Source: CLEMSON UNIVERSITY submitted to
OPTIMIZATION OF COVER CROP SELECTION AND CARBON WASTE STREAM RECYCLING TO FACILITATE ANAEROBIC SOIL DISINFESTATION IN SOUTHEASTERN DIVERSIFIED ORGANIC VEGETABLE FARMS: A PLANNING GRANT
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1026695
Grant No.
2021-51300-34897
Cumulative Award Amt.
$50,000.00
Proposal No.
2021-02940
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2021
Project End Date
Feb 28, 2023
Grant Year
2021
Program Code
[113.A]- Organic Agriculture Research & Extension Initiative
Project Director
Cutulle, M.
Recipient Organization
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
CLEMSON,SC 29634
Performing Department
Plant & Environmental Sciences
Non Technical Summary
The rationale behind this project is to develop a research/grower/produces/ extension team who will collaborate on the synthesis of a 2022 integrated OREI proposal focused on improving organic vegetable production in the southeast. As noted in the executive summary this project aligns with goal 1 of the farm bill "Facilitating the development and improvement of organic agriculture production, breeding, and processing methods". Specifically this project focus on priority number 5 for the FY 2020 areas to "Explore technologies that meet the requirements of the National Organic Program (NOP1) and protect soil, water, and other natural resources. This includes developing, improving, and evaluating systems-based integrated management programs to address diseases, nematodes, weeds and insect pests-related problems for organically grown crops. ..." The inclusion of economist Dr. Lisha Zhang on the proposal allows us to contribute to the goal of "Evaluating the potential economic benefits of organic agricultural production and methods to producers, processors, and rural communities". By investigating the availability of carbon waste streams and surveying the types of cover crops used on farm we hope to evaluate the potential of ASD for increasing vegetable yield in the southeast. Growers conducting on farm trials will be able to master the nuances of initiating ASD if an integrated proposal is funded in 2022.We will rely on the expertise of Dr. Lisha Zhang to facilitate on farm surveys of grower likelihood to adopt our proposed technologies. The Tobit model (Tobin 1958) will be used to analyze farmers' willingness to adopt a new production practice (Adesina and Zinnah 1993, Nkonya, Schroeder, and Norman 1997, Nassimbeni 2001, Chiputwa, Langyintuo, and Wall 2010, Idrisa, Ogunbameru, and Madukwe 2012). In order to determine which factors affect whether farmers choose to adopt organic production methods for key southeastern vegetables, the percentage of acreage adopting organic methods will be constructed as the dependent variable, while other factors, such as farmers' demographic variables (e.g., age, education level, income, years of farming), land (acres owned or leased), the availability of required facilities, and the prices of major inputs (e.g., germplasm, carbon sources, cover crops), will be constructed as the independent variables.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
21301101160100%
Knowledge Area
213 - Weeds Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
0110 - Soil;

Field Of Science
1160 - Pathology;
Goals / Objectives
Goal 5-Explore technologies that meet the requirements of the National Organic Program (NOP)1 and protect soil, water, and other natural resources. This includes developing, improving, and evaluating systems-based integrated management programs to address diseases, nematodes, weeds and insect pests-related problems for organically grown crops. Systems-based evaluations can include the safety and efficacy of allowable pest management materials and practices. Proposals addressing organic management of diseases, nematodes, weeds, and insect pests in the Southern Region are especially encouraged. Where possible, the projects should engage emerging technologies such as automation, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and digital scouting to enhance plant protection and weed control as well as improve productivity. Legislative goal 5 is the main target for this planning proposal (80%). Optimizing anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) for control of soilborne pests in the southeast directly addresses this goal.Goal 9-Identify marketing, policy, and other socioeconomic barriers to the expansion of organic agriculture in the United States and develop strategies to address them. Lobbying and advocacy activities are not appropriate under this priority. The planning grant aims to target recycling of on farm carbon waste and cover crops, since cost of carbon sources has been a limitation to the adoption of ASD.
Project Methods
In order to apply the traditional ASD method, growers will have to spend more money up front on carbon sources, although less money will need to be spent on labor to hand-weed later on. Technically, growers' willingness to pay (WTP) for carbon sources, the major input of the ASD method, should be equal to the amount of money saved as a result of using ASD. However, other factors, such as growers' risk attitudes and environmental concerns, may cause the WTP to deviate above or below this predicted value. We will therefore use interval regression (Yang et al., 2011) to estimate other non-monetary factors that could possibly affect the WTP for the major inputs of the ASD method. Obviously, using on farm carbon waste to facilitate ASD will reduce the up-front costs that growers will have to invest. Further economic analysis will be conducted on the potential to use off site carbon waste streams (Such as canneries, vegetable processing facilities, etc.).Activities (September 1 2021-August 31 of 2022)Recruiting growers by email and phone will occur prior to September due date of the 2022 proposal being in January. Initial activities for this planning proposal will include visits to growers in order to sample cover crop material from their farm and recruit for on farm trials to be conducted in 2022 for the OREI integrated proposal. Concurrently, Dr. Cutulle and Mrs. Rainwater will visit processing facilities to recruit their participation in the 2022 fully integrated proposal. Information regarding processing waste output data from these facilities will be relayed to Dr. Zhang, who will be preparing economic analysis for the 2022 integrated OREI proposal. Mrs. Rainwater will also collect waste samples from the processing plants to analyze for carbon content (Table 1). In the Fall of 2021 seminars will be held in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. This will be October through November of 2021. At these seminars Dr. Cutulle and the local Co-PD or collaborator will provide a tutorial to local growers regarding implementing ASD. Plans about recycling on farm carbon waste and using cover crops will be synthesized as well. Additionally, extension personnel, nematologists, plant pathologists, and bio-systems engineers will be invited to the seminars in order to recruit them for the 2022 integrated proposal. Extension personnel from Clemson, Auburn, University of Florida, University of Georgia as well as 1890's universities such as South Carolina State and Florida A&M will be recruited to increase the diversity of growers who can be included in the 2022 integrated proposal. A final planning meeting with the newly recruited growers, scientists, and advisory board members will occur in December to construct.Table 1. List of Cover Crops and Waste Streams That Will be Evaluated By Grower for Grace Contract Chemists. Summer cover crops will be sampled prior to September.On Farm Watermelon CullsPeach Waste (From Processing Plant)Sweetpotato Skins (Processing Plant)On Farm Blueberry WasteOn Farm Citrus Waste or Processing WasteOn Farm Night Shade Crop WasteSummer Cover Crop 1 (To be determined from survey/visits)Summer Cover Crop 2 (To be determined by survey/ visits)Winter Cover Crop 1 (To be determined by survey/visits)Winter Cover Crop 2 (To be determine by survey visits)

Progress 09/01/21 to 02/28/23

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences wasinclusive of diversified organicvegetable and small fruit growers as well as extension agents in Georgia, Florida and South CarolinaThese growers ranged in size and in organic certification status. With a couple growers havingmore than 1000 acres and some being smaller market gardners. We also targeted members of the plasticulture industry, whichincluded Charternext generation, Viaflex and Mosiac. Generators of carbon waste streams who were not interested in ASD themselves but a way to recycle their wastewere involved in the project as well. This included large growers, breweries, paper mills and processing/canning facilities. These groups were brought together at in person meetings in Charleston SC and in virtual meetings hosted by University of Florida, Universiy of Georgia and Clemson University. Changes/Problems:Dr. Lisha Zhang left Clemson University prior to the completion of the project. Dr. Dave Lamie was able to take over the economics portion of the planning grant. Dr. Lamie presented at multiple seminars assisting with economic questions from growers about ASD implementation. He also assisted in writing a full OREI proposal focused on ASD implementation. The transition from Dr. Zhang to Dr. Lamie went very smoothly. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Over 90 growers attended the seminars held at Clemson, University of Georgia and University of Florida were introduced to the concept of ASD and how to implement it. Dave Lamie's economics lab conducted literature reviews on ASD and helped contribute to the full OREI proposal submitted this year "Development of Strategies Optimizing Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation in Organic Horticultural Crops: A Prescription-Based Approach to Sustainably Manage Soilborne Diseases, Nematodes and Weeds". Post-docs from Clemson attended the southern cover crops conference in Louisana to increase knowledge on cover crop implementation that will be beneficial for future studies using cover crops to facilitate ASD. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?This planning grant targed diversified organic growers in the southeastern US. The information was dissiminated through online seminars as well as 1 in person meeting. Members of the plastic mulch industry inclusive of Viaflex, CNG (Charter Next Generation) and Mosiac attended. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Four seminars were presented and 1 in person meeting was held with team members from this grant. At the seminars, different techniques were discussed for implementing ASD. This included cover crop termination techniques to optimize ASD, identifying local carbon waste streams and optimal strategies for selecting and applying plastic mulch.Over 90 indiviudals involved in growing specialtry crops attended the virtual seminars hosted by Clemson, University of Florida and University of Georgia. At the in person meeting, growers and members of industry were able to priortize needs that would be incorporated into a full OREI proposal. Dr. Cutulle also presented aspects from the planning grant at a virtual American Society of Horticultural Scientists (ASHS) seminarthat was hosted by the ASHS pest management working group.

Publications


    Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22

    Outputs
    Target Audience:We have interacted through in person and virtual seminars with growers and extension agents from SC, GA and FL as well as companies involved in plasticulture in the southeast. Soil scientists, weed scientists, horticulturalists, a graduate student and plant physiologists from Clemson. Specifically, at UGA one research and one extension horticulturist, one extension plant pathologist, and one extension nematologist. At Florida 1 horticulturalist and 1 extension are helping prepare a seminar for Florida growers in October of 2022. The growers involvedin the seminars included small, medium and larger scale organic growers. Companies invovled in plasticulture (Charter Next Generation) and waste disposal (Ingevity) have expressed interest in the project as well. Changes/Problems:Dr. Zhang,the economist, has been replaced by Dr. Laime, who is also from Clemson University. Due to increaes in covid we had to conducttwo of the seminars in a virtual setting. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One in person seminar on cover crop optimization and ASDwas conducted at Middleton Place in Charleston SC. This meeting included Plasticulture chemists, horticulturalists, weed scientists, plant physiologists, soil scientists, growers, extension agents, students and research organizations. A virtual seminar was conducted with growers, extension agents from Georgia as well as with economist(Dr. Laime). Overall, dozens of extenion agents were introduced to the concept of ASD and now to implement it. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have conducted seminars in Georgia and South Carolina. Audience members included extension agents, researchers, growers. These growersincluded women and minority owners.. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will host a virtual seminar with agents and growers from Florida in October of 2022. We will also analyze more carbon waste stream content from potential emerging sources. We hope to summarize some of the economic oppurtunites that some of the cover crops and carbon sources might provide in context with facilitating ASD.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? We have conducted seminars in South Carolina and Georgia with one seminar being planned in Gainesville, Florida for October 14th 2022. We have also analyzed several agro-waste streams and cover crops for C & N content. These waste streams include corn silage, different cover crops and peach waste. We are attempting to hire a MS student to help with some of the economical analysis regarding ASD.

    Publications