Urban Farm DB
Research catalogue
Database research record1981·United States

Farming Systems Trial

Rodale Institute

Rodale Institute

Urban Farm DB summary

A long-running comparative farming trial launched by Rodale Institute in 1981, comparing conventional (synthetic nitrogen fertilizer and herbicides), organic legume, and organic manure systems across 72 plots for over 40 years. In drought years, organic corn yields are reported to be 31% higher than conventional, and water infiltration rates are significantly faster under organic management.

Extracted facts

3 facts

Only numbers and their conditions are stored, as structured data — never the source's own sentences. Metric and condition names stay in English, as coded.

  • 31 % Increase

    yield vs conventional drought year(organic corn)

    YieldControl: conventional system with synthetic nitrogen fertilizer and herbicides
    region
    US-PA
    trial
    Farming Systems Trial
    condition
    drought year
  • significantly faster IncreaseStatistically significant

    water infiltration rate vs conventional(organic management)

    SoilControl: conventional system
    region
    US-PA
    trial
    Farming Systems Trial
  • most profitable system

    profitability without price premium(organic manure system)

    EconomicsControl: conventional and organic legume systems, no organic price premium applied
    region
    US-PA
    trial
    Farming Systems Trial

Direction of conclusions

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  • Yield and productivitySupportsWith caveats
  • Economic viabilitySupportsWith caveats

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