Organic farming without cattle: results after 12 years on the pilot farm Mapraz

The pilot farm Mapraz was set up to give an answer to various questions related to the conversion of farms without livestock to organic farming. After twelve years of evaluation whereof during the last six years two crop rotation systems were compared (one with one year temporary ley -TL and one with two years of TL) the result shows that the average wheat yields are 8 % lower than the comparability index for wheat or matchable to the organic comparability index for field bean and oat. The contribution margins are between CHF 250.–/ha and CHF 670.–/ha lower than the comparability index in organic agriculture with livestock. The crop rotation system with 2 years of TL presents a better contribution margin (CHF 200.–/ha) and is less labour intensive (-2 hours/ha) than the crop rotation system with 1 year of TL.