Difference in the Concentration of Macro Elements between Organically and Conventionally Grown Vegetables

Although the quality of organic crops has been intensively studied for over three decades, there is still a lack of conclusive data that can prove the superiority of organic crops over conventional ones. There is no doubt that the organic food is safer due to the lack of pesticide residues;however, it is still not entirely sure whether vegetables and fruits produced in this way are better in the context of nutritional values. The study of commonly used vegetables in the European diet was performed to evaluate the difference in concentration of macro nutrients such as Ca, Mg, Na, N, K and P between organic and conventional crops. Additionally, the soil analysis was performed on the material from two growing systems. The results showed that organically cultivated vegetables had generally a higher level of macro nutrients. Also, soil samples showed higher content of these elements in the organically treated soil. From all vegetables, the highest concentrations of macro elements were found in parsley leaves and celery roots.

Intensities of human disturbance dictate the floral diversity in tropical forest:the case of a secondary forest in Benguet, Philippines

This study inventoried the floral diversity of a secondary forest in Tuba,Benguet,Philippines as affected by different intensities of human disturbance.This study is unique from other land use studies in Southeast Asia in having conventional farms as the most disturbed land use while other sites have oil palm plantations.A total of 267 species belonging to 222 genera and 78 families was documented.Results showed that the level of human disturbance is the major factor affecting the floral diversity while the effect of elevation is secondary.The level of human disturbance is significantly associated with species richness,species composition,dominant species and biodiversity indices.Greater human disturbance,as in the case of conventional farms,results in lower species richness,predominantly weed composition,dominant weed species and lower biodiversity indices.On the other hand,lesser human disturbance(as in the case of secondary forest)leads to higher species richness,greater native species composition,dominance of indigenous species,and higher diversity indices.The most disturbed land use experienced the greatest loss of species richness,change in floristic composition and vegetation structure,as well as a shift from native to alien-dominated plant communities.These results showed that the effect of land use change is not limited to species richness but also to species composition,dominant species and biodiversity indices.Locally,the study is an important baseline data for biodiversity conservation of the Marcos Highway Watershed Forest Reserve.

The Effect of Weather and Agronomic Practice on Deoxynivalenol Mycotoxin in Durum Wheat

Deoxynivalenol （DON） produced by Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum in durum wheat （Triticum turgidum L. var. durum） is an important food safety issue for the cereal chain. A number of agronomic practices are known to affect the infection and mycotoxin production by these Fusarium species in cereal grains. A field study was conducted to compare the natural occurrence of DON in durum wheat grown under conventional （n = 67 samples） and organic （n = 50） farming conditions during two consecutive crop years. DON mean levels were 95 and 194 μg/kg in conventional and organic durum wheat, respectively. The incidence and levels of DON were higher in the second crop year due to higher rainfall （〉 100 mm） during flowering. Overall, organically managed farming system may provide Lsome reduction in DON levels in durum wheat, which could be attributable to the lower intensity of cultivation in addition to the different system of cropping rotation. However, favourable weather conditions are likely to be more important for DON contamination than crop system.

Relationships Between Yield, Quality and Nitrogen Uptake and Utilization of Organically Grown Rice Varieties

Due to the relatively late start of organic rice(Oryza sativa L.) research in China,there is a still lack of systematic research on rice varieties,organic fertilizer management practices,and especially the mechanisms of nitrogen(N) uptake and utilization.Three rice varieties,Nanjing 5055,Nanjing 9108,and Nanjing 46,were grown under organic farming(OF) at three organic fertilizer levels(103.2,160.8,and 218.4 kg N ha^(-1)) and conventional farming(CF) with regular chemical fertilizers.Rice grain yields,yield components,and quality,dry matter accumulation,and plant N were measured at different growth stages during the 2012 and 2013 growing seasons.Compared with CF,OF had a significantly reduced yield.Nanjing 9108 showed significant reductions in number of panicles per unit area and percentage of filled grains,and had the lowest yield.The effects of fertilizer type and application rate on dry matter accumulation during the main growth periods were significant for all varieties.The N content and uptake in organically grown rice were lower compared with those of rice under CF.The N recovery efficiency and N agronomic efficiency were significantly lower,whereas N physiological efficiency and N partial factor productivity were greater under OF than under CF.Under OF,the processing quality showed a slight but insignificant decline,protein content and gel consistency increased,and amylose content decreased compared with those under CF.Correlation analysis showed that under OF,grain yield was significantly correlated with N uptake.The medium organic fertilizer level(160.8 kg N ha^(-1)) was found to be the optimum fertilizer treatment,and Nanjing 46 appeared to be the best variety for organic rice cultivation.To increase rice grain yields and reduce the potential risk of non-point source pollution in organic agriculture,further research is needed to improve the N use efficiency in organic rice cultivation.

Organic farming in India: a vision towards a healthy nation

Food quality and safety are the two important factors that have gained ever-increasing attention in general consumers.Conventionally grown foods have immense adverse health effects due to the presence of higher pesticide residue,more nitrate,heavy metals,hormones,antibiotic residue,and also genetically modified organisms.Moreover,conventionally grown foods are less nutritious and contain lesser amounts of protective antioxidants.In the quest for safer food,the demand for organically grown foods has increased during the last decades due to their probable health benefits and food safety concerns.Organic food production is defined as cultivation without the application of chemical fertilizers and synthetic pesticides or genetically modified organisms,growth hormones,and antibiotics.The popularity of organically grown foods is increasing day by day owing to their nutritional and health benefits.Organic farming also protects the environment and has a greater socio-economic impact on a nation.India is a country that is bestowed with indigenous skills and potentiality for growth in organic agriculture.Although India was far behind in the adoption of organic farming due to several reasons,presently it has achieved rapid growth in organic agriculture and now becomes one of the largest organic producers in the world.Therefore,organic farming has a great impact on the health of a nation like India by ensuring sustainable development.