permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [SANET-MG] organic farming  to manage  metals in crops
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:34:52 -0400
From: jcummins <jcummins@UWO.CA>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

J Agric Food Chem. 2011 Apr 15. [Epub ahead of print]
Effect of Organic and Conventional Crop Rotation, Fertilization, and
Crop Protection Practices on Metal Contents in Wheat ( Triticum aestivum ).
Cooper J, Sanderson R, Cakmak I, Ozturk L, Shotton P, Carmichael A,
Haghighi RS, Tetard-Jones C, Volakakis N, Eyre M, Leifert C.
Source

Nafferton Ecological Farming Group, School of Agriculture, Food and
Rural Development (AFRD), Newcastle University , Stocksfield,
Northumberland, NE42 7XD, U.K.
Abstract

The effects of organic versus conventional crop management practices
(crop rotation, crop protection, and fertility management strategies) on
wheat yields and grain metal (Al, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) concentrations
were investigated in a long-term field trial. The interactions between
crop management practices and the season that the crop was grown were
investigated using univariate and redundancy analysis approaches. Grain
yields were highest where conventional fertility management and crop
protection practices were used, but growing wheat after a previous crop
of grass/clover was shown to partially compensate for yield reductions
due to the use of organic fertility management. All metals except for Pb
were significantly affected by crop management practices and the year
that the wheat was grown. Grain Cd and Cu levels were higher on average
when conventional fertility management practices were used. Al and Cu
were higher on average when conventional crop protection practices were
used. The results demonstrate that there is potential to manage metal
concentrations in the diet by adopting specific crop management
practices shown to affect crop uptake of metals.