The Organic Center

Pest control through altered plant resistance to insects: a benefit of organic management

Organic farming is known to increase natural pest control that helps organic farmers overcome reliance on chemical pest management. While the common perception is that natural pest control is largely boosted by practices that increase natural enemies to pests, a recent study in Nature Plants  explored a less common theory. This found that organic management also boosts the natural defenses of plants to prevent pest damage even when pests are abundant.

Inglese

La gestione biologica promuove il controllo naturale dei parassiti attraverso una modificata resistenza delle piante agli insetti: i risultati di una ricerca

L'agricoltura biologica è nota per aumentare il controllo naturale dei parassiti, un controllo che aiuta gli agricoltori biologici a non dipendere dalla gestione chimica dei parassiti. Sebbene sia percezione comune che il controllo naturale dei parassiti sia ampiamente potenziato da pratiche che aumentano i loro nemici naturali, un recente studio su Nature Plants  ha esplorato una teoria meno comune. La ricerca ha rilevato che la gestione biologica aumenta anche le difese naturali delle piante per prevenire danni da parassiti anche quando i parassiti sono abbondanti.

Italiano

Corn-soybean rotation: organic outperforms its conventional counterpart

The Organic Center’s Science Advisory Committee member, Professor Kathleen Delate, takes viewers on the first virtual Organic Field Day (the video can be downloaded HERE) at the Iowa State University Neely-Kinyon Long-Term Agroecological Research (LTAR) experiment to demonstrate why a long-term organic rotation of corn and soybean is outperforming its conventional counterpart.  The study was started in 1998 to compare the agronomic, economic and environmental outcomes of the conventional corn-s

Inglese

Rotazione mais-soia in biologico: surclassato il convenzionale in sperimentazione di lungo periodo

La professoressa Kathleen Delate, membro del comitato consultivo scientifico dell’Organic Center, ha pubblicato un video (che si può scaricare QUI) relativo alla prima “Giornata Virtuale del Biologico” sul campo presso la Neely-Kinyon Long-Term Agroecological Research (LTAR) della Iowa State University. Nel video lo spettatore è accompagnato a constatare perché una rotazione biologica a lungo termine di mais e soia abbia di molto superato la sua controparte convenzionale.

Italiano

Reynoutria sachalinensis extract elicits SA-dependent defense responses in courgette genotypes against powdery mildew caused by Podosphaera xanthii

Powdery mildew (PM) caused by Podosphaera xanthii is one of the most important courgette diseases with high yield losses and is currently controlled by fungicides and sulphur applications in conventional and organic production. Plant derived elicitors/inducers of resistance are natural compounds that induce resistance to pathogen attack and promote a faster and/or more robust activation of plant defense responses. Giant knotweed (Reynoutria sachalinensis, RS) extract is a known elicitor of plant defenses but its mode of action remains elusive.

A promising alternative to harmful fungicides: plant extracts

Powdery mildew is a hard to control fungus that can devastate a wide range of crops from cucumbers and zucchini to almonds and berries. Typical management of this disease includes the use of strong fungicides and Sulphur, which is associated with environmental and human health risks. However, a recent study in Scientific Reports identified a plant extract that boosts plant defenses to help prevent fungal infection in the first place, which reduces the need for chemical management.

Inglese

Una promettente alternativa ai fungicidi: gli estratti vegetali

L'oidio è un fungo difficile da controllare, e può devastare una vasta gamma di colture, dai cetrioli e zucchine alle mandorle e ai piccoli frutti. La gestione tipica di questa malattia include l'uso di zolfo e forti fungicidi, associati a rischi ambientali e per la salute umana. Un recente studio pubblicato su Scientific Reports ha tuttavia identificato un estratto di piante che rafforza le loro difese aiutando a prevenire l'infezione fungina, utilizzando il quale si riduce la necessità di trattamenti chimici.

Italiano

Organic food consumption has measurable benefits on human health: the results of a review

Consumption of organic foods continues to increase around the globe, and many choose organic for its health benefits. A recent review published in the journal Nutrients(link is external) shows that increased organic food consumption is associated with fewer incidences of infertility, birth defects, pre-eclampsia, allergies, middle ear infections in children, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and metabolic syndrome, which increases a person’s risk for heart disease and stroke.

Inglese

Guidance for reducing loss of reactive nitrogen in organic farming systems

A new review, led by The Organic Center and published in the journal Organic Agriculture  highlights the benefits that organic farming has in reducing global nitrogen pollution, and details ways to maximize those benefits. The collaboration among The Organic Center, University of Virginia, the Louis Bolk Institute, and Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam focuses on the issue of nitrogen pollution, because it has led to a wide variety of environmental and human health problems, and is one of the drivers of climate change.

Inglese

Linee guida per ridurre la perdita di azoto reattivo nei sistemi di agricoltura biologica

Una nuova analisi, guidata dall’ Organic Center e pubblicata sulla rivista Organic Agriculture, evidenzia i benefici che l'agricoltura biologica ha nella riduzione dell'inquinamento da azoto globale e illustra i modi per massimizzare tali benefici.

Italiano

Pagine

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