Inoculant Impacts on Organic Vegetable Production in the Upper Great Plains
In the Northern Great Plains, adoption of roller-crimping for weed suppression in no-till organic cropping systems remains a challenge due to limited growing season and delayed soil warming, which limit production of sufficient cover crop biomass to suppress weeds. A solution may be to grow weed-suppressive biomass out of phase spatially and temporally with the main crop, an approach called ‘deep mulching.’
Read MoreCover Crop Strategies to Build Soil Organic Matter, thereby Enhancing Soil Biology, Water Retention and Weed Control in Organic Cropping Systems of the Western Corn Belt
Principal Investigators: Dr. Rhae A. Drijber University of Nebraska-Lincoln 316 Keim Hall Lincoln, NE 68583-0915 402-472-0770 Fax: 402-472-7904 [email protected] Dr. John L. Lindquist University of Nebraska-Lincoln 279 Plant Science Hall Lincoln, NE 68583-0817 402-472-2771 Fax: 402-472-3654 [email protected] Project Abstract We request funding to expand research initiated in 2009 on organic weed management with support from…
Read MoreLegume Cover Crop Impacts on Soil Nitrogen Cycling and Soil Fertility on Organic Vegetable Farms
Principal Investigator: Jennifer Blesh Assistant Professor, School for Environment and Sustainability, and Sustainable Food Systems Initiative, University of Michigan 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 [email protected]. Collaborators: Dr. Sieglinde Snapp Professor, Soils and Cropping Systems Ecologist, Michigan State University 3700 E. Gull Lake Dr., Kellogg Biological Station, Hickory Corners, MI 49060 Dr. Daniel Brainard…
Read MoreEffect of Cover and Green Manure Crops on Soil Health, Plant Health and Tuber Yield in Organic Sweet Potato Production
Graduate Student Final Report – Ceres Trust Research Grant Graduate Student: Waana Kaluwasha, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri- Columbia [email protected] Faculty Advisor: Dr. Xi Xiong, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia [email protected] Project Period: 2016 – 2017 Abstract Interest in organic sweet potato production in the United States has been growing as consumers…
Read MoreIdentification of arthropod predators of cucumber beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in cucurbit agroecosystems
Investigators: Graduate Student: Molly Dieterich Mabin, Department of Entomology, Ohio State University. Email: [email protected] Faculty Advisors: Mary M. Gardiner, Department of Entomology, Ohio State University. Email: [email protected] Celeste Welty, Department of Entomology, Ohio State University. Email: [email protected] Project Period: 2015 – 2017 Abstract The predatory arthropod assemblage often differs between organic and conventional agriculture, in…
Read MoreCollecting on-farm environmental data: towards resilient organic vegetable varieties
Ceres Trust Graduate Student Grant – Final Report Investigators: Graduate Student: Virginia Moore, Department of Agronomy, UW – Madison Email: vmmoore@ wisc.cdu Undergraduate Student: Indigo Leslie, Department of Plant Pathology, UW – Madison Email: [email protected] Faculty Adviser: Erin Silva, Department of Plant Pathology, UW – Madison Email: [email protected] Project Period: 2015-2016 Introduction This project, “Collecting…
Read MoreCombining strip-tillage and zonal cover-cropping for soil and moisture conservation in organic vegetable systems
Final Report · May 2017 Principal Investigators: Daniel C. Brainard, Associate Professor Carolyn Lowry, PhD Candidate Zachary Hayden, Post Doc (now Assistant Professor) Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University A440 A Plant and Soil Science Building 1066 Bogue St, East Lansing, MI 48824 517-355-5191, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Collaborators: Ben Phillips, Vegetable Extension Educator MSU Extension One…
Read MoreVeggie Compass: Whole Farm Planning for Enhanced Profitability of Midwestern Organic Vegetable Growers
Principal Investigator: Erin Silva University of Wisconsin-Madison 1630 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706 608-890-1503 [email protected] Abstract We requested funding to create a whole-farm farm business management tool (named Veggie Compass) designed for diversified organic vegetable growers through the collection of yield and labor data and documentation of current grower practices and limitations. Our long term…
Read MoreUnraveling the mystery of compost teas used for organic disease and insect pest management
Principal Investigator Annemiek Schilder, Associate Professor, Small Fruit Pathology, Dept. Plant Pathology; 105 Center for Integrated Plant Systems, Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI 48824. Tel. 517-355- 0483; Fax: 517-353-5598; Email: [email protected] Co-Investigators Matthew Grieshop, Assistant Professor, Organic Pest Management, Department of Entomology, 205 Center for Integrated Plant Systems, Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI…
Read MoreWild bee abundance and diversity on organic vegetable farms in response to local landscape factors
Graduate Student: Kathryn J. Prince, Departments of Entomology and Agroecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison ([email protected]) Faculty Advisor: Dr. Russell L. Groves, Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin- Madison ([email protected]) Project Period: 2015 View/Download Full Report in PDF Format Abstract Agricultural intensification has been linked to the decline of pollinators like bees. Organic farms often support a…
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