USDA plant physiologist Vincent Russo investigated whether organic practices can produce vigorous vegetable seedlings. The first 2 years, organically grown bell pepper transplants appeared to be less vigorous than those in a conventional potting soil.
Further examination revealed that an organic fertilizer, added to a commercially available, organically certified potting medium, had to be applied at four times the label rate to produce bell pepper seedlings that were similar to those produced by methods using synthetic fertilizers and a conventional potting medium.
Russo and Merritt J. Taylor, an agricultural economist and director of Oklahoma State University, performed an economic analysis comparing organic and commercial production practices. They found that it cost 11 cents per seedling to produce bell pepper transplants with organic practices versus 8 cents per seedling using conventional methods.
Russo concludes that it is more expensive to produce vegetables using organic rather than conventional methods. But organic produce commands a higher price.