From the ground up: a national collaboration of organic research

Andy Hammermeister, Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Truro, NS B2N 5E3

Abstract
With funding from NSERC in 2002, the organic research collaborators conducted or supported a series of projects involving 20 researchers, 13 graduate students, 31 technicians and summer students and over 75 organic farms across Canada. Projects related to soil fertility and quality, rotations and farming systems, and pest control. The results summarized here are the product of projects led by researchers across the country.

Transition from pasture, as opposed to annual cropland, may initially provide higher fertility but may result in problems such as wireworms, especially in rotations including one or two years of forages. The long term effect of rotation on soil phosphorus was identified as a key issue, particularly when soil amendments like compost are not applied. However, the nutrient supply rate of soil amendments can be difficult to predict and an appropriate balance is required. In dairy systems, soil phosphorus levels were largely influenced by phosphorus content in feed rations. Susceptibility to soil erosion under organic management is similar to that in conventional, despite lower soil organic matter levels in the organic system. Erosion susceptibility was notably lower in rotations (conventional or organic) that included forages. Weed competition can be reduced by increasing seeding rates in wheat, timely tine weeding or flaming in potatoes. Colorado potato beetles in potatoes were effectively deterred or controlled through the use of neem products and flaming (as alternatives to spinosad).

Full Presentation (PDF)


Source
Organic Agriculture Research Symposium, Natural Sciences held at the 26th Guelph Organic Conference, University of Guelph, January 2007


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Posted February 2007