Abstract
Alternative soil management practices like organic farming assume special significance in the context of global warming and climate change for sustainable and safe food production. Organic farming enables a clean environment by promoting soil quality and sequestering soil organic carbon. Cassava, yams (white yam, greater yam and lesser yam) and edible aroids (elephant foot yam, taro and tannia) are tuberous vegetables with good taste and nutritive value. Seven field experiments were conducted in series at the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, India, over a decade (2004-2013) to compare the varietal response, yield, quality and soil properties under organic farming over conventional system in these crops and to develop a learning system based on the data generated. The industrial as well as domestic varieties of cassava, the elite and local varieties of elephant foot yam and taro and the three species of Dioscorea (yams) were on a par under both systems. However, the industrial variety of cassava yielded more under organic farming than conventional practice. The yield trend over the years as well as pooled analysis indicated the significantly superior performance of organic farming in elephant foot yam. Organic farming produced slightly higher yield in cassava and trailing genotypes of yams. This indicates that elephant foot yam was the most responsive to organic management followed by yams and cassava. Taro and dwarf white yam preferred chemical farming as slight yield reduction (2-5%) was noticed under organic farming with almost similar tuber quality. Thus organic management promoted yield by 8%, 20%, 9%, 11% and 7% over conventional practice in cassava, elephant foot yam, white yam, greater yam and lesser yam respectively. The tuber quality was improved with higher dry matter, starch, crude protein, K, Ca and Mg contents. The anti-nutritional factors, oxalate content in elephant foot yam and cyanogenic glucoside content in cassava were lowered by 21 and 12.4% respectively. Organic plots had significantly higher water holding capacity, pH, available K, Fe, Mn and Cu, higher soil organic matter, available N, P, exchangeable Ca and Mg, dehydrogenase enzyme activity and microbial count. Cost-benefit analysis in elephant foot yam indicated that the net profit was 28% higher and additional income of Rs. 47,716 ha-1 was obtained due to organic farming. The on station technology developed for elephant foot yam was validated and popularized through on farm trials in 10 sites (5 ha) under National Horticulture Mission funded programme. The technology is included in the Package of Practices Recommendations for crops of Kerala Agricultural University. A learning system was developed using artificial neural networks (ANN) to predict the performance of elephant foot yam organic production system. Use of organically produced seed materials, seed treatment in cow-dung, neem cake, bio-inoculant slurry, farmyard manure incubated with bio-inoculants, green manuring, use of neem cake, bio-fertilizers and ash formed the strategies for organic production. Organic farming is an eco-friendly management strategy that enables 10-20% higher yield, quality tubers and maintenance of soil health in tuber crops.
Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record, shown for indexing and research. Copyright remains with the authors or the publisher.
The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.
Claims 20
Claim · model-written summary
Cassava industrial and domestic varieties performed similarly under both systems.
- Taxon
- cassava
Manihot esculentae0 - Material
- industrial as well as domestic varietiese0
- Treatment
- organic farminge1
- Outcome
- on a pare0
- Direction
- on a pare0
- Comparator
- conventional practicee1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The industrial as well as domestic varieties of cassava, the elite and local varieties of elephant foot yam and taro and the three species of Dioscorea (yams) were on a par under both systems.”
e1“organic farming than conventional practice”
Claim · model-written summary
Elephant foot yam elite and local varieties were on a par under both systems.
Verbatim
e0“the elite and local varieties of elephant foot yam and taro and the three species of Dioscorea (yams) were on a par under both systems.”
e1“organic farming than conventional practice”
Claim · model-written summary
Taro varieties performed on a par under both systems.
- Taxon
- taro
_Colocasia_esculenta_-_Les_Martels%2C_Giroussens_Tarn.jpg?width=60)
Colocasia esculentae0 - Treatment
- organic farminge1
- Outcome
- on a pare0
- Direction
- on a pare0
- Comparator
- conventional practicee1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_Colocasia_esculenta_-_Les_Martels%2C_Giroussens_Tarn.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“the elite and local varieties of elephant foot yam and taro and the three species of Dioscorea (yams) were on a par under both systems.”
e1“organic farming than conventional practice”
Claim · model-written summary
Three yam species were on a par under both systems.
DioscoreaOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the three species of Dioscorea (yams) were on a par under both systems.”
e1“organic farming than conventional practice”
Claim · model-written summary
The industrial cassava variety yielded more under organic farming.
- Taxon
- cassavaManihot esculentae0
- Material
- industrial varietye0
- Treatment
- organic farminge0
- Outcome
- yieldede0
- Direction
- moree0
- Comparator
- conventional practicee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the industrial variety of cassava yielded more under organic farming than conventional practice.”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic farming significantly outperformed conventional farming for elephant foot yam yield across years and pooled analysis.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“The yield trend over the years as well as pooled analysis indicated the significantly superior performance of organic farming in elephant foot yam.”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic farming produced slightly higher cassava yield.
- Taxon
- cassavaManihot esculentae0
- Treatment
- Organic farminge0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Organic farming produced slightly higher yield in cassava and trailing genotypes of yams.”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic farming produced slightly higher yield in trailing yam genotypes.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Organic farming produced slightly higher yield in cassava and trailing genotypes of yams.”
Claim · model-written summary
Taro yield fell 2-5% under organic farming while tuber quality was similar.
- Taxon
- TaroColocasia esculentae0
- Treatment
- organic farminge0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- 2-5%e0
- Comparator
- chemical farminge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Taro and dwarf white yam preferred chemical farming as slight yield reduction (2-5%) was noticed under organic farming with almost similar tuber quality.”
Claim · model-written summary
Dwarf white yam yield fell 2-5% under organic farming.
- Taxon
- white yam
Dioscorea cayenensis subsp. rotundatae0 - Material
- dwarf white yame0
- Treatment
- organic farminge0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- 2-5%e0
- Comparator
- chemical farminge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Taro and dwarf white yam preferred chemical farming as slight yield reduction (2-5%) was noticed under organic farming with almost similar tuber quality.”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic management increased cassava yield by 8%.
- Taxon
- cassavaManihot esculentae0
- Treatment
- organic managemente0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- promotede0
- Value
- 8%e0
- Comparator
- conventional practicee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic management promoted yield by 8%, 20%, 9%, 11% and 7% over conventional practice in cassava, elephant foot yam, white yam, greater yam and lesser yam respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic management increased elephant foot yam yield by 20%.
Verbatim
e0“organic management promoted yield by 8%, 20%, 9%, 11% and 7% over conventional practice in cassava, elephant foot yam, white yam, greater yam and lesser yam respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic management increased white yam yield by 9%.
- Taxon
- white yamDioscorea cayenensis subsp. rotundatae0
- Treatment
- organic managemente0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- promotede0
- Value
- 9%e0
- Comparator
- conventional practicee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic management promoted yield by 8%, 20%, 9%, 11% and 7% over conventional practice in cassava, elephant foot yam, white yam, greater yam and lesser yam respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic management increased greater yam yield by 11%.
- Taxon
- greater yam
Dioscorea alatae0 - Treatment
- organic managemente0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- promotede0
- Value
- 11%e0
- Comparator
- conventional practicee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic management promoted yield by 8%, 20%, 9%, 11% and 7% over conventional practice in cassava, elephant foot yam, white yam, greater yam and lesser yam respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic management increased lesser yam yield by 7%.
- Taxon
- lesser yam
Dioscorea esculentae0 - Treatment
- organic managemente0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- promotede0
- Value
- 7%e0
- Comparator
- conventional practicee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“organic management promoted yield by 8%, 20%, 9%, 11% and 7% over conventional practice in cassava, elephant foot yam, white yam, greater yam and lesser yam respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic management improved tuber dry matter, starch and crude protein.
- Taxon
- tubere0
- Treatment
- organic managemente1
- Outcome
- dry matter, starch, crude proteine0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“The tuber quality was improved with higher dry matter, starch, crude protein, K, Ca and Mg contents.”
e1“organic management promoted yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic management raised tuber K, Ca and Mg contents.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“The tuber quality was improved with higher dry matter, starch, crude protein, K, Ca and Mg contents.”
e1“organic management promoted yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic management lowered oxalate content in elephant foot yam by 21%.
- Taxon
- elephant foot yame0
- Treatment
- Organic farminge1
- Outcome
- oxalate contente0
- Direction
- lowerede0
- Value
- 21e0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“oxalate content in elephant foot yam and cyanogenic glucoside content in cassava were lowered by 21 and 12.4% respectively.”
e1“Organic farming produced slightly higher yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic management lowered cyanogenic glucoside content in cassava by 12.4%.
- Taxon
- cassavaManihot esculentae0
- Treatment
- Organic farminge1
- Outcome
- cyanogenic glucoside contente0
- Direction
- lowerede0
- Value
- 12.4%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“oxalate content in elephant foot yam and cyanogenic glucoside content in cassava were lowered by 21 and 12.4% respectively.”
e1“Organic farming produced slightly higher yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic plots had higher soil water holding capacity, pH and available nutrients.
- Treatment
- Organic plotse0
- Outcome
- water holding capacity, pH, available K, Fe, Mn and Cue0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“Organic plots had significantly higher water holding capacity, pH, available K, Fe, Mn and Cu, higher soil organic matter, available N, P, exchangeable Ca and Mg, dehydrogenase enzyme activity and microbial count.”
The same questions in other papers
cultivation system · yield · Dioscorea cayenensis (yellow yam)Positive and negative results
2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 1 in the opposite direction
- negative
- positive
- positive
cultivation system · yield · Manihot esculenta (cassava)Positive and negative results
2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 4 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- no effect
- no effect
4 papers more in this group
See all 8 papers →cultivation system · yield · Dioscorea alata (water yam)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
cultivation system · yield · Dioscorea esculenta (lesser yam)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
cultivation system · yield · DioscoreaResults agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.