Organic Farmer - April/May 2019

April /May 2019 Navigating the Organic Certification Process with USDA's National Organic Program.

Organic Soil Disinfestation Methods Soil Solarization and Biosolarization Testing the Accuracy of Soil Tests for Organic Growers Degree-day Models for Vegetable Growers: Croptime

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Organic FARMER

PUBLISHER: Jason Scott Email: jason@jcsmarketinginc.com EDITOR: Kathy Coatney ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Cecilia Parsons Email: article@jcsmarketinginc.com PRODUCTION: design@jcsmarketinginc.com Phone: 559.352.4456 Fax: 559.472.3113 Web: www.organicfarmingmag.com

IN THIS ISSUE

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Navigating the Organic Certification Process with USDA's National Organic Program

4

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & INDUSTRY SUPPORT Nick Andrews

Neal Kinsey

Ann Baier

Heidi Noordijk

Oregon State University Extension

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Organic Soil Disinfestation Methods-Soil Solarization and Biosolarization

Sustainable Agriculture Specialist, National Center for Appropriate Technology

Len Coop

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Oregon State University Dept.

Horticulture and Integrated Plant Protection Center

Testing the Accuracy of Soil Tests for Organic Growers

Steve Elliot

Western SARE and Western Integrated Pest Management Center

24

President of Kinsey Agricultural Services Oregon State University Extension

Heather Stoven

Oregon State University Extension

Ashraf Tubeileh

Assistant Professor, Horticulture and Crop Science Deparment, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

Timothy Jacobs

Graduate Student

Degree-Day Models for Vegetable Growers: Croptime

18 UC COOPERATIVE EXTENSION ADVISORY BOARD

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Benefits of Organic Food Production

Kevin Day

Emily J. Symmes

Steven Koike

Kris Tollerup

County Director and UCCE IPM Advisor, UCCE Pomology Farm Sacramento Valley Advisor, Tulare/Kings County Director, TriCal Diagnostics

24 April/May 2019 PM

UCCE Integrated Pest Management Advisor, Parlier, CA

The articles, research, industry updates, company profiles, and advertisements in this publication are the professional opinions of writers and advertisers. Organic Farmer does not assume any responsibility for the opinions given in the publication.

www.organicfarmermag.com

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By ANN BAIER | Sustainable Agriculture Specialist, National Center for Appropriate Technology

F

armers and ranchers make decisions every day about production and processing, marketing approaches and certification programs in the context of real-life people, places and circumstances. Your farm or ranch business depends on agricultural markets, consumer preference trends, trade policies, regional infrastructure, and quality of life for your family and community.

Organic certification to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic regulations is a practical option that provides a firm foundation on which to build healthier production systems and thriving commerce.

Agricultural systems are diverse with respect to crop and livestock production systems, handling or processing options, marketing strategies, import-export policies and other applicable regulations.

Organic cropping systems include diverse combinations of annual vegetables, small fruits and berries, perennial fruit and nut crops, mushrooms and sprouts, herbs and flowers, fiber crops, grains and legumes, feed and forage, pasture and range. Livestock operations produce a range of food and fiber, eggs and meat, milk and honey from many different

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Organic Farmer

species and breeds of insects, poultry, swine, and ruminants. Whether your organic crop and livestock enterprises are stand-alone production enterprises, or diversified and integrated businesses with processing, storage or distribution, the elements of your agricultural business are all addressed by the USDA organic regulations.

This article is intended to help you find and read the organic regulations, consider factors your decisions about becoming certified organic, and become familiar with te the certification process.

These considerations and the references and resources provided will help you determine whether organic certification is a good choice for your operation, and if this is the appropriate time to begin.

What are the Requirements?

“205.2 Organic production. A production system that is managed in accordance with the Act and regulations in this part to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity.”

USDA organic regulations describe the practices and recordkeeping necessary to represent a farm, ranch or handling/ processing facility and its products as certified organic. These regulations, found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Chapter 7, Part 205, detail the production standards for crop and/or livestock production, as well as

April/May 2019

handling (processing) of agricultural products. They also specify procedures for establishment, accreditation, and operation of certification agencies.

To make it easier to find and read the sections of the regulations that apply directly to producers and handlers (and navigate around the administrative, certifier accreditation and procedural requirements) the National Center for Appropriate Technology’s (NCAT’s) ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture program has compiled a set of excerpts of the key regulations relevant specifically to crop production, livestock production and handling (processing) activities. Requirements that are common to all types of certified organic operations include development of a written organic production and handling system plan (Organic System Plan, or OSP), and recordkeeping requirements. Each of these publications contains verbatim excerpts of the regulations for certification of crops, livestock, or handling. Although summary paraphrases (including this article) may offer a useful introduction and overview, and guidance documents provide interpretation and explanation of the regulations, there is no substitute for referring directly to the regulatory text. See References for links.

Feasibility of Compliance with USDA Regulations Does your farm or ranch have the capacity to comply with the applicable USDA organic regulations? Can you

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Continued from Page 4 show land use history of three years without prohibited materials? Do you practice crop rotation to conserve soil, build organic matter, manage pests and nutrients, break pest cycles and enhance biological diversity? Are you committed to searching for and using commercially available organic seed and planting stock? Does your pest management rely on preventive practices, biological, mechanical and physical controls, using allowed materials, with appropriate restrictions, and only when all other efforts are insufficient to prevent or control pests?

Do you raise livestock as organic according to regulations? Do they receive 100 percent organic feed and allowed supplements? Does your animal health care focus on practices preventative, using only allowed vaccinations, biologics and medicines? Do livestock living conditions include adequate pasture for ruminants? See: Pasture for Organic Ruminant Livestock: Understanding and Implementing the National

Organic Program (NOP) Pasture Rule, https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pubsummaries/?pub=360. Do living conditions include outdoor access for all animals (any confinement duly justified), with fresh air, clean water, direct sunlight, shade, shelter, bedding, opportunities to exercise, move freely, minimize stress and allow for natural behaviors, as appropriate to the species?

Does your recordkeeping system include a clear audit trail to track production from seed and source through production practices, harvest, storage, transport, processing and sale? Can you assure prevention of commingling of organic production with any non-organic products? Do you take appropriate measures, during production and after harvest, to prevent contamination by prohibited materials, heavy metals, nutrients and pathogens?

Can you describe ways you maintain or improve the natural resources of your operation?

Are there any significant barriers to organic compliance for your operation?

Do your production systems face any significant challenges, such as pests or

FREE online tutorials on soil health, produce safety, and more

How can ATTRA help you?

Trusted technical assistance for your ag challenges

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Organic Farmer

April/May 2019

diseases, that could not be addressed with compliant preventive practices and materials allowed for use in organic production? For example, USDA organic regulations prohibit use of antibiotics on organic livestock, yet require a livestock producer to treat sick animals humanely, even if it means using a prohibited medication. Under these circumstances, the individual treated animal would lose its organic status, but as long as there is an adequate system in place to identify and segregate that animal from the organic herd, the rest of the operation can remain certified organic.

Your organic system plan lists all the materials planned for use, including any prohibited materials that may be needed in order to restore an animal to health, along with a description of procedures to be followed if an animal were to be treated.

What about the Paperwork?

While organic certification requires recordkeeping and audit trail documentation, recordkeeping is simply a good business practice. A majority of records required for organic certification benefit any agricultural business, regardless of certification status. A good recordkeeping system can facilitate completion of tax returns, enterprise cash flow budgeting, loan applications, as well as compliance with other federal regulatory requirements related to environmental health and food safety. For example, the Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requires traceability for fresh produce. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service requires inspection, grading and labeling of livestock products. You can increase efficiency in your overall business management by developing your recordkeeping systems that serve multiple purposes.

Producers and processors alike recount how the records they kept for organic certification enabled them to track practices, ingredients or products; to identify patterns, follow correlations, and the clarify causes. Records can help

you more readily remedy problems, or replicate and expanded upon successes. A discussion of the multiple benefits of recordkeeping is found in several articles in the NCAT/ATTRA newsletter issue focused on that topic: http:// attra.ncat.org/newsletter/ attranews_1105.html.

Practical Help with Recordkeeping Organic regulations require that certified operations develop and maintain a recordkeeping system that is adapted to the business, fully discloses all activities and transactions, and demonstrates compliance with the regulations in sufficient detail as to be readily understood and audited. They must be available for inspection, and kept for 5 years after their creation. Records may be in written, visual, or electronic form. There is no specific format for recordkeeping that is required. A number of sources, including organic certifiers, NCAT/ATTRA, and the NOP make organic recordkeeping forms or templates available to use or adapt. Documentation Forms for Organic Crop and Livestock Producers.

The introduction describes three main components of documenting compliance with regulations: the OSP describes the plan, documents show transactions between businesses,

and records track on-farm activities.

Many commercial recordkeeping programs are available as well.

Several types of recordkeeping strategies were reviewed in an Organic Recordkeeping Webinar Series for Crop Producers presented by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) Foundation,

by Ann Baier on August 20, 2018 and Thea Rittenhouse on September 2018 https:// www.ccof.org/blog/ organic-recordkeepingwebinar-series-growers.

Checklist to Prepare for Organic Inspection

Will it Pencil Out? Accessibility and Affordability of Organic Production How do the economics of organic production work for my crops and/ or livestock? The Organic Market Overview by USDA’s Economic Research Service, and the Organic Trade Association show sales of organic food, fiber and other products growing steadily every year since 2005, with price premiums remaining high, and organic consumers increasingly mainstream.

The outlook on demand and price for organic products appears to be

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Review your Organic System Plan (OSP); update as needed so that it is accurate and current, with respect to all your practices and procedures: production areas, products and activities, whether crops, livestock and/or handling; a list of materials used or planned for use, commingling and contamination prevention; monitoring and recordkeeping systems descriptions; labeling.

Gather your recordkeeping, available in a form that can be readily audited and understood. It may be helpful to consider three main categories: Inputs that enter the farm; management activities that happen on the farm; Production outputs. Examples below are for crop producers.

What comes onto the Farm; Input Materials Seed and planting stock, seedlings & transplants, greenhouse supplies Soil amendments: organic fertilizers, lime, gypsum, compost and manure Pest management materials Materials used for cleaning tools, sanitation or Post-harvest handling

What Happens on the Farm—Farm Management Practices.

Cultural practices: soil preparation, irrigation Seeding and planting records Crop rotation (sequence and location) Pest monitoring and management Natural resource maintenance or improvement Prevention of commingling & contamination

What goes out of the Farm—Production Harvest records Sales transactions

Rosemary at Flores Organic Farms. Photo Courtesy of Ann Baier.

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of their inputs by listing them in their Organic System Plan, and approved by their certifier for their intended use.

This process is described further in ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture program’s publication, Organic Materials Compliance.

Deciding to embark upon this process, and for what scope(s)—crop production, wild crops, livestock production and/or handling;

To discern viability of organic certification for your operation, you will need to research both supply and affordability of inputs. Sharpen your pencil or pull up a spread sheet, and consult some enterprise budgets or cost studies and current price reports. Run several costbenefit analyses for your farm based on different marketing scenarios, product pricing, and additional estimated expenses related to record maintenance and fees for each certification program.

Consider seed and planting stock, fertility and pest management materials, and livestock feed. Because feed is a both a daily need (organic livestock must consume all organic feed) and major expense for livestock producers, it is critical to assess whether there is a reliable and cost-effective supply of organic feed that provides sufficient feed quantities for your animal’s entire life cycle, either through your own production or supplemental feed available for purchased locally? Does your current customer base provide a reliable price premium for your organic products that is sufficient to offset the increased costs of organic production?

How can you achieve an appropriate balance of pricing with volume of sales to allow for economic viability of your business?

Preparing for an organic inspection, maintaining recordkeeping and renewing annually.

Continued from Page 7 robust, such that the higher organic input and management costs may be offset by price premiums for certified organic products.

See: Understanding Organic Pricing and Costs of Production https://attra.ncat.org/ attra-pub/download. php?id=419 The transition period can be a hurdle if your operation has previously relied on materials prohibited in organic production. USDA regulations specify a transition of three years between the last use of prohibited materials and the sale of a certified organic crop. During transition, the learning curve can be steep; organic management and input costs higher while sales prices remain lower (transitional crops rarely garner a premium over conventional prices).

While market benefits kick in after three years, realization of the biological benefits of organic management is a more gradual, ongoing process of continual improvement. USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) has developed practice standards to support transition to organic. In addition, to ease the financial burden, many states have cost share programs that reimburse a portion of organic certification fees.

As a reflection of a growing organic market, suppliers of inputs allowed for use in organic production have expanded their offerings over the last couple of decades, resulting in a long list of materials that have been reviewed for compliance to USDA regulations (by the Organic Materials Review Institute, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and many USDA-accredited certifiers).

Input choices may be more available in some regions, and with certain types of crop or livestock inputs. Areas with higher concentrations of organic farms have increasingly well-developed and knowledgeable input-supply businesses.

Nonetheless, certified producers and processors always need to take primary responsibility to ensure the compliance

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How does the Certification Process Work?

To help producers become familiar with the process of organic certification, the National Organic Program’s “Sound and Sensible” initiative provides resources to match different milestones along the certification journey.

Reading the regulations; Each of series of Tip Sheets on Organic Standards explains the regulations with contextual questions related to different crop and livestock production systems;

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Choosing a USDA-accredited certifier; Developing an Organic System Plan and submitting it to your chosen certifier along with your application and fees;

To help you become familiar with the inspection process and prepare for your own inspection, the International Organic Inspectors Association videos entitled “What to Expect when You’re Inspected” show mock inspections of two real-life certified organic producers—a vegetable farmer, and a livestock producer. These are found at https://www.ams.usda.gov/reports/ what-expect-when-you%E2%80%99reinspected.

What about Market Access Opportunities and Complimentary Certifications?

Are there other certification programs for product differentiation that are either required in addition to organic certification, or that you might pursue as an alternative to the organic label?

The answer to this question has many possible answers, as it depends on many factors related to marketing.

Will organic certification facilitate access to markets that would benefit your business? What are the relative advantages of different certification programs and marketing approaches?

Are they complimentary? Will you sell live animals, meat or valueadded products? Will your markets include particular wholesalers, international markets, or retail stores that require other certifications, such as governmental food safety or industry (e.g. leafy greens) standards for food safety of crops? Do your buyers require specific animal welfare certification programs for livestock? Factor in whether a certification agency can help streamline the recordkeeping and inspection processes for certification to more than one set of standards?

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Choose a USDA-Accredited Certifier and Seek Organic Certification You can find information about accredited certifiers on USDA’s NOP website, at https://www.ams.usda. gov/services/organic-certification/ certifying-agents Even though there are currently 80 certifiers on this list, you can usually winnow the options down to a few practical choices that are good options for your location, and scope of operations (crops, livestock, and/ or handling). To help you choose the certifier that best meets your needs, ask your potential buyers, and other organic farmers in your area about which certifier they prefer.

Once you have identified a USDAaccredited certification agency (ACA), submit your application with an Organic System Plan. Your ACA will review the application, assess the potential for the operation to comply, and send an inspector to conduct an on-site inspection. The inspector verifies that land-use history, production-management practices, materials, contamination-prevention measures, and recordkeeping are all in compliance with USDA’s National Organic Program Regulations. The ACA reviews the inspection report and makes a certification decision.

Although all USDA-accredited organic certifiers inspect to the same regulations, they may create their own certification forms (application and OSP) and procedures, and require their certified clients to present the information required by the USDA organic regulations in that format, on their own forms. Some people ask about the use of different Organic System Plan (OSP) templates. Please be aware that most certifiers prefer, if not require, clients use their own OSP templates. Therefore, please be sure your organic certifier approves the use of any particular OSP form before you complete it, as it would be a waste of your time to complete any OSP template unless your certifier accepts and approves its use.

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Who Can Help Farmers and Ranchers Navigate the Certification Process?

While there is a lot to learn, there are many, many resources available to help you on your way. Producers who complete the organic certification process have found it worth their while.

If you need more information on a particular aspect of this topic that applies to your operation, please consult the resources listed.

You can also contact NCAT’s ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture Program by calling 1-800-346-9140 (Bilingual English-Spanish hotline (800) 4113222) or emailing your question to askanag@ncat.org. ATTRA is a program developed and managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). The majority of funding for ATTRA is through a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service. We are also partially funded through sales and subscriptions of a portion of ATTRA materials and through contributions from friends and supporters. We are committed to providing high value information and technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, extension agents, educators, and others involved in sustainable agriculture in the United States.

ATTRA services are available to farmers, ranchers, market gardeners, extension agents, researchers, educators, farm organizations, and others involved in agriculture, especially those who are economically disadvantaged or belong to traditionally underserved communities. NCAT strives to make our information available to everyone who needs it. If you are a limited-access or low-income farmer and find that one of our publications is just not in your budget, please call 800-346-9140.

The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) is a private nonprofit organization, founded in 1976, which manages a series of projects that promote self-reliance and sustainable lifestyles through wise use of appropriate technology. Its programs deal with sustainable and renewable energy, energy conservation, resource-efficient housing, sustainable community development, and sustainable agriculture. The National Center for

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Appropriate Technology (NCAT) launched ATTRA in 1987. NCAT is headquartered in Butte, Montana, and has five regional offices.

How Can I Find an Organic Farming Community or Network?

Organic farmers and processors often gain new ideas and sound advice from others doing similar work. Recognizing this, many organic certifiers and farm organizations across the country offer events or forums for learning and networking, whether through informal discussions at breakfast meetings, workshops or field days to visit the operations of experienced organic producers or handlers, as well as webinars or conferences. Also helpful are opportunities for organic producers to network with others in the supply chain, from handlers and processors to retailers. If you're interested in organic production or processing, look for a group that offers educational events or networking opportunities near you. Several nonprofit organizations, university programs, and regional and national centers contribute to mutual learning, and can be found on NCAT’s website under “other resources”: http://attra. ncat.org/other/, as well as the database of Sustainable Agriculture Organizations and Publications https://attra.ncat. org/attra-pub/sustainable_ag/. Several organizations are listed on the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Website: http://sustainableagriculture. net/about-us/members/. USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has four regional office for outreach https://www.sare.org/content/search?

SubTreeArray=2%2C2003%2C4528&S earchText=organic, as well as many Organic Guides, such as Transitioning to Organic, Certification, Marketing, Conservation, Tillage, Seeds, and Animal Systems. If you are considering organizing a network yourself, there is a guide for that as well: Finding Support through Farmer to Farmer Networking,

by Oregon State Extention, https:// extension.oregonstate.edu/findingsupport-through-farmer-farmernetworking. Being involved in a network that can provide practical information, advice and support can be invaluable as you navigate a new journey.

Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

Publications by NCAT’s ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture Program A concise description of the organic certification process, and how to prepare for an organic inspection, can be found in the following ATTRA publications: Organic Certification Process

https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/viewhtml.php?id=163

Preparing for an Organic Inspection: Steps and Checklists https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=165

Organic Materials Compliance

www.attra.org/attra-pub/download.php?id=157

USDA’s NOP website:

https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/programs-offices/national-organic-program

includes links to: • Organic Regulations • Organic Certification • Introduction to Organic Practices • Benefits of Organic Certification • National Organic Program Handbook; Guidance & Instructions for Accredited Certifying Agents & Certified Operations • Sound and Sensible (Useful Resources: Videos, Checklists and Tip Sheets): o “What to Expect at an Organic Vegetable Farm Inspection” o “What to Expect at an Organic Livestock Farm Inspection” o Debunking the myths: Finding success in the organic market place o Checklist: “Ten Steps to Transition” o Tip Sheets: Organic Standards (in English and Spanish)

Pasture for Organic Ruminant Livestock: Understanding and Implementing the National Organic Program (NOP) Pasture Rule https:// attra.ncat.org/attra-pub-summaries/?pub=360

Documentation Forms for Crop and Livestock Producers

https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub-summaries/?pub=358

This same document can be found in Section I of the NOP Program Handbook in three parts.

A discussion of the multiple benefits of good records is found in several articles in the NCAT/ATTRA newsletter issue focused on recordkeeping: http://attra. ncat.org/newsletter/attranews_1105.html.

Understanding Organic Pricing and Costs of Production

https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/download.php?id=419

Organic Standards for All Organic Operations

https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/download.php?id=158

Organic Standards for Crop Production: Excerpts of USDA's National Organic Program Regulations https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=100

Organic Standards for Livestock Production: Excerpts of USDA's National Organic Program Regulations https://attra.ncat.org/

attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=159

Organic Standards for Handling: Excerpts of USDA's National Organic Program Regulations https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=160

For a detailed overview of organic certification, as appropriate to your operation: The Guide for Organic Crop Production https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=67 or http://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/content/guide-organic-crop-production

Guide for Organic Livestock Producers

https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=154 or http://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/content/guide-organic-livestock-producers

Guide for Organic Processors

https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=407 or http://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/ content/guide-organic-processors

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Organic Soil Disinfestation Methods Soil Solarization and Biosolarization

By TIMOTHY JACOBS | Graduate Student And ASHRAF TUBEILEH | Assistant Professor, Horticulture and Crop Science Deparment, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

S

oils are reservoirs for weeds, pathogens, and nematodes, which if left uncontrolled can devastate crop yields. If pathogen, nematode, or weed levels rise to economically damaging levels it becomes necessary for growers to use soil disinfestation techniques to kill soilborne organisms.

Historically, conventional growers use soilborne fumigants to disinfest soil particularly in high-value crops such as strawberries. However, methyl bromide, the most widely used fumigant, has been phased out and banned in most of the world due to its emission of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons. This has spurred heavy research into non-toxic alternative soil disinfestation techniques many of which can be used in organic systems. The following article will highlight a few organic soil disinfestation techniques which can be used to control weeds, soilborne pathogens, and other soilborne pests.

Figure 1: Example of solarization in a field environment. Also, picture of sudangrass cover crop a potential biofumigant. Photo courtesy of Timothy Jacobs.

Soil Solarization Soil solarization is an organic method, which has displayed effective weed, pathogen, and nematode control.

It involves placing a clear, thin (1-3 mil), low-density polyethylene tarp over irrigated soil and generates lethal temperatures for pathogens, pests, and weeds. In general, temperatures generated during soil solarization range from 104-158°F. The tarp is left on the soil for four to eight weeks, depending on the soil temperatures generated.

Solarization depends on solar radiation to heat soil and is most effective during peak periods of solar radiation in June and July. Effective temperatures can still be achieved in May, August, and September depending on location.

Soil solarization relies on clear, sunny weather, so areas with frequent summer fog or thunderstorms are not appropriate for soil solarization. It is most effective in areas with hot, clear summers such as California’s central valley and desert regions.

Solarization can control most annual weeds which occur in California cropping systems. Shorter times are required to kill cool season annual

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Figure 2: Average seed germination percentages ± SE (n=6) for seeds (as a percentage of control) after being exposed to 55°C for two hours. Pairwise comparisons were done using Tukey’s HSD test (a<0.05) Species with the same letter are not significantly different.

Courtesy of Timothy Jacobs.

STEPS FOR SOLARIZING SOIL are as follow

soil for solarization.

1 Prepare For solarization to be effective,

tarps need to be as tight to the soil surface as possible. All large clods and rocks should be removed from soil and soil should be level. Solarization can be used on raised beds or flat on soil. If using raised beds, beds should be shaped before solarization to minimize soil disturbance after solarization. Disturbing soil after solarization can bring up untreated seeds and pathogens from lower in the soil to the surface.

soil to field capacity to im2 Irrigate prove heat transfer through soil. can be applied by hand or 3 Tarp machine. If applying by hand dig

trenches around edge of application area and bury tarps in trenches. Cover with 2-3 inches of soil. When applying tarp make sure it is tight against soil surface and held down all edges by soil.

four to eight weeks then 4 Wait take off tarp. Leaving tarp on soil is not recommended as during winter months tarp will act like a greenhouse promoting weed germination. Unfortunately, most tarps are not recyclable so they must be thrown in trash after use. More durable tarps can be reused if removed carefully.

For more information on soil solarization UC ANR has some great resources at http://ipm. ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74145.html

species (i.e., annual sowthistle) than warm season annual species (i.e., redroot pigweed). Warm season species common purslane can be challenging to kill with solarization as it will germinate in temperatures as high as 113°F. Other annual species which require higher temperatures to kill are those with hard seeds or thick seed coats (Figure 2, see page 12, T. Jacobs, unpublished data). Common hard-seeded weeds are legume species, bur clover and black medic, Malvacae species, little mallow and velvetleaf, and Erodium spp. (filaree). Perennial weeds such as field bindweed and nutsedge are difficult control with solarization as well. For example, nutsedge tuber mortality will not occur until exposed to temperatures of 122°F or hotter (Webster 2006). For control of perennial and hard seeded weeds daily maximum temperatures of 122°F or higher need to be reached for at least a four-week period (T. Jacobs, unpublished data).

a variety of crops. Potential reasons for increased yields due to solarization are reductions in pathogen and weed populations, larger availability of heat solubilized nutrients such as ammonia, and changes in plant physiology (Candido et al. 2011). Costs of solarization vary, depending on plastic prices, but in general the plastic costs are between $150-300 per acre (Stapleton et al. 2008). Application costs will depend on method of application (machine or hand-applied). However, due to yield increases and reduced weeding time, solarization often pays for itself and then some, particularly in weedy or heavily diseased fields.

A wide variety of plastics are available for use in soil solarization. The best plastics are clear/transparent, 1-3 mils thick, and UV-inhibited to prevent breakdown in sunlight. Most agricultural plastic retailers have solarization plastic available. For smaller scale projects, thin (<3mil) greenhouse plastic can be used or painter’s plastic

Soil solarization can reduce the disease incidence of many pathogens to an economically manageable level.

Continued on Page 14 Solarization will only provide control in the first 8-12 inches of soil. Therefore, the control of some pathogens, which reside deeper in soils, such as big vein disease in lettuce is limited (Iwamoto and Aino 2008).

Additionally, mobile soilborne organisms can recolonize root zones of plants after solarization. This makes control of soilborne insects 100% Active such as garden Ingredient! d-LIMONENE ADJUVANT symphylans via solarization difficult.

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Continued from Page 13 (found at most hardware stores) can be used. Greenhouse plastics are often more durable and reusable, but much more expensive ($2,000-3,000 per acre) so not practical for large scale use.

Additionally, painter’s plastic will break down in sunlight and will only last four to six weeks before removal becomes difficult. Thinner plastics will result in higher temperatures but are more prone to tearing. Therefore, thicker plastic should be used in windy areas.

Steps for solarizing soil are as follow: (Elmore et al. 1997) 1) Prepare soil for solarization. For solarization to be effective, tarps need to be as tight to the soil surface as possible. All large clods and rocks should be removed from soil and soil should be level. Solarization can be used on raised beds or flat on soil.

If using raised beds, beds should be shaped before solarization to minimize soil disturbance after solarization.

Disturbing soil after solarization can bring up untreated seeds and pathogens from lower in the soil to the surface.

2) Irrigate soil to field capacity to improve heat transfer through soil.

3) Tarp can be applied by hand or machine. If applying by hand dig trenches around edge of application area and bury tarps in trenches. Cover with 2-3 inches of soil. When applying tarp make sure it is tight against soil surface and held down all edges by soil.

4) Wait four to eight weeks then take off tarp. Leaving tarp on soil is not recommended as during winter months tarp will act like a greenhouse promoting weed germination.

Unfortunately, most tarps are not recyclable so they must be thrown in trash after use. More durable tarps can be reused if removed carefully.

For more information on soil solarization UC ANR has some great resources at http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/ PESTNOTES/pn74145.html

Biofumigation Biofumigation is another soil disinfestation technique available for use by organic growers. Biofumigation

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Organic Farmer

uses decomposing plant and animal residues which release biocidal gasses to reduce populations of soilborne organisms (Youssef 2015). Plants from the Brassicaceae family, in particular mustards (Brassica spp. and Sinapis spp.), are the most popular biofumigant due to their release of secondary plant compounds called glucosinolates (Earlywine et al., 2012). Gluscosinolates breakdown into isothiocyanate gases which have phytotoxic properties able to reduce the viability of soilborne organisms. Green manures of mustard cover crops can be incorporated in order to release these biocidal chemicals. Alternatively, mustard seed meal products can be purchased and incorporated into the soil for biofumigation. Mustard seed meals are produced from the remnants of brassica seeds crushed for their oil, biofuels, or condiments (Meyer et al. 2015).

extremely volatile. As the chemicals are released after plant injury, cover crops should be mowed with a flail mower before incorporation, to activate the release of chemical compounds. After mowing plants should be incorporated as soon as possible, as 80 percent of the biofumigant gas can volatize within just 20 minutes. To prevent biofumigant gases from escaping, soil should be cultipacked or tarped after incorporation of green manure. Any agricultural plastic will suffice including those used for soil solarization. After incorporating residues into soil, field needs to be irrigated to field capacity to enhance breakdown of secondary plant compounds into biocidal gases.

Specifics of biofumigation including seeding rate, time to terminate cover crop, and growing practices of cover crop will differ depending on the cover crop species.

Residues from other plant materials outside of the Brassicaceae family have been tested for effectiveness as biofumigants. Sorghum spp. and other members of the Poacae family have demonstrated potential for use as biofumigants (Stapleton et al. 2010).

Sorghum spp. contain dhurrin which breaks down into hydrogen cyanide gas during its decomposition.

The incorporation of Sorghum spp. green manure has shown the ability to suppress populations of rootknot nematode and verticillium wilt (MacGuidwin et al.

2012)) Other potential green manures such as buckwheat, canola, and Australian winter pea can reduce inoculum density of pathogens at varying levels (Ochiai et al., 2008; Wiggins and Kinkel, 2004).

Biosolarization

In order to use green manures to control soilborne organisms it is important to remember that the chemicals which act as natural fumigants are 1) released upon plant injury as a defense mechanism and 2)

April/May 2019

Soil solarization and biofumigation involve similar techniques including tarping and irrigating soils to

Continued on Page 16

Figure 3: Close up picture of a raised bed undergoing solarization. Notice how all edges of tarp are buried under soil and tarp is pulled flat across bed.

Photo courtesy of Timothy Jacobs.

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Continued from Page 14 field capacity. Combining soil solarization with biofumigation can enhance the efficacy of both techniques. This is called biosolarization and includes the incorporation of organic amendments (i.e. compost, green manure) under the solarization plastic exposing organic amendments to high temperatures generated by solarization. Multiple studies have shown increased efficacy of solarization by including organic amendments. This occurs through multiple mechanisms.

1

Tarping the soil prevents biocidal gases released during biofumigation from escaping and increases their penetration throughout the soil through heat exposure (Gamliel et al. 2000).

These gases result in direct toxicity against soilborne organisms.

2

Incorporating organic amendments into soils increases microbial activity. These microbes can compete with and suppress detrimental soilborne organisms.

3

Increased microbial activity during biosolarization can increase soil temperatures from 2-5°C during soil solarization. (Gamliel and Stapleton 1993, Simmons et al.

2013). However, this effect is not consistent across all biosolarization treatments as different organic amendments behave differently.

Experiments with increased temperatures generally used compost as an organic amendment.

Incorporation of green manures from cover crops frequently results in similar temperatures to that of solarization (Peachey et al. 2001).

4

Additionally, tarping soil amended with high carbon inputs (i.e., rice bran, molasses) can lead to an increase in accumulation of organic acids released from anaerobic bacteria which are toxic to many soilborne pathogens (Simmons et al. 2016).

5

Lastly, disinfestation resulting from anaerobic conditions and high temperatures from soil solarization still result during biosolarization.

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Organic Farmer

Multiple studies have documented success controlling pathogens at sublethal solarization temperatures (3040°C) when organic amendments were used in combination with solarization (Blok et al. 2000, Coelho et al. 2001, Núñez-zofío et al. 2011, Tjamos and Fravel 1995). This can expand the use of solarization to temperate regions where normally solarization would not generate lethal temperatures for soilborne pests. Climates where solarization may have its greatest effect are in more northern climates with less intense solar radiation and coastal regions with frequent foggy summers and lower temperatures.

Amendments which have been effectively used with solarization include green manures Brassica spp., Sinapis spp., and Sorghum spp.

Other green manures may result in effective control when combined with solarization as well, they just have not been tested. Other organic amendments effectively used with solarization are food processing byproducts tomato pomace and olive pomace, various animal manures or composts (including sheep, pig, chicken), and carbonrich materials used in anaerobic soil disinfestation (wheat bran, rice bran, molasses).

More research needs to be put into biosolarization to determine appropriate levels and types of organic amendments as well as its use in different cropping system. However, biosolarization can increase the efficacy of soil solarization making it suitable to cooler regions or for use during late spring or early fall when soil solarization results in lower temperatures.

Conclusion Soil solarization and biosolarization can result in effective soil disinfestation reducing pathogen and weed populations to acceptable levels for organic growers. Problems still need to be addressed such as the disposal of plastic, but these techniques are much cheaper, non-toxic and can provide excellent control of soilborne organism for high value specialty, berry and vegetable crops.

Works Cited Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

April/May 2019

Blok WJ, Lamers JG, Termorshuizen AJ, Bollen GJ (2000) Control of Soilborne Plant Pathogens by Incorporating Fresh Organic Amendments Followed by Tarping. Phytopathology 90:253–259 Candido V, D’addabbo T, Miccolis V, Castronuovo D (2011) Weed control and yield response of soil solarization with different plastic films in lettuce. Sci Hortic (Amsterdam) 130:491–497 Coelho L, Mitchell DJ, Chellemi DO (2001) The effect of soil moisture and cabbage amendment on the thermoinactivation of Phytophthora nicotianae. Eur J Plant Pathol 107:883–894 Earlywine DT, Smeda RJ, Teuton TC, Sams CE, Earlywine DT, Smeda RJ, Teuton TC, Sams CE, Xiong X (2010) Evaluation of Oriental Mustard ( Brassica juncea ) Seed Meal for Weed Suppression in Turf America Stable URL : http://www.jstor.org/ stable/40891279 Weed Management - Other Crops / Areas Evaluation of Oriental Mustard ( Brassica júncea ) Seed Meal f Supp. Weed Technol 24:440–445 Elmore CL, Stapleton JJ, Bell CE (1997) Soil Solarization A Nonpesticidal Method for Controlling Diseases , Nematodes , and Weeds DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURSES. Page University of California:Vegetable and Information Center. 1-17 p Gamliel A, Austerweil M, Kritzman G (2000) Non-chemical approach to soilborne pest management - Organic amendments.

Crop Prot 19:847–853 Gamliel A, Stapleton JJ (1993) Effect of Chicken Compost or Ammonium Phosphate and Solarization on Pathogen Control, Rhizosphere Microorganisms, and Lettuce Growth Iwamoto Y, Aino M (2008) Effect of soil solarization with supplementary materials on the occurence of lettuce big-vein disease in a commercial field. Soil Microorg 62:15–19 MacGuidwin AE, Knuteson DL, Connell T, Bland WL, Bartelt KD (2012) Manipulating Inoculum Densities of Verticillium dahliae and Pratylenchus penetrans with Green Manure Amendments and Solarization Influence Potato Yield.

Phytopathology 102:519–527 Meyer SLF, Zasada IA, Rupprecht SM, Vangessel MJ, Hooks CRR, Morra MJ, Everts KL (2015) Mustard Seed Meal for Management of Root-knot Nematode and Weeds in Tomato Production 4461 Núñez-zofío M, Larregla S, Garbisu C (2011) Application of organic amendments followed by soil plastic mulching reduces the incidence of Phytophthora capsici in pepper crops under temperate climate. Crop Prot 30:1563–1572 Ochiai N, Powelson ML, Crowe FJ, Dick RP (2008) Green manure effects on soil quality in relation to suppression of Verticillium wilt of potatoes:1013–1023 Peachey ARE, Pinkerton JN, Ivors KL, Miller ML, Moore LW (2001) Effect of Soil Solarization , Cover Crops , and Metham on Field Emergence and Survival of Buried Annual Bluegrass ( Poa annua ). Weed Technol 15:81–88 Simmons CW, Guo H, Claypool JT, Marshall MN, Perano KM, Stapleton JJ, VanderGheynst JS (2013) Managing compost stability and amendment to soil to enhance soil heating during soil solarization. Waste Manag 33:1090–1096 Simmons CW, Higgins B, Staley S, Joh LD, Simmons BA, Singer SW, Stapleton JJ, VanderGheynst JS (2016) The role of organic matter amendment level on soil heating, organic acid accumulation, and development of bacterial communities in solarized soil. Appl Soil Ecol 106:37–46 Stapleton JJ, Molin ar RH, Lynn-Patterson K, McFeeters SK, Shrestha A (2008) Methyl bromide alternatives … Soil solarization provides weed control for limited-resource and organic growers in warmer climates. Calif Agric 59:84–89 Stapleton JJ, Summers CG, Mitchell JP, Prather TS (2010) Deleterious activity of cultivated grasses (Poaceae) and residues on soilborne fungal, nematode and weed pests. Phytoparasitica 38:61–69 Tjamos EC, Fravel DR (1995) Detrimental effects of sublethal heating and Talaromyces flavus on microsclerotia of Verticillium dahliae Webster TM (2006) High temperatures and durations of exposure reduce nutsedge (Cyperus spp.) tuber viability. Weed Sci 51:1010–1015 Wiggins BE, Kinkel LL (2004) Green Manures and Crop Sequences Influence Potato Diseases and Pathogen Inhibitory Activity of Indigenous Streptomycetes Youssef MMA (2015) Biofumigation as a promising tool for managing plant parasitic nematodes . A review. Sci Agric 10:115–118

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Testing the Accuracy of Soil Tests for Organic Growers

By NEAL KINSEY | President of Kinsey Agricultural Services So long as the soil sample is taken in a way to accurately represent the soil in each field, the soil test will provide the proper information needed to show what needs to be done.

Photo courtesy of Neal Kinsey, Kinsey Ag Service.

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Organic Farmer

April/May 2019

Purpose of Soil Tests

I

s it actually possible that a soil analysis can be accurate enough to provide specific answers to soil fertility needs?

What is the purpose of a soil test?

Some feel a soil test should only be considered in order to point the farmer or his agronomist in a general direction.

Others use it as a crutch to justify applying fertilizer to grow a certain yield whether it is really needed or not.

Still others use a soil analysis to assess the nutrient content and requirements for feeding the soil in order to provide the needs of the living organisms present there and the crop that will be grown. Organic growers should advocate and practice the third point in this set of principles.

But is it actually possible that a soil analysis can be accurate enough to provide specific answers to soil fertility needs? Many claim it is not. And what makes this even harder to determine is the fact that there are numerous ways to test and report nutrient values on a soil test. What evidence is there that real numbers can have real meaning when using a properly conducted soil analysis?

One very common assumption causes great errors in the conclusions some draw when considering the accuracy and value of soil tests. That assumption is that the numbers provided on soil tests from different soil laboratories all mean the same thing. First, some laboratories choose to express all or parts of their measured nutrient levels as ppm (parts per million), while others use pounds per acre. Outside the United States it is common for labs to use kilograms per hectare (kg/ ha) and milligrams per kilogram (mg/ kg, which is actually the same as parts per million), instead of pounds and ppm. That is the easy part to grasp and understand in terms of soil test differences.

Understanding Soil Tests What seems so much harder for many to comprehend is that the number on one soil test does not necessarily mean the same thing as that same number

Continued on Page 20

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19

Continued from Page 19 on another soil test. Those who believe they always do are all too often making some very serious mistakes.

For example, farmers and growers who request soil tests from our company are advised that calcium should occupy 6070 percent of the soil’s cation exchange capacity. There are other labs who use the same guidelines, but still others who advise 65-75 percent for calcium (Ca) saturation on their soil analysis.

The target we shoot for on medium to heavy soils is ideally 68 percent. But that same soil sent to three other labs will not measure 68 percent. One will report it as 64 percent. Another reports it as 74 percent. And still another shows 80 percent. Yet all four labs are considered as within the tolerance range for measuring and reporting calcium levels on that soil.

The lesson here is to learn and follow directions from the laboratory you are using based on their numbers, not a test from some other lab whose numbers could vary considerably and thus lead to wrong conclusions.

Sometimes only Ca, Mg (magnesium) and K (potassium) are given as 100 percent of the total soil nutrient

saturation from a soil testing lab, while on tests received from some other labs, sodium and other bases also contribute to that 100 percent total. Consequently, a farmer could have a field day and tell everyone he had to reach 80 percent calcium in his fields before attaining his top yields.

If the intent is then to take a soil to 80 percent as that farmer found to be beneficial, be sure to send it to the same lab for analysis before deciding to spend what it takes to achieve that percentage. If a soil test from a different lab shows 68 percent calcium saturation when the lab that farmer uses shows it as 80 percent, then it can be a costly mistake to buy and apply the calcium required to reach 80 percent on the test that is showing 68 percent.

Potassium Potassium is another example of how number differences on test reports can be misleading. To be most effective for growing crops on the test we use, potassium should be a minimum of 2 percent and a maximum of 7.5 percent to avoid problems caused by having too little or too much. For example, from the test we use, farmers are advised not to drive potassium above 7.5 percent because that will tie up boron availability and above this level also increases weed pressure in the field. Farmers and growers can see

this happening to their crops and in their fields. Yet when the same soil is tested by another very reputable soil laboratory, they report that soil as having 8.5 percent potassium.

For those who think 7.5 percent on one test means the same on tests from other labs, this now becomes a bone of contention, bringing claims that soil test numbers are just not reliable. If farmers using the test that recognizes the same results at 8.5 percent as the other test at 7.5 percent, then the numbers on the tests are certainly reliable, it is just the ability of the user to interpret those results that must be learned.

But such differences as described in the paragraph above can cause complications when striving to educate farmers and growers about the value of using soil tests. Another problem with high potassium is that when combined with the sodium percentage, and both added together total 10 percent or higher, this will cause manganese uptake to be blocked from the plant, even on soils that show to have excellent manganese levels. But this is not true on the soils that show potassium as 8.5 percent, because then the soils have to be at least 11.00 percent before that happens, and that is assuming that sodium would be

Soils that test high in magnesium still grow crops that are deficient in magnesium.

Photo courtesy of Neal Kinsey, Kinsey Ag Service.

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Organic Farmer

April/May 2019

Continued on Page 22

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21

Continued from Page 20 reported at the same level on both tests which likely will not be true either.

If the farmer wants to use a different test, he will have to work to find the right percentages or find someone he can trust to do it for him.

Accuracy of Soil Tests Some still claim a soil test is only to point the farmer in the right direction, but cannot be used for specific measurements. If so, they are using the wrong soil test or else have not been properly taught about how to understand and interpret one that actually works.

Magnesium

Magnesium seems perhaps the best example of all to Just remember one use for testing thing, the advice the accuracy of from a soil test is only a soil test and to as accurate as the demonstrate how sample that is taken exact a soil test can and sent for analysis. be when used to So long as the soil determine a soil’s sample is taken in true fertility. A a way to accurately seldom recognized, represent the soil in rarely acknowledged each field, the soil and extremely test will provide the costly condition On any part of the field where magnesium availability drops proper information in agriculture is needed to show what below 10 percent, the tops on carrots will die prematurely. how excessive needs to be done. magnesium in Photo by Neal Kinsey, Kinsey Ag Service.

When properly taken the soil results and interpreted, the in a magnesium soil test is just like deficiency in that useful. a reliable road map. An accurate soil food and feed crops—even those that test shows the path needed to reach the are organically grown. This is well But there is a way to show just how point in terms of soil fertility where the demonstrated based on the soil testing exact that 10 percent figure actually farmer or grower needs to be. methods used by Dr. William Albrecht is, when determined the same way Dr. all the way back in the early to middle Albrecht did it and then applied to You can only properly manage the parts of the last century. needed magnesium levels for carrot things you can properly measure. Be production. This has been shown time sure the soil tests you use are telling you In addition, Dr. Albrecht taught that after time, and year after year, since the what you need to know to achieve both soils should contain at least 10 percent time he taught how to measure and excellent yields and excellent quality. magnesium to assure that plants could interpret the content of magnesium take up an adequate amount from the in the soil. In carrots grown from the Neal Kinsey is owner and President of soil. He maintained that any soil with East Coast to the West Coast and all in Kinsey Agricultural Services, a consulting less than 10 percent magnesium would between, in both the US and Canada, firm that specializes in restoring and only grow magnesium deficient plants. this can be counted on to happen for maintaining balanced soil fertility for This holds true on any soil tests that those growing carrots. On any part of attaining excellent yields while growing matches the ability of the test he used the field where magnesium availability highly nutritious food and feed crops on to determine magnesium content in the drops below 10 percent, the tops on the land. Please call 573-683-3880 or see soil. But again, there are soil labs whose carrots will die pre-maturely in the field www.kinseyag.com for more information. methods for determining magnesium if the test being used reflects exactly are different and when compared what the test Dr. Albrecht used does. If to the test Dr. Albrecht used, these a test gives another answer, then when soil tests show 8 percent magnesium sampled and analyzed based on the when the one he used showed 10 same procedures used by Dr. Albrecht, Comments about this article? We want percent. So again, due to differences in the soil has less than 10 percent to hear from you. Feel free to email us at measurements, there are those who still magnesium. article@jcsmarketinginc.com maintain that magnesium testing is not

22

Organic Farmer

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Degree-Day Models for Vegetable Growers:

CROPTIME

By NICK ANDREWS | Oregon State University Extension

LEN COOP | Oregon State University Dept. Horticulture and Integrated Plant Protection Center STEVE ELLIOT | Western SARE and Western Integrated Pest Management Center HEIDI NOORDIJK | Oregon State University Extension HEATHER STOVEN| Oregon State University Extension

P

est managers are familiar with the concept of using degree days to predict pest outbreaks. Insects, plant diseases, and other ectothermic organisms like crops and weeds, develop in relation to the temperature around them, and degree-days are a way to measure accumulated temperature over time. Degree-days are usually a more accurate way of predicting their development than calendar time alone.

The team at Oregon State University (OSU) is adapting a degree-day modeling system built for pest management into a tool for vegetable growers to better plan their planting and harvesting dates and prevent weed seed rain. It’s called Croptime and growers throughout the United States can use it at extension.oregonstate.edu/croptime.

Croptime is a degree-day-based tool that overcomes a common shortcoming of seed catalogs, which give expected maturity dates in calendar days or other rough estimates of time-to-maturity. Calendar days are pretty inaccurate, and growers recognize that. Days to maturity depend on the time of year and location the crop is grown in. For example, various catalogs report that ‘Arcadia’ broccoli matures in 65 to 90 days. That range is consistent with the team’s findings in the Willamette Valley in western Oregon, depending on when and where it is planted. Degree-day models can help you predict where you fall in that range, usually with an accuracy of a week or less.

Degree-days are more accurate than calendar days, and are especially useful when crops are planted early or late, or when the weather is unusual.

Croptime was built on the backbone of the USPest.org agricultural and pest management degree-day modeling site that is linked to thousands of individual weather stations throughout the U.S. If you use the degree-day models in areas with a different climate than the Willamette Valley, remember that the models were developed in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, and use some caution. Degreedays are usually more accurate than time, but other factors like day-length, light intensity, water availability and pest pressure can also influence time to maturity.

For example, the Willamette Valley doesn’t get many days with high temperatures above 90°F. So the team can’t identify maximum daily temperatures for crops like tomatoes and peppers that could be important in hotter climates.

The site currently has about two dozen vegetable models, including four varieties of broccoli, seven cucumber varieties, four sweet pepper, four tomatoes and four sweet corn varieties. It also has models that predict viable seed set for redroot pigweed, lambsquarter and hairy nightshade.

Continued on Page 26

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Figure 1. Some cauliflower growth stages. Photos by Heidi Noordijk.

Continued from Page 24

Maximizing Profits Growers know harvest timing matters. Processors want a consistent supply of produce throughout a growing season, not a glut followed by a shortage then another glut. And fresh market growers want to time their harvest when labor is available and demand is high so they can maximize profits. Reliable harvest-timing helps ensure a consistent supply of vegetables to processors, and fresh produce for local restaurants, farmers markets, community supported agriculture (CSAs), local retailers and wholesalers.

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Crop timing can also help to avoid pests, an important integrated pest management principle. The three weed models can help growers predict when they can stop cultivating redroot pigweed, lambsquarter or hairy nightshade without risking weed seed rain. Seed rain is when a weed releases its seed and it “rains” back down on the soil, replenishing the seed bank of ungerminated seeds in the soil. When growers accurately predict crop harvest and weed seed development, they are able to manage weeding activities more efficiently.

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At the beginning of the project growers, buyers and seed companies helped the team identify crops and varieties to focus on (see sidebar). They hope to have 50 varietyspecific models online in the next year or two.

Local Conditions The whole system is based on using local weather conditions and forecasts. In the Croptime calculator, http://uspest.org/dd/model?mdt=veg, you select the weather station nearest your farm. Then choose the model you want to run, and enter up to four planting dates. You can select from a number of different long-term forecast options, including the 30-year historical average, 10-year historical average, weather from last year, weather from two years ago, and a new forecast by the National Oceanic

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Sidebar: Croptime degree-day models.

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Continued from Page 26 and Atmospheric Administration built from several different climate models (the “NMME” default).

When you “Click here to see full model output” Croptime displays a report showing the dates that crops will reach various growth stages according to the model. For some crops the team attempts to predict first and last harvest, but for most crops they can only predict first harvest. A mobile app version is available for Android (Apple IOS support pending), and can be tested using this weblink: http://uspest.org/dd/ model_app?mdt=veg. This app version allows only a single planting date at a time, but should be more handhelddevice friendly.

The Croptime website links to the Croptime calculator, and has a short “how-to” video, a quick-start guide, and a growth-stage guide. Access it here: https://extension.oregonstate. edu/croptime. Contact nick.andrews@ oregonstate.edu if you would like to collaborate.

Growers and collaborators who tested Croptime have given the team some good ideas to improve the site. One idea is to allow a grower to enter a harvest date, so that the Croptime model can predict a good planting date. Another idea is based on the assumption that although absolute days to maturity in seed catalogs isn’t very reliable, relative days to maturity of different varieties in the same catalog is more reliable.

The team could develop a way for growers to predict time to maturity of a variety it hasn’t modeled if their seed catalog predicts days to maturity of a variety we have modeled in Croptime.

For example, if a different broccoli variety is about 10 days earlier than ‘Arcadia’, ‘Emerald Pride’, ‘Green Magic’ or ‘Imperial’ (varieties modeled in Croptime), they could convert that difference to degree-days to predict harvest dates.

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Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

Figure 2. The Croptime calculator input page set up for Corvallis, OR, transplanted Marketmore 76 cucumbers planted every two-weeks from May 15-July 1, 2019. On Feb 24, 2019, the model predicts first harvest on July 17, July 24, August 1 and August 12. This user might want to spread out their planting dates more than every two-weeks to avoid gluts and extend their production season.

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Benefits of Organic Food Production

By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor

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usiness opportunities in organic food production led a lengthy list of benefits at the annual meeting of California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF).

Growers, processors and marketers of organically grown agricultural commodities attended the Fresno gathering in February where the inaugural Benefits Report by the CCOF Foundation was presented.

Organic Demand The CCOF Foundation reports that, organic is the fastest growing sector of the U.S. food industry with value approaching $50 billion. This sector also grew six percent in 2017, compared to one percent growth in all U.S. food

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Paneli sts new re at the 2019 CCOF po ann High G rt on benefit s of org ual meeting round O and co a rganic senior nfe s, Laet nic farming. policy itia Be From le rence highli specia nador, list CC ghted ft are Ste CCOF OF an CCOF's ve Ped d Joe ersen Morris research fell of ow, Ja , Morris ne Soo Grassfe by d Beef.

Photo Courte sy of C ecilia P arsons

sales. Their statistics show that 82 percent of families in the U.S. purchase organically grown or processed food.

In addition to demand, organically grown crops and livestock support the viability of producers who typically receive 20 percent higher prices.

The organic food industry also creates an estimated 1.4 million jobs in the U.S. and 407,400 jobs in California.

The report states that organic farms tend to create more full time year round employment opportunities for farmworkers. The goal stated at the meeting is to have 10 percent of California farmland certified organic by 2030.

Digging farther into the new report were speakers Joe Morris of Morris Grassfed Beef, Steve Pederson of High Ground Organics and CCOF researcher Laetitia Benador.

A Clear Plan The benefits report, Benador said, was done to show policy makers that the organic industry has a clear plan to move forward and present sustainable solutions to food production.

“We have the evidence showing the benefits of expanded organic food production,” Benador told the

"

We have the evidence showing the benefits of expanded organic food production

"

audience. All of the claims made in the report are backed by rigorous scientific study, she noted.

Instead of asking if organic producers can feed the world’s population, Benador said it is important to look beyond yield and focus on sustaining natural resources with better land management.

Nutritional Benefits As for the nutritional benefits to consuming organically grown food, Benador cited meta- analyses that use statistical methods to aggregate and detect underlying trends in the data from hundreds of studies on nutrients that impact human health.

She said that six out of eight peerreviewed meta analyses concluded that organically grown foods contained higher levels of certain nutrients than conventionally grown foods and two studies found no consistent nutritional differences.

Overall, the meta analyses and individual crop comparison studies show that organically grown fruits and vegetables can provide consumers with higher levels of a range of nutrients, she said.

Environmental Benefits Environmental benefits of organic production were included. Practices in organic crop production improve soil quality and structure and reduce soil erosion. These soil improvements in turn hold water and prevent fertilizer and pesticide leaching. The biodiversity in the soils helps them to be more resilient to extreme weather conditions.

The report states that yields are comparable to conventional yields when organic farmers build long term soil fertility and use diversification practices including

crop rotation and multi-cropping strategies. Yields typically improve when growers learn better weed management techniques.

Pederson, who farms vegetables and strawberries two miles from the California coast said the environmental benefits of organic production are important in helping comply with regulations. He is mitigating climate change effects by increasing the carbon sequestration on his farm ground, using less energy and reducing nutrient

leaching to preserve groundwater quality.

Joe Morris, who has operated Morris Grassfed Beef since 1991, said the ‘big picture’ report is a resource for the entire farming community as farmers and ranchers seek to improve their land management.

What Consumers Want Conference speaker and one of the

Continued on Page 32

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Continued from Page 31 largest producers of organically grown leafy green vegetables, Arnott Duncan, said growers need to be willing to learn what consumers want.

“You need to listen to signals, buyers asking for certain products, time slots.

The challenge is to meet that need,” Duncan said.

Large v Small Growers He also touched on the small versus large organic producer issue, noting it is not true the larger growers are attempting to keep small organic producers out of the market. Local agriculture groups may also struggle to include

service farm labor provider, noted that securing a labor force has become more acute in recent years and labor can be the largest cost in production.

jobs, but he views the next generation of organic farmers will come from other industries and adapt their knowledge of technology to the farm.

Due to more labor intensive practices employed in organic production, the need for skilled farm labor is increasing. A 2018 study of organic farming employment in ten Washington and California counties found that more workers are hired per acre and more year-round employment is offered than on conventionally farmed acres. More full time, year around employment helps provide livable wages for California farm workers.

“They will see organic production as cool, fun, collaborative and challenging,” Arnott said.

organic growers, perceiving them to be a threat.

“It is not easy to move forward if there is distrust between large and small producers. That is a bridge we need to build,” he noted. Large producers are not monopolizing the market, Duncan said. They do open doors for organic products and create spin-off opportunities for all organic producers.

Duncan, who farms more than 8,000 acres of organically certified ground in Arizona and California, said learning to farm organically has been a humbling experience for him.

“You have to be willing to learn, fight your way through challenges and learn how to deal with them. Don’t cheat.”

Strong Labor Force Maintaining a strong labor force in organic food production is one challenge producers face. Matt Rogers, founder of AgSocio, a Bay Area company that operates as a full

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Arnott said new technology is coming that will reduce the need for many unskilled

According to the Benefits Report, farmers who grow organically use more labor intensive practices than conventional farmers to manage weeds, insect pests and disease. Organic systems also include a higher diversity of crops, requiring more skilled labor.

Jenny Ramirez, director of human resources for Harvesters Inc., a support system for farm workers, said treatment of workers, including providing a safe work place is paramount in retaining a labor force. Workers who feel they are treated well by their employers tend to

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Continued from Page 32

fewer acres.

stay with that farm, Ramirez said.

The full Benefits Report can be read on line at ccof.org/roadmap.

Opportunities for Organics

Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com

Meeting export demand for organically grown food is an opportunity for California growers. The Benefits Report notes that Canada and Mexico are the biggest export markets for organically grown food, but more than 104 different countries are also buying California products.

Opportunities in organic production are attracting the next generation of U.S. famers. Proportionally, more new and beginning farmers—those who have been principal operators of their farms for ten years or less—are starting organic farms than are starting conventional farms. In California 32 percent of organic farmers are beginning farmers compared to 26.5 percent in conventional production. The beginning farmers also are less likely to need off-farm income with an organic system, even though they tend to farm

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