Sustainability performance of organic farming at vegetable fields in Tabanan, Bali, Indonesia

Sustainable agriculture aims to maintain high productivity while maintaining soil quality. The purpose of this study is to determine the sustainability performance of organic vegetable farming systems with soil quality indicators as a soil quality assessment tool. Soil physical, chemical, and biological properties in Chinese cabbage in Baturiti Subdistrict, Tabanan Regency, Bali, Indonesia, were evaluated as indicators for predicting organic cabbage production and yield. Soil samples were obtained from organic farming systems! that have been going on for 1, 3, and 5 years after certification, compared with conventional farming systems. The results showed that the soil quality of the organic farming system after 5 years (OF5) was significantly higher than the conventional farming system. Physically, soil moisture at the field capacity in OF5 was significantly higher than that in the other systems. Chemically, the organic C and cation exchange capacity in organic systems were significantly higher than in conventional systems. The same results were shown by soil respiration, which means that there was high soil microbial activity. Based on the cumulative soil quality rating, it is concluded that the OFS system met the sustainability criteria, with no high input required.