Organic long-term trial Rutzendorf

In 2003, a comprehensive long-term study was established at the Rutzendorf organic farm (150 ha; Marchfeld, Lower Austria)—a subsidiary of the Federal Agricultural Research Farms (BVW) GmbH—to document, develop, and optimize organic arable farming and associated agro-ecological measures (Project MUBIL: Monitoring the Conversion to Organic Farming). The study aimed to determine how the transition to organic farming and its associated habitats affect soil parameters; nutrient, humus, and water balances; plant communities; crop yield potential and quality; fauna; and economic viability. Since 2003, IBIO has been conducting a long-term trial to evaluate the sustainability of stockless organic arable farming systems by comparing them with a control system that includes livestock. The trial examines four fertilization variants (DV1: green manure only; DV2: green manure + organic waste compost; DV3: alfalfa removed + farmyard manure; DV4: alfalfa removed + biogas digestate) regarding—among other factors—their impact on soil properties (humus and nutrient content, soil structure) and the yield and quality of harvested crops. This long-term trial in Rutzendorf is the only ongoing organic farming experiment in Austria. Consequently, the results obtained are of great importance for both agricultural practice and scientific understanding. Furthermore, the organic long-term trial has been designated a "Regular Site" by LTER-Austria (the Austrian Society for Long-Term Ecological Research) and, alongside other agricultural long-term trials, forms part of the agro-ecological eLTER Cluster Marchfeld.