Biodynamic management with long rotations and multiple cropping contributes to hight soil organic matter content, soil fertility and biodiversity compared to conventional systems.

Intensive conventional horticulture with high input management has a strong environmental impact, with negative effect on soil, air and water pollution, decreased biodiversity or greenhouse gas emissions. Horticulture is a high demand system of water and nutrients, with high inputs of pesticides to sustain high productions. In this context, cropping systems with organic and biodynamic management are considered as a sustainable alternative to reduce the negative impact of the excessive use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides, with introduction of longer rotations and multiple cropping that can increase soil quality and biodiversity (Fliebach et al., 2007). Organic systems are related to higher carbon supply to soil, increasing soil structure, fertility and soil biodiversity, with decreased incidence of soil-borne diseases (Gattinger et al., 2013). These facts can contribute to climate change mitigation by soil carbon sequestration, reduced overall greenhouse gas emissions and promote soil diversity which is linked to solubilization of nutrients and plant resistant to diseases. Biodynamic agriculture is a system of organic agriculture based on a strong reduction of external inputs, use of compost and compost applications and other treatments based on plant extracts (Lotter, 2003). Hence, the aim of this study was to assess the influence of organic and biodynamic diversified cropping systems (long rotations and multiple cropping) compared to short rotations under conventional farming on soil physicochemical properties and microbial biomass and diversity in cropping systems that have transformed into organic or biodynamic for nine years.