Organic Farming for Improving Soil Quality and Agricultural Sustainability in Oman

ABSTRACT: This proposal combines research and outreach on two inter-related topics; soil quality and organic farming. The three-year project includes four main aspects or activities. The first will be achieved through a partnership of SQU and MAF researchers to sample soils on current selected farms. Data will be compared to non-farmed sites, to historical data in the Oman Soil Atlas (MAF 1990), and also the Integrated Studies of North Al Batinah, South Al Batinah, and Salalah (MAF 1993). Soil test data will also be compared to published values of optimal levels of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients. In part two, long term and short term research trials will address our research hypotheses. In part three, the data from these and other studies will be compiled into farm management guides and in part four, this information will be disseminated to farmers and urban gardeners/food producers in a series of workshops with several institutional partners. Both graduate and undergraduate students will receive training and benefit from this project. The central hypothesis: organic farming practices are feasible to be widely adopted for soil conservation and organic carbon enhancement in Omani environments, while maintaining yields and profitability. Hypothesis one (crop response/ biogeochemistry): Organic soil amendments and practices (biochar, green manure, mulch, etc) will improve nutrient cycling and availability for crops in Omani environments. Hypothesis two (biodiversity/ resilience/ecological sustainability): of organic farming practices (eg. organic fertilizer application, mulching, cover crops, and the lack of application of agrochemicals) will increase the resilience of cropping systems through the stimulation of soil biodiversity and functional redundancy Hypothesis three (Social/ economical): Organic fertilizer application, green manure, mulching and alternative organic pest control are economically feasible practices and can, at the same time, be well accepted by farmers for being in agreement with traditional Omani practices; In some cases, organic farming may increase the profitability of the farms who adopt it.