Newsletter from Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming • September 2005 • No 3

Chicory root improves the taste and odour of organic pork

Few days of feeding with chicory root reduces the boar taint in slaughterpigs and improves the eating quality. At the same time feeding with chicory root changes the intestinal environment and leads to a decreased incidence of swine dysentery and intestinal parasites. The new results may allow the production of entire male pigs without boar taint.

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Differences in trace element content between organic and conventional milk

Organic raw milk contains more Molybdenum and less Barium, Europium, Manganese and Zinc than conventional milk. For 34 other elements the screening of 20 Danish herds showed no differences between the farming systems. Individual trace elements seem insufficient as indicators of organic origin, but the profile of trace elements may hold this potential. Read the article

Growing bargain power of supermarkets presses organic vegetable producers

The growth in supermarket bargain power at the end of the food chain is part of the mechanisms putting pressure on organic food producers. One of the consequences is that their farm prices are approximating towards conventional prices.

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Increased yield and yield stability in variety mixtures of spring barley

Higher yield and better yield stability was found for mixtures of spring barley as compared to both official standards and the component varieties. The positive mixture effect is concluded from studies of six variety mixtures on three different locations during three years. The results further indicate that a mixture of varieties with high weed competitiveness often gives high positive mixtures effects in the environments considered. Read the article

Low nitrogen manuring increased yield in high-density organic apple production

Manure corresponding to 25 kg nitrogen per hectare increased the yield of the apple cultivar Ingrid Marie planted in high-density systems. An increase in the number of trees per hectare increased the total yield, but reduced the yield per tree. Ideally, planting density in the tree row should not be closer than 0,9 m for Ingrid Marie.

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Grass cover retained by nose-ringing of outdoor sows only partially reduces the risk of N leaching

Nose-ringing is an option to maintain grass cover in outdoor pig production systems. However ringing is no guarantee for a low environmental load. Management choices in terms of feeding, animal density and nutrient distribution are at least as important in order to obtain a low nutrient loss potential.

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Significance of seed-borne Ascochyta on pea and test of management strategies

Large amounts of Danish pea seeds are rejected each year due to high levels of Ascochyta infections. Selection of less susceptible pea varieties may reduce seed infections, while intercropping with barley only gives a small reduction. Increasing seeding rates has no effect. Short pea varieties generally seem to be more susceptible to seed infection by Ascochyta than taller varieties.

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News briefs

IFOAM has approved the revised principles of organic agriculture, which buids on the four principles of:

  • health
  • ecology
  • fairness
  • care

The preparation of the new principles has been inspired by the project Organic Revision that identify the basic ethical values and value differences in organic farming.

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