Organic Plant Production

Couch grass: problem: root shoots

Field horse tail

Canada thisle

(-) weeds grow fast

(+) fast development of the plant >> better competetiveness

Rye

The right one (Plantago major): it germinates, but it does not reach to the surface

The left one (Sinapis avensis): only germinates if it can survive

. 6-10 leaves

Seed germinates to deep in the soil >> cannot emerge (+) can be caused by tillage

- Competition (light, water, nutrients)
- Weeds can be host plants for pests and diseases (rotation diseases)
- Weeds affect combine harvesting (mechanical, water content)
- Weeds can spoil the quality of the harvested crop (water content, seed impurities, costs for cleaning and drying)
- Control is only necessary if the economic damage threshold is exceeded (costs of control, benefits of weeds)

Preventive measures:
-clean seed lots for sowing
-crop rotation
-seeding rate (crop density), intercropping, varieties, fertilizer
 

-burning/flaming (expensive!)
-mulch
-tillage: plough, hoe, curry-comb, harrow, flaming, mowing/cutting; seed burial; provide optimal conditions for crops
-chemical l herbicides (before seeding, before/after emergence of seedlings); not permitted in Organic Farming!
-Bio-agents
-hand weeding

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-proper time of sowing
-crop rotation
-resistant/tolerant varieties (conventionally bred, genetically modified), mixed cropping
-biological control (support the natural systems: predators, parasites, diseases)
-general crop management (optimal conditions, rapid growth, good development)

- chemical control (insecticides, molluscicides, nematicides): not in OF
 -biological control (predators, parasites, diseases; trap crops; in Conv. and Org. farming)
- Neem, Btpreparations
- Rock powder (clinoptilotite against pollen beetle in rapeseed)
Control only if the economic damage threshold is exceeded (costs vs. benefits)

Yield loss, quality loss, mycotoxines

-Proper time of sowing (early!)
-Crop rotation; fallow or trap crops against nematodes (which can transfer diseases)
-Crop density, row spacing (humidity)
-Resistant/tolerant varieties (conventionally bred, genetically modified),
-Use of seeds without spores, bacteria etc.
-Sterile tools for pruning and propagating
-Seeding and planting depth; shallow planting fast emergence
-General crop management (optimal conditions, rapid growth, good development)
-Mulch: reduction of soil splashing; preserves soil moisture, lower soil temperature, support of microbial activity to suppress plant pathogens

-Copper (tomatoes, potatoes: late blight), vineyards)
-Colloidal silver (potato, tomato: late blight)
-Dried whey
-Diverse plant preparations; some of them to strengthen the plants (Si)
-Seed treatments with heat (hot water)
-Compost extracts
-Chemical (fungicides; antibiotic, not permitted in Organic Farming)
Control only if the economic damage threshold is exceeded (costs vs. benefits)

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-Soil inversion by the mouldboard plough
-Long crop rotation
-Fast maturation of organic wheat compared to conventional wheat

- climate + wheater
- variety (must fit ti the conditions)
- tillage (>mineralization)
- liquid manure
- mixed cropping

NO

light exposure and adequate temperature

• higher competition capacity
• earlier harvest
• less yield reduction by late blight
• earlier resistance
• diseased tubers can be separated

• consumer demand
• intended use
• earliness
• resistances (late blight, potato scab) +++Nikola+++
• storage stability 

Loose, areated soils, easy to warm-up, sievable and stone-free, enough water available (irrigation)

90-160 days // 4 maturity groups(veryearly, early, midearly, midl ate to very late)

1 tuber > 1 plant with 10-15 tubers

solanum tuberosum, night shade family

-Implementation on pasture sites where only landscape preservation is conducted;
-Low yielding pasture and arable sites (long-term investment);
-Sites which are susceptible for erosion;
-Streuobst, if not economically viable (substitution of old trees)

Winter crops less competition with trees
C4 crops (maize) are more sensitive to shading
Split harvest difficult
Some specialised crops suitable: winter vegetables, pick-your-own

•Late bud burst (winter crops pasture)
•No allelopathicsubstances
•Site adapted water requirement
•Translucidcrown
•No hosts for arable pests
•Tap root

•Site conditions (soil, wind, groundwater…)
•Choice of trees (root architecture, light transmission, time of bud burst …)
•Choice of arable crops (time of emergence, machinery, light requirements…)
•Density of tree planting (purpose, harvest…)
•Spacing and design of tree planting (orientation, pruning…)

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• wind break
• buffering zones to avoid water erosion
• leaf litter >> nutrient supply, SOM
• N-fixation by leguminous trees
• carbon sequestration
• microclimate (shadow, reduced evaporation, lower soil temerature)
• higher biodiversity
• diversification of agricultural landscapes

Combination of perennial woody plants with annual plants or pasture at one site