Non Technical Summary
Organic crop production is a rapidly growing agricultural sector. However, organic growers face several challenges including the need to maintain integrity of organic produce (microbial safety). Particularly, the lack of defined antimicrobial pre-harvest interventions and limited post-harvest approaches for organic produce. Hence, this multi-regional (AL, CT, HI, MA, NH, PA, RI, TX, VT), multi-institutional, multidisciplinary proposal designed with stakeholder input aims to develop natural, eco-friendly, biocontrol approaches for improving organic leafy green production, focusing on (1) microbial safety and sustaining crop yields, (2) product quality, and (3) consumer perception and cost-benefit analysis. Project results will be disseminated to scientific groups, the community, organic growers, and stakeholders through conferences, workshops, social media, and webinars. Moreover, instructional material will be developed to train the next generation of the workforce in organic production. The program staff consists of a combination of young, mid- career, and senior scientists with expertise in organic crop production, agriculture economics, sensory evaluation, food safety, post-harvest handling, biological controls in food safety, vegetable production extension, produce safety extension and education. Taken together, the proposed integrated research, extension, and education activities will improve the sustainability and viability of organic crop production to meet food security challenges in the US and globally.

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
712	1430	1100	100%

Knowledge Area
712 - Protect Food from Contamination by Pathogenic Microorganisms, Parasites, and Naturally Occurring Toxins;

Subject Of Investigation
1430 - Greens and leafy vegetables;

Field Of Science
1100 - Bacteriology;

Goals / Objectives
The project aims to develop natural, eco-friendly, biocontrol approaches for improving organic leafy green production, focusing on (1) microbial safety and sustaining crop yields, (2) product quality, and (3) consumer perception and cost-benefit analysis. Project results will be disseminated to scientific groups, the community, organic growers, and stakeholders through conferences, workshops, social media, and webinars. Moreover, instructional material will be developed to train the next generation of the workforce in organic production.

Project Methods
Given the need to reduce barriers to the production of safe and quality organic leafy greens, our goal is to develop natural, feasible, cost-effective, eco- and organic-friendly strategies that promote produce safety while supporting crop production. Further, we will address the need for technical assistance via the development of educational and training resources for organic production that caters to the diverse organic practitioner demographics.Our project is geared toSuccessfully integrate biocontrol solutions into leafy green operations to build quality, safety, and economic stability, while reducing off-farm input and enhance diversity; (OREI Priority 1)Develop and demonstrate educational tools for Cooperative Extension personnel and other professionals who advise producers on organic practices, (OREI Priority 2)Evaluate, develop, and improve allowable post-harvest handling, and food safety practices to reduce microbial contamination, while increasing shelf-life, quality, and other economically important characteristics, (OREI Priority 3),Develop undergraduate curriculum for organic agriculture including instructional delivery programs and experiential learning for students, (OREI Priority 8).The specific objectives of the project are:Pre-harvest control of Salmonella and E. coli O157 populations on lettuce and spinach using probiotics as a pre-germination soak and canopy spray.Post-harvest control of Salmonella and E. coli O157 populations on lettuce and spinach using essential oil emulsions as a dip and electrostatic spray washQuality and consumer acceptability of produce washed with essential oil emulsions as a dip and electrostatic spray wash.Evaluating the effect of probiotic application on germination, produce yield and quality at harvest.Economic analysis of incorporating biocontrols in leafy green production systems and comparison with existing practices while tracking farmer perceptionsStakeholder engagement and dissemination of results.Advance workforce development through creation of educational materials.Formative and summative evaluation of the projectWe plan to involve growers at each stage of the process, obtain input and feedback from the stakeholder advisory committee and communicate our results through comprehensive outreach and education plans.