Impact of Organic Farming Practices on Soil Organic Matter: A Review

Abstract

Organic farming plays an important role in the improvement of soil organic matter content. Adoption of organic farming leads to overall balance of the ecosystem and sustaining environmental health. Although conventional farming practices are quite better in achieving global food security, the adoption of organic farming is beneficial in terms of long-run ecosystem balance. Organic farming largely excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, genetically modified crops and feed additives. Organic farming is an important tool to reverse the trend of declining soil organic matter status in the soils. It is mediated by returning plant residues and manures from livestock back to the land, enhancing biological nitrogen fixation by legumes, and versatile crop rotations. Soil organic matter (SOM) balances are the most common decision support tools in organic farming management. The concentration of soil organic matter often serves as a foundational attribute that controls many soil properties. In organically managed systems where no synthetic fertilizers are allowed, soil microbial biomass is important to supply plant nutrients by mineralization processes and to avoid nutrient leaching. The soil organic matter is affected by land use practices, soil depth and climatic conditions under organic farming.