A new method for analyzing agricultural land-use efficiency, and its application in organic and conventional farming systems in southern Germany

The new approach was tested using data from long-term experiments at the Scheyern Research Farm in southern Germany, which include different farming systems (organic mixed farming, arable farming, and agroforestry; conventional arable farming and agroforestry). In our case studies, the LUE of conventional systems (arable farming: 1.00; improved arable farming: 1.06; agroforestry: 0.98) was higher than those of the organic systems (mixed farming: 0.69; arable farming: 0.33; agroforestry: 0.43) due to different crop rotations, dry matter yields, and biomass usage (harvest ratio). The conversion of high-input arable farming systems (conventional farming) to agroforestry systems is an extensification with negative effects on the dry matter yield and land-use efficiency. Nevertheless, the conversion to agroforestry systems can increase dry matter yield and land-use efficiency in low-input arable farming systems (organic farming). LUE should be used in combination with agri-environmental indicators, in order to ensure both efficient and sustainable land use.