Long-Term Data Show What Organics Can Do

08 December 2025, Switzerland: December 5 is World Soil Day. An experiment that deals intensively with soil is the DOK trial in Switzerland. It is led by FiBL and the state research organisation Agroscope and deserves an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. It is the world’s longest-running trial to scientifically compare cultivation systems in the field. In the last year, data from the last 45 years have been analysed and published. The results show that organic farming promotes soil fertility and helps conserve biodiversity.

Since 1978, the DOK trial has been comparing biodynamic (D), organic (O) and conventional (K) cropping systems, with a group of conventional and organic farmers providing guidance and assistance. Data from the trial show that organic agriculture provides a solid foundation for advancing sustainable farming systems that give equal consideration to food production and environmental impact.

Beneficial for soil fertility

Animal manure and its processing are crucial for maintaining soil fertility. Under typical on-farm fertilization levels, humus content could be kept stable using farmyard manure. When manure was applied in composted form – as practiced in biodynamic systems – the humus content could even be increased. This has positive effects on soil structure, helps retain water, and reduces soil losses through erosion. At the same time, it stimulates soil life. Organic soils show higher and more diverse biological activity, which in turn supports greater biodiversity.

Efficiently produced yields

The data clearly demonstrate the importance of robust cultivars for increasing yields. They also demonstrate the efficiency of organic systems. On average, such systems produce 85 per cent of conventional yields without any use of chemically synthesised pesticides or artificial fertilisers.

Nitrogen is one of the most important plant nutrients, but it is also one of the environmentally most critical substances, as surpluses can end up in groundwater or be released into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases.

Paul Mäder and the DOK trial

Paul Mäder led the DOK trial from 1987 to 2023, guiding it to success. According to ScholarGPS, the FiBL researcher was in the top 0.05 per cent of scientists in 2024. A particular highlight of his career was the publication of a DOK study in the high-ranking research journal Science in 2002. This study has since been cited more than 4,000 times, marking a milestone that elevated the credibility of organic agriculture beyond 
its research niche. Having retired in 2024, Paul Mäder handed over management of the DOK trial to a new generation: FiBL scientist Hans-Martin Krause is now in charge.

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