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Organic Ag Research & Extension at
Washington State University
Carol MilesWSU Mt. Vernon REC
David GranatsteinWSU Wenatchee REC
Diana RobertsWSU Spokane Extension
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Organic Vegetable and Seed Research
Carol MilesVegetable Extension Specialist
WSU Mount Vernon NWREC
Organic winter-grown lettuce research
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Challenges for Organic Vegetable Production
• Pest management – disease, insects, weeds
• Seed – organically produced or untreated; quantity, quality, cost
• Variety recommendations
• Fertilizer – cover crops, rotation, compost and manure, bagged products
• General inputs – soil mix, plastics
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Insect Pest ControlProcessing peas in southwest Washington
Severe root damage Establish on-farm trial, include organic control option
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Rhizoctonia Pythium
Fusarium
MS students:Jaime Cummings (2008) Avi Alcala (2011)Faculty:Lindsey DuToitCarol Miles
Organic Seed TreatmentsBiological Seed and Drench Treatments for
Organic Control of ‘Damping Off’
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10,000
25,000
50,000
75,000
Rhizoctonia
Results:[email protected]
Greenhouse trials – determine rates of inoculationField trials – determine product efficacy
Organic Seed Treatments
0 ppg
10,000
50,000
100,000
500,000
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Icebox Watermelon
Variety Recommendations
Variety trials for region-specific production information (on-station, on-farm)Screen breeding lines to identify suitable new germplasm
Edamame Baby ButternutHoney Nut
http://vegetables.wsu.edu
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Ott, K.A., R.T. Koenig, and C.A. Miles. 2009. Methods comparison for measuring tissue nitrate in leafy green vegetables. HortTechnology, 19(2):439-444.Ott, K.A., R.T. Koenig, and C.A. Miles. 2008. Influence of plant part on nitrate concentration in leafy greens. International Journal of Vegetable Science Vol 14(4):351-361.
Winter-grown LettuceExtending the season
MS students:Kristy Ott (2008) Haly Ingle (2010)Faculty:Rich KoenigCarol Miles
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High Tunnels and Biodegradable Mulches
Extending the season, pest management
SCRI Funding:2008: $100,000 2009: $2 million
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BD plastic mulches must be biobased:• Polylactic acid (PLA) - plant-based polyester produced from starch• Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) - polyesters produced by bacterial fermentation of sugar or lipids
Most existing BD plastic mulch formulations include: • Petroleum-derived polymers• Genetically modified plant-derived polymers• Synthetic resins or additives (for creating the polymers)
Therefore products are currently unacceptable in certified organic crop production
Issues for Organic Agriculture
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New research will generate data to:• Better understand mulch biodegradation• Monitor residues and/or toxic by-products• Assess impacts on soil ecology and plant health• Measure life cycle analysis • Calculate economic feasibility• Familiarize agricultural professionals (academic, industry, producers) with BD issues and definitions• Promote new information and product development
High Tunnels and Biodegradable Mulches
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Building the Capacity of Communities to Grow Healthy Food
• Promote gardening to improve community and individual health
• Encourage participation as both producers and consumers in the local food chain
• Two programs in Washington State: Grow Your Own Groceries Eat Your Yard
Growing Your Own Groceries
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Extension Outreach and Publications
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Organic Tree Fruit Research and Extension
Insectary planting
David GranatsteinSustainable Agr. Specialist
WSU Tree Fruit REC, Wenatchee
Sprayable mulch
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Challenges for Organic Tree Fruit Production
• Match production increase to demand increase
• Replant disease – BSM, cover crops, tolerant rootstock
• Crop load management
• High cost activities – weed control, fertility
• Soil quality, GHG, water supply
• Fireblight
• Fruit quality – storage; nutritionaldifferences
‘Sandwich’ system with thyme
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• Organic systems often substitute tillage for herbicides
• Impact on soil C, trees ?
Weed Control
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Wonder Weeder440 ft/min
Weed Badger20 ft/min
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Wood chip mulch
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TRT 2005 2006
Fruit yield
Fruit Size 80-88
Gross Fruit
Value*
Fruit Yield
Fruit Size 80-88
Gross Fruit
Value*
TCSA increase
Canopy volume
lb/tree % $/ac lb/tree % $/ac cm2 m3 /5 trees
Wood chip 44.9 15.5 a 14,354 32.3 39.0 11,032 3.7 a 56.7 a
Control mow
40.9 6.6 b 12,003 31.5 33.5 9,748 3.0 b 47.6 ab
Cultivator Z 3x
35.2 7.0 b 9,556 29.3 22.0 10,162 2.3 c 39.2 b
p= 0.150 0.014 0.805 0.076 0.001 0.008
Tillage Trial results
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Weed Fabric in Sweet Cherry
OSU, Hood River, OR – 2001-2007
• Fabric groundcover vs. bare ground in tree row
• 2001-2004 – fabric $2125/acre increased costs
• 2004 – fabric trt gross returns $3240/ac more than bare ground (1st yr of production)
• 2005 - $1633/ac more with fabric
• Fabric – trees produced more fruit at an earlier age, maintained higher yields
(Tomasini et al., 2007)Photo: H. Ostenson
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Spray
No spray
Ladino clover: - direct seeded in the drive alley
Growing Our Own Nitrogen
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Home for alternate prey for leafroller Home for alternate prey for leafroller parasitoids (over winter)parasitoids (over winter)
Insect Management
Wild Rose
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Rose gardens planted in 2000; parasitism increases thru the summer and has increased from 2001-2005
Courtesy: T. Unruh
Redesign with Rose Gardens
Apples – Washington State
Rosa woodsii
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Cherry fruit fly(Rhagoletis indifferens {Curran})
• 5-7 weekly applications, starting 3 day after first trap catch of CFF
• 2.7 qt/ac solution/ha (1:4 bait dilution)
• 6 mph, every other row, D2 nozzle Standard: $50-75/ac
GF-120: $17/ac
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Courtesy: H. Ostenson
RED 715K 542K 75.8 18.0
RED O 119K 101K 84.9 20.0
GALA 604K 499K 82.6 18.6
GALA O 256K 236K 92.1 21.3
Storage Quality
ORGANIC: ● 10% more fresh market packs than conventional ● Packed to same grades ● CA storage 6-7 months ● No storage fungicide ● Need to store larger crop for more months ● Internal quality – alternate bearing, nutrient ratios
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Extension Outreach• WSHA annual meeting, other grower meetings
• Trend data to companies, USDA, IFOAM world organic report
• 3rd North American Organic Tree Fruit Research Symposium
• Web site, field tours, publications
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Organic Grains In Washington State
Diana Roberts, PhDArea Extension Agronomist
WSU ExtensionSpokane, WA
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Challenges for Organic Grain Production in
WA
• Soil fertility
• Weed management
• Crop rotations for diversity Limited by lack of summer rainfall
• Soil fertility and weed management
Lentils
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Sustainability of organic grain
• Direct seeding (no-till) Conserves soil Utilizes synthetic
fertilizers & pesticides
• Organic farming Eliminates synthetic
fertilizer & chemicals May include soil building
practices May include intense tillage
Picture by John Aeschliman
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Types of organic farmers• Stereotypical lifestyler
(back to the land) Small scale Often value-added
marketing Independent
• Stereotypical conventional farmer Organic adds value,
diversity Transition from CRP Interest may fluctuate
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Organic research in WA
• 1970’s – Energy usage comparison
• 1980 – USDA report on organic farming
• Present - >30 WSU and USDA faculty involved in organic research Portion of work Biocontrol, pea cultivar
selection, composting, livestock integration, organic no-till
T. Julis wasp stinging cereal leaf beetle larva.Photo by Terry Miller
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InsectaryBeetle bank
Irrigated circle of peas
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Organic grain research
• Steve Jones et al. – evaluation and selection of wheat cultivars in certified organic ground
• Rob Gallagher et al. – dryland organic transition Crop rotations – alfalfa
important Weed management – surface
tillage• Pat Fuerst et al. – USDA organic
funds $1.2 million - foster sustainable dryland organic grain farming systems in the dryland PNW – reduced tillage!
Rotary harrow
Rotary hoe
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WSU Extension• Grower interest
fluctuates
• Successful workshops 2004 (87) and 2005 (45)
• Organic grain listserv >80 subscribers Workshop & program
announcements Link buyers and
sellers Q&A
• Irrigated farm tour 2009
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On-farm testing
• Extension integral part of USDA grant
• Collaboration with ID and OR – 2 sites each
• Farmer won $50,000 NRCS CIG (Conservation Innovation Grant) Testing surface
tillage research on farm scale
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On-farm testing
• Grower driven Farmer choice Team design
• Replicated over field & (4) years
• Farmer does field work• Farmer speaks at
workshops, tours• Farmer compensated $$• Comparing commercial
fertilizer products
Nature Safe 13-0-0
Perfect Blend 4-4-4
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Project outcomes
• Research data on dryland cropping systems
• Economic budgets
• Learning from tours & workshops
• Extension publications
• And much more…
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