June 16, 2005:
As research and training manager at The Rodale
Institute, I frequently receive requests--from farmers,
journalists, governmental officials, you name it--for
hard data about the behavior and characteristics of
organic farming systems. I'm always happy to oblige.
Understanding organic farming systems and how they compare
to conventional farming systems has been central to
the mission of The Rodale Institute since its inception,
and our goal is to share what we've learned as widely
as possible.
Over the years my colleagues and predecessors and I
have published dozens of peer-reviewed scientific papers
documenting the benefits of organic agricultural management
strategies, from increased soil microbial diversity
to drought resistance to carbon sequestration. In addition,
the Institute has produced a number of books and booklets
intended to help farmers manage their farms more sustainably—to
achieve better profits, greater personal satisfaction,
and maximum ecological benefits for themselves and their
communities.
What follows is a list of those articles and other
publications organized by date, beginning with the most
recent. In many cases we've included the article abstracts;
and in some cases the full text of the articles is freely
available online. Others can be found in any good research
library, or by contacting me directly at paul.hepperly@rodaleinst.org.
Most of the books and booklets are available through
The
Rodale Institute bookstore.
Research
publications
Douds, D., Nagahashi, G., Pfeffer, P., Kayser, W.,
and C. Reider. 2005.
On-farm production and utilization of arbuscular mycorrhizal
fungus inoculum.
Canadian Journal of Plant Science 85,1:15-21.
Abstract.
Hepperly, P., Seidel, R., Pimentel, D., Hanson, J.,
and D. Douds. 2005.
Organic farming enhances soil
carbon and its benefits in soil carbon sequestration
policy
(for submission).
Pimentel, D., Hepperly, P., Hanson, J., Douds, D.,
and R. Seidel. 2005.
Environment, energy, and economic
comparisons of organic and conventional farming systems.
Bioscience 55(7): 573-582.
Ryan, M., Wilson, D., Hepperly, P., Travis, J., and
N. Halbrendt. 2005.
The Potential for Compost Tea
is Still Brewing.
Biocycle (in press).
McCarthy, John. 2004.
Carbon fluxes in soil: long term
sequestration in deeper soil horizons.
In Climate Change Proceedings 2003 World Conference,
Peking, China.
Douds D., and C. Reider. 2003.
Inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi
increases the yield of Green Peppers in a High P Soil.
Biological Agriculture and Horticulture 21:91-102.
Abstract.
Lotter, D., Seidel, R., and W. Liebhardt. 2003.
The performance of organic and
conventional cropping systems in an extreme climate
year.
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 18(3):146-154.
Abstract.
Drinkwater, L. 2002.
Cropping systems research.
HortTechnology 12(3):355-361. Abstract.
Frank-Snyder, M., Douds, D., Galvez, L., Phillips ,
J., Wagoner, P., Drinkwater, L., and J. Morton. 2001.
Diversity of communities of arbuscular
mycorrhizal (AM) fungi present in conventional versus
low input agricultural sites in eastern PA, USA.
Applied Soil Ecology 16:35-48. Abstract.
Galvez, L., Douds, D., Drinkwater, L., and P. Wagoner.
2001.
Effect of tillage and farming
system upon VAM fungus populations and mycorrhizas and
nutrient uptake of maize.
Plant and Soil 228:299-308. Abstract.
Galvez, L., Douds, D., and P. Wagoner. 2001.
Tillage and farming system affect
AM fungus populations, mycorrhizal formation, and nutrient
utilization of winter wheat in a high P soil.
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture 16(4):152-160.
Puget, P., and L. Drinkwater. 2001.
Short term dynamics of root- and
shoot- derived carbon from leguminous green manure.
Soil Science Society of America Journal 65(3):771-779.
Abstract.
Drinkwater, L., Janke, R., and L. Rossoni-Longnecker.
2000.
Effect of tillage and intensity
on nitrogen dynamics and productivity in legume based
grain systems.
Plant and Soil 227(2):99-113. Abstract.
Reider, C., Herdman, W., Drinkwater, L., and R. Janke.
2000.
Yields and nutrient budget under
composts, raw dairy manure, and mineral fertilizer.
Compost Science and Utilization 8(4):328-339.
Wander, M., and L. Drinkwater. 2000.
Fostering soil stewardship through
soil quality assessment.
Applied Soil Ecology 15(1):61-73. Abstract.
Douds, D., and P. Millner. 1999.
Biodiversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal
fungi in agroecosystems.
Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
74:77-93. Abstract.
Jaenicke, E., and L. Drinkwater. 1999.
Sources of productivity growth
during transition to alternative cropping systems.
Agriculture Resources Economic Review 28(2):169-181.
Drinkwater, L.E., Wagoner, P. and M. Sarrantonio. 1998.
Legume-based cropping systems
have reduced carbon and nitrogen losses.
Nature 396: 262-265. Abstract.
Buyer, J., and L. Drinkwater. 1997.
Comparison of substrate utilization
assay and fatty acid analysis of soil microbial communities.
Journal of Microbiological Methods 30: 3-11.
Abstract.
Buyer, J., and D. Kaufman. 1997.
Microbial diversity in the rhizosphere
of corn grown under conventional and low-input systems.
Applied Soil Ecology 5(1): 21-27. Abstract.
Douds, D., Galvez, L., Frank-Snyder, M., Reider, C.,
and L. Drinkwater. 1997.
Effect of compost addition and
crop rotation upon VAM fungi.
Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
65(3):257-266. Abstract.
Hanson, J., Lichtenberg, E., and S. Peters. 1997.
Organic versus conventional grain
production in the mid-Atlantic: An economic overview
and farming system overview.
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture
12(1):2-9. Abstract.
Hu, S., Grunwald, N., Van Bruggen, A., Gamble, G.,
Drinkwater, L., Shennan, C., and M. Dement. 1997.
Short term effects of cover crop
incorporation on soil carbon pools and nitrogen availability.
Soil Science Society of America Journal
61(3):901-911.
Pallant, E., Lansky, D., Rio, J., Jacobs, L., Schuler,
G., and W. Whimpenny. 1997.
Growth of corn roots under low-input
and conventional farming systems.
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture
12(4):173-177. Abstract.
Peters, S., Wander, M., Saporito, L., Harris, G., and
D. Friedman. 1997.
Management Impacts on SOM and
Related Soil Properties in a Long-Term Farming Systems
Trial in Pennsylvania: 1981-1991
in Soil Organic Matter in Temperate Acroecosystems;
Long-Term Experiments in North America, Paul,E.,
Paustian, K., Elliott, E., and C. Cole (eds.), CRC Press
432p.
Drinkwater, L., Cambardella, C., Reeder, J., and C.
Rice. 1996.
Potentially mineralizable nitrogen
as an indicator of biologically active soil nitrogen.
Soil Science Society of America, Special
Publication 49:217-229.
Moyer, J., Saporito, L., and R. Janke. 1996.
Design, Construction, and Installation
of an Intact Soil Core Lysimeter.
Agronomy Journal 88(2):253-256. Abstract.
Wander, M. M., Dudley, R. B., Traina, S. J., Daufman,
D., Stinner, B. R., and G. K. Sims. 1996.
Acetate fate in organic and conventionally
managed soils.
Soil Science of America Journal 60(4):1110-1116.
Abstract.
Wander, M., and S. J. Traina. 1996.
Organic matter fractions from organically and conventionally
managed soils: I. Carbon and nitrogen distribution.
Soil Science Society of America Journal 60(4):1081-1087.
Abstract.
Wander M., and S. J. Traina. 1996.
Organic matter fractions from
organically and conventionally managed soils: II. Characterization
of composition.
Soil Science Society of America Journal 60(4):1087-1094.
Abstract.
Yakovchenko, V., Sikora, L., and D. Kaufman. 1996.
A biologically based indicator
of soil quality.
Biology and Fertility of Soils 21:245-251.
Abstract.
Harris, G., Hesterman, O., Paul, E., Peters, S., and
R. Janke. 1994.
Fate of legume and fertilizer
nitrogen-15 in a long-term cropping systems experiment.
Agronomy Journal 86:910-915. Abstract.
Wander, M., Traina, S., Stinner, B., and S. Peters.
1994.
Organic and conventional management
effects on biologically active soil organic matter pools.
Soil Science Society of America Journal
58:1130-1139. Abstract.
Douds, D., Janke, R., and S. Peters. 1993.
VAM fungus spore populations and
colonization of roots of maize and soybean under conventional
and low-input sustainable agriculture.
Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
43:325-335. Abstract.
Peters, S. 1991.
Organic and conventional beyond
transition. http://www.eap.mcgill.ca/MagRack/SF/Spring%2091%20J.htm
Hanson, J., Johnson, D., Peters, S., and R. Janke.
1990.
The profitability of sustainable
agriculture on a representative grain farm in the mid-Atlantic
region, 1981-89.
Northeastern Journal of Agricultural
and Resource Economics 19(2):90-98. Abstract.
Werner, M., and D. Dindhal. 1990.
Effects of conversion to organic
agricultural practices on soil biota.
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture
5(1):24-32. Abstract.
Liebhardt, W., Andrews, R., Culik, M., Harwood, R.,
Janke, R., Radke, J., and S. Rieger-Schwartz. 1989.
Crop production during conversion
from conventional to low-input methods.
Agronomy Journal 81(2):150-159. Abstract.
Radke, J., Andrews, R., Janke, R., and S. Peters. 1988.
Low-Input Cropping Systems and
Efficiency of Water and Nitrogen Use. ASA-CSSA-SSSA.
Cropping Strategies for Efficient Use of
Water and Nitrogen, Special Publication no. 51:
193-217.
Books and in-house publications
Michalak P. 2004. Water,
agriculture and you - A summary of agricultural effects
on water quality and health, including results from
our long-term trials, FST and CUT. The
Rodale Institute, Kutztown, PA. 32p.
Doty, N.C. 2002. A
study of methods to develop markets to improve profitability
of small family farms in Pennsylvania, Maryland and
New Jersey - Focused upon cereal grain and oilseed crops.
The Rodale Institute, Kutztown, PA. 57 p.
Michalak, P. 2002. Organic
Grain Cropping System and Marketing - In-service education
for the Northeast US. The Rodale Institute,
Kutztown, PA. 80 p.
Wildfeuer, M. 2002. Farmers,
food, and the modern consumer – A review of consumer
surveys, local food initiatives and eco-label programs.
The Rodale Institute, Kutztown, PA.
64 p.
Drinkwater, L., Reider, C., and S. Connelly. 2000.
Soil health demonstration protocols. The Rodale
Institute, Kutztown, PA. 26 p.
Peterson, C., Drinkwater L., and P. Wagoner. 1999.
The Rodale Institute Farming Systems Trial®
– The first 15 years. The Rodale
Institute, Kutztown, PA. 48 p.
Sarrantonio, M. 1994. Northeast
Cover Crop Handbook. The Rodale Institute,
Kutztown, PA.
118 p.
Sarrantonio, M. 1991. Soil-Improving
Legumes. The Rodale Institute, Kutztown,
PA. 312 p.
Janke, R., Thompson, D., McNamara, K., and C. Cramer.
1990. How to Discover Money-Saving Opportunities
- A Farmer’s Guide to On-Farm Research. The
Rodale Institute, Kutztown, PA. 21 p.
Janke, R., and K. McNamara. 1988. Using Replicated
On-farm Research Trials to Answer Farmer’s Questions
About Low-Input Cropping Systems. The Rodale Institute,
Kutztown, PA.
13 p.
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