2004: Geomedical aspects of organic farming. Editor: E. Steinnes. (6.4 MB.)

Organic farming depends on approaches different from those used in conventional agriculture in order to compensate for deficiencies of essential nutrients in the soil. If the farmers and their advisers have insufficient knowledge about the local geochemical conditions, the demands for micronutrients in plants and animals, and practices accepted for use in organic farming, problems such as diseases in crops and animals, reduced agricultural production, and inferior product quality may occur. The present book contains 13 papers dealing with these problems. Many of the papers address relations between micronutrient contents in organically grown agricultural crops and adequate supply of these nutrients to farm animals. Problems related to deficiency as well as excess of trace elements are discussed. Some aspects of human malnutrition in developing countries due to inadequate trace element supply in locally grown food products are also covered. The importance of regional geochemistry for nutrient supply in agriculture is emphasized.