Progress 04/01/10 to 09/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience:The Organic Food and Farming Education and Research (OFFER) program was established in response to organic producers to advance research and education for sustainable production, processing, and marketing of organic foods. The team of researchers, graduate students, and extension educators address issues from the field to the table of interest to organic farmers, gardeners, processors, retailers, and consumers.The program works closely with the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association to provide outreach and coordinate collaborations with Ohio's organic farmers and processors. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During the course of this project, OFFER sponsored organic farming field days and research tours each year and organized a summit of state, regional, and national leaders of organic agriculture to discuss policy and future challenges faced by the industry's stakeholders. Team members have provided individual webinars and in-person workshops on a variety of issues, including soil biological health, weed management, and organic livestock nutrition. Researchers and educators also offered 10-20 workshops each year and presented research posters at the OEFFA conference. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
OFFER coordinates Ohio State University's interdisciplinary research and outreach for organic production. The program oversees management, record-keeping, and annual certification of approx. 80 acres of university organic fields and animal production, located on four farms. Team members have addressed an array of issues for organic agriculture, ranging from field management of weeds and pests and variety selection to food quality for processors and consumers. Objective 1: A multi-year project was initiated to test the potential for integrating grazing sheep into an organic crop rotation to reduce weed populations, improve soil health and fertility, and suppress intestinal parasites without the use of anthelmintics (Fluharty and McCutcheon). In the first year, ewes were stocked at two densities (2640 lbs/ac and 5426 lbs/ac) in fields following crop removal. As expected, the higher stocking density reduced weeds more effectively; however, sheep demonstrated feeding preferences. The higher stocking density resulted in removal of approx. 75% of giant ragweed, lambsquarters, and foxtail, but only about 25% of smartweed and wood sorrel. A separate project investigated the potential ecological and economic benefits of incorporating pastured poultry into an organic 3-year rotation of naked oats-clover-spelt (Lilburn and Phelan, Proj. #OHO01082-SS). Birds were maintained on clover in mobile cages with water and feed at a density of 2 ft2/bird. When moved at a rate of 1x per day, birds had a detrimental impact on the pasture plant community. The initial high plant mortality caused by the birds was followed by rapid increases in plant biomass to levels >60% greater than in areas without birds. However, this plant regrowth was comprised primarily of foxtail while clover re-establishment was suppressed, resulting in a weedier pasture community. Moving cages 2x per day avoided these negative impacts on pasture composition. With purchased feed the greatest expense for organic poultry production, it was found that using small grains from the rotation, particularly naked oats, in the diet could reduce feed costs. Although characterized by lower yields, naked oats offer higher nutritional quality for birds, with higher levels of protein, methionine, and lysine than corn. A feed mixture that included 75% naked oats was determined to be optimal and it was estimated that 240 birds could be supported per acre of naked oats. Objective 2: A comparison of impacts of conventional and organic management of dairy and beef livestock on water quality was conducted (Loerch, Proj. #OHO01057-SS). Replicated gauged watersheds monitored surface and sub-surface water quality during a 3-year transition from intensive conventional to certified organic management of beef cattle. No significant changes were recorded for any water chemistry parameter, including total N, organic N, ammonia, and P, nor in soil levels of P, NH4+, NO3-, and pH. There were also no differences in calf performance or weight gain due to the transition in management practices. A comparison of streams in established organic and conventional dairy farms did find a difference in Headwater Habitat Evaluation Indices. Based on differences in aquatic macroinvertebrates, on average, organic streams were classified as Class III (high quality), while conventional streams were Class II. Objective 3: Soils of 12 vegetable-production fields from different regions of Ohio were found to vary significantly in their suppression of E. coli O157:H7 (Williams, LeJeune, and McSpadden Gardener). Suppressive capacity was empirically ascribed to the presence of heat-sensitive microorganisms. Laboratory experiments using gradients of pH, moisture, and organic matter indicated that the former two parameters significantly determined soil suppressiveness, but organic matter did not. Percent pathogen suppression was greater with higher moisture content and/or lower pH when the microbial background was removed. However, best-subset regression of the range of these parameters among the field-collected soils indicated soil organic matter was the best predictor of suppressive capacity, both at planting or harvest. In contrast, soil pH was not a significant component in any regression models, either alone or in combination with other parameters. Objective 4: Spelt is a small winter grain well adapted to an organic rotation. It grows well under low-nutrient conditions, provides winter cover, and is relatively tall, which allows better weed suppression and returns more organic matter to the soil. However, its protein composition makes it inferior to hard winter wheat for bread-making. Studies were conducted in the field and greenhouse to determine if organic soil fertility practices could be modified to improve spelt grain quality for better nutrition, bread-making, and yield (Phelan and Stinner). We demonstrated the timing of fertility application was important to management goals: compost applied at planting (Fall) significantly improved grain yield, while applying at anthesis (Spring) increased grain protein, but had little or no effect on yield. Compost C:N, which affects nutrient release rates, was not an important factor for Fall application, but a low C:N amendment, such as poultry manure compost, was significantly more effective for Spring application to improve grain protein. Planting spelt early enough in the fall to establish a good stand before winter had profound benefits for spring weed suppression, even for aggressive species like giant ragweed. Increasing grain protein had rather limited effect on bread dough strength and loaf volume, as the glutenin:gliadin ratio remained relatively unchanged. Objective 5: A participatory approach was taken to redesign educational programs for organic weed management (Doohan, Proj. #OHO01045-SS). The project brought together farmers, extension educators, and private crop advisors to measure differences in understanding, attitudes, and assessment of risk for ecologically based weed control. Farmers and educators/advisors were interviewed to create mental maps of attitudes and knowledge regarding ecological weed management, perceived risks and benefits of weeds, and perceived risks and benefits of weed management practices. In addition, soil weed seed banks were assessed from the fields of participating farmers. Organic farmers generally placed low value on the recommendations of university extension. On average, they were more strongly concerned than extension educators about the risks of weed control tactics and impacts on other aspects of the system. They also placed greater importance on managing for overall soil health rather than direct suppression of weeds compared to educators. Lower weed seed densities were associated with farmers who emphasized the risks of weeds, benefits of weed-free management practices, and learning from their own experience. These farmers also exhibited a greater understanding of the importance of long-term seed bank management. It is recommended that extension efforts for organic weed management be redesigned to reflect the attitudes of their audience and advance those farmer beliefs and knowledge most associated with weed-seed reduction. Objective 6: Two non-insecticidal tactics were tested for protection against cucumber beetle and bacterial wilt in melons at sites in Ohio and Iowa (Welty, Smith, and Gardiner). Insecticide application was 25-90% lower in melons grown with a perimeter trap crop of buttercup squash, and there was a trend for higher yield with the squash trap crop. The use of row covers as the second tactic had mixed effects on cumulative melon yield. In the first year of the trial, removing row covers at anthesis produced higher yields than removing row covers ten days later or using no covers. However, in the second year, maintaining row covers until 10 days after anthesis produced the highest yields.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience: These research projects are targeted to improve the economic viability of organic farming and improve the ecological resilience of crop production in general. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Both undergraduate and graduate students have been involved in these research projects, and have been responsible for conducting most of the research activities, both in the field and in lab analyses. They have received training in experimental design and gained hands-on experience with a variety of analytical methods, ranging from insect developmental bioassays, plant and soil metabolomics, chemical analysis using GC/MS and LC/MS, grain and bread quality evaluation. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The organic pastured poultry project sponsored a day-long multi-location event in which participants toured the OARDC experimental plots, the operations of collaborating pastured-poultry farmers, a poultry processing plant, and a local-foods cooperative. The field research was also presented in an OARDC-sponsored field day. In addition, the findings of this project were highlighted to the target community by the Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association in their quarterly newsletter. Research related to the spelt project and organic soil health management was presented at farmer field days and meetings of multistate projects (NE1040 and SCC83). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Pasturing of poultry will continue for one more year to determine year-to-year variation in chicken production and to monitor changes in the fields through a full cycle of the four-year rotation. We shall build on our preliminary studies of plant health promotion among soils with different histories. We shall continue our screening of farm soils for their plant health potential, and pending the acquisition of funding, we aim to conduct experiments to understand the relative roles of soil biology, chemistry, and physical properties in mediating tomato resistance to different pests and pathogens.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Organic pastured poultry: Field experiments were continued to assess the growth performance of two chicken varieties: a commercial white broiler and the heritage genotype, RedBro. Birds were pasture reared on a lower-cost organic feed comprised of 75% naked oats produced as part of our pasture poultry-crop rotation. Similar to previous years, RedBro chickens took ca. 2 weeks longer than the commercial broilers to develop and had lower carcass weight. Also significant, RedBro chickens showed higher variability in final weight compared to the commercial broilers as a result of the lower-protein naked oat diet. The impact of the intensely pastured chickens on the pasture plant community was assessed. Pasturing chickens caused short-term devegetation, but then stimulated plant re-growth such that plant biomass was greater than in control lanes. Grass species, particularly foxtails, showed a strong positive response to chicken pasturing, while clover re-growth was inhibited, resulting in a new plant community composition, with a higher proportion of grasses and weeds. The combination of open ground caused by chicken trampling/foraging and increased N fertility was ecologically disruptive, resulting in greater variability in plant community composition among chicken plots compared to control areas. Soil management and organic spelt quality: In addition to the response of spelt flour functional traits to organic soil management reported in previous years, we analyzed the effects on two groups of nutraceuticals, phenolics and carotenoids. There is increasing evidence for the health benefits of such phytochemicals, primarily due to their antioxidant properties, and growing interest in foods that provide a source for them. Plant allocation theory models, such as the GDBH, predict a negative relationship between nutrient resources and the production of secondary chemicals at moderate to higher nutrient levels. Thus, we predicted a trade-off between spelt grain protein and levels of phenolics and carotenoids. As with traits related to bread-baking functionality, in both years of field experiments, we found the greatest difference in carotenoid levels was related to field history. Consistent with predictions, grain from the high-yielding field, which had higher protein, showed lower levels of carotenoids. Similarly, fall- and spring-applied composts that increased protein in the grain also produced lower levels of carotenoids, resulting in a strong negative correlation between the two. On the other hand, bound, conjugated, and free phenolics showed small or no differences between fields in the two years, and their response to fertility amendments was also slight. As a result, the correlation between spelt bran phenolics and protein was only weakly negative in one year and non-significant in the second. Organically managed soils and plant health promotion: Since our past research has demonstrated significant variation in the expression of pest and disease resistance among certified organic soils, we collected soils of >75 fields from around Ohio for comparative screening. Initial efforts focused on optimizing conditions and developing a greenhouse protocol to assay soils for tomato health promotion with higher throughput, minimizing time, labor, and the amount of soil needed. Since field soils tend to drain poorly when placed in pots, different pot designs, soil conditioners, and wicking mechanisms were tested for their ability to better simulate the balance of soil moisture and air levels experienced in the field. Our initial screening of these soils with our optimized protocol showed significantly greater among-farm variation in tomato growth and insect resistance than that among fields within farms, even when controlling for soil texture. Thus, it is possible that among-farm variation in plant health expression may be partly due to differences in management practices. Nematode community analysis also revealed substantial among-farm differences in the community trophic structure of their soils.
Publications
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Progress 01/01/13 to 09/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience: These research projects are targeted to improve the economic viability of organic farming and improve the ecological resilience of crop production in general. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Three students have been involved in these research projects. They have closely involved in most of the research conducted in the field. They also received training in experimental design and gained hands-on experience in the lab, performing a variety of analytical methods, including grain protein analysis, HPLC/MS, dough rheology, and bread quality evaluation. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Research findings for the organic pastured poultry have been presented by Mike Lilburn at the Organic Animal Health Symposium (3/18) and in an eOrganic webinar (11/5). In addition, two pastured poultry field tours were held to discuss project and get input from farmers (8/29 & 9/21). Organic spelt research and soil-mediated plant resistance work was presented by Larry Phelan at the Organic Sustainable & Agricultural Field Day (9/5), in multiple workshops at the Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association annual conference (2/17), and through meetings of multistate projects (NE1040 and SCC83). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Pasturing of poultry will continue for two more years to determine year-to-year variation in chicken production and to monitor changes in the fields through a full cycle of the four-year rotation. More specifically, we shall measure the effects of poultry pasturing on soil fertility, subsequent spelt crop yield and quality, as well as changes in weed communities. We have begun a new project to develop a system of protocols and bioassays to screen soils for their plant health potential, with special emphasis on the role of soil biology. So far, we have collected soils from >80 sites representing all regions of Ohio and have enlisted the collaboration of more than 30 farmers. We shall report our findings on the variation among these soils in their ability to induce tomato resistance to insects and disease and on method improvements to increase throughput and sensitivity to assess this resistance.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Organic Pastured Poultry: The objective of the project is to improve the economics of organically pastured chickens as part of an integrated crop-poultry rotational system. Experiments were conducted to optimize the components of this system by comparing two broiler chicken varieties, four oat varieties as a replacement for purchased organic feed, and effects of pastured chickens on soil fertility and weed communities for subsequent crops. Nutritional studies were conducted comparing the meat of birds receiving diets with different levels of naked oats and full-fat soybean compared to a standard corn/soybean diet. Meat crude protein declined as the proportion of naked oats in the diet was increased, but a diet with 75% naked oat was determined as the best compromise. Redbro and commercial white broilers were pastured from 3-week-old to market weight in protective pens, which were moved once/day in lanes running the length of the pasture. For the early-season grow (June), Redbro chickens required about 2 weeks longer to achieve the same carcass weight as the commercial broilers. During the second grow in the latter half of the summer, temperatures were significantly higher with drier weather. These conditions selectively suppressed the appetite of Redbro’s, and they failed to achieve the target market weight. In contrast, commercial broilers attained ca. 10% higher carcass weight for the same period compared to early-season birds. Pastured poultry are expected to increase nutrients for subsequent crops. Although soil tests did not show significant differences due to the presence of birds, growth of spelt was clearly greater in field lanes with chickens in the preceding years compared to lanes without chickens. Naked oat varieties Streaker, Buff, and Paul, were grown along with the hulled oat, Excel. In the first year, Excel produced the highest yield, followed closely by Streaker and Buff, while Paul had significantly lower yield. In the second year, there was no significant difference in variety yields. Soil Management & Organic Spelt Yield & Quality: The cumulative results of annual field and greenhouse experiments with organic spelt have demonstrated that organic fertilizers added in fall have the greatest impact on grain yield, while those added in spring just before flowering primarily increase grain protein level. For this latter goal, it is important to use a low C:N material that provides quick N release as a higher C:N, as is found in dairy manure compost does not improve grain protein. Although fertilizer form and time of application, as well as planting date had significant effects on spelt yield, nutritional content, and bread-baking quality, in all experiments, the greatest differences were due to field history. The parameter(s) responsible for field-history effects could not be isolated. Within-field comparisons of plots generally showed little or no correlations among grain yield, % protein, and bread-loaf volume. Antioxidants, such as carotenoids and phenolics, are potentially beneficial for human health. We found significant organic soil management effects on carotenoids in spelt bran, primarily lutein and B-carotene. These effects were generally inversely related to protein levels. Bound and free phenolics were represented primarily by ferulic and sinapinic acids. They were also affected by soil management practices and soil history, but were only weakly correlated with protein.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Jabbour, R., Zwickle, S., Gallandt, E. R., McPhee, K. E., Wilson, R. S. and Doohan, D. 2013. Mental models of organic weed management: Comparison of New England US farmer and expert models. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems FirstView Article pp 1-15
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Muilenburg, V.L., Phelan, P.L., Bonello, P., Loess, P.F., Herms, D.A. 2013. Characterization of wound responses of stems of paper birch (Betula papyrifera) and European white birch (Betula pendula). Trees 27: 851863.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Yang. H., Dick, W. A., McCoy, E. L., Phelan, P. L., and Grewal, P. S. 2013. Field evaluation of a new biphasic rain garden for stormwater flow management and pollutant removal. Ecological Engineering 54: 2231
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
Ie, P.S., Petros, D., Stinner, D.H., Phelan, P.L., Hamaker, B., Koelling, K.W., Vodovotz, Y. Gelatinization behavior of organic and conventional spelt starches assessed by thermal and rheological analyses. J. Agric. Food Chem. 60: 92299235.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
Zwickle, S., R.S. Wilson, P. Lillard, and D. Doohan, "Organic weed management in Ohio and Indiana: A report on the knowledge, perceptions, and experiences of farmers and experts". Columbus: The Ohio State University.
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Progress 01/01/12 to 12/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: OBJECTIVE 4: Activities- Field experiments with organic winter spelt (var. Oberkulmer) were conducted to compare the effects of management practices on yield, weed suppression, and grain quality. Planting date, planting density, previous crop, C:N of spring side-dress, and sulfur addition were varied. Grain was analyzed for test weight, % protein, protein composition (glutenin, gliadin, albumin/globulin), bran phenolics, flour yield, dough rheology, and bread-baking quality. Events- Research findings on organic farming were disseminated at workshops at the Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association annual conference, OEFFA Grain Growers meetings, Morgan Composting Conference, and organic farm tours. OSU/OFFER program sponsored an organic summit, which brought together farmers and leaders from national, regional, and state organic organizations to discuss the future of the industry, and identify areas for growth and anticipated needs for research and education. Dissemination- In addition to farmer workshops, we partnered with a national company in their development of a new line of vegan burgers to incorporate Midwest-grown organic spelt. PARTICIPANTS: Larry Phelan provided leadership on Objective 4 research including experimental designs, planting, field sample and data collection, data analysis, and dissemination of findings. Juan Carlos Cabrera and Diego Orellana (visiting scholars from Zamorano Institute) and Holden Mullet conducted field work, milled spelt from field plots, and conducted analysis of protein quality, flour rheology, and bread-baking quality. TARGET AUDIENCES: Experiments for Objective 4 were conducted to help farmers improve the yield, nutritional quality, and bread-baking quality of spelt grown under organic guidelines. Outreach efforts connect grain processors and baking companies with local sources of organic spelt. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
We found significant main effects and interactions for management practices not only on spelt yield and protein level, but on flour protein composition, rheology, and bread loaf volume. Relative to a November plant date, spelt planted in October had significantly lower weed biomass. This is particularly important to organic farmers, who do not use herbicides and since tillage is not feasible in this crop. Weed pressure was further increased in the late planting with spring application of a low C:N amendment (chicken manure compost), but not in the October planting. On the other hand, weeds were lower in the late planting when spelt planting rate was increased. Late planting also had a negative effect on grain test weight and thousand kernel weight. However, there was not a clear relationship between planting date (or weed levels) and yield. In late-planted plots within a lower-yielding field, yield was improved by increasing planting rate. Significant management effects were also seen for many parameters of flour quality. Flour protein was significantly higher in the higher-yield field, but was not affected by planting date or density. In the higher-yield field, % flour protein was increased by spring side-dressing with a low C:N amendment. Late-planted plots in this field produced flour that was significantly higher in water-, lactic acid-, and NaCO3-retention capacity. Past research has established that wheat or spelt bread loaf volume is positively correlated with both flour protein level and glutenin:gliadin ratio. Although loaf volume was significantly greater with flour from the field that also produced higher % protein, within each field there was no correlation with protein level. Within the higher-yield field, loaf volume was greater with flour from early-plant plots, even though protein level did not differ. With regard to protein composition, we found no treatment effects on the functionally important glutenin:gliadin ratio, nor was there any effect on the absolute level of (albumins+globulins). However, there were treatments effects on the (glutenin+gliadin):(albumin+globulin) ratio, resulting in a positive correlation of this ratio with % flour protein. Overall, at least for Oberkulmer spelt, glutenin:gliadin appears to be relatively genetically fixed, while management practices that increase nitrogen availability during grain fill lead preferentially to increases in these two storage protein fractions over albumin and globulin proteins. We did find evidence for field management effects on bread loaf volume beyond those explained by protein level, although the mechanisms for this enhancement remained to be determined.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Obj 1: Two new projects were successful in securing funding and commenced this year. For "Integrating Sheep into Organic Grain Systems," field sites were established, baseline soil sampling conducted, and animal paddocks built. For, the second project "A Whole Farm Approach to Integrating Pasture Raised Organic Poultry and Naked Oats into a Multi-Year Rotation," fields were soil sampled for baseline nutrients and the three-year crop rotation was fall planted in three fields. Rotational grazing of poultry and performance studies will begin next Spring. Obj 4: "Optimizing Soil Management to Improve Crop Health and Functionality of Organic Midwestern Spelt." Using soils from organic farms, two greenhouse experiments were conducted to test the effects of soil fertility type, application timing, and previous crop on grain yield, protein level, and protein composition of hard red spring wheat and winter spelt. Dairy compost or chicken manure was added at planting or as a top-dress at flowering, with or without additional sulfur. Main effects and interactions were determined for plant growth, tillering, grain yield, test weight, and gluten-protein composition, with the latter predicting quality for bread-baking. Based on greenhouse results, we conducted field experiments with winter spelt on certified organic fields previously in oats or soybean. Dairy manure compost or pelletized chicken manure was applied either at planting or as top-dress in the spring at boot stage. Sulfur (as gypsum) was also applied either in the fall or spring. Plot yields were determined, grain was dehulled, milled, and analyzed for protein quantity and quality. Rheology studies were conducted in the USDA Soft Wheat Quality Lab, including mixograph response for dough strength, rapid visco analyzer tests for starch properties, falling number for enzyme activity, and solvent retention capacity for lactic acid, Na2CO3, sucrose, and H2O. Bread-baking tests were then conducted on flour samples from all plots in comparison to a commercial spelt flour to determine bread loaf volume, crumb structure, dough strength, and sensory appeal. In addition to experimentation, efforts were made to improve marketability of Midwest-grown organic spelt. Meetings were held with spelt farmers and commercial bakers to determine needs and constraints on demand. Obj 5: For the project "An Expert Model of Weed Management in Organic Farming Systems," mental models data has been collected in Netherlands, ME, OH, IN and CA and is being analyzed. A second Stakeholders Advisory Committee meeting was held in Columbus in 2010. In addition to smaller meetings with stakeholders for each project, progress on all objectives was disseminated to a larger audience of farmers, processors, consumers, and agricultural professionals primarily through two venues: 1) the annual field day for Ohio State University's Organic Food & Farming Education and Research Program and 2) the annual conference of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association. PARTICIPANTS: Sheep and Organic Grain Project- Francis Fluharty, Steve Loerch, John Cardina, Jeff McCutcheon, Leah Miller, Deborah Stinner; Organic Poultry and Naked Oats Project- Michael Lilburn, Mavin Batte, Matthew Mariola, Alexandra Stone, Kathy Bielek, John Anderson, Larry Phelan; Improving Organic Spelt for Baking Quality Project- Larry Phelan, Deb Stinner, Juan Carlos Cabrera, Diego Orellana; Expert Models for Organic Weed Management- Doug Doohan, Stan Ernst, Robyn Wilson, Mark Wilson, Deborah Stinner, Kevin Gibson, Mark Tucker, Eric Gallant. In this project, Andy Glaser was added as a graduate student and Sarah Zwickle (Gallager) defended her thesis research. Patrick Lilliard was hired as an outreach coordinator for the entire project at Purdue. TARGET AUDIENCES: Obj 1: Research on organic livestock production is extremely limited. Developing guidelines for integrating sheep into organic crop production will be a great aid to organic farmers wishing to diversify their operations for new market opportunities, as well as environmental reasons. Information on the impact of organic livestock production on water quality will be of interest to agricultural and environmental scientists, policy makers, farmers, and the society at large. To date, there have been virtually no controlled scientific studies on organic pasture-reared poultry. Research on organic rotations that integrate pastured poultry and naked oats as alternative feed source is essential for producers interested in diversifying their existing operation or those transitioning from pasture reared to organic poultry production. Obj 4: Developing soil-management recommendations to improve the nutritional and functional quality of organic spelt is a significant need of organic grain farmers to increase their market opportunities. Improving the quality of Midwest-produced spelt to meet the needs for baking will also benefit regional processors and bakers, who typically have to import internationally or ship from outside the region. Obj 5: As weed competition is typically the major limiting factor for many organic crops, the development of a mental model for weed management will benefit all organic crop farmers. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Obj 1: Since these are new projects, there are no outcomes to report yet. Obj 4: An enhanced understanding of the role of organic soil history and fertility management on the baking quality of spelt was achieved this year. Significant differences in bread-baking quality were observed among treatments. Some findings ran counter to current recommendations for increasing bread-baking quality, which were derived primarily through experimentation on wheat grown under conventional field management. These findings may lead to a modification of our understanding of organic soil management impacts on grain quality for bread-baking, as well as better metrics for processors to use in predicting baking quality for organic grains. In addition, we have improved the lines of communication between organic spelt farmers and processors/bakers, and stimulated the possibility of new markets. For example, one Midwest company is assessing the suitability of regionally sourced spelt for a new commercial venture to produce a newly developed line of vegan burgers.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Securing funding continues to develop organic livestock research and education for sheep and poultry (Obj. 1). Two projects with the North Appalachian Experimental Watershed (NAEW) addressed Obj. 2 to conduct advanced assessments of environmental impacts of organic farming. For Impacts of Organic Animal Production Systems on Water Quality and Quantity in Ohio-An Integrated Research, Extension and Education Program (Loerch, Bonta, Owens, Moore, Taylor, Stinner, IOWP), data was collected on impact of organic and conventional grazing practices on water quality and quantity on headwater tributaries of the Muskingum River and on paired organic and conventional dairy farms in headwater streams to compare water chemistry and Headwaters Habitat Evaluation Index (HHEI). An experiment to determine effects of transitioning intensively and continuously grazed beef cattle to organic management on surface and subsurface water quality and quantity using replicated gauged watersheds was initiated. Environmental Sustainability of Organic Farming Systems: On-Farm, Experimental, and Watershed Assessments (Shipitalo, Stinner, Bonta, OREI) is a planning grant to develop a full 2011 proposal. In Oct., 22 scientists from 2 ARS sites, OH NRCS, OSU, UWI and UNH, and stakeholders from Northeast Pasture Consortium, Organic Valley and Small Farm Institute met. In Nov. 6 participants went to Germany, Switzerland and Finland to visit organic research institutes. They also met with the Chairman of the Danish ICROFS. PI's visited collaborators at the Rodale Institute in Dec. Both projects were featured in NAEW tours. An OREI proposal is being resubmitted under Obj. 3 to conduct assessments of food safety of organic foods. Optimizing Organic Soil Fertility Management to Improve the Crop Health and Baking Functionality of Organic Midwestern Spelt, (Phelan, Stinner, Ceres Trust), addresses Obj. 4 to develop research in the quality of organic foods, including nutritional and health aspects, in particular as they relate to soil quality. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted with hard red spring wheat and spelt. Two spelt field experiments were planted. In Obj. 5 the Mental Models team (Doohan, Ernst, Wilson, Stinner, Gibson, Tucker, Gallant, OREI) held a Stakeholders Advisory Committee at Asilomar, CA after the Ecofarm Conference. An Expert Model of Weed Management in Organic Farming Systems was developed. Workspace was created in eOrganic. A new website was created for interaction with organic farmers and educators. Weed seed bank data was collected on organic farms in OH, IN, ME CA and the Netherlands.Obj. 6 to continue research on sustainable organic crop management has 2 projects. In Enhancing Productivity and Soilborne Disease Control in Intensive Organic Vegetable Production with Mixed-Species Green Manures (McSpadden Gardener, Kleinhenz, Miller, OREI), 2 field experiments were conducted. In Cultivar Evaluation and Development of Hard Winter Wheat for Organic Production in Ohio to Meet New Marketing Opportunities for Ohio's Organic Farmer (Stinner, Sneller, Souza, Guttieri, OARDC) a variety trial was conducted. All projects were featured at the 2010 OFFER Field Day. PARTICIPANTS: In Obj. 2 for the Loerch et al project, OSU's Robin Taylor is developing the modeling component. Richard Moore, social scientist, directed OSU graduate student, Jed Stinner on the HHEI and water chemistry evaluations of head water streams organic and conventional dairy farms. ARS NAEW is a major partner organization and ARS's Lloyd Owens was involved in establishing the new gauged watershed experiment. For the Shipitalo et al planning grant project to NAEW, ARS's Jim Bonta participated in the European, Washington D. C. and Rodale trips, Javier Gonzalez, ARS Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center, Beaver WV and Jennifer Harrison, Organic Valley, were part of the European and Washington D.C. trips. Dennis Frame, University of Wisconsin Discovery Farms Program was part of the European trip group. European collaborators and contacts include: Urs Niggli, Director, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in Frick, Switzerland; Gerold Rhamann, Director of the Institute of Organic Farming, Trenthorst, Germany, operated by the German Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries Johann Heinrich von Thunen-Institute; Visa Nuutinen, Agrifood Research Finland (MTT) in Jokioinen, and Thomas Harttung, Chairman, and Neils Halberg, Director, of the Danish International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems (ICROFS). Jeff Moyer, Christine Ziggler Ulsh, and Rita Seidel, Rodale Institute, Kutztown are research and education collaborators. Organic Valley participated as a key stakeholder. ARS soil scientist, Martin Shipitalo, should be added as a key collaborator outside of OSU. Leah Miller, Director Small Farm Institute, Coshocton, OH served as a Ohio stakeholder coordinator and meeting facilitator for both NAEW projects. In Obj. 4, two international scholars, Juan Carlos Cabrera Garcia and Diego Orellana, spent 100 percent of their time on laboratory, greenhouse, and field aspects of the project. The mental models project in Obj. 5, OSU's Stan Ernst, economist, Robyn Wilson, social scientist; Purdue University's Mark Wilson, weed scientist, and Mark Tucker, agriculture education, and University of Maine's Eric Gallant, weed scientist were co-project directors. Marlene Reimens, weed scientist, Wageningen University and Research Center, The Netherlands, was an international collaborator. Jason Parker, social scientist, was hired as a post-doctoral associate to coordinate the project. Sarah Gallager, was recruited as an OSU graduate student to develop mental models. Dean McIlvaine and Carmella Misaro, Twin Parks Farm, West Salem, OH, served as key farmer stakeholders. In Obj. 6, OSU's Sally Miller, extension vegetable plant pathologist and Matt Kleinhenz, extension vegetable specialist were co-PIs on lead PI's, plant pathologist, Brian McSpadden Gardener's, project. Sunjeong Park was hired as a post doctoral associate. In the organic wheat project, OSU wheat scientist, Mary Guttieri conducted the organic wheat trials. OSU's Organic Farm Manager, Robert Napier, was responsible for the field operations in both projects and in field studies in Obj. 4. TARGET AUDIENCES: Obj. 2, project 1, target audiences are organic, transitioning, and non-organic livestock producers. The transitioning to organic research site and discussion of current research was included in a variety of station tours (tours included scientists, students, agricultural groups, etc.). Project outline and progress was shared with Board of Ohio Forages and Grassland Council. Two dairy grazing pasture groups were identified in Mill Creek Watershed to participate in the farmers and extension teams meeting at NAEW. Project team members met with OSU ATI staff on tying in their interest in hosting a grazing school and sharing the water quality components of research findings. Potential survey questionnaires for pre- and post surveys of the farmers and extension teams meeting and evaluating which questions to use for pre and post knowledge evaluation for student interns and other students are being developed. Discussions that outlined research were had with five different organic dairy graziers in Holmes County area/Sugarcreek Watershed as well as Organic Valley staff, OSU extension and county and state SWCD personnel during the past year. In Obj 2, project 2, the target audiences were fellow scientists and stakeholder organizations to build capacity for a strong multi-regional team to pursue substantive funding. This was achieved through a facilitated meeting at NAEW Oct. 16 -17 involving twenty-two participants. Commitment and cohesion was built in a smaller group that participated in the fact finding trip to Europe Nov. 13 - 20 and attended the seminar on Biodiversity in Organic Farming at the Danish Embassy in Washington D. C. Dec. 16. In Objectives 4, 5 and 6, the primary target audiences are organic, transitioning and conventional farmers who are interested in learning more about organic farming. All of the individual projects in this Hatch project are new, so educational and outreach efforts are limited until research results are produced. In Obj. 4, the international interns gained much knowledge from their work in the laboratory and field. Some organic farmers have participated in mental model development to date and in interviews and weed seed bank sampling on their farms. All projects were presented at the 2010 OFFER Field Day on Sept. 2 to an audience of farmers, consumers, students, agriculture professionals policy makers. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Impacts of organic animal production on water quality outcomes in Obj. 2 are limited because changes in water quality occur slowly in response to animal production practices. Educational outputs have occurred regarding presentation of information outlined above (producer groups, politicians, etc.). Extension education planning and generation of producer surveys have occurred. Project evaluation revealed that all components/aims are on schedule. Outcomes on the planning grant project in Obj. 2 include development of a transdisciplinary and multi-regional team that is committed to securing funding for research and education on the role of tillage in sustainability of organic farming systems and are preparing a full proposal to 2011 OREI. Objectives to establish connections with European counterparts were met and international collaborations were forged. It was confirmed that the proposed project plan addresses needs that are not currently being met. One immediate outcome was an invitation to members of the group and ARS senior administration to attend a seminar organized by the Danish International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems (ICROFS) on Biodiversity and Organic Farming hosted by the Danish Embassy in Washington, DC. In Obj. 4 a method for extracting, fractionating and quantifying wheat and spelt proteins from grains grown under different organic fertility regimes and a protocol for achieving high spelt flowering in the greenhouse were developed. Analytical methods to isolate and quantify classes of functional proteins were validated and significant effects of crop history and soil amendments on wheat growth characteristics, grain yield, and protein level were demonstrated. One of the main insights produced by the expert mental model in Obj. 5 is the role of weed tolerance levels in management decisions. Greater knowledge of weed biology and experience managing weeds leads to lower weed tolerance. Less tolerance leads to prevention rather than control strategies. Mitigating variables include farm scale, cropping systems and access to time/labor. Two additional models need to be developed, one for weed prevention strategies and one for weed control strategies. These two models highlight different factors that influence weed risk perception and tolerance level, as well as help explain why either prevention or control strategies may be employed on the farm. These models will be useful predictors of weed management behavior among different types of organic farmers. In the cover crop project in Obj. 6, the rye and vetch mix produced highest biomass, followed by rye, vetch, mixed hay and tillage radish. Organic matter and macronutrients increased from post cover crop incorporation to tomato transplanting.. There were no major differences in soil fertility between different cover crops. In the organic hard wheat trial the important conclusion to be drawn is that the current cultivar of choice for organic hard winter wheat production, Karl, is unacceptably susceptible to Fusarium head scab. Consumption of Karl flour without testing for deoxynivalenol may be hazardous. Efforts to replace Karl with a FHB-resistant genotype are needed.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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