Reduced nitrate leaching and enhanced denitrifier activity and efficiency in organically fertilized soils.

ABSTRACT: Conventional agriculture has improved in crop yield but at large costs to the environment, particularly off-site pollution from mineral N fertilizers. In response to environmental concerns, organic agriculture has become an increasingly popular option. One component of organic agriculture that remains in question is whether it can reduce agricultural N losses to groundwater and the atmosphere relative to conventional agriculture. Here we report reduced N pollution from organic and integrated farming systems compared with a conventional farming system. We evaluated differences in denitrification potential and a suite of other soil biological and chemical properties in soil samples taken from organic, integrated, and conventional treatments in an experimental apple orchard. Organically farme

SUBMITTER: Kramer SB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1450204 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature