Fertilizers, which provide essential nutrients to crops throughout the growing season, are an important component of many agricultural systems. In addition to their impacts on crop productivity/growth, fertilizers can also influence a crop’s pest tolerance. This study, conducted by researchers at Washington State University, evaluated the effects of organic and synthetic fertilizer inputs on insect pest populations in two quinoa varieties.

Reducing soil disturbance in organic production to benefit soil health often comes at the tradeoff of weed control. Cover crops grown as living mulches may offer producers a way to manage weeds while also reducing soil disturbance, but research is still needed to determine optimal living mulch management. In this study, researchers in Wisconsin examined a cereal rye cover crop living mulch compared to standard tillage in organic soybean, and the resulting effects on rye biomass, weed biomass, and soybean yield.

Maintaining organic potato yield and quality can be a challenge for growers. Often, this comes down to effective nutrient management. In organic systems, nutrients are often supplied as compost, manure, or cover crops, which decompose at varying rates. Researchers from the University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources conducted several studies evaluating the influence of cover crops and soil amendments on organic potato crop production.

Winter cover crops are becoming an increasingly important cultural management practice against weeds. However, growers in more arid climates frequently express concerns about the effects of cover crops on soil moisture. In this study, researchers compared small grain winter cover crop species in New Mexico, and, identifying barley as a top-performer, evaluated barley’s impacts on weeds and soil water content.

Ground cover management is an important tool for managing crop quality and sustainability within organic vegetable systems. Many organic growers use plastic mulch beneath their cash crops, but cover crops can be an effective, sustainable alternative. This Rodale study evaluated plastic mulch against three living mulch species and a crimped cover crop mulch in a small plot field experiment.

Kaolin clay is an organic pesticide known to be effective against multiple pests. It works by creating a particle film that coats plant surfaces, discouraging movement by insect pests across foliage or fruit surfaces. This study evaluated the efficacy of kaolin clay to control western grape leafhopper populations in winegrapes, as well as its potential to reduce sunburn.

Growing media provide nutrient-rich substrates for seedling transplants in vegetable production systems. Certified organic growers are required to use growing media that meet NOP standards, which can be costly and vary widely in composition and effectiveness. Researchers at Purdue University established greenhouse and field trials to evaluate the efficacy of several commercially-available, organic growing media in a tomato production system.

Colostrum, the nutrient-dense first milk produced by a cow, is essential for calf immune system development. If a calf does not receive enough colostrum, they risk a condition known as ‘failure of transfer of passive immunity.’ In this study, researchers conducted surveys and analyzed blood samples from calves in organic and conventional dairies to better understand passive immunity transfer.

Blueberries are an important berry crop in the United States, with much of the national production occurring in the Pacific Northwest, where soils are acidic and organic matter content high. Recent research has investigated the ability of soil amendments to improve the suitability of sandier soils for organic blueberry production. This Oregon study evaluated the impact of several organic amendments on soil health indicators and microbial community structure.

Soil amendments may be of particular importance in organic vegetable cropping systems in the Southeastern U.S., owing to the size of the vegetable industry, the growth of the organic sector, and the sandiness of coastal soils. This Florida study evaluated the effects of two mineral soil amendments on soil health properties and vegetable crop yield over two years.

Spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) is a major economic pest of fruit and berry crops, and management options are limited for organic producers. This study, conducted in Florida and Georgia, tested different combinations of gel attractants and organically-approved insecticides (an ‘attract-and-kill’ tactic) for their efficacy in protecting blueberries against SWD.

Explore biological control of weeds using compost extracts to enhance soil health, minimize crop losses, and promote diverse microorganisms, benefiting both farmers and researchers in sustainable agriculture practices.

Feed costs represent one of the largest expenses on a dairy farm, and farmers must decide how to balance forages grown on the farm and supplemental feed purchased from off-farm sources. In this study, researchers from Kentucky and Tennessee designed an economic model to determine outcomes of different ration balances for an organic dairy farm in the Mid-South.

The transition to organic production often comes with challenges related to cash crop yields, controlling weeds, and managing inputs. Tillage is primarily used for weed management, but many producers are interested in conservation tillage practices for soil health. In this study, different organic grain systems varying in tillage, cover crop, fertility, and crop rotation were examined to gain insight into challenges and best management practices during the three-year transition period.

Many organic cucurbit producers use physical pest exclusion tactics, including installing fine-mesh row covers over mesotunnels during the growing season, however this also excludes native pollinators. Several strategies have emerged for managing pollination beneath row covers. This study compared the pest control and pollination efficacy of four different row cover management strategies for organic acorn squash.

Organic producers are required to incorporate soil-building practices into their management plan. Cover cropping is one option, but the economics of incorporating cover crops into high tunnel rotations have not been well studied. This study compared the full economic costs and benefits of growing a leguminous winter cover crop (hairy vetch) in organic high tunnels between vegetable cash crop (tomato) seasons.

Domestic dry bean production greatly declined in the early 20th century due to the bean common mosaic virus and white mold. Plant breeding and cultivar developments have helped address production issues. This study evaluated several dry bean cultivars in field trials across four states, as well as in-person surveys to determine consumer preferences for different dry bean cultivars.

Soil tarping is the practice of covering soil with plastic tarps over the winter or in early spring (prior to cash crop planting) to reduce erosion, minimize nutrient leaching, and kill soilborne pathogens, weed seedlings, and weed seeds in the soil. This study, conducted by South Dakota State University, evaluated the impacts of soil solarization (using clear tarps) and occultation (using opaque tarps) on soil health metrics.

Weed and fertilizer management are among the greatest challenges associated with organic corn production. Cover crop mulching is one strategy to control weeds in no-till systems. This study, conducted at several research stations across North Carolina, examined the impacts of cover crop mixture and delayed planting on weed management and corn performance in a no-till, mulched system.

Organic soybean and dry bean are highly susceptible to weed competition and to white mold disease. While higher seeding rates often help with weed suppression, there is a concern that dense crop stands might aggravate the incidence and severity of white mold. In this project, experiments were conducted to optimize soybean and dry bean seeding rates, nitrogen (N) inputs, and cover crop management for production, weed and disease control, and net economic return for organic soybean and dry bean.