Recipient Organization
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
886 CHESTNUT RIDGE RD RM 202
MORGANTOWN,WV 26505-2742
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The US currently imports $233B in corn, soybeans, and wheat annually to fill the demand for organic livestock feed. Increasing production to meet this demand presents an opportunity for organic-certified and organic-transitioning field crop producers. However, optimizing yield using organic approved fertilizers like manurecan be challenging. Research on manure as a fertilizer has focused on meeting plant nutrientneeds.However, manure may also may effect pests like weeds, insects and pathogens to increase or decrease grain yield.We propose to evaluate the relative effects of three manure management strategies:liquid cowmanure, dry-stacked cow manure, and composted cow manure on weeds, pathogens, and insect pests, yield, and profitablity. We will 1) measure the effect of manure types on weeds, insects, and pathogens, 2) investigate the relative contributions of nutrients, organic matter, and microbes from different manure types on corn damage by insect pests, 3) document decision-making about manure management strategies on three representative organic farms, and 4) provide grower focused extensionpublications and meetings to support their use of manure fertility and pest management. Our ultimate goal is to support organic and transitioning field crop producers by increasing our understanding of how different manure handling methods can influence pests, ultimatelyincreasing their profitablity.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
40%
Applied
50%
Developmental
10%
Goals / Objectives
We propose to evaluate the relative effect of liquid, dry-stack, and composted bovine manure on weeds, pathogens, and insect pests, yield, and economics. We will 1) measure the effect of manure types on weeds, insects, and pathogens, 2) investigate the relative contributions of nutrients, organic matter, and microbes from different manure types on corn susceptibility to insect pests, 3) document decision-making about manure management strategies on three representative organic farms, and 4) provide extension publications and meetings to local organic growers to support their use of manure fertility and pest management.
Project Methods
In our first objective,?we will ivestigate how dry-stacked, composted, and liquid cow manures affect weeds, insect pests, and disease incidence as well as soil nutrients and microbiome, and quantify economic costs and returns for established organic land and land in transition. To achieve this, we will conduct a field experiment on the WVU Agronomy Farm over 3 years, fertilizing wheat, soy and corn with these different types of cow manures and measuring pest metrics described above.In our second objective, we willidentify the mechanisms by which different types of manure influence herbivory of corn, we can hypothesize the effects not only of the manure management strategies tested, but how other types of manure may influence herbivores.We will manipulate different nutrient sources and presence of the microbiomeof each manure to understand why manure decreases chewing and sucking herbivore performance on corn in the greenhouse using aphid and caterpillar pests.In our third objective, to better understand producer choices, we will conduct case studies of manure management decision making on 3 Northern Appalachian farms. This will help us determine why these growers treat and apply their manure in different ways. We will also ask questions about pest pressure and pest management practices and get feedback about how the results of our study may affect their choices. ?Finally, in objective 4, we will train organic growers in manure and pest management tactics and share results to support grower needs. We will use the opportunities provided in objectives 1 and 2 to increase grower knowledge about managing manure and scouting for pests through field days and extension meetings and share the results of these experiments.