Effect of organic and conventional cultivation methods on apple production and the orchard environment

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K15937
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 41030:Rural environmental engineering and planning-related
• Research Institution: Meiji University
• Principal Investigator: KAI TAKAMITSU 明治大学, 農場, 特任准教授 (00806226)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: リンゴ / 有機栽培 / 土壌微生物 / 窒素循環活性評価値 / リン循環活性評価値 / 土壌肥沃度

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Soil samples were analyzed biochemical properties from 12 apple orchard soils in Aomori and Nagano prefectures. The orchards comprised natural cultivation (no fertilizers or pesticides), organic cultivation (organic fertilizers and pesticides approved by the JAS organic certification system), hybrid cultivation (both organic and chemical fertilizers, with reduced pesticides), and conventional cultivation. The results showed that the soils in the organically cultivated orchards had the higher concentrations of total carbon, total nitrogen, and total and available phosphate than soils in the other cultivation systems, as well as greater bacterial biomass and nitrogen and phosphorus circulation activity. The lowest nitrogen and phosphorus circulation activities were in the conventionally cultivated orchard soils. These results indicate that organically cultivated soils provide the most conducive environment for microbial activity, which promotes nitrogen and phosphorus circulation.

Free Research Field

農業土木学、植物栄養学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究によって、資源循環型農業の栽培技術の開発、環境負荷の軽減と生産性向上に役立てる。このことは国の施策である、みどりの食料システム戦略に合致し、畑地と樹園地の高機能化などの基盤整備への提言、有機農業の推進が期待される。