Farmer-led trial shows positive economic and environmental returns of transitioning to biological farming
Biological farming is a holistic approach to soil, crop and pasture management that accounts for the agronomic, environmental, nutritional, physical, chemical and biological components of what constitutes a healthy soil.
It combines the best practices of conventional and organic farming with an emphasis on developing productive soils that display high levels of biological activity. This can lead to the production of nutrient-dense food, feed and forages in addition to minimising plant diseases with minimal or no herbicide, fungicide and pesticide usage.
One of the objectives of the DANÚ farming project was to monitor, evaluate and compare the environmental and economic impacts of conventional vs. biological methods of farming processes on the four trial plots of 12 participating farms.
All plots follow the natural rotations of the individual farms. The 4 trial plots adopted on each of the 12 farms were as follows.
- Plot 1 control: Conventional Farming system (“Teagasc Green Book”)
- Plot 2: As control, but all artificial nitrogen & phosphate buffered with a carbon source: molasses, humates, sugar, compost, slurry, farmyard manure. (Conventional)
- Plot 3: Full mineral balancing over the period of the trial. (Biological)
- Plot 4: Full mineral balancing + selected biological inoculants/treatments over the period of the trial. (Biological)
From the trial plots, benefits for economic and environmental functionality of each farming practice for an Irish setting were identified by the DANÚ farming group.
While produce output was minimally reduced by the biological farming transition, inputs on the farm were reduced dramatically:
- Artificial Nitrogen reduced by 15% – 50%
- Insecticides reduced by 100%
- Fungicides reduced by 30% – 60%
- Herbicides reduced by 30% – 40%
One of the case studies was of a participating horticultural farmer based in Wicklow whose farm had varied soil types but mainly loam. They trialled the biological farming transition on their trial plots using combi crops (Pea Barley mix) which were Home Saved Seed (HSS).
Comparison of the crop yields and margins between the four trial plots showed significant economic benefits of using plot 3 and plot 4 biological farming techniques, which resulted in minimally reduced output, significantly reduced inputs, and positive margin returns for the farmer.
Similar benefits and positive trends were recorded across all trial plots for biological farming on participating horticultural farms. So much so, that all 12 participating farmers have since extended the biological farming practices to be expanded from the trial plots and implemented throughout their farms.
This farmer-led trial supports the idea that biological farming can reduce farmer costs and inputs, improve economic margins, while it can also support biodiversity and the environment through improved biological function and soil health, and reduced use of pesticides.
The DANÚ project ended in 2023.
For more information about this innovation, please contact Leo on leo@erinn.eu.
