Fire blight is a highly destructive bacterial disease in apples. Conventional management entails the use of synthetic bactericide sprays, but organic management options remain limited. One organic spray that has received attention utilizes bacteriophage control, wherein naturally-occurring viruses that infect plant pathogens are cultured and applied to orchards at bloom. This study evaluated the efficacy of bacteriophage sprays as an organic fire blight management strategy.

In this free online course prepared by the Organic Agronomy Training Service (OATS), learn about harvest and storage considerations for organic field crops. The course will feature harvesting methods and post-harvest storage tactics for crops including corn, soybeans, small grains, pulses, forage crops, and more.

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Agricultural and Natural Resource Economist Jeff Schahczenski talks with Aria McLauchlan and Harley Cross about how to measure the impact that soil health practices can have in mitigating the impacts of weather and climate disruption.

Cover crops enhance soil health and can supply nutrients to subsequent cash crops, but the timing of their release depends on species choice and termination method. This factsheet, produced by Clemson University Extension, explains how cover crop residue decomposition rates, driven largely by carbon-to-nitrogen ratios, affect nutrient release timing and offers guidance for synchronizing that release with cash crop nutrient demand.

In this webinar, plant breeders will discuss how they are meeting the many challenges involved in breeding organic tomato varieties capable of resisting disease, sustaining high yields, and maintaining good flavor. Presenters will discuss some of the lessons they've learned and strategies they are using to overcome these challenges as part of a USDA OREI-funded Tomato Organic Management and Improvement Project.

North Carolina is the second largest producer of organic sweet potatoes in the U.S., with a rapid 42% increase in acreage transitioning to organic from 2014 to 2016. Despite a steady demand for organic sweet potatoes, marketable yield often…

Multispecies cover crop mixes are important tools for building functional diversity in a cropping system. Cover crops with different functional traits can be planted together to optimize the ecological benefits provided to subsequent cash crops. This study evaluated the ecosystem services provided by summer cover crop monocultures and mixes in an organic vegetable crop rotation.

In this free online course prepared by the Organic Agronomy Training Service (OATS), learn about the organic transition for field crops. The course will cover: requirements during the 36-month transition period; strategies for managing production during the transition; and economic considerations during this period.

This episode of Voices from the Field is the first of a two-part conversation with organic farming pioneer and founder of the Farmer Veteran Coalition Michael O’Gorman. In this part of the conversation, he and NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Mike Lewis talk about Michael’s history and how good planning and record keeping can help farmers cope with rising prices for inputs and supplies.

Precision soil sampling helps producers create management zones and prescription maps for more accurate fertilizer and lime placement. This factsheet, produced by Clemson University Extension, outlines proper sample collection equipment and techniques, as well as site-selection strategies to guide row crop and specialty crop producers.

Discover what it takes to achieve organic certification in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, hearing directly from a panel of experienced farmers about their certification journeys and lessons learned.

The production of organic peaches is extremely difficult under the humid conditions of the Southeast due to high pest and disease pressures, and the lack of effective, organically approved pesticides. Consequently, only very few growers hav…