G2120 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Organic...
Transcript of G2120 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Organic...
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Know how. Know now. University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources
G2120
University of Nebraska–LincolnOrganic Farming Research
Charles A. Shapiro, Soil ScientistCharles A. Francis, Sustainable Agriculture/Landscape Design Specialist
Elizabeth A. Sarno, Organic Farming Systems EducatorTwyla M. Hansen, Organic Project Assistant
• UniversityofNebraska–LincolnOrganicFarmingResearch
• TransitioningtoOrganicFarming• DevelopingaFarmOrganicSystemPlan• CertificationProcessforOrganicProduction• HealthyFarmIndex
• BirdConservationonWorkingFarms• SelectingWinterWheatCultivarsforOrganic Production• FlameWeedinginAgronomicCrops• CoverCropsSuitableforNebraska• NutrientManagementinOrganicFarming
Organic Farming and Related NebGuides for Nebraska
ThispublicationispartofaNebGuideseriesonorganicfarmingbeingdevelopedbyUniversityofNebraska–LincolnExtension.Asthepublicationsarecompleted,theywillbeavailableontheUNLExtensionPublicationswebsite.Gotoextension.unl.edu/publications andenterthetitleintothesearchbox,orcontactyourlocalexten-sionoffice.
Anoverviewof theorganic farming researchand resources available through University ofNebraska–LincolnExtension.
TheUniversity ofNebraska–LincolnInstituteofAgricultureandNaturalResourcesiscommittedtosustainablefood,fiber,andnaturalresource systems that support abio-basedeconomy,andeconomicsandenvironmentsforasustainable
future.Tohelpmeetthesecommitments,fourUNLagri-cultureresearchcentershaveestablishedtheinfrastructurefororganicresearchwithfieldactivitiesfundedbygrantsfromtheUSDAIntegratedOrganicProgram.
OrganiccropresearchisbeingconductedonUSDANationalOrganicProgram(NOP)certifiedorganiclandinthreeofthefourNebraskaecoregions(WesternHighPlains,CentralGreatPlains,NebraskaSandhills,Western
CornBelt)atfouragriculturalfieldlaboratoriesacrossthestateon120totalacresofcropland(Figure 1).
• Southeast: Agricultural Research and Develop-mentCenter(ARDC)nearMead,Neb.,locatedintheWestern Corn Belt Plains (southeast rainfedagroecozone)
• Northeast:HaskellAgriculturalLaboratory(HAL)nearConcord,Neb.,locatedintheNebraskaLoessHills(northeastrainfedagroecozone)
• SouthCentral:SouthCentralAgriculturalLabo-ratory(SCAL)nearClayCenter,Neb.,locatedinthe Central Great Plains (south central irrigatedagroecozone)
• West:HighPlainsAgriculturalLaboratory(HPAL)near Sidney, Neb., located in theWestern HighPlains(westernrainfedagroecozone)
Nebraskahasdiverseecologicalandculturalcharac-teristics—averageannualrainfallrangingfrom13inchesinthewestto36inchesintheeast,differinglengthsofgrowingseasons,altitudes,andsoilsthatarevaluableforscreeningcultivarsanddevelopingcropsforadaptationto organic management under a variety of conditions.Researchisconductedoncertifiedorganicland,usingac-ceptedculturalpracticesandcroprotationsforthevaryingconditions,whichhelpsprovideorganiccropproductionsolutionsforfarmersintheirecoregion.
Long-term and Current UNL OrganicFarming Research
Long-termUNLorganicresearchprojectgoalsinclude:
• Provide the organic farming community withresearch-basedsolutionstoproductionissues;
• Developanagroecologicalresearchandeducationsystemthatincorporatesasystematicanalysisoftheecologicalimpactsoforganicproductionsystems;
• Workcollaborativelywithorganicfarmersonin-dependentandUNL-drivenon-farmfieldresearchexperimentstodetermineresearchpriorities,utilizeorganicfarmers;experience,andidentifycommonorganicproductionsolutions;
• Demonstrateanddeliverresearchresultstofarm-ers in extension meetings, field days and tours,and through classroom teaching and curriculuminformation;
• Developinstitutionalcapacityforresearch,teach-ing,andextensioninorganicfarmingpracticesandagroecologicalsystemsdesign,andgreatercross-disciplinaryresearchintegrationofcomponentsinthefoodsystem;
• Developadecisionsupporttool,theHealthyFarmIndex, toutilizequantitativeassessmentsofbio-diversityandecosystemservicestoimprovefarmmanagement;
• Determinethebiodiversity,conservation,andeco-systemservicesvalueoforganicpractices;
• Contributetotheefficientmanagementofresourcesinagroecosystemstobenefitfarmsandnetincomeinalltypesofsystems,andtoprovideguidelinesformoreecologicallybeneficialsystems;
• Provide extension educatorswith research-basedinformationon transitioning land toorganicpro-duction,organicfarming,culturalpractices,croprotations,and theuseofcovercropswithincroprotations.
CurrentUNLorganicresearchincludes:
• Nutrient management: Determine the effects oforganicsoilamendments,andinteractionbetweengeneralfertilitylevelsandintegratedweedcontrol;assess nutrient balance on organic farms; raiseknowledge in organic community of exportednutrients;
Figure1. AgroecozonesofNebraska.CertifiedorganicfarmoperationsacrossNebraska(2006data,whitedots)andtheUNLorganicagriculturalresearchsites()
UNLOrganicResearchSitesOrganicFarms(2004data)
0 15 30 60 90 120Miles
N
AgroecozonesCentralGreatPlains
HighPlainsNebraskaSandHillsNorthwesternGlaciatedPlains
WesternCornBelt
ExtensionisaDivisionoftheInstituteofAgricultureandNaturalResourcesattheUniversityofNebraska–LincolncooperatingwiththeCountiesandtheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture.
UniversityofNebraska–LincolnExtensioneducationalprogramsabidewiththenondiscriminationpoliciesoftheUniversityofNebraska–LincolnandtheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture.
©2012,TheBoardofRegentsoftheUniversityofNebraskaonbehalfoftheUniversityofNebraska–LincolnExtension.Allrightsreserved.
• Weed management:Evaluateanintegratedapproachfor weed control usingmechanical methods andflameweeding;
• Cover crops:Determineoptimumselectionofmix-ture,timingofplanting,economics,incorporationmethods,effectsoncropyields,benefitstoincreasesoilnutrientlevels,organicmatter,carbon,water-holdingcapacity,erosionpreventionandmicrobialactivity, increasespeciesbiodiversity,habitat forbeneficialinsects,andweedsuppression;
• Organic small grains breeding and systems develop-ment:Breedcultivarsoptimaltoorganicproductionfordiseaseandpestresistance,responsetofertil-izers,andend-usequality;
• Antioxidant production in organic small grains:Determinelevelsofantioxidantlevelsamongwheatcultivars,andorganicenvironments;
• Biodiversity conservation on working organic farms:Quantifytheeffectoforganicmanagementofbreedingbirdpopulations,andinstitutelong-termecologicalmonitoring;
• Healthy Farm Index assessment of biodiversity indicators and land use patterns:Deliveratooltoorganicfarmersforfarmassessmentandstructureddecisionmaking;
• On-farm/farmer research capability: Provideguid-ance, encouragement, and technical support fororganicfarmersandresearchgroupsinNebraska.
On-goingUNLresearchimpactsorganiceducationinNebraskathrough:
• residentinstruction,especiallyundergraduateedu-cation;
• extensionoutreach;• informationresourcesprovidedtootherpublicagen-cies,colleges,highschooleducators,andothersinNebraska.
UNL Organic Information Resources
Education. Resident education at UNL includesspecificunitsandmaterialsincoursessuchas:
• OrganicFarmingandHorticulture(AGRO/HORT439/839)
• Agroecology(AGRO/HORT/NRES435/835)• AgroecosystemsAnalysis(AGRO/HORT436/836)• AgriculturalandNaturalResourcesSystems(NRES/AGRI103)
• AgroforestryinSustainableAgriculturalSystems(NRES/HORT417/817)
• IntroductiontoConservationBiology(NRES211)
An organic option is now available for studentsmajoringinAgronomyandHorticulture.
Extension outreach.Extensionoutreachisavailableto organic, sustainable, conventional and transitioningfarmers, agronomists, farm technicians, advisors, con-sultants, inspectors and suppliers, teachers, students,governmentofficials,consumers,andthegeneralpublic.SpecificactivitiesincludefielddaysattheUNLorganicresearchsitesandonlocalorganicfarms,organiceduca-tionalseminars,workshops,andconferencepresentationsacrossthestate.Informationalmaterials,mentoring,dis-cussions,andlearningfromorganicfarmersareempha-sizedatallvenues.On-farmorganicresearchiscurrentlytakingplaceonorganicfarmsacrossthestate.
Webresources.TheOrganicWorkingGroupwebsite(organic.unl.edu)islinkedtoUNLCropWatch(cropwatch.unl.edu),allowingresultstoreachabroadaudience.TheOrganicWorkingGroupwebsite includes a section forfarmerfeedbackandresearchsuggestions,linkstopastandcurrentorganicresearch,andlinkstoorganicresearchpublications.
OtherWebresourcesinclude:• OrganicFarming2010(sustainableag.unl.edu/pdf/
OrganicFarming2010.pdf)• Multifunctional Rural Landscapes and theImportance of Ecosystem Services in Farmland(sustainableag.unl.edu/research.shtml)
Inaddition,theOrganicWorkingGroupcanbefoundon:• Twitter(twitter.com/UNL_Organic)• Facebook(www.facebook.com/pages/Lincoln-NE/
UNL-Organic-Working-Group/79073982154)
For more information:
ElizabethSarno,ExtensionEducatorUNLOrganicProjectCoordinatorEmail:[email protected]:402-584-2261
This publication has been peer reviewed.
UNLExtensionpublicationsareavailableonlineathttp://extension.unl.edu/publications.
Index:CropProduction/FieldCropsCropping Practices
IssuedJune2012