Source: Comis, Don. 1989. Which is better? Alternative vs. conventional farming. Agric. Res. 37(10):4-7.

Don Comis of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) discussed a research project designed to compare the affects that different farming practices have on soil, groundwater, crops, and economics. Mr. Comis described agricultural practices used in a conventional and an organic farm. Two adjacent 40-acre fields 5 miles northeast of Boone, Iowa are being studied by the ARS National Soil Tilth Laboratory in Ames, Iowa. One field is owned by Dick Thompson and the other by David Snyder. Thompson had used no pesticides, herbicides, or commercial fertilizers since 1967 and is therefore considered an "alternative" farmer. Snyder's farm was considered conventional, although several conservation techniques such as minimum tillage and reduced fertilizer were being practiced. Thompson employed such unconventional practices as no fall tilling, growing crops on ridges, 3-year crop rotation, and using manure, hairy vetch, and rye as fertilizer in carefully measured intervals. In these ways, he claimed that he broke disease and insect cycles, maintained soil health, and supplied his crops with just the right amount of nutrients (especially nitrogen) instead of an excess that may leach into the ground-water. Since bountiful earthworms may be an indicator of healthy soil, researchers with ARS planned to study soil health through an intensive project measuring the density of earthworms in the soils of each farm. The ARS also intended to learn how Thompson's management practices influenced the way soil microbes consume carbon and nitrogen in crop residues, as well as how different tillage methods affect water evaporation and soil organisms. ARS scientists Jerry Hatfield and Douglas Karlen planned to run thorough studies on plant microclimates, soil moisture, and crop yields for the different farms. These studies should shed light on the possible benefits of alternative agriculture, including the economic factors which may add another dimension to the choices that individual farmers make. As Thompson says, "I wouldn't advocate that everyone try to replicate my system. I'd just like farmers to borrow bits and pieces and go only as far as they want toward a system that's more sustainable." This ARS research should help to determine what exactly is more sustainable.

Abstract Author: Brian P. Kurzel, 10 December 1995.

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