Rodale's researchers have been comparing crop yields and taking soil samples on these test plots for 27 years. Their latest findings? The three systems have produced equivalent corn yields over the years, while "soybean yields were the same for the manure and conventional system and only slightly lower for the legume system."

So the old canard about how organic ag produces dramatically less food than chemical ag has been debunked, yet again.

But it gets more interesting. As the globe warms up, increased droughts are likely to reduce global crop yields. The ag-biotech industry is scrambling to come out with "drought-resistant" GMO crops. But organic ag might already have that covered: "In 4 out of 5 years of moderate drought, the organic systems had significantly higher corn yields (31 percent higher) than the conventional system."

Moreover, while conventional ag struggles with the "superweed" problem, brought on by Monsanto's herbicide-tolerant GMO crops, organic ag is showing it can coexist with weed pressure without sacrificing yield:…

[Grist, Organic farming just as productive as conventional, and better at building soil, Rodale finds, 3/25/2011]

Read the full article to learn why organic can outperform conventional agriculture under the conditions we will probably face as a result of global warming.

Permalink posted by Larry @ 3/31/2011 08:59:00 PM