Organic Programs at UIUC

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Organic Programs at UIUC
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Organic Task Force

• Task force active 2000-2001
• Campus-based faculty and extension field staff
  assessed the needs of stakeholders goal was to
  identify current activities and interest among
  faculty and staff communicate the results of the
  assessments and develop recommendations for
  College Administrators.
• A survey of 76 faculty and Extension personnel
  found 48 have engaged in organic outreach or
  research and 82 are interested in participating
  in future organic outreach and research.
• Key informant interviews and listening sessions
  all indicated that University of Illinois has a
  vital role to play in organic research and
  outreach.

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Task force recommendations

• Appoint an External Advisory Committee
• Program Leader
• Demonstrate strong support for organic research
  and outreach
• Formalize an organic team
• Establish a position for an Extension Educator in
  Organic Agriculture
• Allocate sizable land for organic research

4
Summary of activity 2001-2005
We have been busy but have we been productive?
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IL Resources For Organic
UIUC CAMPUS UIUC EXTENSION OTHER
STATE INSTITUTIONS
Bill Brink Susanne Bissonnette Deborah
Cavanaugh-Grant George Czapar Carrie Edgar Cindy
Enzler Peter Fandel Rhonda Ferree Doug
Gucker Mark Hoard Andy Larson Gary Letterly John
Peverly Mike Plumer Ellen Phillips Sandy
Mason Mark Maidak Mike Roegge Steve Schwoerer
Bill Shoemaker Martha Smith Kim Tack JoAn
Todd Elizabeth Wahle Wesley Winter

• Dan Anderson
• Larry Berger
• Leslie Cooperband
• Darin Eastburn
• Ken Koelkebeck
• John Masiunas
• Mike Mazzacco
• Greg McIsaac
• Dave Onstad
• Anne Reisner
• Sonya Salmon
• Ken Salo
• Anne Silvis
• Jim Schmidt
• John Swiader
• Ben Tracy
• Chuck Voigt
• Michelle Wander
• Rick Weinzerl

• Illinois Natural History Survey
• Cathy Eastman
• John Lundgren
• John Shaw
• Ed Zaborski
• Western Illinois University
• Gerry Vigue
• Southern Illinois University
• Leslie Durham
• Mike Rahe
• Bob Reese

Illinois Department of Agriculture
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Organic Standards

• National Organic Program guidelines set in 2002
  state organic food is produced by farmers who
  emphasize the use of renewable resources and the
  conservation of soil and water to enhance
  environmental quality for future generations. 
  Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products
  come from animals that are given no antibiotics
  or growth hormones and fed organic feed.  Organic
  food is produced without using most conventional
  pesticides fertilizers made with synthetic
  ingredients or sewage sludge bioengineering
  (GMOs) or ionizing radiation.  
• Funding for organic research has increased in
  step from
• 1.6 million in 1999 to 5 million in 2006

Legal definition of organic distinguishes and
separates if from sustainable ag research
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Less than 1 of available research acreage is
devoted to organic production at Land Grant
Universities.
From OFRF's 'State of the States' 2nd edition,
2003, acreages generally rouned to nearest half
acre.
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Sir Albert Howard on the unsoundness of Rothamsted

• notes the "manifold weakness of small-plot
  investigations
• "in an evil moment were invented the replicated
  and randomized experimental plots, by means of
  which the statisticians can be furnished with all
  the data needed for their esoteric and fastidious
  ministrations."

Farming and Gardening for Health or Disease.
Chapter VI The intrusion of science (1945)
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Organic Research Team

• Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS)
• Pest management Catherine Eastman and John Shaw
• Soil invertebrate ecology Ed Zaborski
• Northern Grains Insect Research Laboratory
  (USDA-ARS)
• Insect predator ecology and biological control
  Jonathan Lundgren
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  (UIUC)
• Outreach Dan Anderson and Deborah
  Cavanaugh-Grant, NRES
• Weed ecology and management John Masiunas ,
  NRES Adam Davis, USDA
• Soil organic matter and soil fertility Michelle
  Wander, NRES
• Plant pathology Darin Eastburn, Crop Sciences
• Microbial ecology Angela Kent, NRES JoAnne Chee
  Sanford, USDA
• Compost Leslie Cooperband, Human Community
  Development

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Group conception of process
Participatory Outreach
Participatory Research
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WORT Transition Project History

• 200102 informal discussions with experienced
  organic growers on approaches to transition.  
• Late 02 six acres assigned to the IL Natural
  History Survey made available for organic
  research planted to winter rye cover crop.
• March 6 03 Organic Farming Research Workshop
  with experienced organic growers. 
• March 13 03 Telephone discussions with other
  experienced organic growers. 
• March 31 03 Research proposal submitted to
  USDA IPM Organic Transitions Program. 

We took action before acquiring finding- advised
by N. Creamer
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Grower-advisors
Henry Brockman, Henry's Farm Kevin and Juli
Brussel, Rainy Creek Farm David and Mary
Campbell, Lily Lake Organic Farm Jon Cherniss,
Blue Moon Farm David Cleverdon, Kinnikinnick
Farm Alan DeYoung, Van Drunen Farms Marvin and
Carol Manges, Fizzle Flat Farm John Peterson,
Angelic Organics Allen Williams, Ridgeline
Farm 4 fresh market fruit and vegetable 4 row
crop/specialty grain producers 1 producer of
fresh/dried herbs
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Cropping intensity and organic amendments in
transitional farming systems

• WORT Objectives
• To compare the influence of transition schemes
  that differ in
• management intensity (cropping, tillage) and
• organic matter inputs
• on
• weed populations,
• soil organic matter and fertility,
• soil invertebrates, and
• the relationship between soil fertility, plant
  health and insect/disease pressure

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Three Farming Systems
Intermediate Intensity System
1. Cover Crops Compost 2. Cover Crops
Manure 3. Cover Crops only
Low Intensity System
1. Cover Crops Compost 2. Cover Crops
Manure 3. Cover Crops only
High Intensity System
1. Cover Crops Compost 2. Cover Crops
Manure 3. Cover Crops only
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M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C
M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C
M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C
M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C
M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C
M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C
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Systems research in replicated trials- design and
objectives

• Refine organic systems
• Can not compare components
• Hypothesis test to form generalizations
• Compare systems in the certification year
• Can imbed adaptive management and methods
  questions inside

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Weeds (John Masiunas, NRES, UIUC)

• Research Questions
• Does cropping intensity or soil/fertility
  management influence weed populations?
• Do weed populations change through the transition
  period?
• Methods
• Emerged weed counts
• Seedbank

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Summary of weed results

• Initial emerged weed population dominated by
  grasses, lambsquarters (CHEAL), and velvetleaf
  (ABUTH).
• Species diversity increases
• Water hemps and pigweeds (Amaranthus spp.) become
  common in third year
• Purslane (POROL) became common in vegetable system

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Emerged Weed Species

• 2003 2004__ __2005__
• Weed Grain Veget Grain Veget Grain Veget
• __________________________________________
• ------------------ weed population
  ----------------
• Grass 1 39 12 5 42 13
• CHEAL 65 40 67 60 25 12
• ABUTH 23 14 0 12 4 18
• Amaranthus 2 1 1 2 10 22
• SIDSP 5 3 3 8 7 11
• IPOME 3 2 0 7 4 6
• CISAR 1 1 1 0 1 4
• TAXOF 0 0 9 0 4 0
• POROL 0 0 0 0 1 14
• __________________________________________

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Summary of weed results

• Between years 1 and 4 the number of weeds per
  plot decreased.
• Ley system had fewest weeds
• Lambsquarters decreases during transition due to
  later plantings
• Vegetable system had fewer weeds than grain
  systems
• Hand-weeding in vegetable system

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Summary of weed results

• Seed bank diversity increased during experiment
• Amaranthus seed were very common even when few
  emerged plants
• Species composition of seed bank similar to
  emerged weeds

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• Canada thistle populations are becoming a priority

Farmer reports call for on farm research project
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Plant Diseases (Darin Eastburn, Crop Sciences,
UIUC)

• Research Questions
• Does soil/fertility management influence disease
  incidence?
• Does cropping intensity or soil/fertility
  management influence disease suppressiveness of
  soils?
• Methods
• Field sampling
• Greenhouse experiments

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Leaf rust on pasture grasses - 2004
data Eastburn
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2006 vegetable diseases in plots with different
cropping intensity histories
b
a
a
a
a
ab
b
b
b
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2006 tomato diseases affected by organic
amendment history
a
ab
b
a
ab
b
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Disease Suppressive Soil Bioassay on Soybeans
infected with SDS Foliar and Root Symptoms
a
b
bc
c
a
b
c
d
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Bioassay on soybeans infected with SDS Root
Length and Volume Effects
a
b
c
c
a
a
b
b
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Bioassay on soybeans infected with Rhizoctonia
year 20042006
a
bc
bc
b
c
a
b
b
b
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Disease Summary

• Cropping history and amendment treatments did
  have an effect on diseases in the field
• Cropping history and amendments did not have an
  effect on disease suppressiveness of the soil
• Over all treatments, disease suppressiveness of
  the soils increased over time (years)

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Predatory Insects and Biological Control(Jon
Lundgren, USDA-ARS, Cathy Eastman, Ed Zaborski,
INHS)

• Research Questions
• Does cropping intensity or soil/fertility
  management influence the abundance and activity
  of predatory arthropods, such as spiders and
  ground beetles?
• Methods
• Pitfall trapping (activity)
• Bait stations caterpillars, weed seeds
  (activity)
• Quadrat samples (abundance)

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Ground Beetle Activity
data Lundgren
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Predator abundance and diversity
data Lundgren
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• Soils Objectives
• To understand the relationship between soil
  management, soil biological activity and soil
  quality.
•  
• Wander and Ugarte
• Methods
• Carbon metabolism (microbial activity)
• Plant available N (IL-N and PMN)
• Nematode community composition

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During transition- Carmen Ugarte
N starts high and stay there, IL-NT not a
sensitive to trts as PSNT
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Nematode Abundances
a
A
Plant Feeders Bacterial Feeders Fungal Feeders
A
b
b
B
crops
Abundance of bacterial feeders indicative of N
rich system
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Fluorescein Diacetate (FDA)
Effects of systems and manure on heterotrophic
activity found
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2006 preplant soil condition
POM and plant avail N high in all systems
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Nematode Maturity Index
At this point in time systems are N rich,
physical condition high
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Preliminary Summary
Regardless of amendment type, all three
transition strategies were able to build adequate
POM-C concentrations and may have produced N
concentrations that are in excess. This is also
suggested by the nematode community
analysis. Our results show the dynamics of
nematode populations, which are expected to
become more enriched and less structured,
following soil preparation for planting. Future
research will determine whether POM-C in these
plots remains in high concentrations and whether
this is predictive of the nematodes ability to
recover from agronomic soil management.
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M. Wander-NRES
Grand unified field theory- SOM and Soil
Quality as system controls
NO3
A. Simple agronomic systems that rely on
inorganic N/ P and are frequently C limited
NH4 Limited competition, Net mineralization
important
Organic N
C. Natural and diversified systems that are C
rich and N/P limited
B. Diversified systems that are C and N/P rich
NH4 Plants and microbes actively compete and
partner
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2005 Illinois Organic Production Conference

• Farmer identified problems
• weeds soil balance, efficiency nutrition pest
  management marketing intensive rotational
  grazing labor issues waterfowl poultry
  processing and transition.
• Researcher identified problems
• science-based information lack of communication
  between researchers and farmers and the need to
  integrate livestock into research.

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Information and training needs

• Most stakeholders indicated they get their
  information from the internet. They desire an
  organic web page with links to the most helpful
  organic sites.
• They are only interested in publications with
  significant sections related organic agriculture.
  
• Stakeholders wanted to have demonstrations of
  organic practices being used in real-world
  situations.
• They also wanted an internship program with
  current organic farmers teaching new producers.

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Where to from here?

• Mites- food web
• Global Warming Potential
• SCI
• Plant Quality
• Breeding
• Microbial Community
• Weed seed decay
• Economics

• Equipment needs
• Transaction costs high
• Land uncertainty
• Management
• Utility
• Outreach
• Shifting funding focus

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Future Scenarios

• continue to conduct research on now certified
  organic ground at UIUC or take another approach-
  eg on-farm?
• write up lessons learned and prepare
  extension-style bulletins (hard copy as well as
  electronic) so that the IL-specific information
  is available to for IL growers
• improve communication with farmer advisors and
  stakeholders- developing a workshop on
  transitioning to organic using the research from
  the WORT trial (along with economic data)
  consider integrating this information into Farm
  Beginnings and eOrganic opportunities.  

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Acknowledgements

• USDA-CSREES Organic Transitions Program (Award
  no. ORG 2003-51106-02086)
• Illinois Natural History Survey
• Department of Natural Resources and Environmental
  Sciences, UIUC
• University of Illinois Agricultural Experiment
  Station