LTE & POR: What is the contribution of organic agriculture to sustainable development? SysCom phase III – Long-term comparison of organic and conventional farming systems in the tropics.
The project consists of two components namely: On-station long-term experiments (LTE) and Participatory On-farm research (POR). The project is a collaborative research between Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FIBL), icipe and their partners. The trial has been running since 2007 and is currently in its third phase (2015-2018). In Kenya, conventional and organic treatments have been run at two input levels in a 3-year, 6-season crop rotation with maize, beans, vegetables and potatoes at two sites in two sites (Chuka and Thika) in Kenya. Research includes assessment of yield, fertility parameters, pests and diseases, socio-economic assessments and awareness creation activities.
Funding:
- Swiss Agency for Development and cooperation (SDC)
- Biovision Foundation and Liechtenstein Development Service (LED)
Collaborators:
- Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FIBL)
- Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute of CIAT (TSBF-CIAT)
- Kenyan Agricultural Livestock Research Organization
- Horticulture Research Institute (KALRO-HRI)
- Kenyatta University
- Kenya Institute of Organic Farming
- Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN)
- Embu University
- University of Hohenheim, Germany