This chapter provides information on weed control, insect and nematode control, plant disease management, soil fertility, fertilizer application, seed production, and plant breeding in an organic carrot production.

For optimal growth and fruit production, banana plants require high amounts of nutrients, which are often only partly supplied by the soil. Thus, to obtain high yields, large quantities of mineral nutrients have to be replaced in order to maintain soil fertility. This is achieved by applying...

This book reports on long-term comparative organic farming systems' research trials carried out over the last 5 years in the Southern Cape of South Africa, as well as research into the successes and failures of the organic sector and the technical tools required for sustainable development in South ...

The Nelson Mandela long-term comparative organic farming systems research trials (the Mandela Trials) were planned and established in 2014 with peer review from the three sites where organic comparative research has been ongoing for the past 20-30 years (Switzerland, Denmark and Pennsylvania in the ...

Agricultural sustainability is built on the premise of promoting soil health. Agricultural practices such as tillage, crop rotation, cover crops and fertilization have been credited with shifts in the soil food web which affects many aspects of soil health. The aim of the current study was to...

Long-term farming systems trials (the Mandela Trials) showed that organic farming systems initially had lower yields than conventional systems in the first 2 years (20% and 31% lower, respectively). In the third (drier) year, the yield gap was closed once soils had improved biologically and...

This chapter examines some fundamental concepts of plant nutrition and describes the critical factors influencing blueberry nutrition. These factors include: (i) supply of nutrients from the soil (substrate); (ii) soil pH; (iii) role of ericoid mycorrhizae; (iv) determination of nutrient status;...

This chapter focuses on pineapple nutrient management, discussing soil sampling and analysis (for minerals, chemicals, texture, pH and liming), as well as plant tissue analysis (for nutrient concentrations). The distribution of nutrients within the plant; plant macro- and micronutrients; plant...

This chapter talks mainly about mineral substances that the vines need to grow and produce fruit. The nutrient analysis (including soil and plant analysis) and correction strategies and well as the different macronutrients (N, P, S, K, Ca and Mg) and micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, B and Cl)...

Soil health mapping in Sir Dorabji Tata Trust-supported initiative across 16 districts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, India showed widespread deficiencies of sulfur, boron, zinc and phosphorus. Soil test-based balanced nutrient management recorded yield benefit of 10-40%, while the integrated...