Pesticide Free Production (PFP) is a pesticide reduction system that removes in-crop pesticide use on a yearly basis. A long-term study was established in 2000 to investigate the effect of crop rotation and frequency of inclusion on the success of PFP, as well as the effect of PFP on subsequent crops in the rotation. The crop rotations being compared were linola–oat–canola–wheat and linola–oat–alfalfa–alfalfa. PFP occurred either once in the rotation (oat) or twice (linola–oat). Weed density and yield were measured in the crops that followed PFP. Oat was a more successful PFP crop than linola because it was better able to compete with weeds. Furthermore, PFP oat had a higher weed density when it followed PFP linola, but this did not influence PFP oat yield. Under the conditions of this study, PFP linola was more successful in the annual crop rotation. Inclusion of alfalfa hay crops in the crop rotation was not effective in lowering weed pressure and, in fact, may have contributed to an increase in weed density. It is concluded that weed species present influenced the effectiveness of alfalfa in facilitating PFP, because major weeds in the study are not effectively controlled by alfalfa. PFP did not have a negative effect on following crops in the rotation (i.e. canola–wheat or alfalfa), regardless of whether one or two consecutive years of PFP occurred in the rotation. No additional herbicide was necessary for weed control in the crops that followed PFP; however, alfalfa hay was weedier for the first year following PFP. This study indicates that PFP is a viable way to reduce herbicide use in a cropping system and that attention needs to be paid to PFP crop selection and crop rotation, particularly when the PFP crop is less competitive with weeds.

Since keeping nutrient cycles intact is one of the most important goals in organic farming, the option of recycling by-products from organic food processing by feeding them to organically raised pigs was analyzed in this study. A more specific objective was to estimate the potential of this nutrient source for reducing the protein deficiency in organic pig nutrition. Sector-specific questionnaires were sent to 321 processors of organic foods in Austria. The information provided was used to estimate the total quantity of the respective by-products available. Proximate analysis, amino acid and mineral analysis were performed for different by-products. These data were combined with the available quantities of the respective by-products, resulting in the amounts of nutrients potentially recyclable for pig nutrition. Each year 2400 t of wheat bran, 990 t of rye bran and 1300 t of residues from the separation of seed grains are already fed to different kinds of livestock. Some 510 t of stale bread are currently disposed of, but could be used as a highly nutritive feedstuff for pigs, once the problem of collection is solved. Relevant amounts of other energy-rich by-products were found: currently, about 11,000 t (2000 t on a dry matter basis) of feed-grade potatoes are composted, resulting in a waste of 27,000 GJ of metabolizable energy (ME). These potatoes could be better utilized as a dietary energy source for approximately 12,300 pigs. Additionally, about 12,900 t of whey from organically produced milk are discarded, which could be used to feed roughly 14,000 pigs. High-protein by-products are scarce. Annually, 80 t and 63 t of expellers from pumpkin seed and sunflower seed, respectively, are produced from organically grown oilseeds. Only small quantities of okara (by-product of the production of tofu from soybeans) and buttermilk are available. Only 4% and 5% of the protein and lysine requirements, respectively, of the pigs currently kept on organic farms in Austria could be covered by by-products rich in protein. Excluding feed-grade potatoes means a loss of 18% crude protein (CP), 18% lysine and 26% ME of the entire nutrient supply available from organic by-products.

Unavailability of irrigation water for early sowing has remained a constant problem in cold arid deserts of Ladakh. In order to get a solution to this problem, a 2-yr farmers’ participatory research trial with best bet agronomic management on artificial glacier water harvesting technology was conducted. The technology involves collecting water from natural glaciers that melt during late December. The water is diverted toward a shed constructed with stone embankments set up at regular intervals. The area is chosen where there is minimum interference of solar radiation, generally between two mountain slopes or ridge that is on the leeward side. The melted water is that melts from the natural glacier impeded by the embankments and get frozen here. This frozen water starts melting in late March and is used for both pre sowing and initial crop water requirement. It also ensures early sowing of wheat by creating additional 45-day window which leads to introduction of long- and medium-duration wheat varieties to replace decades old locally grown short-duration varieties. The work was initiated with a benchmark survey of 100 farmers to get an understanding of present irrigation scenario, crop management practices and date of sowing. Data from 99 farmer participating trial of wheat conducted after or from bench mark survey clearly indicated that the effect of water shortage can be seen on yield and yield attributing characters due to unavailability of pre sowing irrigation and water requirement at imperative growth stages and may also lead to terminal heat stress in wheat crop. Out of total number of irrigations applied, initial two irrigations can be compensated by artificial glacier water harvesting technique, leading to a revolution in the agriculture scenario of the tribal population by introduction of long- and medium-duration wheat varieties in cold arid desert of Ladakh for the very first time. It was observed that wheat seeding done in first fortnight of April gave better yields in comparison to late seeded wheat. Moreover, the long-duration varieties (LDVs) or medium-duration varieties (MDVs) sown under late condition gave better yield in comparison to locally grown short-duration varieties sown at same time. Yield potential of LDVs and MDVs of wheat under late sowing was found quite low in comparison to early-sown wheat, still when compared with the performance of locally grown wheat the yields were more even if the local varieties were sown early. The outcome of this study will help the farmers of tribal, cold arid community in harvesting better wheat yields by timely sowing of the wheat crop accompanied with better bet agronomic management practices. Government initiative is further required to ensure better outreach of complete crop management strategies to the tribal farming community of the region in order to ensure food security and improve their socioeconomic status.

Double-cropping winter rye cover crops (CC) with soybean in the North Central US could help with the global effort to sustainably intensify agriculture. Studies addressing the management of these systems are limited. Therefore, a field study was conducted from 2017 to 2019 in Central Iowa, US to evaluate winter rye CC biomass production, aboveground N accumulation, estimated economics, estimated within-field energy balance and estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under three N application rates (0, 60, 120 kg N ha−1) and three planting methods (pre- and post-harvest broadcast and post-harvest drilling). Averaged over N rates, all planting methods resulted in >5.0 Mg ha−1 year−1 rye aboveground biomass dry matter. Averaged over the 2-year study and compared with unfertilized treatments, applying 60 kg N ha−1 produced 1.1 Mg ha−1 more aboveground biomass (6.1 vs 5.0 Mg ha−1), accumulated 30 kg ha−1 more N in aboveground biomass (88 vs 58 kg N ha−1), and led to 20 GJ ha−1 more net energy. Biomass production was not significantly higher with 120 kg N ha−1 compared with the 60 kg N ha−1 rate. Even when accounting for an estimated 0.75 Mg ha−1 of above ground rye biomass left in the field after harvesting, more N was removed than applied at the 60 kg N ha−1 rate. The minimum rye prices over the 2-year study needed for double-cropping winter rye CC to be profitable (breakeven prices) averaged $117 and $104 Mg−1 for the 0 and 60 kg N ha−1 rates, which factors in estimated soybean yield reductions in 2019 compared with local averages but not off-site transportation. GHG emissions were estimated to increase approximately threefold between the unfertilized and 60 kg N ha−1 rates without considering bioenergy offsets. While environmental tradeoffs need further study, results suggest harvesting fertilized rye CC biomass before planting soybean is a promising practice for the North Central US to maximize total crop and net energy production.

Poor productivity in smallholder farming systems has necessitated research on the potential of crop–livestock integration to sustainably improve productivity. The study hypothesized that improvement in individual agronomic and livestock systems and synergistic utilization of by-products of either system increases productivity, profitability and integration. Smallholder farming households were classified into: old and resource endowed (OR); part time (PT); and young, risk-taking and enthusiastic (YRE) following a survey conducted in Murehwa and Goromonzi districts of Zimbabwe. Crop–livestock systems’ integration scenarios were developed for each farmer category. Expression of crop–livestock integration in physical terms, e.g., kg ha−1, can be complex and confounding, hence the expression of integration in monetary values. Baseline scenario results indicate that OR had the highest crop–livestock integration of $3981 compared with PT and YRE despite OR having the lowest manure usage compared with PT and YRE farmers. Moreover, OR had the least legume yields of <800 compared with 3530 kg ha−1 in YRE farmers. Subsequent crop–livestock integration scenarios increased maize grain yields by at least 50%, thus increasing profitability to $1210, $3230 and $3100 yr−1 for mucuna, cowpea and groundnut, respectively. Total income increased by 135, 132 and 101% translating to $9880, $2960 and $6290 yr−1 in OR, PT and YRE farmers, respectively. Crop–livestock integration therefore has the potential to improve smallholder crop and livestock productivity, variable with socio-economic status.

Emphasis on reducing emissions from the greenhouse gases (GHG), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) has increased in recent years in the USA, primarily for industry, transportation, energy and agricultural sectors. In this study, we utilized on-farm data collected by the USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS), secured under an agreement with the USDA-Economic Research Service (ERS) to analyze the profitability of organic and conventional soybean production, based on changes that ‘green payments’ in a cap-and-trade system would introduce in agricultural markets in the USA. In particular, the analysis focused on establishing whether organic producers would be better positioned to sequester carbon (C) and reap the benefits of the C-offset scheme compared to conventional producers, given the differences in costs, management practices and environmental benefits between organic and conventional production methods. We estimated several changes in profitability of soybean producers according to management practices, incentives for the generation of offset credits, and increase in energy input prices that a potential cap-and-trade system may introduce in future agricultural markets in the USA. Survey data suggested that even with lower yields, conventional producers could profit from converting to organic agriculture, given organic price premiums. In addition, taking into consideration both direct and indirect costs, average cost for conventional-till (CT) organic soybean production was approximately 9% lower than no-till (NT) conventional production. With a C market and payments for soil C sequestration through potential Clean Energy legislation, additional profit could be accrued by organic producers, because organic production would have 28% greater ton CO2 eq. acre−1 yr−1 sequestration than conventional NT. Thus, the environmental benefits from GHG reduction could incentivize increased conversion from conventional to organic production across the USA.

This study was carried out under field conditions with the aim of evaluating the period of time necessary for soil cover, dry matter production and accumulation of nutrients by perennial herbaceous legumes with different phosphorus sources at different levels. Four legumes were evaluated: calopo (Calopogonium mucunoides Desv.), forage groundnut (Arachis pintoi Krap. & Greg.), siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum (OC.) Urb.) and tropical kudzu (Pueraria phaseoloides (Roxb.) Benth.). Each of these species received different phosphorus (P) sources and levels: no phosphate fertilization; 44 and 88 kg of P ha−1 applied as rock phosphate; and 44 kg of P ha−1 as triple superphosphate. Calopo, siratro and tropical kudzu completely covered the soil surface 129 days before forage groundnut. Phosphate fertilization did not increase the dry matter production of any species. The legumes forage groundnut, siratro and tropical kudzu showed desirable characteristics that promote their use as cover crops, such as high dry matter production and shoot accumulation of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K). Forage groundnut had the highest proportion of N derived from the atmosphere at the end of the rainy season, while there were no significant differences between the legumes at the end of the dry season. There was an elevation of soil pH and calcium+magnesium (Ca+Mg) contents, associated with a reduction of aluminum (Al) content, in the surface soil layer (0–5 cm) for siratro in relation to groundnut and tropical kudzu. Tropical kudzu promoted higher soil organic C contents when compared to groundnut.

For most economic goods market participants are ‘not forced to make a deal.’ They can walk away, perhaps permanently, or revisit a transaction later if the terms of trade are more to their liking. That is not the case for food. It is a biological necessity to participate in the food market. This coercive property of food demand and other unique market characteristics make the agricultural sector very unresponsive to changes in price and hence—in contrast to textbook expectations—its ability to quickly self-correct. In recent decades agricultural policy legislation has not taken into account the root causes of agriculture's chronic price and income problems. As a result, it has been largely ineffective and unnecessarily expensive. We argue in this paper that a well-designed supply management program can take agriculture's unique characteristics into account in a way that benefits farmers, consumers and the public as a whole.

Costs of production and organic price premiums are defining factors influencing the economic viability of organic crop production systems. Different agronomic practices, such as crop rotation and tillage intensity, are known to affect the economic performance of the production systems. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of two crop rotation sequences (simplified and diversified) and two levels of tillage intensity (high and low) on the cost of production, gross return and gross margin of crops when grown under organic management in the semi-arid Brown soil zone of the Canadian Prairies. The 2-year simplified rotation sequence consisted of forage pea (Pisum sativum L.) grown as a green manure followed by hard red spring wheat (HRSW) (Triticum aestivum L.), while the 4-year diversified rotation sequence was forage pea green manure followed by flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) or yellow mustard (Sinapis alba L.), field pea or lentil (Lens culinaris L.) and HRSW. Our hypothesis that a more diversified crop rotation would increase profitability over a traditional simplified crop rotation was supported by the findings. However, the findings did not support our hypothesis that reducing tillage intensity, and the combination of tillage reduction and diversified crop rotation through a synergetic response, would further enhance profitability. Analysis of the breakeven prices and breakeven yields for crops indicated the importance of adopting diversified crop rotations and choosing crops with high organic price premiums as means to maximize the long-term profitability of organic cropping systems.

Biodegradable and biobased mulch films and fabrics (BDMs) are potentially sustainable alternatives to polyethylene plastic mulch film (PE) in vegetable production because BDMs can be incorporated into the soil by tillage at the end of the growing season for decomposition. However, grower adoption has been limited in part by concerns about slow degradation rates and possible adverse effects on soil health and productivity. The objective of this study was to measure the effects of soil incorporated residues from two BDMs and compost on soil chemical and physical properties and vegetable crop yield across two diverse locations [Lincoln (LNK) and Scottsbluff (SBF), NE, USA] during a 2-yr study. The BDMs, including a polylactic acid biofabric with embedded wood particles (PLA; 1.14 mm thick and 298 g m−2), and a starch-polyester bioplastic mulch film (STP; 0.015 mm thick and 20 g m−2), were applied in May 2017 for vegetable production. Mulches were incorporated in soil by tillage in September 2017 in half of the experimental plots and removed in the other half as a control. Compost was applied in fall 2017 and 2018 at rates between 42 and 60 Mg ha−1 to establish high and low (no compost) fertility soil environments within each location. Sweet corn (Zea mays) was grown in 2018 and cabbage (Brassica oleraceae) in 2019, and yield data were collected. The soil was sampled at ~6 month intervals for two years. The BDM residues had little effect on soil pH, organic matter or physical properties, but the incorporation of PLA in the soil at SBF reduced soil nitrate 6 months after the incorporation of residues. Nitrogen immobilization likely contributed to the 16% ± 5% reduction in sweet corn yield observed at SBF in plots without compost where BDM residues were incorporated compared to removed. No additional yield differences were detected in sweet corn (2018) or cabbage (2019) across locations or treatments, which suggests that BDM residues are less likely to immobilize nitrogen and reduce yield in high fertility soil environments. Given the potential environmental benefits of BDMs as an alternative to PE, future research should seek to mitigate the negative effects of BDM residues on crop yield, particularly in lower fertility soils.

High-tunnel (HT) systems have been shown to effectively improve yields, fruit quality and profitability. In order to maximize returns on investment, HTs are frequently planted successively with both winter and summer cash crops and may include >2 crop cycles per year in some climates. The intense cultivation strategies used in HT systems necessitate increased tillage and nutrient demands posing challenges for soil health, environmental quality and long-term economic sustainability, particularly among organic growers. Seasonal rotations that incorporate fertility-building cover crops, such as legumes and other green manures, have the potential to build soil organic matter, improve crop yield and reduce applications of animal manure and/or compost. The economic impact of cover crop use in HT production systems poses important implications for organic growers. In this study, we present three partial budget analyses to quantify the economic benefits from a leguminous winter cover crop–tomato cash crop rotation in HTs across three regions. Data used in the economic analysis come from multi-year organic HT field trials in Kansas (2016–2019), Kentucky (2016–2019) and Minnesota (2016–2020). Direct financial benefits from hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) cover crop N credits were observed but not sufficient to offset the direct and indirect costs of the cover crop practice. A winter cover crop used in organic HT vegetable systems results in negative financial benefits to producers even with conservation incentive payments. These results highlight challenges for organic growers who are required under the USDA National Organic Program to incorporate soil building practices as part of their rotation schedule. The findings will also be of interest to policy makers as they refine cost-share offerings and programming to incentivize cover crop adoption as a conservation strategy.

Rice is the most important agricultural commodity of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), produced largely using traditional methods with limited inputs of fertilizers and other chemicals. The country has a wide diversity in rice production systems and rice varieties, with over 3000 different varieties recorded. The rich diversity and the production environment and methods are favorable for organic rice production. Investigations were carried out to describe soil fertility conditions, management practices, opportunities and problems associated with organic production methods for rice. Soils used for rice production are mostly of low fertility, with low organic matter and N-availability. In spite of this, virtually no fertilizer inputs are used for upland rice production. Inorganic fertilizer inputs for lowland rice production have increased rapidly over the past decade, but are still below 20 kg ha−1. The most important nutrient sources are rice straw and manure from buffalo and cattle. Chromolaena odorata plays an important role in nutrient cycling in upland rice systems and is sometimes added to lowland fields. In a range of fertility management studies, yield increase ranged from 2 to 89% for manure, straw or rice husk applied at modest rates (3 t ha−1), 32–156% for modest rates of inorganic fertilizer (60 kg N ha−1) and 36–167% for combined application of manure or crop residues with inorganic fertilizer. The response to locally produced commercial organic fertilizer was poor. The most promising inputs and strategies available to optimize yields in organic rice production systems are (1) optimizing use of locally available nutrients, mostly from manure, crop residues and weed biomass, (2) N addition through green manure and legumes growing in rotation and (3) additions of P through guano or rock-phosphate. The Lao PDR is fortunate to have substantial bat guano deposits in limestone caves. Extensive experience is available on straw and husk management for lowland systems and green manure species for upland production systems.

Molly Anderson's vision of making US federal food assistance rights-based is a powerful and strategic call for justice. Let us expand it to a call for human rights-based sustainable food system development at the national and local level. International human rights frameworks provide strategic and still-evolving tools to support social justice as well as experienced global networks and partners. To advance that potential, we need to fire up broad-scale human rights and human right to adequate food and nutrition education and training.

This study aims to analyze the influence of neighborhood effects (NE) on tea farmers' intention to convert from traditional to organic farming in the mountainous areas of northern Vietnam. It differs from previous studies in two aspects. First, we combine the theory of planned behavior and the theory of herd behavior to explain farmers' intention to convert from traditional to organic farming, focusing on the impact of the NE. Secondly, to measure NE, we use a combination of questionnaires and methods of measuring herd behavior by McCartney and Shah. Using the generalized structural equation modeling and data collected from 263 tea farmers in Thai Nguyen, we found that NE has a positive and direct significant effect on farmers' intention to convert to organic tea production in the case where neighbors both live nearby and have a close relationship with the subject. In addition, it indirectly impacts farmers' conversion intention through attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavior control. To encourage tea farmers to convert to organic farming, policymakers and extension workers should take advantage of the NE to increase farmers' confidence about the benefits and the possibility of successful organic farming.

A sustainable agricultural and food system is characterized by two qualities: availability of high-quality, healthy food along with the best possible preservation of natural resources. Organic farming is discussed as a solution model for the complementary achievement of both aims. Taking the region Mostviertel-Eisenwurzen (A) as a case study, the present investigation examines the regional self-reliance in food production by means of three scenarios. In the basic scenario, the current land use of the region is set against the present-day food demand of the local population. The organic scenario assumes that the farming method of the region adheres 100% to the guidelines of organic farming. The food produced is set against the current food demand, as in the basic scenario. In the third scenario–-the organic-alternative scenario–-the 100% organically produced food is set against a food demand of the local population that follows the recommendations of nutritional science, comprising more plant-based diets. The results show that in the case of the hypothetical conversion to organic farming, food production decreases in absolute numbers. Despite this reduction, the local population can be sufficiently supplied with food energy, both in the case of the average Austrian diet as well as in a diet according to the recommendations of nutritional science. The number of people that can be supplied outside the region is higher in the nutritional science diet than in the average Austrian diet, despite the lower total net export quantity. While egg, meat and milk production are up to six times the local demand, the degree of self-supply of plant products (especially fruit and vegetables) covers only two-thirds of the demand after conversion. Moreover, our calculations show how a change of consumption patterns affects the demand for imported feedstuff. The region changes from being a net importer of concentrate (76,190 t fresh mass) at the starting point to a gross exporter (39,784 t fresh mass) in the organic and the organic-alternative scenario. In summary, agricultural production according to the guidelines of organic farming and a diet following the recommendations of nutritional science seems a promising strategy for achieving a sustainable agricultural and food system.

The complexities of the global agri-food system and the singular importance of food as a primary good elevate the need to explore what corporate social responsibility (CSR) might mean for agri-food firms. Although CSR refers to voluntary actions on the part of capitalist firms to exceed legal and regulatory requirements, those requirements are important because they set the institutional foundation for what a firm must do to earn the CSR label. In the case of CSR for agri-food firms, the institutional context includes the regulatory state as well as the publicly supported agricultural and food research and development that tends to be done at universities. The purpose of this paper is to provide greater conceptual clarity to the blur between the state, agri-food firms, and universities and their respective responsibilities to the public. Since the globalization of the agri-food system and the emergence of private forms of governance signal the decline of the state's legal and regulatory influence on corporate firms, we pay particularly close attention to the ethical challenges that have surrounded university–agribusiness collaborations—initiatives, which conjoin the moral concerns associated with each respective institution while also raising new questions in their own right. Although the university would ideally play a critical participatory role in this process by virtue of its public commitments, as we explain, the historical relationship between the university and agri-food firms has complicated the university's potential standing as an independent arbiter. Upon examining each of these issues in greater detail, we conclude the paper with a blueprint for how universities can enhance their ethical leadership when engaging with agri-food firms.

This paper investigates the state of pork supply as to its neglect of developing innovations and mechanisms for delivering superior eating quality to consumers. We explore reasons behind pork supply chains’ predominant focus on mass production combined with traceability and food safety, while only little attention has been given to potentially lucrative niche markets focused on intrinsic quality cues. Using established analytical frameworks of hedonic pricing and transactions costs economics we discuss alternative strategies for the segregation and promotion of intrinsic sensory differentiated pork. Growing empirical evidence in the literature underpins the importance of eating experience in delivering utility to consumers and in stabilizing declining demand trends in major markets. Building on current consumer behavioral literature and organizational developments in meat supply chains in Europe and Australia, we critically discuss opportunities to overcome this supposedly suboptimal situation.

Even in developing countries that are faced with ecological and socio-economic problems, agricultural areas are constrained by land-use laws to be developed in particular ways. This being the case, the major issues in these areas are a better quality of life and sustainable use of the limited resources. This necessitates planning for sustainable development and evaluating various qualitative and quantitative data in a single framework. Multicriteria or multipurpose decision analysis methods are appropriate for this purpose. Using these methods, physical, economical and social data, as well as planning goals, can be combined and evaluated in the context of sustainable development. These multicriteria methods have been documented widely in a variety of problem areas, but two multicriteria methods, namely AHP (analytic hierarchy process) and ELECTRE II (elimination and choice translating reality), have not been used extensively in agricultural land-use decisions in developing countries. However, in situations where decision-making criteria are non-commensurable, non-comparable or non-countable, and when it is necessary to evaluate the criteria together, as in agricultural land-use decisions, AHP and ELECTRE II methods are warranted. This study reviews these methods briefly and suggests their potential application in the agricultural land-use decision process in a developing country. For this purpose, these methods were sampled in Ziyaret Stream Basin in Adiyaman, which is part of the Güneydoğu Anadolu Projesi (GAP) (South-eastern Anatolian Project) in the Republic of Turkey. The area could be characterized by its rural and agricultural features, although it is under the pressure of Adiyaman urban development. This study shows that both AHP and ELECTRE II methods can be applied successfully for the determination of agricultural land-use priorities, which are an essential part of the quality of life and of sustainable land-use studies.

Conservation biology and agriculture share a common landscape and a future that demands novel research and practice. Inevitably, limited resources create conflict in the absence of a shared vision forward. Therefore, given the similarities in proximate and even ultimate goals, we must envision a joint path toward renewable and resilient agroecosystems. In this commentary, I highlight the root of past conflicts and share a vision of progress forward that encompasses mutually beneficial outcomes. I include six areas of anticipatory research and inquiry at the intersection of conservation biology and agriculture to better identify shared goals and facilitate more frequent communication among disciplines.

Composting technologies have progressed parallel to the growing interest in recycling organic waste over recent decades, whilst in-field compost application requires technical improvement and more experience in order to optimize their effect according to the agro-environment and the type of crop which follow their incorporation into the soil. In response to compost application, biological soil features were assessed in field by adopting precision agricultural machinery and by limiting soil incorporation to a depth of 15 cm. A 2-year trial was carried out on two sites in the East Po valley (Northern Italy), an agricultural district which, in 2000, was classified as being on the verge of desertification, and where efforts to counteract soil organic matter decline have been underway for some decades. A green-waste compost produced in accordance with current national directives was applied in autumn 2019 and 2020 to two organic fields using precision farming machinery for compost spreading and conventional harrows for incorporation. Fields were divided into two large plots to compare the effect of compost treatment to an untreated control and were managed according to organic farming practices. Seven months after application, microbial biomass, assessed in terms of DNA, and 17 enzymatic activities were estimated by sampling root-explored soil at the vegetative stage of different seed crops for organic horticulture. A significant overall increase of biological soil activity was detected after the second application. The qualitative response varied slightly between the two sites: a higher impact of microbial biomass was observed in the site that was poorer in soil organic matter; whilst in the other, an increase of phosphatase activities contributed more to the general increase of biological activity. Findings show that, in those agricultural soils, an agronomic advantage from compost can be obtained only after repeated applications; furthermore, precision farming technologies facilitate compost application even in small, specialized farms such as those which hosted this trial.