Source: UNIV OF WISCONSIN submitted to NRP
ORGANIC ALTERNATIVES TO CONVENTIONAL CELERY POWDER AS A MEAT CURING AGENT
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1020528
Grant No.
2019-51300-30243
Cumulative Award Amt.
$1,999,999.00
Proposal No.
2019-03095
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2019
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2024
Grant Year
2019
Program Code
[113.A]- Organic Agriculture Research & Extension Initiative
Recipient Organization
UNIV OF WISCONSIN
21 N PARK ST STE 6401
MADISON,WI 53715-1218
Performing Department
Plant Pathology
Non Technical Summary
We will address current and future needs of the organic processed meat industry, particularly in the development of systems allowing for the increased production of organically grown celery powder and/or other crop alternatives that will benefit both the biology and economics of the organic crop rotations being used by farmers across the U.S. This addresses a critical and imminent issue facing the organic cured meat industry: the lack of availability of organic vegetable curing powder, which could impede further growth and potentially erode market shares. We propose to conduct vital research and extension activities to address these barriers facing the organic cured meat industry, bringing together a multiregional team of researchers, extension personnel, and industry stakeholders to establish a Working Group comprised of a "consortium of expertise" in organic horticultural and agronomic production, economics, and meat processing.Long-term Project Goal: The long-term goal is to help establish fully organic sources of curing powders to expand markets for organic cured meat. Mid-term goals include 1) increasing availability of organic vegetable curing powder by developing best management practices that result in adequate vegetable nitrate concentrations; and 2) confirming the efficacy of organic vegetable curing powders in commercial cured organic meat products, ensuring adequate quality and food safety.Through project activities, we will develop strategies across the supply chain to ensure an adequate quantity of curing powders from organically produced crops to meet the needs of the expanding organic processed meat industry without comprising system sustainability and environmental or human health.
Animal Health Component
75%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
25%
Applied
75%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2051499106034%
5013470309033%
6011499301033%
Knowledge Area
601 - Economics of Agricultural Production and Farm Management; 205 - Plant Management Systems; 501 - New and Improved Food Processing Technologies;

Subject Of Investigation
1499 - Vegetables, general/other; 3470 - Other dairy cattle products;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems); 3090 - Sensory science (human senses); 3010 - Economics;
Goals / Objectives
Our team will conduct agronomic, meat science/processing, and economic research responding to the key issues that had been identified throughout our planning grant activities to ensure an adequate supply of organic vegetable curing agent. The complexity of the issues related to developing a supply of organic curing powder will necessitate a research and outreach approach that integrates crop genetics, crop management, yield of raw and extracted product, and economics, and accounts for the needs of farmers and processors. The activities will also adhere to the letter and spirit of the NOP regulation and maintain land stewardship as a guiding principle. The objectives are:Objective 1-Assessment of impacts of nitrogen (N) fertility, variety selections, and environment on nitrate levels in organic celery, chard, and beetsObjective 2- Quality and safety assessment of cured meat products using organic vegetable powderObjective 3- Economic and market assessment of organic celery powder and cured meatObjective 4- Extension and outreach of project results
Project Methods
Assessment of impacts of nitrogen (N) fertility, variety selection, and environment on nitrate levels in organic celery, chard, and beetsMethods: Transplants of four cultivars of organic celery ("Calypso", "Tall Utah", "Conquistador", "Mission", the top four varieties emerging from preliminary testing) will be started using organic production methods in February 2020. In mid-May, 8-week old certified organic transplants will be set out in the fields. The whole-plot factor will include three cover crop treatments (red clover (summer planted at rate of 12 lbs/ac) and 4010 winter field peas and chickling vetch (spring planted at 50 lbs/ac). The split-plot factor will include fertilizer application, with treatments including a single application of CPM and feathermeal (depending on field NPK needs, to prevent excess phosphorus accumulation in the soil) at a rate of 200 lbs/ac (as per the standard recommendation for the FL conventional celery industry) and the second as an initial application of CPM and feathermeal at a rate of 120 lbs per ac as a sidedress treatment, with an equivalent rate 10 lbs/ac applied weekly from weeks 5-12. The split-split plot factor will include celery variety. Plots for each variety will be 15 ft long, with 6 rows wide set 30" apart. Plants will be spaced at 10" apart, with a 10" buffer at beginning and end of plot (making for a 20" aisle between plots). Soils will be sampled before fertilizer applications and at harvest for nitrate-nitrogen, ammonium, and total N, with samples analyzed at the UW Soil and Plant Analysis Laboratory. Celery cultivars will be sampled at two maturity dates (early versus late, 80 and 110 after transplanting) to compare nitrate concentrations in the whole plant. At harvest, entire plants (leaves and petioles) from the middle rows of each subplot treatment will be cut at the soil line (approximately fifteen lbs. fresh weight of material). Individual plant samples will be bulked from each subplot, with any decayed material discarded. A subset of the material will be set aside to measure both plant wet and dry weight (drying at 60 C for 24-48 hours or until constant weight) in order to determine yield.Plants will be processed for nitrate analysis as per industry protocol standards (Kerry Food, personal communication). Plants will be held at 45 F in storage prior to processing. Within three days of harvest, whole plants will be blanched in boiling DI water for three minutes to deactivate enzymatic activity. After 3 minutes, plants will be removed from the pot and cooled. Blanched material will then be chopped using a food processor for 30-60 sec or until pureed. Vegetable puree will then be frozen at -20 C until nitrate analysis is performed. Initial evaluation of nitrate concentrations will be conducted at UW-Madison using a dedicated high-performance liquid chromatography HPLC instrument (ENO-20 NOx analyzer, EiCom USA, San Diego, CA).Quality and safety assessment of cured meat products using organic vegetable powderSamples of each of the vegetables tested which meet the desired industry standards (stable nitrate levels exceeding a 1200 ppm threshold with good nitrate:nitrite conversion efficiency) will be used for efficacy testing in commercially produced organic meat and poultry products after each field season. The ingredient samples will first be converted from nitrate-to-nitrite by Kerry Ingredients and sent to the University of Wisconsin Meat Science and Muscle Biology Laboratory for subsequent testing. Physiochemical and sensory testing will be conducted on products in which the ingredients are incorporated to determine the impact they may have on important quality and consumer acceptability properties of organic processed meat and poultry products.Quality Assessment:Boneless ham and frankfurters are well known in the meat and poultry industries to yield cured color development and consistency challenges as a result of alternative curing (Kerry Ingredients, personal communication, 2016). Deli-style turkey breast will include both quality and sensory evaluations as color and flavor impacts are commonly observed by the meat and poultry industries (personal communication, 2016). All experiments will be designed so results can be comparative and relatable to previously completed conventional celery juice powder work. Past quality research in our lab investigating purified and natural (non-organic) sources of nitrate and nitrite will be used to develop experiments minimizing unnecessary overlap as well as to allow the most value results to be generated.Boneless ham and frankfurters treatments (11.34 kg batches) will be formulated with varying concentrations (n=<3; e.g. 50, 75, 100 mg/kg) of organic nitrite to investigate the impact organic sources of nitrite have on important product quality attributes including color, color pigment, pH, lipid oxidation, and residual nitrite. Due to the importance nitrite has on product quality shelf life, the quality measurements mentioned will be taken over a 90-day storage time.Food Safety Assessment:To address the impact that the inclusion of these ingredients has on the food safety of organic processed meat products, the same/similar approach used for the quality assessment will take place with experiments focusing on Part II products (evaluation on smaller number of ingredients). Efficacy of the organic sources of nitrate and nitrite to control Listeria monocytogenes and Clostridium perfringens will be developed to confirm the same efficacy is present to control these pathogenic bacteria as for purified and natural sources inclusion. Microbiological methods (including inocula preparation, inoculation, and sampling) will closely mimic procedures conducted for previous studies completed at the University Wisconsin-Madison in partnership with the Food Research Institute.Economic and market assessment of organic celery powder and cured meatCelery cost estimates will be based on enterprise budgets built for each region. The first step will be to build a draft enterprise budget for organic celery production based on available budgets and general knowledge from having developed the Veggie Compass Tool (http://www.veggiecompass.com/) (Silva et al. 2014). For example, UC-Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics has several vegetable cost and returns studies available online, including one for celery: (http://coststudies.ucdavis.edu/current/). University of Florida has a similar budget system for celery (http://ufdc.ufl.edu/IR00004163/00001), and Michigan State University for Midwestern production (https://msu.edu/user/blackj/). These budgets will be updated for current prices and converted to organic production as a first draft.Next, we will "ground truth" budgets by working with growers in each region. Working with co-PIs and/or industry partners in each region, extension specialists and industry contacts, grower focus groups will be recruited from each region. This process was successfully used to develop and refine the Veggie Compass Tool for Midwestern small vegetable producers (Silva et al. 2014) and will be replicated again for this project. Participants will receive draft budgets, including initial cost and yield estimates, in advance and be asked to provide feedback, either in person, by writing or via teleconferences. In-person meetings will be "piggy-backed" on existing meetings if possible, by hosting short sessions at farmer extension meetings or conferences (e.g., MOSES Organic Farming Conference, EcoFarm Conference). Based on this feedback, enterprise budgets for each region will be finalized, including expected cost and yield, giving expected cost to produce organic celery as $ per acre and $ per pound of celery.

Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audiences included the following: 1) farmers producing organic celery for processing 2) Industry partners producing organic cured meats 3) other organic researchers and students with overlapping interests 4) consumers and the broader public interested in organic products. This outreach was done through the website and press releases put out by the Organic Center, presentations at scientific conferences such as the American Society for Horticultural Science and the International Congress of Meat Science and Technology, and at presentations at Natural Products Expo West. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?UW-Madison: This project involved three graduate students, one in plant sciences, and one in meat sciences. These students have had opportunities to present their research at both farmer and professional society conferences. Results on the residual nitrite and nitrate in processed meats were presented at the American Meat Science Association's Annual Reciprocal Meat Conference (Oklahoma City). In addition, these results were included in a two-page paper and a poster presented at the 70th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology held in Brazil. Conference Presentations/Abstracts/Short Papers Washam, O. and E. Silva. 2022. Organic Alternatives to Conventional Celery Powder As a Meat Curing Agent. American Society of Horticultural Science Annual Conference, Chicago, IL. Aug 2022. Sheng, S., Sindelar, J.J., Silva, E.M., Claus, J.R. 2024. Survey of residual nitrite and nitrate in processed meats from small processors and in meat analogues at retail in the United States. 70th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology Conference, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil. August 18-23. Short Paper ID 329 Sheng, S., Sindelar, J.J., Silva, E.M., Claus, J.R. 2024. Survey of residual nitrite and nitrate in processed meats from small processors and in meat analogues at retail in the United States. American Meat Science Association. 77th Reciprocal Meat Conference. Oklahoma City. June 17-19. Abstract and E-poster #153 U of FL: This project has provided ample opportunities for the Ph.D. student to lead research trials and developing multifaceted skills in experimental design and implementation, sampling, field instrumentation, lab work, data analysis and interpretation, and scientific writing. The graduate student has gained a comprehensive understanding of organic production systems, soil fertility and soil health management, plant available N dynamics, N assimilation and accumulation, and food quality. In addition, the graduate student has been actively involved in regular project meetings and dissemination of research findings through professional conferences and field days. The postdoctoral researcher and biological scientists who assisted with certain research activities also had the opportunity to strengthen their research skills as well as teamwork and communication skills. The undergraduate assistants received various training in research throughout the project period by working with the graduate student to complete field experiments and lab assays. The extension agent working with us to organize field days was able to learn more about organic celery production and nutrient management and since then has become an outreach collaborator on other organic cropping systems projects. Conference Presentations Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, G. Maltais-Landry, and X. Zhao. 2024. Exploring plant-available nitrogen dynamics under integrated organic nutrient management. Florida State Horticultural Society Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL. Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, G. Maltais-Landry, and X. Zhao. 2024. Integrating compost and sunn hemp cover crop residue in an organic celery production system. Florida State Horticultural Society Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL. Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, and X. Zhao. 2023. Effects of organic fertilizer source and nitrogen application rate on growth, quality, and tissue nitrogen dynamics in organic celery. American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference, Orlando, FL. Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, and X. Zhao. 2023. Evaluating integrated nitrogen fertilization programs for organic celery production. American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference, Orlando, FL. Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, G. Maltais-Landry, and X. Zhao. 2023. Tackling nitrogen fertilization for improving organic celery production: fertilizer source, preplant fertilization, and in-season fertigation. Florida State Horticultural Society Annual Meeting, Daytona Beach, FL. Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, and X. Zhao. 2022. Comparing two types of granular organic fertilizers in organic celery production. Florida State Horticultural Society Annual Meeting, Sarasota, FL. Ray, Z.T. and X. Zhao. 2022. Yield and quality attributes of organic celery as affected by cultivar selection and harvest scheduling. American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference, Chicago, IL. Abstracts Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, and X. Zhao. 2023. Evaluating integrated nitrogen fertilization programs for organic celery production. HortScience 58:S262. Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, and X. Zhao. 2023. Effects of organic fertilizer source and nitrogen application rate on growth, quality, and tissue nitrogen dynamics in organic celery. HortScience 58:S45. Ray, Z.T. and X. Zhao. 2022. Yield and quality attributes of organic celery as affected by cultivar selection and harvest scheduling. HortScience 57:S96-S97. Conference Proceedings Articles Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, G. Maltais-Landry, and X. Zhao. 2023. Tackling nitrogen fertilization for improving organic celery production: fertilizer source, preplant fertilization, and in-season fertigation. Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society. Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society 136:124. Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, and X. Zhao. 2022. Comparing two types of granular organic fertilizers for preplant application with different in-season nitrogen rates for organic celery production. Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society 135:110-113. Extension Articles Ray, Z.T., I. Vincent, N. Xu, L. Anrecio, G. Maltais-Landry, and X. Zhao. 2024. Nutrient management in organic crop production systems: An overview of common inputs and major challenges. UF/IFAS Extension EDIS publication (to be submitted in December). Refereed Scientific Journal Articles Ray, Z.T., X. Zhao, et al. 2024. Celery cultivars exhibit yield, quality, and nitrogen accumulation differences in organic production systems. HortScience. (to be submitted in December). Ray, Z.T., X. Zhao, et al. 2024. Monitoring nitrogen mineralization from organic fertilizer, leguminous cover crop residue, and composts in sandy soils. (in preparation) Ray, Z.T., X. Zhao, et al. 2024. Integrated soil and nutrient management practices to enhance organic celery yield and nitrogen use efficiency in sandy soils. (in preparation) Ray, Z.T., X. Zhao, et al. 2024. Optimizing nitrogen application timing regimens toward enhancing nitrogen use efficiency in organic celery. (in preparation) Ray, Z.T., X. Zhao, et al. 2024. Evaluation of nitrogen application rates and granular and liquid organic fertilizer sources for organic celery production. (in preparation) How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Outreach was done through the website and press releases put out by the Organic Center, presentations at scientific conferences such as the American Society for Horticultural Science, and at presentations at Natural Products Expo West. Results were also presented at organic farming conferences. Additionally, the organic celery work was featured at an organic vegetable production research field day held at the University of Florida Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra, FL in Dec 2022. General information and research findings related to nitrogen mineralization from organic fertilizers and enhancing N use efficiency in organic celery production were discussed. Participants also visited the ongoing organic celery field research trials to observe different soil and nutrient management treatments. Another organic vegetable production research field day was held in Jan 2024 to present key research findings on cover cropping, compost application, and N application scheduling. In addition, project results have been presented at the American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference (2022 and 2023) and the Florida State Horticultural Society Annual Meeting (2022, 2023, and 2024). We are currently working on a number of research and extension manuscripts for publication to further disseminate project findings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Field trials were conducted at the UW West Madison Agricultural Research Station in Madison, WI. Organic celery yield averaged over all treatments and seasons was 26820 kg per hectare. Increased N fertilizer resulted in higher biomass, with responses seen at fertilizer application levels of 201.75 kg·ha-1 and above. There was no observed main effect from the cover crop treatment (p = 0.881), or an interaction effect between cover crop and N fertilizer treatment (p = 0.327). Fertilizer N rate impacted tissue nitrate concentrations between and within years, with higher levels of tissue nitrate observed at nitrogen fertilizer application rates of 201.75 kg·ha-1 and above during both years (p<0.001). The highest tissue nitrate concentrations across the treatments where fertilizer was applied occurred at harvest 1 (30 DAP), with tissue nitrate concentrations dropping and plateauing at harvests 2 (60 DAP) and 3 (90 DAP) in 2021, and continually dropping in 2022 at all harvests. For the treatment where no fertility product was applied, the highest tissue nitrate concentrations occurred at harvest 1, and then steadily dropped through harvests 2 and 3 for both seasons. Similar trials were conducted in FL. In both Spring and Fall trials, the UW team consistently observed increasing nitrate accumulation in celery tissue as the production season progressed, coinciding with biomass and total N accumulation. In the Fall trial, despite similar total N accumulation among cultivars, significant differences in nitrate accumulation suggest divergence in nitrate uptake and assimilation capacities. 'Tall Utah' and 'Pink Plume' were high-yielding and robust cultivars that performed well in the challenging Spring production environment, though in the Fall, cultivars like 'Merengo' and 'TZ6200' emerged as productive cultivars. Results of nitrogen application rate studies showed that lant tissue nitrate content at final harvest was not significantly affected by N application rate or fertilizer source in the Fall trial, whereas overall nitrate accumulation was increased at the highest rate of 308 kg N ha-1 compared to all other application rates. In the Spring trial, similar results in nitrate accumulation were observed, where celery fertilized with the highest total N rate of 336 kg N ha-1 exhibited higher nitrate accumulation compared to all rates except the 252 kg N ha-1. Objective 2: The objective of the food quality portion was to assess plant source nitrite as a curing agent in three different cured meat systems (deli-style turkey, boneless ham, and frankfurter) through physiochemical and sensory testing. Four different plant source nitrite ingredients (conventional celery, organic celery, conventional Swiss chard, and organic Swiss chard) were assessed for their nitrite concentration and volatile compounds profile. Plant source nitrite (pre-converted vegetable powder): All alternative vegetable-based cures used met the requirement of stable nitrate levels exceeding a 2000 ppm threshold with good nitrate:nitrite conversion efficiency. Nitrite (NO2) concentration was tested using a reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography coupled with UV-VIS detector. NO2- content was determined to be 22487 ,17262, 24531, and 27711 ppm in pre-converted conventional celery, organic celery, conventional Swiss chard and organic Swiss chard powder, respectively. Ready-to-Eat boneless ham was manufactured using fresh pork biceps femoris muscles formulated with selected curing ingredients used to deliver 200 ppm nitrite. Cure ingredient treatments included: sodium nitrite (control), conventional and organic celery (deodorized), and conventional and organic Swiss chard. Ready-to-Eat frankfurter (85% lean trim beef and 50% lean trim pork blend) were formulated with various curing agent including sodium nitrite (control), conventional and organic celery, and conventional and organic Swiss chard. All treatments and control displayed good color stability over the course of the shelf-life study with no significant difference. An Conventional Swiss chard frankfurters had a significantly lower non-meat aftertaste compared with other treatments and the control. Conventional Swiss chard treatment was rated (p<0.05) the most liked (6.76, 9-point hedonic scale) followed by conventional celery (6.49), organic Swiss chard (6.21), organic celery (5.92), and sodium nitrite (5.76) by the consumer panelists. It should be noted that commercially available alternative cures often include salts (e.g. sodium chloride) which may impact the consumer's taste preferences. Ready-to-Eat deli turkey was manufactured using boneless, skinless turkey breast with various curing agent including sodium nitrite (control), conventional and organic celery (deodorized), and conventional and organic Swiss chard. In general for the three different processed meats evaluated, all vegetable powder treatment displayed similar curing efficacy and color stability. Sodium nitrite contributed to a better cured meats color than all vegetable powder treatments. Some consumer sensory flavor characteristics were affected by the source of the alternative cure ingredients. Conventional Swiss chard was rated overall liked the most by consumer panels in the three distinctly different Ready-to-Eat processed meats. The objective of the food safety portion of this grant was to determine the efficacy of four natural sources of nitrite on inhibiting Clostridium perfringens growth on a turkey deli product. The turkey deli product was prepared with four natural sources of nitrite: organic celery, conventional celery, organic Swiss chard, and conventional Swiss chard. The organic celery treatment had slight growth during hour 5 and 15, with a log reduction of -0.31 at hour 10. The most effective nitrite sources at inhibiting C. perfringens growth on turkey deli product were the conventional sodium erythorbate and sodium nitrite treatment and the conventional celery-sourced nitrite treatment. As each nitrite source prevented C. perfringens outgrowth to the USDA limit of 1 log, each nitrite source was considered effective. The objective of the second food safety study was to determine the effects of naturally sourced nitrite products on inhibiting Listeria monocytogenes growth during shelf storage after cooling in turkey deli products. The conventional celery, conventional Swiss chard, and Organic Swiss chard cured products exceeded 2-log growth by week 3. The organic celery cured product, however, did not exceed the 2-log growth limit during the 4-week study, with 1.84-log growth by week 4. Therefore, the organic celery cured product was the only product that successfully inhibiting L. monocytogenes growth during the 4-week period, according to the USDA limit. Objective 3: Organic processing celery enterprise budgets were created. Net revenue was projected at $335 per acre. Market assessment found that growth rate of this industry sector over the next decade was project to be approximately 6%. Objective 4 accomplishments are listed under outreach.

Publications

  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Submitted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Washam, O. 2023. ORGANIC CELERY PRODUCTION AS A NATURAL CURING AGENT FOR THE ORGANIC MEAT PROCESSING INDUSTRY. Master's Thesis, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
  • Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2024 Citation: 1. Sheng, S. E.M. Silva, R. Tart�, and J.R. Claus. 202X. Residual Nitrite and Nitrate in Processed Meats and Meat Analogues in the United States: Composition, Processing, Geographical Influence Factors. Under review in Scientific Reports. Preprint available online.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, and X. Zhao. 2023. Evaluating integrated nitrogen fertilization programs for organic celery production. HortScience 58:S262.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2023 Citation: Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, and X. Zhao. 2023. Effects of organic fertilizer source and nitrogen application rate on growth, quality, and tissue nitrogen dynamics in organic celery. HortScience 58:S45.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2022 Citation: Ray, Z.T. and X. Zhao. 2022. Yield and quality attributes of organic celery as affected by cultivar selection and harvest scheduling. HortScience 57:S96-S97.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, G. Maltais-Landry, and X. Zhao. 2024. Exploring plant-available nitrogen dynamics under integrated organic nutrient management. Florida State Horticultural Society Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, G. Maltais-Landry, and X. Zhao. 2024. Integrating compost and sunn hemp cover crop residue in an organic celery production system. Florida State Horticultural Society Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2023 Citation: Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, and X. Zhao. 2023. Effects of organic fertilizer source and nitrogen application rate on growth, quality, and tissue nitrogen dynamics in organic celery. American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2023 Citation: Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, and X. Zhao. 2023. Evaluating integrated nitrogen fertilization programs for organic celery production. American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2023 Citation: Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, G. Maltais-Landry, and X. Zhao. 2023. Tackling nitrogen fertilization for improving organic celery production: fertilizer source, preplant fertilization, and in-season fertigation. Florida State Horticultural Society Annual Meeting, Daytona Beach, FL.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2022 Citation: Ray, Z.T., L. Zotarelli, and X. Zhao. 2022. Comparing two types of granular organic fertilizers in organic celery production. Florida State Horticultural Society Annual Meeting, Sarasota, FL.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2022 Citation: Ray, Z.T. and X. Zhao. 2022. Yield and quality attributes of organic celery as affected by cultivar selection and harvest scheduling. American Society for Horticultural Science Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.


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

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audiences included the following: 1) farmers producing organic celery for processing 2) Industry partners producing organic cured meats 3) other organic researchers and students with overlapping interests 4) consumers and the broader public interested in organic products. This outreach was done through the website and press releases put out by the Organic Center, presentations at scientific conferences such as the American Society for Horticultural Science, and at presentations at Natural Products Expo West. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project involved three graduate students, two in plant sciences, and one in meat sciences. These students have had opportunities to present their research at both farmer and professional society conferences. Steven Sheng (Ph.D. candidate) was provided with the opportunity to learn how to use GC-Mass Spec instrumentation to assess flavor volatiles in processed meats. This also entailed learning how to distill and concentrate the aromatics for analysis. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Outreach was done through the website and press releases put out by the Organic Center, presentations at scientific conferences such as the American Society for Horticultural Science, and at presentations at Natural Products Expo West. Results were also presented at organic farming conferences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Further field trials will be conducted at the University of FL. Meat product testing and food safety testing will be conducted during the next project period. Market assessment and enterprise budgets will be completed during the next project period.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? UW-Madison meat science research: Working with our industry partner Kerry Foods, raw celery juice from our research trials were converted to organic celery powder. These will be used for testing the production of organic hot dogs in 2023. In the meantime, we used commercially available organic curing powders from Diana Foods to test meat quality (deli turkey) using the organic powders. Measurements of residual nitrites after curing, as well as sensory characteristics, were collected. University of FL field research: Cultivar evaluation: Two field trials focused on celery cultivar evaluation were conducted in Spring (Mar - Jun 2021) and Fall (Nov 2021 - Mar 2023) seasons. In the Spring season, 'Conquistador', 'Kelvin', 'Merengo', 'Pink Plume', 'Tall Utah', 'Tango', 'TZ6200', and 'Victoria' were assessed, while 'Balada' and 'Command' were added in the Fall season. In both seasons, celery was transplanted into double-rows on plastic-mulched raised beds (1.2 m between-bed spacing and 30 cm plant spacing). Representative whole plant samples were collected biweekly in the Spring and every 21 days in the Fall, with six total harvests from 26 to 96 days after transplanting (DAT) in the Spring and three harvests from 70 to 112 DAT in the Fall. At each harvest, samples were weighed to monitor biomass accumulation, and either juiced (Spring) or homogenized (Fall) to analyze soluble solids content and nitrate content. Nitrate content was analyzed using the nitration of salicylic acid method. In both Spring and Fall trials, we consistently observed increasing nitrate accumulation in celery tissue as the production season progressed, coinciding with biomass and total N accumulation. In the Fall trial, despite similar total N accumulation among cultivars, significant differences in nitrate accumulation suggest divergence in nitrate uptake and assimilation capacities. 'Tall Utah' and 'Pink Plume' were high-yielding and robust cultivars that performed well in the challenging Spring production environment, though in the Fall, cultivars like 'Merengo' and 'TZ6200' emerged as productive cultivars. Nitrogen application rate studies: Two field trials aimed at optimizing total N application rates and sources for organic celery grown on plastic-mulched beds in Florida's sandy soils were conducted in Fall (Nov 2021 - Mar 2023) and Spring (Feb - May 2023) seasons using 'Tango'. In the Fall trial, the total N application rates included 0 (control), 140, 224, and 308 kg ha-1, while five N rates including 0, 84, 168, 252, and 336 kg ha-1 were assessed in the Spring trial. In both experiments, 35% of each total N application rate was supplied at preplant and the remainder was applied through in-season fertigation. Liquid fish fertilizer was used for in-season fertigation in the Fall trial, and Chilean nitrate was added as a comparison in the Spring trial. Both experiments also aimed to compare two commonly used organic fertilizer products for preplant application, i.e., Nature Safe 10-2-8 vs. Everlizer 3-3-3 in terms of soil N availability, crop yield, N uptake and N use efficiency, and tissue nitrate content. Plants were sampled at 69 and 101 DAT in the Fall trial, and 72 and 94 DAT in the Spring trial. Preplant and in-season N regime trials: A field trials focused on the further optimization of N management were conducted in Fall 2022 (Nov 2022 - Mar 2023) season using 'Tall Utah'. These field trials included a continuous range of preplant fertilization rates at 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% of the total N application rate of 280 kg ha-1 using either Nature Safe 10-2-8 or Everlizer 3-3-3, with the corresponding rates of in-season fertigation using liquid fish fertilizer. Celery was harvested at 82 and 110 DAT in the Fall 2022 trial, and 83 and 111 DAT in the Fall 2023 trial, where yield and nitrate content were determined. Tissue N content was analyzed at each harvest to identify differences in N uptake and utilization. Biometric parameters including relative chlorophyll content and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were assessed throughout production in both trials to further quantify the impacts of N application timing on crop performance. In both 2022 and 2023 trials, celery yield at final harvest was maximized with a 20% preplant application, significantly greater than 80% and 100% preplant fertilization treatments. In the Fall 2023 trial, Everlizer significantly improved final season yields compared to Nature Safe across preplant application rates. Nitrogen accumulation in celery tissue was maintained at maximal levels from 0-60% preplant fertilization, while significant declines between 60% to 80%, and 80% to 100% preplant fertilization were observed reflecting a diminished N uptake efficiency with excessive preplant fertilization. Soil CO2 fluxes were measured using a LI-6800 soil respiration chamber at final harvest in the Fall 2022 trial, where 100% preplant fertilization showed diminished CO2 fluxes compared to all other preplant application rates. Integrated nutrient management trials: A field studies involving rotation with a leguminous summer cover crop and application of various compost products were conducted in Fall 2022 (Aug 2022 - Mar 2023). In Aug 2022 and 2023, sunn hemp cover crop was seeded at a rate of 45 kg ha-1 and terminated after approximately 70 days, prior to celery planting. Sunn hemp crop residues were incorporated into the soil about one week before the application of composts and organic fertilizer and the installation of plastic mulch and drip irrigation for transplanting organic celery 'Tall Utah'. The field trials compared weedy fallow residues vs. sunn hemp residues, and applications of yardwaste compost (22.4 MT ha-1), vermicompost (11.2 MT ha-1), and a 1:1 gravimetric mix of yardwaste compost and vermicompost (22.4 MT ha-1) with a no-compost control. Preplant organic fertilizer was applied alongside the compost products using Nature Safe 10-2-8 at a rate of 100 kg N ha-1. Weekly applications of liquid fish fertilizer were conducted to reach a total N application rate at 280 kg ha-1. Organic celery was harvested at 84 and 112 DAT in the Fall 2022 study, and 83 and 111 DAT in the Fall 2023 study. Samples were processed to determine aboveground biomass, nitrate content, and total N content. In the Fall 2022 study, there were no significant impacts of cover crop residues or composts on tissue nitrate content, while in the Fall 2023 experiment, sunn hemp significantly increased nitrate content and accumulation in organic celery compared to the weedy fallow. Interestingly, the mixed compost treatment in the Fall 2023 study resulted in significantly higher tissue nitrate accumulation, with no differences in total N content or accumulation. These results suggest that both composts and leguminous cover crops may impact tissue N dynamics and nitrate assimilation, while highlighting the benefits in yield that can be obtained following integrated soil and nutrient management practices.

Publications


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

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Our target audiences included the following: 1) farmers producing organic celery for processing 2) Industry partners producing organic cured meats 3) other organic researchers and students with overlapping interests 4) consumers and the broader public interested in organic products. This outreach was done through the website and press releases put out by the Organic Center, presentations at scientific conferences such as the American Society for Horticultural Science, and at presenations at Natural Products Expo West. Changes/Problems:We had no unexpected challenges, beyond the general pest pressure experienced in organic celery production. We are one year behind in progress with field work due to COVID. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project involved three graduate students, two in plant sciences, and one in meat sciences. These students have had opportunities to present their research at both farmer and professional society conferences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Outreach was done through the website and press releases put out by the Organic Center, presentations at scientific conferences such as the American Society for Horticultural Science, and at presentations at Natural Products Expo West. Results were also presented at organic farming conferences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue with the field research, focusing still on fertility management as well as alternative vegetables such as Swiss chard. We will continue meat product testing. We will also conduct a more extensive economic analysis using the production recommendations arising from the first two seasons of field trials.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? Field research - UW-Madison: A second year of field trials were conducted at the UW West Madison Agricultural Research Station. This included the investigation of 5 levels of nitrogen fertility, with and without a preceding cover crop, over three harvest dates. Data analysis was accomplished for both years. Organic celery yield averaged over all treatments and seasons was 26820 kg per hectare. Within 2021, N fertilizer rate did not impact fresh celery biomass yield (p=0.312). However, within 2022, increased N fertilizer apparently resulted in higher biomass, with responses seen at fertilizer application levels of 201.75 kg·ha-1 and above (p = 0.006). There was no observed main effect from the cover crop treatment (p = 0.881), or an interaction effect between cover crop and N fertilizer treatment (p = 0.327). Significant between year differences of nitrate concentrations averaged over harvests and replications were observed (p=0.025) (Table 3). Within each year, periodic harvests were different over time (p< 0.001). Fertilizer N rate impacted tissue nitrate concentrations between and within years, with higher levels of tissue nitrate observed at nitrogen fertilizer application rates of 201.75 kg·ha-1 and above during both years (p<0.001); however, no differences in tissue nitrate concentrations over the range of fertilizer application rates applied were observed (p=0.793). Cover crop treatments had no effect on tissue nitrate concentrations (p=0.434). No N fertilizer × cover crop interaction affecting nitrate concentration was observed (p=0.949). When comparing nitrate concentration means within 2021 and 2022, averaged over cover crops, celery tissue nitrate concentrations varied across harvest intervals. The highest tissue nitrate concentrations across the treatments where fertilizer was applied occurred at harvest 1 (30 DAP), with tissue nitrate concentrations dropping and plateauing at harvests 2 (60 DAP) and 3 (90 DAP) in 2021, and continually dropping in 2022 at all harvests. For the treatment where no fertility product was applied, the highest tissue nitrate concentrations occurred at harvest 1, and then steadily dropped through harvests 2 and 3 for both seasons. UW-Madison meat science research: Working with our industry partner Kerry Foods, raw celery juice from our research trials were converted to organic celery powder. These will be used for testing the production of organic hot dogs in 2023. In the meantime, we used commercially available organic curing powders from Diana Foods to test meat quality (deli turkey) using the organic powders. Measurements of residual nitrites after curing, as well as sensory characteristics, were collected. University of FL field research: Field trials addressing various aspects of this objective have been conducted on certified organic land at the University of Florida Plant Science Research and Education Unit (PSREU) in Citra, FL. To date, two cultivar evaluation studies and two fertility management trials focusing on total rate and source of N have been conducted between March 2021 and March 2022. Additional trials focusing on preplant fertilization and in-season fertigation rates, leguminous cover cropping, and various composts are underway with further plans for replication in Fall of 2023. Cultivar Evaluations: In Spring 2021 (March - June 2021), a selection of 8 commercially available celery cultivars ('Balena', 'Conquistador', 'Kelvin F1', 'Merengo', 'Pink Plume', 'TZ6200', 'Tall Utah', 'Tango', 'Victoria') were selected for field evaluation, and were transplanted into double-rows onto plastic-mulched raised beds (4 ft between-bed spacing and 1 ft plant spacing). Representative whole plant samples were harvested biweekly, weighed to monitor biomass accumulation, and juiced to analyze soluble solids content and nitrate accumulation until the final harvest at 96 days after transplanting. Nitrate from celery juice was analyzed colorimetrically, using the nitration of salicylic acid approach. Another cultivar evaluation trial was conducted in Fall 2021 (November 2021 - March 2022) but expanded to include 10 cultivars ('Tango', 'Command', 'Balada', 'Victoria', 'Merengo', 'Conquistador', 'Tall Utah', 'TZ6200', 'Pink Plume', and 'Kelvin'). In the spring 2021 trial, we observed a tendency for NO3-N to accumulate in celery tissue in the later season. There was a significant increase in NO3-N accumulation between 68 and 82 days after transplanting, which corresponds to a period of rapid growth and biomass accumulation. At 96 days after transplanting, significant differences in NO3-N accumulation were observed among treatments. 'Tall Utah' stood out as a top performer in Florida's conditions, showing good disease resistance, accumulating substantial biomass, and exceeding other cultivars such as 'Victoria' and 'Tango' in terms of accumulated NO3-N. Preliminary results from the fall 2021 trial suggest similar findings in terms of yield and NO3-N accumulation patterns. Fertility Management Trials: In fall 2021 (November 2021 - March 2022), an experiment aimed at optimizing total Nitrogen (N) application rate for organic celery grown on plastic-mulched beds in Florida's sandy soils was initiated. Total N application rates included a zero N control, 140 kg ha-1, 224 kg ha-1, and 308 kg ha-1, with 35% of the total rate supplied as a preplant fertilizer and the remainder supplied through in-season fertigation using liquid fish fertilizer. This experiment also aimed to compare two common organic fertilizer formulations (Nature Safe 10-2-8 vs. Everlizer 3-3-3) in terms of soil N availability, crop yield and N uptake, and NO3-N accumulation. Field set-up and sample analysis was similar to the cultivar evaluation study, but celery plants were sampled at a mid- and final season time point on 69 and 101 days after transplanting, respectively. This experiment was expanded in Spring 2022 (February - May 2022) with a wider range of total N application rates and the inclusion of an additional factor comparing in-season fertigation with either liquid fish fertilizer or Chilean Nitrate as a positive control. In fall 2021, Soil N dynamics were also closely monitored for the first six weeks after preplant fertilization using traditional soil testing to determine NO3-N concentration and deploying anion exchange membranes (AEMs) for a more dynamic measurement of NO3-N flux. There were distinct patterns of N release from the two organic fertilizers with the use of Nature Safe 10-2-8 resulting in an earlier and higher peak in NO3-N. Traditional soil testing showed similar differences in fertilizer release, and these results were consistent into the expanded Spring 2022 trial. Although nitrate analyses are still underway for plant tissue, the soil N dynamics will help to contextualize potential differences in tissue nitrate accumulation and will help to build more targeted nutrient management programs with the goals of increasing tissue nitrate accumulation in organic celery, promoting overall yield performance, and optimizing overall N use efficiency. Economics and market assessment: We continued discussions with industry partners as to the economic barriers to production. Labor costs of domestic production of celery appear to be one of the biggest challenges. We will continue to build out this objective as we enter the second half of the project. Extension and outreach of results: Outreach was done through the website and press releases put out by the Organic Center, presentations at scientific conferences such as the American Society for Horticultural Science, and at presentations at Natural Products Expo West.

    Publications


      Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21

      Outputs
      Target Audience:The target audience reached included: • Organic farmers • Commodity groups serving organic farmers • Industry stakeholders • Organic consumers This communication was achieved through one-on-one conversations as well as broader press releases. Changes/Problems:As reported in the last progress report, the first-year experienced delays due to the COVID pandemic. However, no significant delays or changes were experienced this reporting period. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The primary training has been through the three graduate students employed through this project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have been having one-on-one meetings with various stakeholders (farmers, cured meat processors, vegetable powder processors) to ensure that they are aware of project progress and continually provide feedback. Additionally, the Organic Center has been generating press releases and managing a project website. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will begin meat quality assessments in Fall 2021. Additionally, we will be repeating the celery field experiments in 2022, including expanding the work into additional crops (beets and chard).

      Impacts
      What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1-Assessment of impacts of nitrogen (N) fertility, variety selections, and environment on nitrate levels in organic celery, chard, and beets In Wisconsin, two experiments were conducted - a greenhouse experiment in the Winter 2021, and a field experiment during the summer 2021. The greenhouse experiment assessed different levels of N applications using different organically approved N sources, including different cultivars of celery. The field experiment assessed different levels of N applications using different organically approved N sources, including cover crops. Data collected includes: celery yield, nitrate levels throughout the growing season, and insect/disease pressure throughout the growing season. Data analysis is still ongoing. In Florida, similar experiments were conducted and data collected, which again is still being analyzed. Objective 2- Quality and safety assessment of cured meat products using organic vegetable powder With the celery harvested in Fall 2021, we are working with Kerry Foods to generate curing powder to begin work on this objective. We are also working with Diana Foods to obtain other organic vegetable powders to conduct quality and safety assessments. Objective 3- Economic and market assessment of organic celery powder and cured meat Throughout winter and spring 2021, we met with a series of stakeholders to begin mapping out the economic and market assessment related to the production of organic celery powder and cured meat. Objective 4- Extension and outreach of project results As per the proposed timeline, this objective is yet to begin in earnest.

      Publications


        Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20

        Outputs
        Target Audience:The target audience reached included: Organic farmers Commodity groups serving organic farmers Industry stakeholders Organic consumers This communication was achieved through one-on-one conversations as well as broader press releases. Changes/Problems:Due to COVID-19, we were not able to initiate field work in 2020 at either the Wisconsin or Florida sites. We plan to resume this work in 2021, with a full suite of greenhouse experiments occurring in Fall 2020/Winter 2021. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Although results have not yet been generated, the objectives of the project were communicated through a press release from the Organic Center. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?With COVID-19 protocols in place, we will initiate field experiments in both Wisconsin and Florida. Graduate students have been brought onto the project to oversee this work. We will continue to meet regularly with stakeholders to ensure the relevance of our approach and facilitate adoption of our results. The project team has been and will continue to meet monthly to ensure that benchmarks to reach our goals are being met and to ensure communication and coordination of our work.

        Impacts
        What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Because of the situation precipitated by COVID-19, field experiments were not conducted during the 2020 production season. However, greenhouse experiments were initiated in Fall 2020, after more stringent COVID-19 protocols allowed work to resume. These experiments will include assessments of fertilizer source/type on nitrate concentrations in celery plants and will guide 2021 field experiments. Objective 3: To begin work on Objective 3, the project team initiated discussions with key stakeholder groups in Wisconsin and Florida, including the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers' Association and the Midwest Processing Vegetable Growers' Association. These meetings helped assess the feasibility of adding celery in the processing vegetable rotation. Objective 4: The Organic Center generated a press release communicating the project objectives to a broader audience.

        Publications