| 1. |
- Aronsson, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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Phosphorus load in outdoor areas for laying hens and capacity of phosphorus retaining materials to reduce the environmental impact
- 2022
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Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer Science and Business Media B.V.. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246. ; 12:3, s. 325-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study investigated manure loads in outdoor paddocks for laying hens and the capacity of two phosphorus (P) retaining materials for reducing leaching from manure in areas with high hen density. Inventories on two commercial farms during 2 years (2017 and 2018) of the impact of hens (groups of 3000 hens) on vegetation, as a proxy for land use by hens, showed that 16–21% of outdoor area in grassland paddocks and 22–39% of area in a forest paddock were used by the hens. Sand and limestone were tested as P retention materials in areas with high manure load in a field study during the outdoor season for laying hens (May 1 to October 31 in 2018). The materials were placed on the ground (0.2 m deep bed, 3.3 m wide) outside the pop-hole in paddocks with 76 hens. The average numbers of hens outdoors were recorded at 9 am and 3 pm daily. There was no significant difference between the materials concerning distribution of hens, and they seemed not to prefer any material more than the other. When cylinders containing the spent materials were exposed to simulated rainfalls in a laboratory study, the P concentrations in drainage water were high for all materials, including a control with gravel (58–136 mg PO4-P L−1 and 130–197 mg total-P L−1). On average, 14% of manure P retained in the sand and limestone materials was leached after 100 mm of simulated rainfall. Thus, these materials may act as physical filters for P in manure, but to reduce the risk of P losses to waters during the following winter, they need to be removed from the paddocks and preferably used as potential P fertilizers on arable land. © 2021, The Author(s).
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| 2. |
- Denver, Sigrid, et al.
(författare)
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Dietary priorities and consumers’ views of the healthiness of organic food : purity or flexibility?
- 2022
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Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246. ; 12:2, s. 163-175
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Previous studies have shown that belief in the healthiness of organic food is a strong motive for buying organic. Typically, a positive relation between a nutritionally balanced diet (with respect to fruit, vegetables and meat) and organic consumption is also found. As market shares of organic food are much smaller than those of conventional food, consumers may face a trade-off between buying organic and choosing the nutritional composition they prefer. Using data from a survey of around 1300 Danish consumers, we found that almost all respondents believed that organic food contains fewer unwanted substances than non-organic food, and that around a third considered organic food to be nutritionally superior. Respondents with high organic consumption and who believe in the nutritious superiority of organic food products were more likely to belong to a small group of respondents who prioritized buying organic. However, the vast majority, particularly those with low levels of organic consumption, prioritized dietary flexibility over organic produce. Our findings suggest that to motivate those in this large consumer segment to increase their organic consumption, it will be necessary to offer a broader, more nutritionally differentiated, range of organic products.
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| 3. |
- Dippel, Sabine, et al.
(författare)
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Health and welfare of organic pigs in Europe assessed with animal-based parameters
- 2014
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Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246. ; 4:2, s. 149-161
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Organic pig farming aims at maintaining a high health and welfare state of the animals through appropriate housing, management and feeding. Better knowledge of health and welfare indicators should help to identify critical points and hence to improve health and welfare as well as performance of organic pigs. This paper describes the health and welfare of organic pigs from 101 farms across six EU countries, using selected animal-based parameters from the Welfare Quality® protocol. Parameters were collected in sows, suckling and weaned piglets in 3 to 20 farms per country. Their assessment was trained before farm visits and inter-observer agreement determined after farm visits. The most prevalent problems identified in sows were thinness (median farm prevalence 18.8 %, range 0–81.0), injuries on the anterior part of the body (15.5 %, 0–66.7), injuries on hind part of body (7.9 %, 0–50), obesity (4.9 %, 0–50.0) and vulva lesions (3.5 %, 0–42.9). In suckling piglets, the median prevalence in terms of groups affected per farm was 0 % for all parameters but ‘> 50 % dirty piglets in group’, for which it was 10 %. Farm prevalence ranged from 0 to 100 % for ‘≥ 1 lame piglet in group’, presence of diarrhoea, and ‘> 50 % dirty piglets in group’. In weaned piglets, the median prevalence in terms of groups affected per farm was 0 % with a range of 0 to 100 % for all parameters. Based on the collected data, body condition, skin and vulva lesions in sows, lameness, diarrhoea and respiratory problems in piglets could be used as management and welfare indicators, with good potential for enhancement through farm improvement schemes like herd health planning. However, some definitions could be improved, especially lameness, diarrhoea and respiratory problems in piglets.
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| 4. |
- Johansson, Birgitta, et al.
(författare)
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Cold-pressed rapeseed cake or full fat rapeseed to organic dairy cows - milk production and profitability
- 2015
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Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246. ; 5, s. 29-38
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The interest in growing and feeding locally produced feeds is increasing. Case studies in Sweden have shown that feeds grown on-farm are more environmentally favourable than imported feeds, partly due to the lower energy requirements for transport. Full fat rapeseed (FFRS) and its co-product cold-pressed rapeseed cake (CRC) can both be locally produced, and CRC has been proven to be suitable for dairy cows. In both feeds, fat content limits the amount that can be supplemented in the diet, and less FFRS than CRC can be used. However, in a previous study with scenario calculations, CRC showed lower profitability than FFRS. The present study examined how milk yield and milk composition were influenced by feeding FFRS compared with CRC in organic diets and calculated the farm profitability on each occasion. The study was performed using 56 Swedish Holstein cows in different lactation stages. Diets were 100% organic, including a mixed ration (silage, grains and minerals) fed ad libitum and a restricted amount of concentrates (field beans together with either CRC or ground FFRS). There were no significant differences in milk yield and composition between the diets. However, cows fed FFRS had a higher intake of the mixed ration than cows fed CRC. Cows fed CRC had the highest profitability in later lactation, whereas the diets were economically similar during early lactation.
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| 5. |
- Johansson, Birgitta, et al.
(författare)
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Using clover/grass silage as a protein feed for dairy bull calves
- 2016
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Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246. ; 6, s. 57-63
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Abstract Soybean meal (SBM) is globally used as a protein feed of good nutritional quality, e.g. for calves. However, the environmental impact of soybean cultivation is often questioned and SBM can therefore of ethical reasons be replaced by nitrogen-fixing forage and grain legumes and rapeseed products. In two experiments (exp.), we examined whether feeding dairy bull calves forages with a high inclusion of red clover together with cold-pressed rapeseed cake (CRC; exps. 1 and 2) and field bean (FB; exp. 2) met their protein requirement for proper growth, and calculated the profitability of using these diets. The calves were allocated to one of three protein feed treatments per experiment and studied from 97 to 275 kg live weight. In exp. 1, red clover/grass silage was combined with either smaller or greater amounts of CRC, which was compared with SBM. In exp. 2, red clover/grass silage, CRC and FB were combined with silage constituting 40, 50 or 60 % of DM in the total diet, to find the best combination. The profitability was calculated as value of calf gain minus feed costs. Soybean meal gave the highest live weight gain (LWG) and profitability in exp. 1, closely followed by the diet with greater amount of CRC together with clover/ grass silage. In exp. 2, the diets with 40 or 50 % silage resulted in similar DM intake and LWG, both higher than with 60 % silage. At conventional prices, the 40 % silage diet had the highest profitability, whereas at organic prices, the 50 % silage diet was more profitable.
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| 6. |
- Lindberg, Mikaela, et al.
(författare)
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Profitability of organic and conventional dairy production with different dietary proportions of high-quality grass silage
- 2013
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Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246. ; 3, s. 31-39
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The profitability in organic and conventional milk production systems when using three different dietary proportions (51 %, 62 % and 69 % of dry matter) of high-quality grass silage to dairy cows was calculated. Feed intake and milk production data were measured in a dairy cow experiment in which the same types of feeds were used over the entire lactation, but the proportion of forage was increased to three different degrees in the diet. The results of the economic analyses showed that full cost coverage was only reached within the organic production system and that a large herd size (160 cows) was required to achieve economically sustainable dairy production. However, large herd size required large pasture areas in organic production, which can be difficult to achieve in forest-dominated districts. The results of the calculated profitability showed that it was profitable to increase the average dietary proportion of high-quality silage from 51 % to 62 % of dry matter in conventional production with concentrate and grain prices at their current high levels. In organic production, there were only minor differences in calculated profitability between providing the obligatory 60 % and 69 % of dry matter as high-quality silage in the dairy cow diet.
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| 7. |
- Lindgren, Kristina, et al.
(författare)
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Animal health and welfare in production systems for organic fattening pigs
- 2014
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Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246. ; 4:2, s. 135-147
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- With the aim to identify European health and welfare strategies in organic pig production, we summarized information about health and welfare status and potential hazards for organic fattening pigs. The results were primarily based on studies of organic production or comparisons between organic and conventional production. Conventional Danish herds consumed three times as much antibiotics (anthelmintics not included) as the organic herds, whilst there was no difference in mortality rate nor more pigs in need of treatment in the organic herds. Slaughter data indicated that organic pigs had fewer respiratory problems, skin lesions (including abscesses and hernias) and tail wounds compared to conventional pigs. On the other hand, remarks because of joint lesions and white spot livers were more common among organic pigs. The risk of parasitic infections in organic fattening pigs has been confirmed. To control endoparasites, outdoor areas should be rotated with as long interval as possible, i.e. by including the pigs in the crop rotation. Outdoor housing with functional wallows and access to grass and roots or outdoor runs and roughage can enhance pig welfare and reduce pen-mate-directed oral activity and aggression. Minimizing negative environmental impact may conflict with animal welfare, i.e. raising the pigs indoors may not only reduce plant nutrient losses but also reduce the pigs’ activity options. With an increasing number of specialized organic units, implementation of age-segregated production and buying piglets from only one or few units is necessary to maintain a good health in transferred pigs.
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| 8. |
- Lindgren, Kristina, et al.
(författare)
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Nematode parasite eggs in pasture soils and pigs on organic farms in Sweden
- 2020
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Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246. ; 10, s. 289-300
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The EU regulation for organic pig production requires outdoor access to promote the animal welfare. This may increase the risk of infection of the common pig parasites, Ascaris suum and Trichuris suis, because their eggs can survive for many years in the soil. The egg contamination of these parasites in outdoor areas with different managements and the faecal egg output from the pigs was investigated on 11 Swedish organic pig farms in 2008. We found eggs of A. suum and, to a minor extent, T. suis in the soil from outdoor areas, which had previously been used for pig rearing and/or for spreading of pig manure. Piglets and their dams were turned out on pastures included in a crop rotation, and these areas had a mean of 2500 A. suum and 40 T. suis eggs per kilogram soil. When the pigs were 12-week-old, the faecal egg counts (FECs) of A. suum were positively correlated with the egg concentration in pasture soils before pig turnout. The areas used by dry sows had a mean of 11,700 A. suum and 220 T. suis eggs per kilogram soil. The highest egg concentrations in the soil were found in areas, frequently used by pigs in the most recent years. To minimise pasture contamination with parasite eggs, it is advised to have a crop rotation system and to inactivate parasite eggs in pig manure before spreading it. Parasite control needs further development to protect suckling piglets from infections due to environmental parasite egg contamination. © 2019, The Author(s).
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| 9. |
- Milestad, Rebecka, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
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Tensions in future development of organic production—views of stakeholders on Organic 3.0
- 2020
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Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study analysed Swedish stakeholders’ views on future developments of organic production and consumption based on Organic 3.0, a strategic initiative by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). Focus group discussions were carried out with actors representing different parts of the organic value chain in Sweden. These identified a number of tensions, four of which represented an unresolved dichotomy in the way forward for the organic movement and its relevance for organic production in most settings. The first tension was between the drive for increased efficiency to achieve higher yields and an agroecological approach with broader sustainability values. The second concerned availability of plant nutrients in organic agriculture including safe recirculating of nutrients from society. The third tension set new technology against the precautionary principle and the notion of naturalness. The fourth concerned the role of organic as an innovation system; whether organic should be a forerunner, i.e. performing well above average and fostering innovation, or whether organic should be a broader movement including more farmers but then requiring more regulations that may hinder innovation. These tensions will result in important choices on direction for the organic sector as it pursues the Organic 3.0 goal of sustainably feeding a growing population based on farming systems based on organic principles.
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| 10. |
- Neumann, Angelika, et al.
(författare)
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Losses of nitrogen and phosphorus via the drainage system from organic crop rotations with and without livestock on a clay soil in southwest Sweden
- 2011
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Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246. ; 1, s. 217-229
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Leaching losses of N and P were examined in separately tile-drained field plots on a clay soil with two 6-year organic crop rotations (1998–2006). Two different farming systems (with dairy cows (+L) and without stock (−L)) were evaluated to identify parts of the crop rotations with the greatest risks of N and P leaching losses and to examine the scope for improvement. Although N and P leaching losses tended to be higher without livestock, the mean annual leaching loads from both systems were low and did not differ significantly (6.8 and 9.1 kg N ha−1 year−1 and 0.39 and 0.55 kg Pha−1 year−1 for +L and −L, respectively). For both systems, there were increased amounts of N and P in drainage water in the period following sowing of winter wheat after incorporation of clover–grass ley (CG). This could be attributed to the early date of CG incorporation, as late incorporation followed by bare fallow gave lower nutrient leaching. Drainage from bare fallow after a broad bean crop was identified as a critical part of the crop rotation for P leaching, with P losses possibly enhanced by macropore formation by the taproot of broad bean. The lowest leaching losses were observed during CG growth, demonstrating that CG had a buffering effect on leaching during heavy precipitation events. It was concluded that in organic farming on clay soils, countermeasures such as undersown CG and late incorporation of this CG can be effective in reducing N and P leaching losses
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