Progress 09/01/02 to 08/31/06
Outputs
OUTPUTS: A series of experiments evaluated organic methods of production as compared to conventional production of container-grown ornamental crops under USDA Cold Hardiness Zone 8 and AHS Heat Zone 9 (Gulf Coast) conditions. These experiments evaluated organic substrate components, organic fertilizers and alternatives to conventional pesticides. These activities were reported at the annual Southern Nursery Association Research Conference, at the Florida State Horticultural Society meeting and at various field days held at the University of Florida/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center, Quincy.
PARTICIPANTS: Edwin R. Duke, Ph.D. Associate Professor Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design & Management Florida A&M University 306 Perry Paige South Tallahassee FL 32307 850-599-3260 850-412-7536 edwin.duke@famu.edu
TARGET AUDIENCES: Nursery growers, organic growers, county agents and horticulture professionals.
Impacts
A series of experiments evaluated organic methods of production as compared to conventional production of container-grown ornamental crops under USDA Cold Hardiness Zone 8 and AHS Heat Zone 9 (Gulf Coast) conditions. In general, organic substrate components, organic fertilizers and alternatives to conventional pesticides were easily adopted into otherwise conventional systems of container-grown ornamentals. Furthermore, organic and other alternative container nursery production strategies will reduce use of chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, imported media components and water while offering greater environmental sustainability. However, organic methods of disease management were less effective than conventional pesticides. Lack of effective disease management is a major impediment to organic production of ornamental plants since plant appearance is critical to customer expectations and sales. We believe conventional overhead irrigation contributed to disease
pressure because of foliar wetting. Although untested, shifting irrigation systems to microirrigation, in which foliage is not significantly moistened, would reduce foliar wetting and concomitant foliar diseases, thereby making organic management of diseases more effective. Costs of organic methods (unit component costs and amount of labor) generally were greater. Costs of organic components should decrease as they become more readily available and as they are used in larger quantities (i.e., "economies of scale" eventually reduce prices). While organic methods can be used to produce container-grown ornamentals, crop selection will be of paramount importance for economically viable organic production of ornamentals. Crops requiring lower fertility regimes, shorter production cycles, and fewer pesticide treatments will be more easily and more economically adapted to organic methods of production. Finally, a consumer choice study was performed in a commercial retail garden center to
evaluate pricing of organic vs. conventional ornamentals. Results showed that pricing was important to consumers, even though customers of this particular retail garden center are considered more environmentally conscious than those at other garden centers. These results suggest that smaller price premiums are needed or marketing campaigns will be necessary to convince consumers to pay significant price premiums for organically grown landscape plants. This issue deserves greater study.
Publications
- Bolques, A., E.R. Duke, G.W. Knox and T. Hewitt. 2004. Consumer acceptance of an organically grown ornamental. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 117: 326-328.
- Bolques, Alejandro, M. Timur Momol, Gary Knox, Laura Ritchie, James H. Aldrich and Hank Dankers. 2006. Efficacy of organic bio-fungicides on Cercospora and Corynespora leaf spot on container-grown hydrangea. Proc. S. Nursery Assn. Research Conf. 51: 201-203.
- Duke, E.R., G.W. Knox, A. Bolques and R. Mizell. 2004. Efficacy of conventional and alternative methods of weed control. Proc. S. Nursery Assn. Research Conf. 49: 105-107.
- Duke, E.R., G.W. Knox, A. Bolques, and S. Bos. 2003. Growth of geranium using organic fertilizers and alternative substrate components. Proc. S. Nursery Assn. Research Conf. 48:88-90.
- Duke, E.R., G. W. Knox, A. Bolques, and S. Bos. 2003. Utilization of alternative organic amendments as substrate components: physical and chemical properties. Proc. S. Nursery Assn. Research Conf. 48:64-67.
- Duke, E.R., G.W. Knox, and A. Bolques. 2004. Conventional versus alternative methods of weed control in a container nursery. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 117: (accepted and manuscript in press).
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Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
Efforts are underway to develop organic and other container nursery production strategies that offer greater environmental sustainability while reducing costly inputs of chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, imported media components and water. Strategies for reducing pesticide use will enable nursery growers to produce quality plants while reducing costs and minimizing potential environmental contamination. Locally available organic materials could be a cost-effective, renewable source of nutrients and substrate components for producing quality container-grown landscape plants. Use of nutrient-rich organic substrate amendments will provide nutrients that may partially substitute for high-cost, synthetic fertilizers and substitute for more expensive imported peat. Alternative weed control using reusable synthetic disks may reduce use of chemical herbicides. Fiber containers are biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastic containers. In 2005, we completed
an experiment examining growth of conventional and organically grown plants shifted to larger containers, including a comparison of conventional plastic containers and fiber containers (made from recycled wood products). Lagerstroemia cv. Apalachee plants were grown conventionally and organically in #1 containers in 2003. In 2004, these plants were potted into #3 containers using conventional and blended substrates, conventional and organic fertilizers, and conventional plastic and alternative fiber containers. These plants completed their crop production cycle in Summer 2005 and were evaluated. Also in 2005, we evaluated two treatments of an organic fungicide as compared to a conventional synthetic fungicide and an untreated control. Treatments were applied to Hydrangea macrophylla cv. Nikko Blue growing in #3 containers, and foliage was evaluated weekly for leafspot throughout a 90-day period. For both experiments, analyses of data are ongoing and a final report is being prepared.
Impacts
Organic and other alternative container nursery production strategies will reduce use of chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, imported media components and water while offering greater environmental sustainability.
Publications
- Bolques, A., E.R. Duke, G.W. Knox and T. Hewitt. 2004. Consumer acceptance of an organically grown ornamental. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 117: 326-328.
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Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04
Outputs
Efforts are underway to develop organic and other container nursery production strategies that offer greater environmental sustainability while reducing costly inputs of chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, imported media components and water. Strategies for reducing pesticide use will enable nursery growers to produce quality plants while reducing costs and minimizing potential environmental contamination. Locally available organic materials could be a cost-effective, renewable source of nutrients and substrate components for producing quality container-grown landscape plants. Use of nutrient-rich organic substrate amendments will provide nutrients that may partially substitute for high-cost, synthetic fertilizers and substitute for more expensive imported peat. Alternative weed control using reusable synthetic disks may reduce use of chemical herbicides. Fiber containers are biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastic containers. In 2004, one
experiment used conventional and blended substrates along with conventional and organic fertilizers and conventional pre-emergent herbicide and synthetic disks to grow a crop of Lantana 'New Gold'. This project provided a second year of data for production and pest management. One experiment used conventional and organic fertilizers to grow a crop of Cuphea hyssopifolia, providing a second year of production and pest management data. Two experiments used conventional and organic fertilizers and conventional plastic and alternative fiber containers to grow crops of Salvia x 'Indigo Spires' and Spermacoce verticillata. An additional experiment used #1 Lagerstroemia 'Apalachee' plants grown conventionally and organically the previous year. These plants were potted into #3 containers using conventional and blended substrates, conventional and organic fertilizers, and conventional plastic and alternative fiber containers. This experiment is ongoing and will be completed in Spring 2005. A
final experiment involved cutting propagation of Lagerstroemia 'Apalachee', Salvia x 'Indigo Spires' and Spermacoce verticillata. Conventional propagation using IBA in talc was compared to three organic propagation methods: IAA solution, willow extract and absence of treatment. Analyses of data is ongoing.
Impacts
Organic and other alternative container nursery production strategies will reduce use of chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, imported media components and water while offering greater environmental sustainability.
Publications
- Duke, E.R., G.W. Knox, A. Bolques and R. Mizell. 2004. Efficacy of conventional and alternative methods of weed control. Proc. S. Nursery Assn. Research Conf. 49: 105-107.
- Duke, E.R., G.W. Knox, and A. Bolques. 2004. Conventional versus alternative methods of weed control in a container nursery. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 117: (accepted and manuscript in press).
- Bolques, A., E.R. Duke, G.W. Knox and T. Hewitt. 2004. Consumer accepatance of an organically grown ornamental. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 117: (accepted and manuscript in press).
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Progress 10/01/02 to 10/01/03
Outputs
Efforts are underway to develop organic and other container nursery production strategies that offer greater environmental sustainability while reducing costly inputs of chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, imported media components and water. Strategies for reducing pesticide use will enable nursery growers to produce quality plants while reducing costs and minimizing potential environmental contamination. Locally available organic materials could be a cost-effective, renewable source of nutrients and substrate components for producing quality container-grown landscape plants. Use of nutrient-rich organic substrate amendments will provide nutrients that may partially substitute for high-cost, synthetic fertilizers and substitute for more expensive imported peat. One experiment anaylzed physical and chemical properties of a conventional substrate blended with up to 30% by volume of worm castings, chicken manure compost, and mushroom compost. Organic substrate
amendments of worm castings and mushroom compost at levels of 10 to 30% provide appropriate physical and chemical properties and are suitable as substitutes for peat in soilless mixes. Three experiments used conventional substrate and blended substrates along with conventional and organic fertilizers to grow crops of geranium (Pelargonium X hortulanum 'Patriot Bright Red'), Lantana 'New Gold', Buddleja 'Royal Red', Evolvulus 'Blue Daze', Cuphea hyssopifolia, and Lagerstroemia 'Apalachee'. All treatments produced marketable plants, although plants typically grew larger with conventional fertilizer. Two of these experiments included evaluations of weed management techniques involving synthetic pre-emergent herbicide, natural pre-emergent herbicide (corn gluten meal), copper-coated synthetic disks and pine bark mulch plus natural pre-emergent herbicide. Results to-date suggest most alternative weed management treatments can produce a crop of equal quality to that with conventional
pre-emergent herbicides.
Impacts
Organic and other alternative container nursery production strategies will reduce use of chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, imported media components and water while offering greater environmental sustainability.
Publications
- Duke, E.R., G.W. Knox, A. Bolques, and S. Bos. 2003. Growth of Geraniums Using Organic Fertilizers and Alternative Substrate Components. SNA Research Conference 48: 88-90.
- Duke, E.R., G.W. Knox, A. Bolques, and S. Bos. 2003. Utilization of Alternative Organic Amendments as Substrate Components: Physical and Chemical Properties. SNA Research Conference 48: 64-67.
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Progress 09/01/02 to 11/25/02
Outputs
This project was recently awarded and we have initiated the research. Progess to date includes hiring of support staff, gathering of materials and initiation of preliminary experiments.
Impacts
At the end of the project we will have identified nursery plant species that can be grown under the new federal guidelines for organic certification. We will also have developed marketing strategies and demonstrated the approach and results to the public.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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