Environmental Impact and Safe Vegetable Production of Korean Organic Farming only Appling Organic Fertilizer to Maintain/Increase Soil Fertility

  • Sohn, Sang-Mok (Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Dan Kook University) ;
  • Kim, Young-Ho (Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Dan Kook University)
  • Published : 1999.12.01

Abstract

In order to get some basic data to check the environmental sound function against soil and water pollution and the safe vegetable production by korean organic farming where an internationally recognized basic concepts of soil fertility management for organic farming is not practiced and only applying the organic fertilizer to maintain the soil fertility, the chemical characteristics of soils and $NO_{3}^{-}$ content of chinese cabbage and lettuce cultivated by the conventional farming, greenhouse cultivation and organic farming were investigated. The highest value of $NO_{3}^{-}$-N in 0~30cm subsoil among the three different farming systems was found in the subsoil of organic farming and it was 3.6 and 6.6 times higher than those of conventional farming in chinese cabbage and lettuce respectively. $P_2O_5$ accumulation in the rhizosphere by organic farming also showed the highest value. The accumulation of $NO_{3}^{-}$-N and $P_2O_5$ in organic farming soil were similar or even more higher to those of greenhouse cultivation. The $NO_{3}^{-}$ accumulation in the vegetable by organic farming reached 3224ppm for chinese cabbage and 2543ppm for lettuce, and it were 4.7 and 6.4 times higher than those by conventional farming. It was concluded that there is urgently necessary to introduce the main concepts of soil fertility management of the Basic Standard of IFOAM, EU regulation and FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius on organic agriculture(draft) into korean organic agriculture for the operation of environmental sound system and the production of sate vegetable in terms of $NO_{3}^{-}$ content.

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