Source: MICHIGAN STATE UNIV submitted to NRP
BUILDING INTEGRATED WEED MANAGEMENT KNOWLEDGE IN ORGANIC SYSTEMS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0210208
Grant No.
2007-51300-03793
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
2007-01417
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jul 1, 2007
Project End Date
Jun 30, 2009
Grant Year
2007
Program Code
[113]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
MICHIGAN STATE UNIV
(N/A)
EAST LANSING,MI 48824
Performing Department
Plant, Soil and Microbial Science
Non Technical Summary
Aside from the information presented in the existing MSU bulletin Integrated Weed Management One Year's Seeding (E-2931), the dissemination of information regarding alternative weed management strategies continues to be listed among the top priorities of Michigan commodity groups. In evaluations of the MSU bulletin individual growers requested additional information in specific areas of organic and sustainable weed management in the form of a supplement. This project intends to disseminate information on organic and sustainable weed management strategies to extension educators, university faculty, growers, and agribusiness personnel.
Animal Health Component
20%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
20%
Developmental
80%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
21623001140100%
Knowledge Area
216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
2300 - Weeds;

Field Of Science
1140 - Weed science;
Goals / Objectives
Objective 1-Develop a supplement to the extension bulletin E-2931 titled Integrated Weed Management One Years Seeding. This bulletin will include organic grower profiles, results from on-farm organic research trials that were conducted in response to knowledge gaps that were discovered in writing the original bulletin, and new information published on integrated weed management since February 2005. Objective 2-Conduct a workshop at the North Central Weed Science Society annual meeting. At the workshop authors of the IWM supplement will teach interested extension and university personnel how to effectively use the IWM guide and supplement in teaching integrated weed management to clientele in their states. Objective 3-Hold workshops based on the principles presented in the IWM supplement for organic growers in the North Central states. These meetings would be conducted by local extension educators.
Project Methods
Objective 1: Based on the responses received from the IWM surveys in the spring of 2006 we have summarized the subject areas where growers would like more information. These areas will become the topics of the new supplement. Proposed topics relating to weed management include: manure/compost, cover crops, economic thresholds, crop rotations, intercropping, thermal weed management, grazing, organic farmer profiles, on-farm weed management trials, and additional weed profiles. Our team plans to gather more information regarding these topics and convert it into digestible forms of text, graphs, and photographs that will be easily understood by growers. The inclusion of additional organic farm profiles ranked as a high priority among survey participants. To develop these profiles, we will travel to organic farms in Michigan and the surrounding states that have been selected through the IWM bulletin survey. During these visits growers will be interviewed about their experiences with various weed control measures. Numerous photographs will be taken during these trips that will be included in the supplement to illustrate some of the practices that these growers use to readers of the supplement. Bulletins will be produced and distributed through the Michigan State University Extension Bulletin Office. We also intend to reach a wider audience by publishing articles related to the IWM supplement chapters on the New Ag Network (www.new-ag.msu.edu/). Objective 2: We will hold a workshop at the 2008 North Central Weed Science Societys (NCWSS) annual meeting on integrated weed management. The focus will be on the topics presented in the supplement. Attendees of the session will receive a copy of the supplement and a CD containing figures and tables from the supplement so that material can be passed on to growers, students, and consultants. Extension specialists that are members of the North Central Weed Science Society have been very responsive to the original IWM bulletin. Their active participation in learning new integrated weed management information from the supplement will provide each of them with additional resources to promote sustainable and organic weed management in their states. Surveys will be distributed immediately following the NCWSS workshop to gauge the impact of our presentation. Objective 3: In 2008 we will cooperate with local extension educators to conduct workshops across the North Central states to spread the information presented in the IWM supplement to organic producers and other interested parties. Presentations at the workshops will be accompanied by a copy of the IWM supplement. We plan to hold a total of ten workshops in conjunction with local extension educators and university personnel. Our goal is to reach 250 organic and sustainable producers. It is our hope that the overall increase in practical knowledge related to sustainable weed management will encourage experimentation with and implementation of sustainable techniques on their own farms. Impact will be accessed using surveys at the conclusion of the programs.

Progress 07/01/07 to 06/30/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Objective 1. Produce an extension bulletin focused on integrated weed management (IWM) including grower profiles, on-farm trials, and detailed weed descriptions. During the course of this project, our team worked together to develop a new Michigan State University Extension bulletin, "Integrated Weed Management: Fine Tuning the System", covering integrated weed management for organic systems. Topics covered in "Fine Tuning" include: diverse crop rotations, cover crops, manure and compost management, flaming for weed control, grazing and other biological controls, thresholds, and weed profiles. Grower input was an important factor in the success of this bulletin. Four of the "Fine Tuning" chapters feature the profile of an organic grower who has expertise in that particular area. The crop rotations chapter features a variety of rotations used by growers from Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. And finally, the last chapter of the bulletin features the results of ten on-farm, grower-designed trials conducted throughout the Midwest. In addition to publishing information in the form of an extension bulletin, select information from "Fine Tuning" was also placed on our web site, www.MSUweeds.com. Objective 2. Hold a workshop at the North Central Weed Science Society's annual meeting to introduce the new bulletin to research and extension personnel from around the Midwest. A symposium titled "Integrated Weed Management: Tools of the Trade" was held at the 2009 North Central Weed Science Society meeting in Indianapolis, IN. This half day workshop covered the topics of diverse crop rotations, manure, compost, flaming, grazing and other biological controls, and cover crop innovations by featuring invited speakers from several universities. Also, a grower from Indiana shared his prospective on grazing for weed management. Over 50 researchers, educators, and extension personnel attended this symposium. Each attendee received a copy of the Fine Tuning bulletin, along with a CD containing sample presentations. Objective 3. Conduct workshops for sustainable and organic growers in Michigan and other Midwestern states to present the principles of the new IWM bulletin. Throughout late 2008 and early 2009, information from "Fine Tuning" was presented to growers and extension educators at ten different events in Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Ontario. The total attendance at these events was 556 and the total number of "Fine Tuning" and the number of bulletins distributed was 205. Additional talks are scheduled for the "Building Soil for Better Quality Food" workshop in Sears, MI and the National Small Farm Conference in Springfield, IL in August and September of 2009. A poster advertising the contents of the "Fine Tuning" bulletin was presented at the 2008 Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, and Farm Market Expo (Grand Rapids, MI),2008 North Central Weed Science Society annual meeting (Indianapolis, IN), 2009 Weed Science Society of America annual meeting (Orlando, FL), and 2009 Midwest Cover Crops Council annual meeting (Windsor, ON). PARTICIPANTS: The planning and execution of this project has been a collaborative effort of the principle investigator, Dr. Karen Renner, Dr. Christy Sprague, and Erin Taylor. Additionally, Steve Deming was responsible for the graphic design of the "Fine Tuning" bulletin. Other individuals from MSU and other Midwestern universities provided input to various chapters of the bulletin. These individuals include: Dan Brainard, Stuart Grandy, Tim Harrigan, Richard Leep, Todd Martin, Dale Mutch, Mathieu Ngouajio, and Sieg Snapp from Michigan State University; Abram Bicksler and John Masiunas from the University of Illinois; Mark Entz from the University of Manitoba; and Stevan Knezavic and Santiago Ulloa from the University of Nebraska. Many farmers also contributed to the profiles and on-farm trial results included in the "Fine Tuning" bulletin. The resulting published bulletin will contribute to the education of growers in the Midwest on the subject of weed management for years to come. TARGET AUDIENCES: Fellow university researchers, lecturers, and extension educators- The symposium that was held at the 2009 North Central Weed Science Society's annual meeting in Indianapolis, IN shared our findings on integrated weed management for organic systems with researchers and educators from Midwestern land grant universities. Approximately 50 people attended the half-day symposium. Each attendee received a copy of the "Fine Tuning" bulletin, along with a CD with presentation for each chapter that could be adapted for classroom delivery. Extension educators have also been exposed to the content of "Fine Tuning" through several workshops held throughout the region (see Outputs, Objective 3). Growers- In addition to the over 500 bulletins that have been distributed/sold, farmers from the Midwestern United States and Canada have had several opportunities to be exposed to the information presented in "Fine Tuning" from the workshops held in early 2009 in Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Ontario. There are also two remaining opportunities coming up in August and September 2009. University students- Information from "Fine Tuning" will be presented in Fall 2009 in the Michigan State University undergraduate level weed science course and also in Spring 2010 in the MSU graduate level weed ecology course. It is expected that information from the bulletin will be used in courses at other Midwestern universities taught by weed scientists. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
Change in knowledge. Since the publication of "Fine Tuning" in December of 2008, 489 copies have been sold/distributed through the Michigan State University Extension Educational Materials Distribution Center in East Lansing, MI. Around half of these bulletins were distributed through the NCWSS symposium and various workshops held in late 2008 and early 2009. The other bulletins have been ordered from states across the country as far away as New Mexico and three copies were ordered from Germany. We expect the sales of "Fine Tuning" to continue throughout the next few years as we continue to promote it at local, regional, and national meetings. Through meetings we have reached an audience of over 600 people thus far. The "Fine Tuning" bulletin has also been mention in the popular press through newspaper and magazine articles, online articles, and television and radio spots. The estimated audience for these outlets totals more than 16,000 people. Change in actions. In reaching a wide audience across the Midwest the information provided in "Fine Tuning" has undoubtedly lead to alterations in weed control strategies being utilized on conventional and organic farms.

Publications

  • Bruening, C and Knezavic, S. 2008. Weed Flaming: An Engineering Approach. 175. Proc. 63rd NCWSS Annual Meeting. Indianapolis, IN.
  • Reding, G. 2008. Livestock, an Important Part of the Weed Control Puzzle. 176. Proc. 63rd NCWSS Annual Meeting. Indianapolis, IN.
  • Leep, R. 2008. Weed Management Strategies in Sustainable Pasture Systems. 177. Proc. 63rd NCWSS Annual Meeting. Indianapolis, IN.
  • Boerboom, C. 2008. Is Weed Competition for Nitrogen Important 178. Proc. 63rd NCWSS Annual Meeting. Indianapolis, IN.
  • Becker, R. 2008. Weed Seed Survival in Livestock Manure Handling Systems. 179. Proc. 63rd NCWSS Annual Meeting. Indianapolis, IN.
  • Renner, K. 2009. Manure $ense. Monthly. Manure and Weed Seeds.
  • Renner, K. 2009. The Scoop on Animal Agriculture and the Environment. Monthly. Want to keep weeds out of your fields Study your manure applications.
  • Renner, K. 2009. Greenville Daily News. Daily. Want to keep weeds out of your fields Study your manure applications.
  • Renner, K. 2009. Rivervalley Shopper. Daily. Want to keep weeds out of your fields Study your manure applications.
  • Renner, K. 2009. Lakeview Area News. Daily. Want to keep weeds out of your fields Study your manure applications.
  • Taylor, E. 2009. The New Agriculture Network. Biweekly via e-mail. Managing weeds using a stale seedbed approach.
  • Renner, K and Sprague, C. 2008. Diverse Crop Rotations and Weed Management Discussion. 170. Proc. 63rd NCWSS Annual Meeting. Indianapolis, IN.
  • Bicksler, A. and Masiunas, J. 2008. Canada Thistle Control with Covers. 171. Proc. 63rd NCWSS Annual Meeting. Indianapolis, IN.
  • Masiunas, J. 2008. Mustards as Biofumigants: Current Status and Future Prospects. 172. Proc. 63rd NCWSS Annual Meeting. Indianapolis, IN.
  • Mutch, D. 2008. Evaluation of a no-till Organic Soybean System in Michigan. 173. Proc. 63rd NCWSS Annual Meeting. Indianapolis, IN.
  • Taylor, E. 2008. Effect of Flaming Time on Weed Control. 174. Proc. 63rd NCWSS Annual Meeting. Indianapolis, IN.
  • Taylor, E. C., Renner, K. A., and Sprague, C. L. 2008. Integrated Weed Management: Fine Tuning the System. Michigan State University Extension bulletin E-3065.
  • 2009 North Central Weed Science Society Symposium: Integrated Weed Management: Tools of the Trade (Indianapolis, IN) Taylor, E., Renner, K., and Sprague, C. 2008. Introduction to Integrated Weed Management: Fine Tuning the System and the Symposium. 169. Proc. 63rd NCWSS Annual Meeting. Indianapolis, IN.


Progress 07/01/07 to 06/30/08

Outputs
OUTPUTS: There are three objectives of this project. 1. Produce an extension bulletin focused on integrated weed management (IWM) including grower profiles, on-farm trials, and detailed weed descriptions. 2. Hold a workshop at the North Central Weed Science Society's annual meeting to introduce the new bulletin to research and extension personnel from around the Midwest. 3. Conduct workshops for sustainable and organic growers in Michigan and other Midwestern states to present the principles of the new IWM bulletin. During 2007 and 2008 our team has worked together to develop a new Michigan State University Extension bulletin covering integrated weed management for organic systems. We have developed chapters for the bulletin on how diverse crop rotations, manure and compost management, and the integration of cover crops effect weed growth in agronomic cropping systems. We have also completed a chapter focused on weed control using propane flamers/burners and biological controls. The manure and compost, cover crop, biological control, and flaming chapters of the forthcoming bulletin will each feature a profile of an organic grower who has expertise in that particular area. During the summer of 2008 these interviews were completed with growers from Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois. The diverse crop rotations chapter will feature a variety of crop rotations from Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. Growers from these states were surveyed during the summer of 2008 and are currently being formatted for inclusion in the bulletin. The results of 8 on-farm weed management trials from Midwestern organic farms conducted in 2006 and 2007 have been made available on www.MSUweeds.com through support from Project GREEEN. These same results will also be made placed into the new IWM bulletin. Several of the 12 new weed profiles have been completed and the rest are currently being constructed. A symposium titled "Integrated Weed Management: Tools of the Trade" has been scheduled for the 2009 North Central Weed Science Society meeting in Indianapolis, IN. This half day workshop will feature invited speakers and panelists in the areas of diverse crop rotations, manure, compost, flaming, grazing and other biological controls, and cover crop innovations. PARTICIPANTS: Additional funding received in support of projects related to this grant has been received from Project GREEEN (Title: "Communicating Strategies for Organic Weed Management"), CSREES North Central IPM (Title: "Advancing Existnig Knowledge of Integrated Weed Management"), and CSREES MI SARE (Title: "Alternative Weed Management Strategies") TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Thus far we have received positive feedback from the online posting of the 8 on-farm weed management trial at www.MSUweeds.com. Following the publication of the bulletin, more outcomes/impacts will be reported.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period