Table 1. Management of the different farming systems compared in a two-year rotation in central India (2007–2010).
| Practices | Organic farming systems1 | Conventional farming systems2 | ||
| BIODYN (biodynamic) | BIOORG (Organic) | CON (conventional) | CONBtC (conventional including Bt cotton) | |
| Genetic material (difference in cotton only) | ||||
| Non-Bt cotton | Non-Bt cotton | Non-Bt cotton | Bt cotton | |
| Fertilizer input | ||||
| Type and level (for nutrient inputs see Table S1) | aerobically composted crop residues, weeds, farmyard manure (FYM), and slurry; 19.5-7.7-12.0 t ha−1 to cotton-soybean-wheat | aerobically composted crop residues, weeds, farmyard manure (FYM), and slurry; 19.5-7.7-12.0 t ha−1 to cotton-soybean-wheat | mineral fertilizers (MOP, SSP, Urea, DAP (wheat only)) | mineral fertilizers (MOP, SSP, Urea, DAP (wheat only)) |
| stacked FYM; 2.8-1.6-2.2 t ha−1 to cotton-soybean-wheat | stacked FYM; 2.8-1.6-2.2 t ha−1 to cotton-soybean-wheat | stacked FYM; 8.1-3.9-1.6 t ha−1 to cotton-soybean-wheat | stacked FYM; 8.1-3.9-1.6 t ha−1 to cotton-soybean-wheat | |
| castor cake; 0.1 t ha−1 to cotton (2007 & 2008 only) | castor cake; 0.1 t ha−1 to cotton (2007 & 2008 only) | |||
| Green manure | ||||
| Type and timing of green manure | broadcasted sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) before cotton in 2009 and 2010 only | broadcasted sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) before cotton in 2009 and 2010 only | None | None |
| hand sown green gram (Vigna radiata, 9’070 plants ha−1) between cotton rows in all years | hand sown green gram (Vigna radiata, 9’070 plants ha−1) between cotton rows in all years | None | None | |
| Plant protection | ||||
| Weed control | bullock-drawn blade or tine harrows | bullock-drawn blade or tine harrows | bullock-drawn blade or tine harrows | bullock-drawn blade or tine harrows |
| Hand weeding in cotton | Hand weeding in cotton | Hand weeding in cotton | Hand weeding in cotton | |
| None | None | Herbicide (2009 and 2010 in soybean and wheat only) | Herbicide (2009 and 2010 in soybean and wheat only) | |
| Insect control and average number of applications per crop rotation (detailed product list, see Table S1) | organic (natural) pesticides 12.5 | organic (natural) pesticides 12.25 | synthetic pesticides 11.5 | synthetic pesticides 11.0 |
| Disease control | None | None | None | None |
| Special treatments | biodynamic preparations3 | None | None | None |
1
in the text, BIODYN and BIOORG are referred to consistently as organic farming systems, 2 in the text, CON and CONBtC are referred to consistently as conventional farming systems, average dry matter content of organic fertilizers: 70%, DAP: Diammonium phosphate, MOP: muriate of potash, SSP: single super phosphate, 3biodynamic preparations entailed cow dung (BD-500) and silica powder (BD-501) both stored for six months, and a mixture of cow dung, chicken egg shell powder, basalt rock powder, and plant materials (yarrow, chamomile, stinging nettle, oak bark, dandelion, valerian) stored for 6 months in an open pit (cow pat pit = CPP).