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Cropping systems

The yield gap that normally exists between organic and conventional production practices is caused by different crop-specific factors. The main yield-limiting factor in cereals and tubers is nutrient availability; nitrogen deficiency particularly leads to yield reductions. Weeds and diseases can cause major yield losses in legumes, and attacks of insect pests on oil crops may limit yield significantly. Each crop group shows variations in susceptibility to the different yield-limiting factors. Choice of crop variety and crop species, mixing varieties or species, and the design of a crop rotation will all have a major impact on crop yield and quality.

On this page, you can find tools and resources that can help you improve the cultivation of specific crops, and you can discuss various crop-specific topics with others.

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Recommended tool

Challenges of Organic Arable Farming 1st module: Strategies to enhance soil fertility and assessment of soil fertility and quality

This module aims to introduce the main problems in soil fertility of organic arable farming, explain soil fertility and soil quality concepts, and to…

Recommendations for using soy-based feedstuffs for poultry production (OK-Net Ecofeed Practice Abstract)

Benefits • Soya can be very well integrated into crop rotation and can cover up to 80 % of the N requirement by inoculating the seed with N-fixing…

Latest tool

Inoculation of soybean seed – inoculation for an efficient nitrogen supply

This practice note from Legumes Translated explains how to effectively inoculate the seed or soil for successful soybean crops. Different products…

Title	Issuing organisation	Project	Year of release	Rating
A farmer’s guide to organic fruit and vegetable production	OCW - Organic Centre Wales	OK-Net Arable	2008	3.5 (2)
Advanced system in wheat: Combination of agronomical levels: The French...	PURE	OK-Net Arable	-	5 (1)
Agrometeo: decision support tool for pest prognosis and risk assessment	Agroscope	OK-Net Arable	-
Catch crop in maize (OK-Net Arable Practice Abstract)	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2017	4 (1)
Cereal Disease Encyclopaedia	AHDB - Agriculture and Horticulture Development...	OK-Net Arable	2008
Challenges of Organic Arable Farming 1st module: Strategies to enhance soil...	IAMB - Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari	OK-Net Arable	2017
Challenges of Organic Arable Farming 2nd module: Fertilization strategies to...	IAMB - Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari	OK-Net Arable	2017
Challenges of Organic Arable Farming 4th module: Technical tools, strategies...	IAMB - Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari	OK-Net Arable	2017
Challenges of Organic Arable Farming 5th module: Crops specific problems and...	IAMB - Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari	OK-Net Arable	2017
Choosing cover crops for arable crop rotations	ITAB - Institute for Organic Agriculture and Food	OK-Net Arable	2018
Control of creeping thistle by stubble cultivation (OK-Net Arable Practice...	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2017	4.5 (2)
Controlled traffic farming: A new track for soil and weed control in organic...	Inagro	OK-Net Arable	2018
Cover crop and living mulch toolbox	Technical University of Munich TUM, School of Life...	OK-Net Arable	2014	3.4 (10)
Cover crop mulches and no-till soybean	AIAB - Associazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica	OK-Net Arable	2017
Crop management of linseed	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2016	2 (1)
Crop Management of Rapeseed and Pollen Beetle Control	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2016	4 (1)
Crop rotation and its ability to suppress perennial weeds	SEGES	OK-Net Arable	2017	4.5 (2)
Crop rotation and its ability to suppress perennial weeds	SEGES	OK-Net Arable	2016	3 (1)
Crop Rotation in Organic Systems	OACC - Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada,...	OK-Net Arable	-
Crop rotations on diversified farms	Southern Regional Extension Forestry	OK-Net Arable	2013
Cultivating a diverse wheat population suitable for low-input and organic...	ORC - Organic Research Centre, Elm Farm	OK-Net Arable	2017	5 (1)
Cultivation in rows – Catch crops - tolerance and regrowth	AU - Aarhus University , KU - Copenhagen University , AgroIntelli , Økologisk VKST , Barritskov Land- og Skovbrug , SEGES	OK-Net Arable	2018
Cultivation in rows – cereals with catch crops	SEGES , AU - Aarhus University , KU - Copenhagen University , AgroIntelli , Økologisk VKST , Barritskov Land- og Skovbrug	OK-Net Arable	2018
Cultivation in rows – Nitrogen fixation by catch crops and their effect on yield	SEGES , AU - Aarhus University , KU - Copenhagen University , AgroIntelli , Økologisk VKST , Barritskov Land- og Skovbrug	OK-Net Arable	2018
Cultivation in rows – Sowing time for catch crops	AU - Aarhus University , KU - Copenhagen University , AgroIntelli , Økologisk VKST , Barritskov Land- og Skovbrug , SEGES	OK-Net Arable	2018	5 (2)
Cultivation in rows – Weed control between stubble rows	AU - Aarhus University , KU - Copenhagen University , AgroIntelli , Økologisk VKST , Barritskov Land- og Skovbrug , SEGES	OK-Net Arable	2018
Cultivation in rows – Weed control in spring cereal grains	AU - Aarhus University , KU - Copenhagen University , AgroIntelli , Økologisk VKST , Barritskov Land- og Skovbrug , SEGES	OK-Net Arable	2018	5 (1)
Cultivation of faba beans	LLG - Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und...	OK-Net EcoFeed	2014
Cultivation of soybeans	Regierungspräsidium Freiburg	OK-Net EcoFeed	2018
Cultivation of white lupin – a cool-season and environmentally friendly protein...	Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL		2020
Database of soilborne pathogens of arable and horticultural crops	Best4Soil		2020
Demonstration of Hoeing Machines in Arable Farming	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2011
Demonstration of Plough Dethatchers	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2014	4.5 (2)
Direct drilling of winter cereals	AIAB - Associazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica	OK-Net Arable	2018
Direct Sowing of Maize	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2015
Direct sowing with green manure	Bioselena - Foundation for organic agriculture , IFOAM EU	OK-Net Arable	2018
Diverse fertility building leys in arable rotations	ORC - Organic Research Centre, Elm Farm	OK-Net Arable	2017	3.5 (2)
Dry Forages: Process and techniques (OK-Net EcoFeed Practice Abstract)	AIAB - Associazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica	OK-Net EcoFeed	2020
DSS "Weed Control in Organic Winter Wheat Production"	University of Bonn	OK-Net Arable	2004
ECOPHYTOPIC – The portal for integrated crop protection of arable crops	ACTA - Les Instituts Techniques Agricoles	OK-Net Arable	-	3.3 (3)
Feed in organic production	Swedish board of Agriculture	OK-Net Arable , OK-Net EcoFeed	2016
Feeding pigs silage	Innovative Farmers	OK-Net EcoFeed	2016
Feedstuffs for organic pigs	CREA - Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e...	OK-Net EcoFeed	2012
Foraging of pigs in outdoor areas (OK-Net Ecofeed Practice Abstract)	AU - Aarhus University	OK-Net EcoFeed	2020
Foraging sows on high-protein grassland	ITAB - Institute for Organic Agriculture and Food	OK-Net EcoFeed	2018
Free-range laying hens: providing species-appropriate and sustainable husbandry	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture , Bioland Beratung , KÖN - Kompetenzzentrum Ökolandbau Niedersachsen , Bio Austria	OK-Net EcoFeed	2010
Free-range pigs: high animal welfare with appropriate infrastructure and...	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net EcoFeed	2019
Fulfilling 100 % organic poultry diets: roughage and foraging from the range	ORC - Organic Research Centre, Elm Farm	OK-Net EcoFeed	2015
Fulfilling 100% organic pig diets: Concentrates	ORC - Organic Research Centre	OK-Net EcoFeed	2015
Fulfilling 100% organic pig diets: Feeding roughage and foraging from the range	ORC - Organic Research Centre, Elm Farm	OK-Net EcoFeed	2015	3 (2)
Fulfilling 100% organic poultry diets: Concentrates	ORC - Organic Research Centre	OK-Net EcoFeed	2015
Grain legumes and soil fertility - Strategies for a successful cultivation	BfN - Federal Agency for Nature Conservation	OK-Net Arable	2014	3.5 (2)
Grass protein - a golden chance to improve organic farming	SEGES	OK-Net EcoFeed	2018
Green manure and cover crops in organic agriculture: general introduction	ITAB - Institute for Organic Agriculture and Food	OK-Net Arable	2012
Green manure and cover crops in organic agriculture: guide to the choice of the...	ITAB - Institute for Organic Agriculture and Food	OK-Net Arable	2012	4 (3)
Growing cover crops in organic arable crop rotations: Best practices from...	SEGES	OK-Net Arable	2017	4 (2)
Growing cover crops in organic arable crop rotations: best practices from...	SEGES	OK-Net Arable	2016
Guide for assessing the protein quality in soya feed products (OK-Net EcoFeed...	Donau Soja	OK-Net EcoFeed	2020
Guide for farms to plan small scale soya bean processing equipment (OK-Net...	Donau Soja	OK-Net EcoFeed	2020
Hairy Vetch – an Excellent Green Manure for Dry Conditions	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2014	4 (2)
Healthy Grassland Soils Pocketbook	AHDB - Agriculture and Horticulture Development...	OK-Net Arable	2015
Highcrop picture tool	SEGES	OK-Net Arable	2013
How to access organic seeds in Hungary	OMKI Hungarian Research Institute of Organic...		2018
How to successfully convert to organic arable farming	LFI - Ländliches Fortbildungsinstitut Österreich	OK-Net Arable	2017	5 (2)
Inclusion of some dehulled legume grains as concentrates for broiler chicks	ANSInet	OK-Net EcoFeed	2012
Incorporating Green Manures	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2013	4.5 (2)
Inoculation of soybean seed – inoculation for an efficient nitrogen supply	Deutscher Sojaförderring		2019
Inter-row cultivation - Mechanical control of weeds in soybean crops	IFVCNS - Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops...		2020
Inter-row cultivation for mechanical weed control in winter oilseed rape	PURE	OK-Net Arable	-
Intercropping grain peas with barley	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2015
Intercropping grain peas with barley (OK-Net Arable Practice Abstract)	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2017	4.3 (3)
Introducing maize, bean and courgettes into the diet of foraging pigs (OK-Net...	ITAB - Institute for Organic Agriculture and Food	OK-Net EcoFeed	2019
Knowledge exchange platform for agroecology	SOLAGRO	OK-Net Arable	-	3.2 (6)
LeNiBa - the KTBL / isip app for nitrogen balancing of legumes	KTBL - Kuratorium für Technik und Bauwesen in der...	OK-Net Arable	-
Ley Destruction with Shallow Ploughing or Cultivators	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2016
Lucerne as pig feed	SECALIBIO - Sécuriser les Systèmes Alimentaires en...	OK-Net EcoFeed	2019
Maize and beans – Organic roughage with benefits?	Thünen Institute	OK-Net EcoFeed	2016
Making poultry feed more sustainable	ORC - Organic Research Centre, Elm Farm	OK-Net EcoFeed	2012
Mechanical Weed Control in Maize	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2013
Mechanical weeding in arable crops	ITAB - Institute for Organic Agriculture and Food	OK-Net Arable	2012	4.6 (9)
Modification/change of sowing date in winter wheat	PURE	OK-Net Arable	2015
Monitoring and comparing cover crop performances	ITAB - Institute for Organic Agriculture and Food	OK-Net Arable	2018
NDICEA - A digital tool to model nutrient balances across a crop rotation	ORC - Organic Research Centre, Elm Farm	OK-Net Arable	2018
NDICEA - Nitrogen Planer – version 6.2	LBI - Louis Bolk Institute	OK-Net Arable	2014	4 (4)
Nitrogen budget calculator. A tool to calculate N-budgets in organic forage...	ZALF - Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape...		2013	3.8 (4)
Nitrogen supply for winter oilseed rape (OK-Net Arable Practice Abstract)	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2017	4 (1)
No-till cultivation of maize in rolled forage peas (OK-Net Arable Practice...	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2017
Nutrient supply	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2011	2 (1)
Oekolandbau.de: portal for organic plant production	BLE - Federal Office for Agriculture and Food	OK-Net Arable	2015	3 (10)
Okara: Including a soya by-product into the poultry diet (OK-Net Ecofeed...	AIAB - Associazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica	OK-Net EcoFeed	2020
Oregon Tilth Webinars	Oregon Tilth	OK-Net Arable	2017
Organic Cereals	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2010	4 (3)
Organic Cover Cropping and Intercropping	Washington State University - Puyallup	OK-Net Arable	2011
Organic cultivation in autumn 2016 - Varieties, Seeds and Crop management	LFI - Ländliches Fortbildungsinstitut Österreich	OK-Net Arable	2016
Organic Cultivation in Spring 2016 - Varieties, Seeds and Crop management	LFI - Ländliches Fortbildungsinstitut Österreich	OK-Net Arable	2016
Organic Cultivation of Green Peas	LFI - Ländliches Fortbildungsinstitut Österreich	OK-Net Arable	2016
Organic farming Guidelines for pest and disease control and weed management in...	Uprawy ekologiczne	OK-Net Arable	-	4 (3)
Organic field beans	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2009
Organic Field Crop Production	OACC - Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada,...	OK-Net Arable	-
Organic field peas	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2009
Organic grain legumes at a glance	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2009
Organic maize	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2008
Organic pea production	ARVALIS - Institut du végétal , UNIP , ITAB - Institute for Organic Agriculture and Food , IBB - Initiative Bio Bretagne	OK-Net EcoFeed	2014
Organic quality wheat production - Results of long-term field trials of...	LFI - Ländliches Fortbildungsinstitut Österreich	OK-Net Arable	2016
Organic rapeseed	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2011
Organic Small Grain Production	Southern Regional Extension Forestry	OK-Net Arable	2011
Organic soya	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2009
Organic Soybean made easy	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2018
Organic Soybean production in Europe	ÖMKi - Hungarian Research Institute of Organic...	OK-Net Arable	2016
Organic soybeans – Managing quality from field to feeding	LVÖ - Landesvereinigung für ökologischen Landbau...	OK-Net EcoFeed	2016	5 (1)
Organic Weed Management: A Practical Guide	Charles Merfield	OK-Net Arable	2000
Pest and Disease Control in Grass and Forage Crops	Farming Connect	OK-Net Arable	2013
Pest Management in Organic Cropping Systems	OACC - Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada,...	OK-Net Arable	-
Plant breeding with farmers. A technical manual	ICARDA - International Center for Agricultural...	OK-Net Arable	2012
Plants and planting designs for organic poultry ranges	Økologisk Landsforening (Danish Organic National...	OK-Net EcoFeed	2015
Potato Crop Management	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2010
Poultry feeding in organic farming	ITAB - Institute for Organic Agriculture and Food	OK-Net EcoFeed	2015
Practical advice for organic production of lupines	Landesforschungsanstalt für Landwirtschaft und...	OK-Net Arable	2014	4 (4)
Processing of soybeans - Methods and tips (OK-Net EcoFeed Video)	Donau Soja , FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net EcoFeed	2020
Processing Quality of Organic Wheat	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2015
Profile of a farm with integrated soya production, processing and laying hen...	LFI - Ländliches Fortbildungsinstitut Österreich	OK-Net EcoFeed	2018
Rape pollen beetle	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2014	4.5 (2)
Recommendations for using soy-based feedstuffs for poultry production (OK-Net...	Bioland Beratung GmbH	OK-Net EcoFeed	2020	5 (1)
Recommendations for using soya-based feedstuffs in pig husbandry (OK-Net Ecofeed...	Donau Soja	OK-Net EcoFeed	2020
Reduced Tillage Systems - Practical Recommendation	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2014	3.7 (3)
Regionally adapted humus balance in organic farming	LfULG - Sächsische Landesanstalt für Umwelt,...	OK-Net Arable	2013	3.7 (3)
Results an lessons learnt from field vegetables activity - cabbage	PURE	OK-Net Arable	-
Results and lessons learnt from wheat-based cropping system activity	PURE	OK-Net Arable	-
Rolling of grains to prevent winter kill damage (OK-Net Arable Practice...	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2017
ROTOR: organic crop rotation planner	ZALF - Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape...	OK-Net Arable	2007	4.6 (11)
Satellite based and camera-controlled steering systems	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2015	2 (1)
SmartSOIL Tool	AU - Aarhus University	OK-Net Arable	2015	2 (3)
Soil and Fertility Management in Organic Systems	OACC - Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada,...	OK-Net Arable	-	5 (1)
Soil protection and Crop Rotation	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2007
SOILapp	School of Advanced Studies Sant'Anna, Institute of... , Scuola Esperienziale Itinerante di Agricoltura... , AEGILOPS - The Greek Network for Biodiversity and...	OK-Net Arable	2018
Sort Out Your Soil: A practical guide to green manures	Cotswold Seeds Ltd. , Garden Organic	OK-Net Arable	-	4 (5)
Soy with less anti-nutritional factors excellent for yields and rations	CRPA - Centro Ricerche Produzioni Animali	OK-Net EcoFeed	2019
Soybean processing technology	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net EcoFeed	2014
Soybean silage	AIAB - Associazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica	OK-Net Arable	2018
Storage of soybeans	Tofu Taifun – LZ Soja	OK-Net EcoFeed	2015
Successful cultivation of grain legumes mixed with cereals	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2017
Sunflower oil cake (OK-Net Ecofeed Practice Abstract)	AIAB - Associazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica	OK-Net EcoFeed	2020
Testing peas for legume fatigue (OK-Net Arable Practice Abstract)	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2017	5 (1)
The use of legumes - Nature-compatible cultivation practices	BfN - Federal Agency for Nature Conservation	OK-Net Arable	2014
Toasting soybeans for feeding laying hens (OK-Net EcoFeed Video)	Donau Soja , FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net EcoFeed	2020
Towards 100 % organic diets for poultry	ITAB - Institute for Organic Agriculture and Food	OK-Net EcoFeed	2015
Transition to organic production	OACC - Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada,...	OK-Net Arable	-
Use of variety mixtures to reduce disease, increase resource-use efficiency...	PURE	OK-Net Arable	-
Using crop rotation to control wireworms (OK-Net Arable Practice Abstract)	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2017	4 (1)
Utilisation of waste heat from biogas plants for drying fine-grained legumes...	Bioland Beratung GmbH	OK-Net EcoFeed	2020
Weed Control in Grass and Forage Crops	IBERS Grassland Development Centre	OK-Net Arable	2013
Weed control in organic farming through mechanical solutions	University of Kassel	OK-Net Arable	2011	3.5 (4)
Weed control in soy with the finger weeder (OK-Net Arable Practice Abstract)	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2017
Weed harrowing in spring cereals	PURE	OK-Net Arable	-
Weed trimming in soybeans	AIAB - Associazione Italiana Agricoltura Biologica	OK-Net Arable	2017
Winter field peas as green manure before maize (OK-Net Arable Practice Abstract)	FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture	OK-Net Arable	2017	4.5 (2)

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