FiBL presentation - Urs Niggli - ifoam

Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau
Institut de recherche de l�agriculture biologique
The concept of eco-functional
intensification for agricultural
research
Prof Dr Urs Niggli

FiBL, involved in organic food and farming
system research since 1974
www.fibl.org
135 staff in Switzerland
20 staff in Germany
15 staff in Austria
~ 70 trainees and students

Eco-functional intensification
www.fibl.org

Summary of positive effects of organic farming
on biodiversity (< 200 papers).
30 % higher species diversity and a 50 % greater
abundance of arthropods (insects, beetles etc.) in organic
fields, especially predators and parasitoids.
Organic farming benefits pollinators: domestic
honeybees, wild bees, butterflies, bumblebees,
other insects and bats.
Soils: Earthworms, soil dwelling arthropods
and soil bacteria, fungi and Mycorrhiza
considerably increased.
Birds: considerably more breeding territories,
higher population densities, higher number of
offspring reared.
High diversity of the segetal flora in arable
systems.
www.fibl.org
Hole et al., 2005; Niggli, 2010

Multi-level biodiversity
Diversity of landscapes
www.fibl.org
Diversity of species
Risk management
of organic/low-input farms
Diversity of structures/habitats
Diversity of crops or varieties

Companion plants to enhance beneficials in the
field
Companion plants serve as food sources within the crop to enhance
longevity and oviposition of parasitoids.
www.fibl.org
Parasitoids: from
2 day survival in
cabbage (mono)
to 20 days in
cabbage +
cornflower
Génau, 2010, FiBL

Companion plants to enhance beneficials in the
field
www.fibl.org
Génau, 2010, FiBL

mean number/tree
mean number/tree
Less aphids, more beneficials
15
10
5
0
80
60
40
20
0
Dysaphis plantaginea
Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct.
Potential prey for spiders
Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct.
Development of rosy apple aphid, potential prey, spiders, and predators
in strip-managed part or control part of an apple orchard
www.fibl.org
mean number/tree
mean number/tree
15
10
5
0
6
4
2
0
Aphid predators
Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct.
Spiders
Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct.
Wyss, FiBL, 1995

Utilize ecosystem services for long-term
sustainable productivity
PGPR (Plant growthpromoting
rhizobacteria)
www.fibl.org
Ground beetles
(Carabides)
Mycorrhizal fungi

Soil fertility in a 34 year field experiment (CH)
A Physical
Bulk
density
C Microbial
Mycorrhiza
Saccharase
Percolation
stability
150
100
50
0
Microbial
biomass
200
100
0
Phosphatase
Aggregate
stability
Dehydrogenase
Protease
B Chemical
Magnesium
Calcium
D Faunal
Spiders
Staphilinids
BIODYN
pH
150
CONFYM
BIOORG CONMIN
www.fibl.org Mäder et al., 2002, Science, 296
100
50
0
Potassium
Earthworm
biomass
200
100
0
Organic
carbon
Phosphorus
Carabids
Earthworm
abundance

Resource use efficiency (DOK trial, 28 years)
Parameter Unit Organic
farming
www.fibl.org
Integrated
farming (IP)
with FYM
Organic
in %
of IP
Nutrient input kg N total ha -1 yr -1 101 157 64 %
kg N min ha -1 yr -1 34 112 30 %
kg P ha -1 yr -1 25 40 62 %
kg K ha -1 yr -1 162 254 64 %
Pesticides applied kg ha -1 yr -1 1.5 42 4 %
Fuel use L ha -1 yr -1 808 924 87 %
Total yield output
for 28 years % 83 100 83 %
Soil microbial
biomass �output� tons ha -1 40 24 167 %
Mäder, Fliessbach, Niggli (2002), Science 296

Organic = best adaptation to climate change
due to higher soil carbon levels
Increased aggregate stability (Gerhardt, 1997; Siegrist et al.,
1998; Brown et al., 2000; Maeder et al., 2002; Pulleman et al., 2003;
Williams & Petticrew, 2009).
Increased water holding capacity, higher water
content in soil (Brown et al., 2000; Lotter et al., 2003; Pimentel et
al., 2005)
Improved infiltration
rate of water
(Lotter et al., 2003;
Pimentel et al., 2005;
Zeiger & Fohrer, 2009).
www.fibl.org

Meta-analysis of 44* long-term field
experiments: soil carbon under organic
farming
North America
www.fibl.org
* meanwhile data from 62 studies
Gattinger et al. in prep

How much Carbon is stored under OF?
www.fibl.org
N = 47 N = 71
a b
Mean duration of
experiments: 16 years
Differences
horticulture>grassland>arable
crops
37.4 Mg C/ha
26.7 Mg C/ha
10.7 Mg C/ha (=metric tons)
Gattinger et al. in prep

Habitat and species diversity
Vascular
plants
www.fibl.org
Forests Grassland Fields Human
settlements
Alpine
pasture
Mountains
21 +/- 1 35 +/- 1 15 +/- 1 19 +/- 3 42 +/- 3 21 +/-
Mosses 15 +/- 1 6 +/- 1 1 +/- 0 5 +/- 1 19 +/- 2 13 +/- 1
Snails 9 +/- 1 6 +/- 0 3 +/- 1 6 +/- 1 3 +/- 1 3 +/- 1
Average number of species on an area of ten square meters. «Mountains� include areas not used for
alpine grazing (such as scree plant communities, turf, and dwarf shrub heath), but exclude glaciers and
inaccessible rocks. Source: BDM

Robust, dual-purpose breeds are needed to
scope efficiently with the diversity of grassland
For dairy breeds, meat
must be produced
additionally through
suckler cows.
This aspect is often
neglected.
www.fibl.org
Methane emission (kg) per
inhabitant from
Breed Milk Meat Sum
Holstein 5.0 9.0 14.0
Simmental 6.0 5.8 11.8
Based on Rosenberger et al., 2004

Control of endoparasites of livestock
www.fibl.org
Pasture management
Biocontrol with the fungus
Duddingtonia flagrans
Variation in genetic tolerance?
Fooder crops like Chicory
and Sainfoin (Esparsette)
Heckendorn, FiBL, 2010

Cultivar mixtures and plant health
www.fibl.org
% of apples with scab lesions
Apple cultivars 1997 1999 2000
Golden Delicious mono 41% 66% 20%
Golden Delicious+Rewena 22% 34% 3%
Golden Delicous+Pinova+Elstar 9% 27% 1%
Golden Delicous+Rewena+Ariwa 9% 19% 1%
Gessler et al., 2003

Participatory plant breeding programs:
specially suited for organic farms
www.fibl.org

Different approaches to sustainability
Improved technologies like minimum/ no tillage or GMO
crops.
Integrated Production (IP, IPM).
Low Input Agriculture (LIA) or Precision
Farming.
Low External Input Sustainable
Agriculture (LEISA).
Organic Farming
Organic plus innovative elements
of low till, precision farming and LEISA.
Organic (successional) agroforestry systems
www.fibl.org