Source: N Y AGRICULTURAL EXPT STATION submitted to NRP
ENHANCING ORGANIC DRY BEAN PRODUCTION IN THE NORTHEAST AND UPPER MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1028984
Grant No.
2022-51300-37881
Cumulative Award Amt.
$2,999,204.00
Proposal No.
2022-04036
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2022
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2026
Grant Year
2022
Program Code
[113.A]- Organic Agriculture Research & Extension Initiative
Recipient Organization
N Y AGRICULTURAL EXPT STATION
(N/A)
GENEVA,NY 14456
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
This aim of this Integrated Tier 1 Research and Extension project is to enhance the sustainability of the organic dry bean industry in the Northeast and Upper Midwest by developing improved management practices that build soil health and resilience to climate change. Yield and quality of organic dry beans is routinely, deleteriously affected by a lack of information on variety selection, inadequate management of diseases and weeds, and suboptimal agronomic recommendations for no-till production. Due to these production challenges, the exponential increase in consumer demand for organic dry bean have not been realized. The first project objective will identify and develop varieties best suited to organic production through variety trials and breeding. Objective two will develop best practices for organic dry bean production by identifying optimal no-till seeding rates that balance potential tradeoffs in weed and disease management, quantifying the efficacy of OMRI-listed materials for seedborne pathogens and selected foliar diseases, and evaluating an interrow mower for weed management in no-till production. Objective three will explore the interactions between tillage and nitrogen fertility to devise a productive and profitable cover crop-based no-till system that improves soil health and increases resilience to weather fluctuations. Objective four will strengthen the connections and collective skillsets among organic dry bean farmers, processors, and advisors through a multifaceted outreach plan. Our project aligns with FY22 USDA-OREI program priorities: (1), (2), (4), and (7), and addresses two of the research priorities for organic food and agriculture outlined by The National Organic Standards Board.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
50%
Developmental
30%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2051410108025%
2121410116025%
2031410114025%
2011411106025%
Knowledge Area
212 - Pathogens and Nematodes Affecting Plants; 205 - Plant Management Systems; 203 - Plant Biological Efficiency and Abiotic Stresses Affecting Plants; 201 - Plant Genome, Genetics, and Genetic Mechanisms;

Subject Of Investigation
1410 - Beans (dry); 1411 - Beans (fresh, fresh-processed);

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems); 1160 - Pathology; 1080 - Genetics; 1140 - Weed science;
Goals / Objectives
Dry beans are a lucrative crop with potential for organic field crop farmers, and yet despite strong regional market opportunities, production is limited by biotic stressors (e.g., diseases and weeds), knowledge gaps that prevent new farmer entry, and lack of optimized management strategies. Dry beans also represent an opportunity to diversify crop rotations, reduce external inputs and regenerate soil health, especially when grown as part of a system with cover crops and reduced tillage. For example, the growth of organic small grains for regional supply chains in the Northeast and Upper Midwestern regions has created a need for high-value legume crops to increase rotational diversity and farm profitability and has fostered new markets for regionally grown staple crops. However, regional knowledge of dry bean production, once plentiful within farming communities, has diminished greatly, and investments in research and extension have been minimal within these regions. The major goal of this project is to increase the sustainability of the organic dry bean industry in the Northeast and Upper Midwestern regions by overcoming production challenges and developing improved management practices that build soil health and resilience to climate change. To attain this goal, there are four objectives:(1) identify dry bean types and varieties best suited to organic production; (2) develop best practices for the management of diseases and weeds in organic dry bean; (3)devise a productive and profitable cover crop-based no-till system that improves soil health and increases resilience to weather fluctuations for organic dry bean production; and (4) support adoption of management strategies to increase and stabilize organic dry bean profitability and provide decision-making tools to farmers through a broad range of outreach and educational methods.
Project Methods
Objective 1: Activity 1.1.During Years 1-3, dry bean variety evaluation trials will be plantedin ME, NY, VT, and WI. The trials will include 15 to 25 commercially available varieties and lines from breeders in high priority market classes including black, pinto, and specialty varieties. In Year 3, we will identify best-performing varieties within each market class and compare to any newly identified material. Trials will be planted in four-row plots in a randomized complete block (RCB) design with four replications.Activity 1.2. Results of the Year 1 variety trial will be used to identify specialty varieties that would benefit from improvement (e.g., increased yield, disease resistance) and commercial varieties with desirable agronomic traits. Initial crosses between specialty and commercial material will be made in the greenhouse in winter 2023-2024 (NY). Seed from these crosses will be planted for seed increase in NY in Year 2. In Year 3, seed from the F2 generation will be planted in the field for evaluation and selection.Activity 1.3.A side-by-side trial will compare the performance of six selected black bean varieties in rolled-crimped cereal rye mulch and bare soil cultivation-based systems to assess differential performance across these systems (i.e., genotype × management interactions). The trial will take place in Years 2 and 3 in all states. Objective 2: Activity 2.1. This trial will be conducted on certified organic land at two locations in NY (Geneva and Ithaca), and single locations in ME, VT, and WI, in Years 1 and 2. The location in Geneva, NY, has a history of white mold, as S. sclerotiorum sclerotia have been homogenously distributed across the field annually since 2016. Cereal rye will be seeded at 128 kg/ha across the entire trial area in fall of Years 1 and 2. The cereal rye will be rolled-crimped at 30% anthesis in each year with a water-filled crop roller. Organic black bean seed (cv. Zorro) will be seeded at five rates (247,000; 370,500 [current organic farmer practice]; 494,000; 617,500; and 741,000 seeds/ha) to an optimum depth of ~4 cm in each spring using a tractor-mounted variable rate planter. The experimental design will be a RCB with five replicates of each treatment.Incidence and severity of white mold and other diseases also will be recorded where they occur at all locations. Pod and bean yield will be evaluated.Activity 2.2.To evaluate the efficacy of interrow mowing in organic no-till planted dry bean we will conduct a field trialin all states in Years 1-3. Across the trial area, cereal rye will be seeded each fall and rolled-crimped in spring to coincide with dry bean planting. Organic black bean seed (cv. Zorro or similar class) will be seeded at the current conventional farmer practice (370,500 seeds/ha). The trial design will be a RCB trial with four replications. The experiment will include four treatments: 1) no interrow mowing [negative control]; 2) interrow mowing early (as most weeds reach a susceptible height); 3) interrow mowing late (prior to canopy closure), and 4) interrow mowing early and late [positive control]. Activity 2.3. Two black bean rejected seedlots infested with C. lindemuthianum and a noninfested seedlot (in-hand) will be used to quantify the effect of seed treatments on the incidence of C. lindemuthianum and other fungi, seed germination, and seedling emergence. Trials will be conducted in vitro and in planta in Year 1. A field trial including one infested dry bean seedlot will be conducted in each of Years 2 and 3 at the Gates West certified organic farm facility, Cornell AgriTech, Geneva, NY. Four of the most efficacious treatments identified in Year 1 will be soak-applied to the seed, in addition to a nontreated control. The field trial will be planted in mid-May of each year with a single row Jang JP-1 push seeder at a within row spacing of 5.1 cm, and 76 cm between rows. Irrigation by overhead sprinklers will be provided to optimize crop growth as required. The experimental design will be a RCB with five replications of each treatment. The severity of anthracnose and other foliar diseases will be evaluated at flowering and harvest.Activity 2.4. This trial will be conducted on certified organic land at two locations (NY and WI) in Years 1 and 2. Organic black bean seed (cv. Zorro) will be planted in spring using a Monosem planter at a rate of 36 seeds/m with 76 cm between rows. Sodium nitrate (125 kg/ha; North Country Organics) will be spread across the trial area and incorporated before planting. Weed management will be conducted by cultivation. Treatments including microbial biopesticides and plant defense activators (decided with the Stakeholder Advisory Panel) will be arranged in a RCB design with five replications, including a nontreated control. The incidence of white mold on pods and plants and yield in each plot will be evaluated at harvest.Objective 3:The Tillage × Nitrogen Trial (TNT) will be conducted on certified organic land in each state in each of two years. Plots will be established so cereal rye is planted (200 kg/ha) at an early seeding date (before 7 September across locations). Tillage will be conducted in one direction, and dry bean planting and weeding will be perpendicular. Black bean (cv. Zorro; Rhizobium-inoculated organic seed) seeding rate will be 556,000 seeds/ha. Planting date will be location-specific and optimized for tilled soil. The TNT will be established in Year 1 and repeated at a different location in Year 2, both following wheat harvest. The experimental design will be a split-plot, RCB with four replications. Tillage treatments (main blocks) are: 1) cereal rye tilled prior to stem elongation and dry bean planted into bare soil; and 2) cereal rye rolled-crimped and dry bean no-till planted into mulch. N treatments are a) no N applied; b) 29 kg N/ha in fall; c) 57 kg N/ha in fall; d) 29 kg N/ha in spring; e) 57 kg N/ha in spring; and f) 29 kg N/ha in fall and spring. N in fall will be broadcast applied. N in spring will be applied to plots as a starter fertilizer during planting. Aggregate stability will be quantified using the standard wet aggregate stability test.For the root disease bioassay, soil will be placed in four cone tube holders, and one bean seed (var. Hystyle) will be planted and maintained in the glasshouse at 20°C for 4 weeks. Plants will be removed, and root disease severity (1 to 9). Isolations will also be conducted from symptomatic roots to quantify the isolation frequency of fungi associated with root rot.Microbial abundance and diversity. Five plants will be collected from each plot within each of the trials by removing entire plants. Bulk soil will be collected to a depth of 10 cm within 1 m of the selected plants. Samples will be stored at 4°C and processed within 24 h. To collect rhizosphere soil, large soil aggregates will first be removed before sample collection. Roots will be cut into small pieces using a sterile scalpel. Rhizosphere and bulk soil will be sieved to a 2 mm particle size and stored at -20°C. Bacterial community composition will be captured using the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Fungal communities will be captured using the internal transcribed spacer 1 region (ITS1). The 16S rRNA gene and ITS1 region will be sequenced separately on the Illumina MiSeq Platform. At the end of each cropping sequence, we will use a spring barley uniformity trial to evaluate tillage and nitrogen legacy effects. Objective 4:? A vital component of this project is to strengthen the connections and collective skillsets among organic dry bean farmers, processors, and advisors throughout these regions. We will work with our Stakeholder Advisory Panel to generate information surrounding production and profitability questions. We will use multiple methods to share outcomes and highlight accomplished dry bean farmers.

Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience reached during this project period (September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024)were organic dry bean, field, and specialty crop growers that include dry beans in their rotations and conventional growers considering shifting to organic production. Growers also considering a shift to organic dry beans were also reached as the industry is expanding and there is considerable interest in incorporating dry beans into rotations.Dry bean industry stakeholders (personnel of companies that receive and process organic dry beans) were also engaged in the project. For example, a formal consultation with the stakeholder advisory panel (8 organic growers; extension educators and industry personnel from each collaborating state) was held in February 2024. This group provided advice on the fine-tuning of treatments in the tillage x nitrogen trial, cultivars of desirable traits for inclusion in the breeding/cultivar assessment trials across multiple states, and OMRI-listed products for evaluating efficacy in the white mold trials in WI and NY.Stakeholders (~150) also participated in field days of the fieldtrial demonstrations in the various states during July to September 2024. Results have been incorporated into multiple extension avenues including presentations and project reports that were detailed at extension events and placed on the project (ECOBEAN) website. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In this reporting period, five graduate students received training in organic crop production and field and laboratory research. The graduate students are located at Cornell University (2), the University of Vermont (1), University of Maine (1), and the University of Wisconsin (1). There are also two postdocs involved in the program at Cornell University (one recently hired to concentrate on plant pathology and soil microbiomes within the TNT trial [Objective 3]). Three undergraduates have also been involved in research in 2024. These early career researchers have been involved in all aspects of the extension and outreach activities. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Stakeholder Advisory Panel has met with collaborators in each state and then with the PD/co-PD team in 2024. They have provided advice on research but also venues and methods to lever and maximize the investment for extension and outreach to communities of interest, specificially advising on the webinar times and formats, and the target extension conferences. There have been strong involvement in the multiple field days and especially the main extension activity for 2024 - the four part Beans for Lunch Webinar Series. Results are also regularly posted on the project website: Field Research ECOBEAN: East-Central Organic Dry Bean Collaborative (cornell.edu). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1. Identify dry bean types and varieties best suited to organic production. In Year 3, each state, will identify best-performing varieties within each market class and compare to any newly identified material. Trials will be again be established in small plot replicated trials to evaluate the dry bean types and suitability for organic production in each state. Breeding crosses are also planned for the greenhouse in winter 2024-25 (NY) to generate F1 seed.This seed will be increased in 2025 and the F2 will be planted in 2026. . Objective 2. Develop best practices for the management of diseases and weeds in organic dry bean production. Findings from Activity 2.1 over the first two years of the project will be combined and analyzed together for a journal article and extensions/outreach programming. A side by side grower demonstration trial of the outcomes will be conducted in Year 4. Inter-row mowing trials will continue in all states (Activity 2.2) in Year 3.Efficacious treatments and equipment refinements will be established for grower demonstrations trials in Year 4. Seed treatment research will progress into the glasshouse in Activity 2.3. Activity 2.4 will be completed within the trials conducted in 2024. Objective 3. Tillage x Nitrogen Trial (TNT). Replications of this trial have been planted in 2024 for the main cropping season, which will involve dry bean planting into the treatments in 2025. Samples will again be taken from selected plots for root rot severity and microbiome analyses in fall 2025 from selected plots. Objective 4. Extension and Outreach. We will continue to work with our stakeholder advisory meeting (annual February meeting scheduled) to achieve our integration of farmer-driven demonstrations and networks. An in-person project investigator meeting is scheduled for 7 February 2025 in Ithaca,NY. A Stakeholder Advisory Panel by zoom has also been planned in late March 2025. The feature of extension/outreach activities for 2025 will be the factsheets from our research, and the development of the dry bean short course.The project team website will also be regularly updated with our findings. The Beans for Lunch Webinar Series continues to be available on Youtube and will continue to be promoted as a grower resource over 2025. Impact evaluations will also continue embedded within each extension and outreach activity.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1. Identify dry bean types and varieties best suited to organic production. Dry bean variety trials were again conducted in VT, NY, ME, and WI (second year of these trials). These trials were harvested in October/November 2024. In each of the trials, up to 25dry bean varieties from the market classes of black, light red kidney, navy, pinto, small red, specialty and yellow eye were evaluated. Varieties for evaluation and inclusion in the trial were based on results from Year 1 (2023) and recommendations of our stakeholder advisory panel. Results from Years 1 and 2 will be combined for publications in each collaborating state/region. The trial in NY was also featured in a dry bean extension event for growers in late summer. This information has also been levered into the Dry Bean 'Pan-Genome Selection' Consortium including researchers throughout the mid-western United States for the development of a genomic prediction model for dry bean for use by organic and conventional dry bean breeders. Objective 2. Develop best practices for the management of diseases and weeds in organic dry bean production. Activity 2.1. Dry bean seeding rate. This trial has now been conducted in VT and NY in each of two years (2023 and 2024). The 2024 trials were harvested in October and data is being analyzed and combined with that from Year 1. Preliminary data analysis has suggested that black bean emergence is deleteriously reduced in no-till plots compared to tilled soil. The trade-offs between seeding rate, tillage and optimal yield, weed suppression, and foliar disease management is being explored. We anticipate this will lead to a refereed journal article including data from both VT and NY in 2025. Activity 2.2. Inter-row mowing.In Year 2 (2024), inter-row mowing trials were conducted in ME, VT, NY, and WI. Treatments in the small plot, replicated trials were inter-row mowing early, late, and as-needed were compared to a control where no inter-row mowing occurred to understand how the timing of the weed management impacted black bean yields and weed biomass. Discussions within the collaborator team meetings have discussed how best to optimize this new equipment to set up on the tractor and decrease the potential for substantial canopy damage following canopy closure. This research has also identified some organic dry bean varieties which are not suitable for inter-row mowing due to significant vining and early canopy closure making mowing of weeds and not the dry beans challenging. In each state, demonstration style plots on research farms are planned to facilitate farmer discussions at field days. Activity 2.3. OMRI-listed seed treatments for C. lindemuthianum control. Repetition of experiments evaluating OMRI-listed seed treatments have again demonstrated significant reductions in seedborne fungal populations from a copper soak. Additional experiments have optimized the rate and exposure timing for the copper soak in C. lindemuthianum-infested dry bean seed of one variety without substantial phytotoxicity (seedling emergence). The effect of these optimized treatments on shelf-life of the seed (i.e., emergence and seedling vigor) are being evaluated. Discussions with an interested industry partner have also identified two additional microbial formulations for evaluation. Additional OMRI-listed treatments will provide rotational benefits to growers for seed treatments. The most efficacious of these treatments will be included in field trials planned for 2025 and 2026 to evaluate disease control, seedling emergence, and plant vigor. Activity 2.4. Evaluate OMRI-listed treatments for white mold control in organic dry beans. Small plot, replicated trials evaluating the efficacy of ~15 OMRI-listed products for white mold control have now been conducted in WI and NY in 2023 and 2024. In NY in 2024, the trial quantified the efficacy of selected Rovensa Next products (OR-079B, OR-329H, and OR-009 EPA) in comparison to the OMRI-listed (Double Nickel LC, Badge X2, Howler and Theia, all included in 2023). All products significantly reduced the incidence of white mold in plants and pods compared to the nontreated control plots. OR-079B applied to the soil increased green leaf area (as measured by the Normalized Difference Vegetative Index; NDVI]) by 8.9% and decreased the incidence of white mold in pods compared to nontreated plots. Application of OR-079B (soil) followed by OR-329H at flowering, NDVI was increased by an additional 4.3% but there were no additional reductions in white mold incidence. The combined treatment of OR-079B + OR-329H (soil) followed by OR-329H + OR-009 EPA at flowering resulted in a 12.2% increase in NDVI compared to nontreated plots but was significantly less than the soil application only. The incidence of white mold on plants was not significantly different from nontreated plots and there was no additional benefit in disease control from the flowering treatment compared to the soil only products. Fungicide treatment had no significant effect on pod number and weight, and average pod weight.The entire experiment in 2024 was repeated in WI but again hadlow disease pressure and therefore did not identify any significant white mold control from these products. Objective 3. Tillage x Nitrogen Trial (TNT!). This trial was initiated in all states in 2023 (fall treatments) and this season (2024) was the first cropping season. Harvest data was collected in all trials and the effect of treatment is being analyzed. Soil and root samples were also collected from the same selected treatments within trials located in NY and ME. The severity of root rot was evaluated and fungal isolations were made from all samples at Cornell AgriTech. DNA was extracted from the fungal isolates and multilocus sequencing was conducted for species identification. The isolation frequency of species differed between locations. For example, Macrophomina phaseolica was present at high abundance at the NY location but not in ME. This is a new disease report for dry bean in NY. Fusarium spp. (F. oxysporum and F. solani) were present at high frequency in both locations. The effect of treatment on fungal root rot severity and isolations is being analyzed. Bulk soil and rhizosphere samples were also used for DNA extraction for analysis of the microbiome through 16S and ITS sequencing to quantify the diversity and abundance of bacterial and fungal species, respectively. 16S sequencing has been completed, and PCR reactions for the ITS sequencing are being optimized.These trial locations will be planted in spring 2025 with barley to evaluate legacy effects of the treatments.This trial has also be established for the second time at a different location in each state in fall 2024, with a replication of the cropping season in 2025. Objective 4. Extension and Outreach. Results were presented to members of the stakeholder advisory panel (twice throughout this reporting period) and to the broader organic farming community. We estimate a reach of over 750 growers within our combined multistate activities. The four part webinar series was very successful and reached ~400 growers alone. The format of having the webinar over the lunch period was also highly regarded so growers did not need to take time out of their day.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Loria, K., Brockmueller, B., Darby, H., Diggins, K., Everest, E., Gomez, M., Krezinski, I., Mallory, E., Molloy, T., Moore, V., Murphy, S., Pelzer, C., Pethybridge, S. J., Ryan, M., Sharifi, A., Smith, D., and Youngerman, E. 2023. Expanding productivity and resilience of organic dry bean systems in the Northeast and upper Midwest. Bean Improvement Cooperative Conference, Greenville, SC. (Poster Presentation). 6-8 November 2023.


Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience reached during this project period were organic dry bean and field crop growers that include dry beans in their rotations and conventional growers considering shifting to organic production. Dry beanindustry stakeholders (personnel of companies that receive and process organic dry beans) were also reached and engaged in multiple ways including as members of the stakeholder advisory panel providing advice on experimental design and treatments, land and crops for on-farm trials, and giving feedback on the results and findings of the project. The stakeholder advisory panel, consisting of 8 growers (representing each state involved in the project), extension educators and industry personnel, met twice during this period (February 2023and February 2024). Stakeholders also visited the trials personally during July 2023. Results have been distributed through multiple avenues including factsheets, extension commodity presentations, and research articles. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In this reporting period, five graduate students received training in organic crop production and field and laboratory research. The graduate students are located at Cornell University (2), the University of Vermont (1), University of Maine (1), and the University of Wisconsin (1). There are also two postdocs involved in the program at Cornell University. Two undergraduates have also been involved in research in 2023. These early career researchers havealso involved in all aspects of our extension and outreach activities. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated to the stakeholder advisory panel (organic table beet growers and industry stakeholders) on the two occasions they have met during this last project period, and a broader grower and industry stakeholder audience across the northeast and mid-western United States. As listed in the 'Other Products' section of this report, the activities of this project have been included in multiple field days in each state, and a four-part dry bean webinar series hosted by the University of Vermont. Results are also being regularly posted on the project website:Field Research ECOBEAN: East-Central Organic Dry Bean Collaborative (cornell.edu). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1. Identify dry bean types and varieties best suited to organic production.In Year 3, in each state, will identify best-performing varieties within each market class and compare to any newly identified material. Trials will be planted in four-row plots in a randomized complete block (RCB) design with four replications. In addition, activity within 1.2 and 1.3 will be initiated. In activity 1.2, specialty varieties will be identified from the Year 1 and 2 results, that will benefit from improvement by crossing. This crossing is targeted for the greenhouse in winter 2024-25 (NY). This seed will be increased in Year 3and the F2 will be planted in Year 4. In activity 1.3, in Year 4, aside-by-side trial will compare the performance of six selected black bean varieties in rolled-crimped cereal rye mulch and bare soil cultivation-based systems to assess differential performance across these systems (i.e., genotype × management interactions). Objective 2. Develop best practices for the management of diseases and weeds in organic dry bean production.Findings from activity 2.1, will be incorporated into the side-by-side trial in activity 1.3. Inter-row mowing trials will continue in all states (activity 2.2). Seed treatment research will progress into the glasshouse in activity 2.3. Activity 2.4 will be completed within the trials conducted in 2024. Objective 3. Tillage x Nitrogen Trial (TNT!).This trial will be replicated in 2025 (established in fall 2024) and therefore harvested in fall 2025. The trial will be again conducted in all states. Objective 4. Extension and Outreach.We will continue to work with our stakeholder advisory meeting (annual February meeting scheduled) to achieve our integration of farmer-driven demonstrations and networks. An in-person project investigator meeting is also planned for this winter in NY. Field days are also planned for August and September 2024 and our research will be integrated into our state-based extension programming over winter (one per state in summer and winter). Following up from the webinar series, factsheets will be developed as planned on four different dry bean topics including the results of our research. These will also support the dry bean short course curriculum planned for Year 4 over a 5-week period. The project team website will also be regularly updated with our findings.The Youtube series has resulted from the webinar series and is now completed. Impact evaluations will also continue embedded within each extension and outreach activity.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1. Identify dry bean types and varieties best suited to organic production. Small plot replicated dry bean variety trials were conducted in VT, NY, ME, and WI. A summary of variety research conducted in VT is available online:Table 6 (uvm.edu). In individual trials, up to 27 dry bean varieties from the market classes of black, light red kidney, navy, pinto, small red, specialty and yellow eye were evaluated. Apart from providing local suitability information that was highlighted in extension and outreach events, and will form the basis for publication after combining with the 2024 trial results, this information will also be levered through the dry bean 'pan-Genome Selection' consortium. This consortium aims to usephenotype and genotype data across many dry bean breeding programs to create a giant genomic prediction model for the species. This information will also lever the genomic resources of the species to make the organic dry bean breeding program (Activities 1.2 and 1.3) more intuitive and powerful. This model will be used in the short-term to inform decisions about what to cross and potentially which plants to select among early-generation breeding lines. Objective 2. Develop best practices for the management of diseases and weeds in organic dry bean production. 2.1.Dry bean seeding rate.Planting black beans at increasingly higher seeding rates increased emergence populations, but the effect varied in tilled versus no-till plots. Black bean emergence was below the target population for all seeding rates in both tillage treatments, but no-till planting black beans into rolled down rye resulted in even lower emergence. At the highest seeding rate (300,000 seeds ac-1 ), emergence in the no-till plots was only 144,680 plants ac-1 , nearly half the target population, compared to 237,660 plants ac-1 in the tilled plots. This research is being repeated in VT and NY in 2024. 2.2. Inter-row mowing.In 2023, thefirst year of a research trial to determine if inter-row mowing can provide adequate weed management while minimizing damage to the organic no-till dry bean crop was conducted in ME, VT, NY, and WI. Inter-row mowing early, late, and as-needed were compared to a control where no inter-row mowing occurred to understand how the timing of the weed management impacted black bean yields and weed biomass.Results from this year's trials suggested that the inter-row mower can be a valuable tool for weed management in an organic no-till system, but the timing of inter-row mowing is very important. There is a risk of inter-row mowing too late in the season once plants have approached canopy closure or if the plants have significant vining. These trials are being repeated in 2024. 2.3. OMRI-listed seed treatments for C. lindemuthianum control.To date, in vitro testing has identified an OMRI-listed copper based soak with promise to control seedborne infection byC. lindemuthianumon organic dry bean seed. In vitro experiments are continuing to optimize the concentration of copper, differences between formulations, duration of treatment, and to evaluate any effects on seed shelf-life. 2.4.Evaluate OMRI-listed treatments for white mold control in organic dry beans.Small plot, replicated trials have been conducted in WI and NY in 2023, and are replicated in 2024. In NY, all products (Theia, Howler, BF009-03, Kocide 3000-O, and Double Nickel) were all highly and equally efficacious for white mold control in the organic blackbean var. Zorro. The location at WI had low disease pressure and therefore did not identify any significant white mold control from these products. The same treatments are also replicated in each state again in 2024 and will be harvested in September. Objective 3. Tillage x Nitrogen Trial (TNT!). This trial was initiated in all states in 2023 (fall treatments) and is in the first cropping season in 2024. Data collection is multidisciplinary ranging from soil health attributes, root disease testing, nutrient analyses, and yield. This trial will also be established for the second time at a different location in fall 2024, with a replication of the cropping season in 2025. Objective 4. Extension and Outreach.Results were presented to members of the stakeholder advisory panel (twice throughout this reporting period) and to the broader organic farming community. We estimate a reach of over 1,000 growers and industry stakeholders just within the last project period across our four states (see Other Products).The four part webinar series has been completed.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Diggins, K. R., Murphy, S., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. Efficacy of fungicides for white mold control of black bean in New York, 2023. Plant Dis. Manage. Rep. 18:V020.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Diggins, K. R., Murphy, S., and Pethybridge, S. J. 2023. Efficacy of OMRI-listed fungicides for white mold control of black bean in New York, 2023. Plant Dis. Manage. Rep. 18:V021.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Pethybridge, S. J., and Ryan, M. R. 2023. Breaking down the barriers to organic no-till soybean and dry bean production through improved white mold management. USDA NIFA Organic Programs Project Directors Meeting (Poster and Oral Presentation). Pp. 73-75.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Loria, K., Brockmueller, B., Darby, H., Diggins, K., Everest, E., Gomez, M., Krezinski, I., Mallory, E., Molloy, T., Moore, V., Murphy, S., Pelzer, C., Pethybridge, S. J., Ryan, M., Sharifi, A., Smith, D., and Youngerman, E. 2023. Expanding productivity and resilience of organic dry bean systems in the Northeast and upper Midwest. Bean Improvement Cooperative Conference, Greenville, SC. (Poster Presentation). 6-8 November 2023.