Conventional, intensive tillage farming systems have greatly
increased crop production and labour efficiency. But, serious questions
are being raised about the energy-intensive nature of these
systems and their adverse effects on soil productivity and environmental
quality 1'2• This concern has led to an increasing interest
in organic farming systems because they may reduce some of the
negative effects of conventional agriculture on the environment 3·4•
We compare the long-term effects (since 1948) of organic and
conventional farming on selected properties of the same soil. The
organically-farmed soil had significantly higher organic matter
content, thicker topsoil depth, higher polysaccharide content, lower
modulus of rupture and less soil erosion than the conventionally farmed
soil. This study indicates that, in the long term, the organic
farming system was more effective than the conventional farming
system in reducing soil erosion and, therefore, in maintaining soil
productivity.
Conventional, intensive tillage farming systems have greatlyincreased crop production and labour efficiency. But, serious questionsare being raised about the energy-intensive nature of thesesystems and their adverse effects on soil productivity and environmentalquality 1'2• This concern has led to an increasing interestin organic farming systems because they may reduce some of thenegative effects of conventional agriculture on the environment 3·4•We compare the long-term effects (since 1948) of organic andconventional farming on selected properties of the same soil. Theorganically-farmed soil had significantly higher organic mattercontent, thicker topsoil depth, higher polysaccharide content, lowermodulus of rupture and less soil erosion than the conventionally farmedsoil. This study indicates that, in the long term, the organicfarming system was more effective than the conventional farmingsystem in reducing soil erosion and, therefore, in maintaining soilproductivity.
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