In another experiment with spring wheat conducted for 9 years in Darmstadt/Germany the application of all eight biodynamic preparations modified yields similarly, but only at a high fertilization level. In this treatment the effects followed a significant linear regression Y = 28.930—0.87 X (r = −0.767; α = 1.59%). Yields in the untreated control varied from 1.6 to 5 t/ha. These effects have previously been discussed as a normalization of yields or as a compensation of a non-optimal nutrient supply. A new model is suggested here based on the regressions of preparation effects and yield levels.
Schrödinger [Schrödinger, E., 1944. What is Life? Cambridge University Press, Cambridge] marvelled at how the organism is able to use metabolic energy to maintain and even increase its organisation, which could not be understood in terms of classical statistical thermodynamics. Ho [Ho, M.W., 1993. The Rainbow and the Worm, The Physics of Organisms, World Scientific, Singapore; Ho, M.W., 1998a. The Rainbow and the Worm, The Physics of Organisms, 2nd (enlarged) ed., reprinted 1999, 2001, 2003 (available online from ISIS website www.i- sis.org.uk)] outlined a novel “thermodynamics of organised complexity” based on a nested dynamical structure that enables the organism to maintain its organisation and simultaneously achieve non-equilibrium and equilibrium energy transfer at maximum efficiency. This thermodynamic model of the organism is reminiscent of the dynamical structure of steady state ecosystems identified by Ulanowicz [Ulanowicz, R.E., 1983. Identifying the structure of cycling in ecosystems. Math. Biosci. 65, 210–237; Ulanowicz, R.E., 2003. Some steps towards a central theory of ecosystem dynamics. Comput. Biol. Chem. 27, 523–530].
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