State-of-the-Project Report

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• State-of-the-Project Report
• Year 2
• Debbie Inglis, Co-Project Director
• Biodegradable Mulches for Specialty Crops
• Produced Under Protective Covers
• (SCRI-SREP Reference No. 2009-02484)

June 1-2, 2011 Team Meeting Lubbock, TX
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http//www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/specialty
cropresearchinitiative.cfm

• The Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) was
  designed to solve critical agricultural industry
  issues through research and extension activities
  that are multi-state, multi-institutional,
• and trans-disciplinary

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SCRI participation means teamwork!

• Was it a team effort that made your work
  possible?
• Are you sharing data and information on a regular
  basis?
• Are you communicating with WG leader, team and/or
  advisory members on a regular basis?
• Are you completing your work, data analyses, and
  writing assignments on time?
• Are you keeping up-to-date on what your team
  colleagues are doing?

Debs A to Z list...
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Accomplishments Challenges for Yr 3
Advisors - Our advisors have good advicethank you! - Continue to listen to them
Budget - Most accounts are now 50 expended if not, see me - Cost share needs to be documented quarterly - Effort certification updates
- E-mail messages improved (per my request last year) - CCing the PDsImportant! - Regular WG mtgs (leaders) - More WG Leader AC interactions/meetings (DI)
Communications
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E-mail Etiquette

• Accurate subject line descriptors
• Shorter messages for multiple recipients longer
  messages for fewer recipients
• Chain of command ie., relay through WG leaders
• Photos and diagrams are great!

• Read the entire e-mail chain before responding
  use care in who is ccd remember, not being ccd
  does not mean exclusion
• Do not hesitate to pick-up the telephone\
• It is OK to communicate between WGs!

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Accomplishments Challenges for Yr 3
- E-mail messages improved (per my request last year) - CCing PDsits important! - Regular WG mtgs (leaders) - More WG Leader AC interactions/meetings (DI)
- Analyses in progress on most (but not all) Yr 1 data - Yr 2 coming soon consult w/university statisticians
- No one owns their data it is the property of the university and the SCRI agency - More data sharing needed among the team develop POA this week! Internal website? Dropbox?
- A few now drafted, but... - Denote as PRELIMINARY - Write and review w/authors FIRST acknowledge project
- New product being tested this year (thank you Larry) - Note revisions to treatment content descriptions

• Communications

Data analysis
Data mgt / sharing
Industry reports
Mulch treatments
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Accomplishments Challenges for Yr 3

- New product being tested this year (thank you Larry) - Note revisions to content
- Some have been great ones, and are an expected part of good science - We must pay attention to our capacity (time and )
Outreach (thanks Andrew) - Our 2010 CRIS report 65 presentations 9 abstracts/ proceedings 17 media interviews 5,066 people educated 1.9 M people made aware! -Team helps in listing all activities, as they occur -Outcomes/impacts must be on-task w/our logic model - Always acknowledge the project

• Mulch names

New ideas
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Situation on BDMs and High Tunnels Priority Issues Activities Planned and Completed Outputs Planned and Completed Desired Short-term Outcomes Desired Long-term Impacts
Mulches are critical to successful production of specialty fruits and vegetables in high tunnel crop systems Establish a team of scientific experts in biosystem and textile sciences, soils, horticulture, pests/diseases, sociology, and economics, including stakeholder advisory committee members Hold project planning meeting at UW-River Falls follow-up with regularly scheduled conference calls, electronic mail, and shared documents via Sharepoint website Assign four working groups (crops, materials, socio-economic soils) with project leaders work together to submit SREP proposal SREP grant awarded and research carried out. Monthly and quarterly conference calls and annual site visits held course corrections made as needed. Years 1, 2, and 3 of project successfully completed CAPS proposal for 5-yr project submitted by the team on the next generation of BDMs
Mulches are mostly made from petroleum-based plastics, a non-renewable resource with significant disposal/pollution problems Reduce energy and materials consumption in mulch production. Reduce disposal costs and pollution. Create economical, sustainable high-performance alternatives Conduct Key Informant Survey across three regions of U.S. Assemble glossary of terms and annotated bibliography. Summarize KI survey results for American Society Plasticulture conf. Common base of knowledge compiled team and industry manufacturers become familiar with stakeholder needs for BDMs in agriculture Industry RD on BDMs for agriculture increases with on- going stakeholder input
Given that plastic mulch is not sustainable in agriculture, it makes sense to investigate the use of BDMs in high tunnel systems versus the open field, and then improve on currently manufactured BDMs, accordingly Establish agricultural specifications for BDMs. Inventory BDMs now available commercially in U.S. Select target BDMs and analyze their physical, chemical, biological, and crop production characteristics via bench and field studies. Based on findings, refine studies and lay foundation for new BDM prototypes for testing. Assess economic feasibility, and understand sociological barriers to adoption of new BDM technologies Identify agricultural specifications for BDMs with stakeholder input inventory commercially available BDMs design bench and field experiments for replication across three regions of the U.S. obtain letters of support from mulch manufacturers Post preliminary research findings for team and AC on Sharepoint website discuss at annual meeting of team/AC committee where progress is reviewed and evaluated. Submit abstracts and proceedings organize annual field days for growers at research sites Regional grower/industry groups educated on research findings via conferences such as Focus on Farming, Tilth, Vegetable Assoc., Small Fruit Workshop in the PNW SSAWG Mtg., TN Horticultural Exposition and TN Organic Growers Assoc. in the SE High Plains Small Farms conf., TX Produce Conf. in M-S. New scientific information communicated via scientific journals Applied Environmental Microbiology, HortScience, Vegetable Science, Plant Disease, Weed Technology New prototype mulches evaluated for future testing. More efficient utilization of mulches in high tunnel systems occurs across the PNW, SE and M-S
As awareness of BDMs becomes more widespread, knowledge of the standards that define bio-degradability and their applicability to BDMs need dissemination Incorporate ASTM standards into project methodology Evaluate current BDMs and new and emerging BDMs according to ASTM standards First abstract on use of BDMs in organic agriculture submitted to Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. mtg. others that incorporate standard methods for BDM testing to follow Study results communicated via WSU website for Plasticulture, in order to disseminate information worldwide Public awareness of the standards required for materials to be classified as biodegradable is heightened
Three areas of the U.S. would benefit from growing select specialty crops under mulches in/out high tunnel systems PNW (wind, cold, pest/disease threats) Mid-South (wind, weed, heat, erosion threats) SE (heat, pest/disease threats) Establish BDM and high tunnel field sites in Washington, Texas and Tennessee Collect data on environmental parameters, cultivar performance, pest/disease occurrence, production costs of materials, and net economic benefits of adopting BDMs and high tunnels Regional results disseminated during high tunnel field days in WA, TN, TX. Grower association meetings and workshops given. Special symposium at Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. conference organized. Increased productivity of high value specialty crops in high tunnel systems takes place across the three regions
Understanding and dissemination of ecological and socio-economic information on using BDMs and/or high tunnels is essential to success Document impacts of BDMs on soil ecology, root and plant health, crop production. Ascertain agricultural and environmental costs/benefits Incorporate Life cycle analysis framework into whole systems research design cost-benefit analysis Assess costs under experimental conditions conduct follow-up focus groups and surveys with growers and BDM manufacturers Tangible and accurate assessment of environmental and economic costs/benefits of BDMs and high tunnel systems are published using many venues A significant number of growers adopt sustainable mulch components in high tunnel systems leading to reduction in pollution and disposal costs
Fig 3. General logic model for SREP project
planning, implemen-tation, and evaluation to
ensure effective outreach (see grant proposal)
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Accomplishments Challenges for Yr 3
- New product being tested this year (thank you Larry) - Note revisions to names
- Some have been great ones, and are normal part of science - We must pay attention to our capacity (time and )
(thanks Andrew) - Our 2010 CRIS report 65 presentations 9 abstracts/ proceedings 17 media interviews 5,066 people educated 1.9 M people aware! -Team helps in listing all activities, as they occur -Outcomes/impacts must be on-task w/logic model - Acknowledge the project
Protocols - Good baselines established during Yr 1 which are excellent for MM sections in upcoming manuscripts - Need constant review, revision and re-posting on internal website (with the revision date mo yr)
Pubs - Lots of nice abstracts and technical reports (see our portfolio! - Refereed journal articlesPOA to review and complete - Questions on authorship

• Mulch names

• New ideas

• Outreach

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Some Important SCRI Team Outputs in 2011
(presentations and media interviews not
included) Tennessee D. G. Hayes, L. C.
Wadsworth, A. Wszelaki, J. Martin, T. Washington,
C.T. Pannell, R. Wallace, K.K. Leonas, H. Liu, C.
Miles, and D.A. Inglis. Poly(Lactic Acid)-Based
Biodegradable Mulches for Green Agriculture.
American Society of Agricultural and Biological
Engineering (ASAEBE) Annual Meeting, 7-10 August
2011, Louisville, KY (Hayes speaker, oral
presentation, 75 people anticipated) Hayes will
be the PI for UTs NSF-IGERT (Integrative Graduate
Education and Research Traineeship Program)
proposal, "CERCLE Graduate Training Program
"Customized Energy and Renewable Carbon through
Lignocellulosic Engineering," 3.5 Million, due
01 July 11. Jones, R., Cook, A., Lamphere, J.,
Corbin, A., Wszelaki, A., Wallace, R., Malayter,
E., Basinger, A., Inglis, D., Miles, C., and
Beus, C. 2011. Identifying the barriers and
bridges to high tunnel/BDM production systems
among specialty crop producers and stakeholders.
June 4-8. 17th International Symposium for
Society and Natural Resource Management, Madison,
WI (abstract/presentation x people anticipated).
Jones, R., Kirschner, A., Lamphere, J., Corbin,
A., Wszelaki, A., Wallace, R., Malayter, E.,
Basinger, A., Inglis, D., Miles, C. 2011.
Identifying the barriers and bridges to high
tunnel/BDM production systems among specialty
crop producers and stakeholders. 18th
International Symposium for Society and Natural
Resource Management, Koto Kinabalu, Malaysia
(abstract/presentation/xx people anticipated).
Wadsworth, L.C.,Tommy L. Washington, Douglas G.
Hayes, Annette L. Wszelaki, Jeffery Martin,
Jaehoon Lee, C. Tyler Pannell, Carol Miles, and
Debra Inglis, 2011, Study of Biodegradable Mulch
Materials in a Greenhouse EnvironmentPart 1,
Cellulosic and Melt-spun 100 PLA Nonwovens, in
preparation (Journal of Engineered Fibers and
Fabrics) Texas Belasco, E., Chen, C., Ponnaluru,
S., Marsh, T. and Galinato, S. 2011. An
Assessment of the Interaction between High
Tunnels and Crop Insurance for Specialty Crop
Producers. Selected Paper Presentation at
Agricultural Applied Economics Associations
2011 AAEA NAREA Joint Annual Meeting,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, July 24-26, 2011.
Available at http//purl.umn.edu/103896 Moore-Kuce
ra, J., M. Davinic, L. Fultz, J. Lee, C.A. Miles,
M. Brodhagen, J. Cowan, R.W. Wallace, A.
Wszelaki, J. Martin, J. Roozen, B. Gundersen and
D.A. Inglis. 2011. Biodegradable Mulches
Short-term degradability and impacts on soil
health. HortScience 46(8) Abstract in press AND
SSSA in press. Wallace. Russell W., Carol Miles,
Annette Wszelaki, Debra A. Inglis, Jonathan
Roozen, Jeffrey Martin and C. Joel Webb. 2011.
High tunnel lettuce variety yield and quality
when grown in different US climates. HortScience
46(8) Abstract in press. Washington Gundersen,
B., Inglis, D., Miles, C., Wallace, R., and
Wszelaki, A. 2011. Control of late blight on
tomato in western Washington using high tunnels.
Phytopathology Supplement (in press).
(Abstract/poster 1200 estimated
attendees). Inglis, D., Miles, C., Gundersen, B.
and Roozen, J. 2011. Evaluation of high tunnels
in western Washington for growing three specialty
potato cultivars. WSPC Potato Progress
Newsletter May 9. Vol. XI, No. 4. Inglis, D.,
Gundersen, B., Miles, C., Roozen, J., Wallace,
R., Wszelaki, A., and Walters, T. 2011.
Evaluation of late blight on tomato cultivars
grown in high tunnel vs. open field plots, 2010.
Plant Disease Management Reports 5 VO71. Inglis,
D., Gundersen, B., Miles, C., Roozen, J.,
Wallace, R., Wszelaki, A., Walters, T. and Evans,
M. 2011. Evaluation of physiological leaf roll
on tomato cultivars in a high tunnel production
system, 2010. Plant Disease Management Reports 5
VO72. Inglis, D., Gundersen, B., Miles, C.,
Roozen, J., Wallace, R., Wszelaki, A., and
Walters, T. 2011. Evaluation of gray mold and
Verticillium wilt on strawberry cultivars grown
in high tunnel vs. open field environments, 2010.
Plant Disease Management Reports 5 accepted May
2011. Leonas, K.K., Liu, H., Cowan, J., Hayes,
D.G., Wadsworth, L, Wallace, R., Miles, C.,
Wszelaki, A., and Inglis, D. 2011. Degradable
mulch for agriculture Year 1 evaluation of a
field study. Beltwide Cotton Conference
Nonwovens Symposium. January 47, Atlanta, GA.
(Abstract and oral presentation xx estimated
attendees) Leonas, K.K., Liu, H., Cowan, J.,
Hayes, D.G., Wadsworth, L.C. (Speaker), Wallace,
R., Miles, C., Wszelaki, A., Martin, J. and
Inglis, D. 2011. Degradable mulch for
agriculture Year 1 comprehensive analysis of a
field study. The Fiber Society Spring 2011
Conference, May 23-25, 2011, The Hong Kong
Polytechnic University, Hong Kong (Abstract and
presentation 350 estimated attendees). Leonas,
K.K., Wadsworth, L., Liu, H., Hayes, D., Wallace,
R., Miles, C., Cowan, J., Wszelaki, J., Martin,
J., and Inglis, D.A. 2011. Degradable
Agricultural Mulch, a Technical Textile Year 1
of a Comprehensive Field Study. Proceedings of
the 2011 International Textile and Apparel
Association, Inc. 68th Annual Meeting, Nov. 2-6,
Philadelphia, PA (accepted xx estimated
attendees). Miles, C., Marsh, T., Inglis, D.,
Corbin, A., Espinola-Arredondo, A., Leonas, K.,
Walters, T., Hayes, D., Jones, B., Lee, J.,
Wadsworth, L, Wszelaki, A., Belasco, E.,
Moore-Kucera, J., Wallace, R., and Brodhagen, M.
2011. Glossary of Terms for Biodegradable
Mulches for Specialty Crops Produced Under High
Tunnels. Http//mtvernon.wsu.edu/HighTunnels/Glos
sary.pdf
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Guidelines on Authorship

• Substantial participation in conception AND
  design of the study, and/or in analysis AND
  interpretation of data
• Final approval by EACH author of the manuscript
  or report is REQUIRED
• Ability to explain AND defend the study in public
  and/or scholarly settings
• Must actively participate in the writing AND the
  timely AND accurate review of the document

• Contributions that do not satisfy authorship
  (ie., supervision of people, funding assistance,
  technical support ideas info) should be
  acknowledged separately
• All faculty should safeguard the rights of
  graduate students to publish the results of their
  research
• The senior author is the person who actually
  leads the study and/or makes the major
  contribution all authors at the onset of a
  publication, should participate in establishing
  authorship order and responsibility

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Accomplishments Challenges for Yr 3
Always acknowledge the project in all publications! Always acknowledge the project in all publications! Always acknowledge the project in all publications!
- Good work to date on investigating the BDMS with lots and lots of analyses - Reconciling our BDM performance measures between WGs-POA!
Team - Welcome graduate students! - Our team has perseverance! (floods, high winds, tornados, baseball hail....) - Watch-out for silo effect!
- It has been a pleasure... - Unusual number of changes... but, life happens
Taxing task
Team members
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Updated May 2011
SCRI Team Revised Organizational Chart for SREP
Project onBiodegradable Mulches for Specialty
Crops Produced Under Protective Covers
Ad Hoc Interest Groups
Debbie Inglis with Carol Miles WSU-NWREC
Mark Williams BioBag USA, Inc.
Eric Menard Dubois Agrinovatrions
Dick Mathes Crown Films
Mike Gallagher Sunshine Paper
Specialty Crop Growers
Science/Industry
Stakeholder Advisory Committee
Manufacturing Robert Greene NatureWorks Terry
Phillips BioBag USA
Dr. Ashley Basinger TX
Elizabeth Malayter TN
AMST Standards Dr. Ramani Narayan MSU
University/Extension Dr. Lewis Jett, WVU
Ben Craft Tom Thornton WA
Materials Science Dr. John Dorgan CSM
Sociology WG Leader Robert Jones UTK with Annabel
Kirschner WSU
Econ WG Leader Tom Marsh WSU-Pullman
Crops WG Leader Annette Wszelaki UTK
Soils WG Leader Jennifer Moore-Kucera TTU
Materials WG Leader Doug Hayes UTK
Jeffrey Martin (GS) UTK
Sathishkumar Dharmalingam (GS) UTK
Chenhui Li (GS) TTU
Marion Brodhagen USDA/OSU
Russ Wallace TAM
Carol Miles WSU-NWREC
Suzette Galinato (RI) Sasi Ponnaluru
(PDoc) WSU-Pullman
Karen Leonas Hang Liu (RI) WSU-Pullman
Outreach Coordinator Andrew Corbin WSU-Extension
Jaehoon Lee UTK
Jeremy Cowan (GS) WSU-NWREC
Rob Raley (GS) UTK
Tom Walters WSU-NWREC
Andrew Corbin WSU-Extension
Eric Belasco TTU
Debra Inglis WSU NWREC
Debra Inglis WSU NWREC
Larry Wadsworth UTK
Chen Chen (GS) TTU
Marianne Powell (GS) WSU NWREC
CSU Colorado School of Mines TAM
Texas A M TXT Texas Tech
University WSU
Washington State University GS Grad student RI
Research intern Pdoc Postdoc KSU Kansas
State University TN Tennessee
UTK University of Tennessee,
Knoxville WSU-NWREC Washington State
University Northwestern Washington Research
Extension Center MSU Michigan State University
TX Texas WA
Washington
WWU Western Washington University
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Accomplishments Challenges for Yr 3
- Good work to date on investigating the BDMS with lots and lots of analyses - Reconciling all BDM performance measures between WGs--POA!
Team - Welcome graduate students! - Our team has perseverance! (floods, high winds, tornados, baseball hail....) - Watch-out for silo effect!
- It has been a pleasure... - Unusual number of changes... but, life happens
Timeline - We are over 50 there Sep 1, 2009 to Aug 30, 2012 - Review proposal timeline! - No cost extensions this Dec

• Taxing task

• Team members

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Table 1. Gantt Chart on Timeline of
Activities/Tasks(see grant proposal)
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No cost extensions

• WSU will not process no-cost extensions until
  early 2012
• WSU can do in one of two ways
• Assume all subcontractors will need a no-cost
  extension and process one no-cost extension
  amendment
• Send each subcontractor a letter requesting a
  no-cost extension, and then process a no-cost
  extension amendment to each sub-award
• Subcontractors cannot assume a no-cost extension
  until WSU sends an amendment to the agreement,
  extending the agreement end date (for a limited
  amount of time)
• Additional time spent on the project during the
  no-cost extension counts towards match.

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Accomplishments Challenges for Yr 3
- Good work to date on investigating the BDMS with lots and lots of analyses - Reconciling all BDM performance measures between WGs--POA!
Team - Welcome graduate students! - Our team has perseverance! (floods, high winds, tornados, baseball hail....) - Watch-out for silo effect!
- It has been a pleasure... - Unusual number of changes... but, life happens
- We are over 50 there Sep 1, 2009 to Aug 30, 2012 - Review timeline in proposal! - No cost extensions this Dec
Websites (thanks Carol) - New public site launched - Internal team website has lots of new info and potential - Use them in all of your SCRI outreach and research activities!

• Taxing task

• Team members

• Timeline

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Alison Foren

• aforen_at_earthlink.net

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YEAR !!!
Debs A to Z list...

• Include 2009, 2010, or 2011 on each and every
  document and photo date!

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WG Sessions Today...

• Hot topics needing attention
• Data management, data analysis
• Outline of manuscripts, with writing assignment
  and completion dates
• New advances/new literature potential issues in
  the near future
• WG accomplishments to date

WG leaders will be reporting back
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Plans of action need for...

• Sharing of large data sets
• Integrating and interpreting data between WGs
• Reviewing and completing manuscripts and
  extension bulletins, both within and between WGs
• Group discussions, and the Round Robin

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Round Robin session at 1 pmMitigating the silo
effect...

• Crops Soils
• Environmental monitoringdata collection and
  sharing
• Mesh bag study review
• Rating disease incidence and severitynew
  protocols OK?
• Work/writing w/other WGs, possibly needed
• Materials Economics
• Clear definition of bio-degradable
• Progress on life cycle analysis
• Modeling BDM degradation and/or (bio)degradation
• Work/writing w/other WGs, possibly needed
• AC Sociology/Outreach
• Distributing information from focus group study
• Conducting the next surveys on project impact
  (and IRBs)
• Communicating biodegradability to the public
• Work/writing w/other WGs, possibly needed

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Round Robin Session at 2 pmMitigating the silo
effect...

• Crops Materials Sociology/Outreach
• BDMs and the organic agricultural communitythe
  zero tolerance issue
• Becoming familiar w/other HT BDMprojects in the
  country/world
• Future directions for HTs and BDMs in agriculture
• Soils Economics AC
• Value of soil quality indicators (SMAF
  framework), and ways to utilize it in our project
• Modeling BDM degradation and/or (bio)degradation

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Round Robin Session at 315 pmMitigating the
silo effect...

• Crops Economics Sociology/Outreach
• Crop budget(s)published (by state? pub format?)
• HT construction costs (by state? pub format?
• Extension bulletin(s) on risk management (state?
  format?)
• Soils Materials AC
• Combining data sets across WGs
• Upcoming work in Ramanis lab
• Potential issue w/copper fungicide

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Please take good notes this week

• Thanks for Russ and Jenn for hosting, and to
  everyone for coming!

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