Organic and Low Chemical Input Crop Production
Summary
Organic and low chemical input crop production encompasses a suite of practices designed to maintain or enhance yields while minimising reliance on synthetic fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides. Central to this approach is the use of organic amendments—such as compost, manures, biochars and green manures—that release nutrients gradually, bolster soil structure and foster rich microbial communities. Legumes and biological nitrogen fixers are incorporated in rotations to supply plant-available nitrogen naturally. Physical and cultural techniques—including mechanical weeding, mulching, cover crops, intercropping and refuge strips—help to suppress weeds and pests, while biological controls and plant extracts offer targeted protection against pathogens and insects. Biostimulants, notably chitosan derivatives and microbial inoculants, further enhance plant resilience to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity and waterlogging. Together these elements contribute to carbon sequestration, improved water-use efficiency and biodiversity conservation, delivering sustainable production that aligns food security goals with ecosystem health.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Trials of intercropping annual buckwheat with fast-growing paulownia have demonstrated that pairing a timber species with a nectar-rich understory can sustain buckwheat yield while markedly boosting floral abundance and extending the season of pollinator foraging. Flower visitation rates by honeybees remained high without any decline in crop biomass, illustrating a practical route to integrate pollinator resources within coppice systems. In another study, peanuts grown in alkaline soils under full and deficit irrigation were treated with foliar chitosan. The application improved relative water content, proline accumulation and nutrient uptake under mixed drought–alkali stress, and enhanced seed yield and irrigation water-use efficiency. Chitosan treatments altered sodium absorption and promoted homeostasis of key minerals, highlighting the role of natural biopolymers in ameliorating combined stresses in field-grown crops.
Organic and Low Chemical Input Crop Production publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in organic and low chemical input crop production across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Biochar: A stable, carbon-rich residue produced by pyrolysis of biomass, used as a soil amendment to improve nutrient retention and carbon sequestration.
Biostimulant: A substance or microorganism applied to plants to enhance nutrient efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance or food quality traits, independent of its nutrient content.
Chitosan: A deacetylated derivative of chitin, employed as a biodegradable polymer for foliar sprays and nanoparticle formulations that elicit plant defence responses.
Cultural control: Agronomic practices (e.g. mulching, intercropping, irrigation scheduling) that reduce pest or weed pressure by disrupting their lifecycles or improving crop competitiveness.
Intercropping: The simultaneous cultivation of two or more crops in proximity to optimise resource use, diversify habitat structure and suppress pests or diseases.
References
- The impact of buckwheat and paulownia (Paulownia elongata × P. fortunei) intercropping on beekeeping value and buckwheat yield. Scientific Reports (2024).
- Monitoring plant responses in field-grown peanuts exposed to exogenously applied chitosan under full and limited irrigation levels. Scientific Reports (2024).
- Chitosan-Enclosed Menadione Sodium Bisulfite as an Environmentally Friendly Alternative to Enhance Biostimulant Properties against Drought. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2023).
- Metabolic and Transcriptomic Approaches of Chitosan and Water Stress on Polyphenolic and Terpenoid Components and Gene Expression in Salvia abrotanoides (Karl.) and S. yangii. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
- Sustainable Crop Production.
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