Organic Ag Research & Extension at

Washington State University

Carol MilesWSU Mt. Vernon REC

David GranatsteinWSU Wenatchee REC

Diana RobertsWSU Spokane Extension

Organic Vegetable and Seed Research

Carol MilesVegetable Extension Specialist

WSU Mount Vernon NWREC

Organic winter-grown lettuce research

Challenges for Organic Vegetable Production

• Pest management – disease, insects, weeds

• Seed – organically produced or untreated; quantity, quality, cost

• Variety recommendations

• Fertilizer – cover crops, rotation, compost and manure, bagged products

• General inputs – soil mix, plastics

Insect Pest ControlProcessing peas in southwest Washington

Severe root damage Establish on-farm trial, include organic control option

Rhizoctonia Pythium

Fusarium

MS students:Jaime Cummings (2008) Avi Alcala (2011)Faculty:Lindsey DuToitCarol Miles

Organic Seed TreatmentsBiological Seed and Drench Treatments for

Organic Control of ‘Damping Off’

10,000

25,000

50,000

75,000

Rhizoctonia

Results:dutoit@wsu.edu

Greenhouse trials – determine rates of inoculationField trials – determine product efficacy

Organic Seed Treatments

0 ppg

10,000

50,000

100,000

500,000

Icebox Watermelon

Variety Recommendations

Variety trials for region-specific production information (on-station, on-farm)Screen breeding lines to identify suitable new germplasm

Edamame Baby ButternutHoney Nut

http://vegetables.wsu.edu

Ott, K.A., R.T. Koenig, and C.A. Miles. 2009. Methods comparison for measuring tissue nitrate in leafy green vegetables. HortTechnology, 19(2):439-444.Ott, K.A., R.T. Koenig, and C.A. Miles. 2008. Influence of plant part on nitrate concentration in leafy greens. International Journal of Vegetable Science Vol 14(4):351-361.

Winter-grown LettuceExtending the season

MS students:Kristy Ott (2008) Haly Ingle (2010)Faculty:Rich KoenigCarol Miles

High Tunnels and Biodegradable Mulches

Extending the season, pest management

SCRI Funding:2008: $100,000 2009: $2 million

BD plastic mulches must be biobased:• Polylactic acid (PLA) - plant-based polyester produced from starch• Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) - polyesters produced by bacterial fermentation of sugar or lipids

Most existing BD plastic mulch formulations include: • Petroleum-derived polymers• Genetically modified plant-derived polymers• Synthetic resins or additives (for creating the polymers)

Therefore products are currently unacceptable in certified organic crop production

Issues for Organic Agriculture

New research will generate data to:• Better understand mulch biodegradation• Monitor residues and/or toxic by-products• Assess impacts on soil ecology and plant health• Measure life cycle analysis • Calculate economic feasibility• Familiarize agricultural professionals (academic, industry, producers) with BD issues and definitions• Promote new information and product development

High Tunnels and Biodegradable Mulches

Building the Capacity of Communities to Grow Healthy Food

• Promote gardening to improve community and individual health

• Encourage participation as both producers and consumers in the local food chain

• Two programs in Washington State: Grow Your Own Groceries Eat Your Yard

Growing Your Own Groceries

Extension Outreach and Publications

Organic Tree Fruit Research and Extension

Insectary planting

David GranatsteinSustainable Agr. Specialist

WSU Tree Fruit REC, Wenatchee

Sprayable mulch

Challenges for Organic Tree Fruit Production

• Match production increase to demand increase

• Replant disease – BSM, cover crops, tolerant rootstock

• Crop load management

• High cost activities – weed control, fertility

• Soil quality, GHG, water supply

• Fireblight

• Fruit quality – storage; nutritionaldifferences

‘Sandwich’ system with thyme

• Organic systems often substitute tillage for herbicides

• Impact on soil C, trees ?

Weed Control

Wonder Weeder440 ft/min

Weed Badger20 ft/min

Wood chip mulch

TRT 2005 2006

Fruit yield

Fruit Size 80-88

Gross Fruit

Value*

Fruit Yield

Fruit Size 80-88

Gross Fruit

Value*

TCSA increase

Canopy volume

lb/tree % $/ac lb/tree % $/ac cm2 m3 /5 trees

Wood chip 44.9 15.5 a 14,354 32.3 39.0 11,032 3.7 a 56.7 a

Control mow

40.9 6.6 b 12,003 31.5 33.5 9,748 3.0 b 47.6 ab

Cultivator Z 3x

35.2 7.0 b 9,556 29.3 22.0 10,162 2.3 c 39.2 b

p= 0.150 0.014 0.805 0.076 0.001 0.008

Tillage Trial results

Weed Fabric in Sweet Cherry

OSU, Hood River, OR – 2001-2007

• Fabric groundcover vs. bare ground in tree row

• 2001-2004 – fabric $2125/acre increased costs

• 2004 – fabric trt gross returns $3240/ac more than bare ground (1st yr of production)

• 2005 - $1633/ac more with fabric

• Fabric – trees produced more fruit at an earlier age, maintained higher yields

(Tomasini et al., 2007)Photo: H. Ostenson

Spray

No spray

Ladino clover: - direct seeded in the drive alley

Growing Our Own Nitrogen

Home for alternate prey for leafroller Home for alternate prey for leafroller parasitoids (over winter)parasitoids (over winter)

Insect Management

Wild Rose

Rose gardens planted in 2000; parasitism increases thru the summer and has increased from 2001-2005

Courtesy: T. Unruh

Redesign with Rose Gardens

Apples – Washington State

Rosa woodsii

Cherry fruit fly(Rhagoletis indifferens {Curran})

• 5-7 weekly applications, starting 3 day after first trap catch of CFF

• 2.7 qt/ac solution/ha (1:4 bait dilution)

• 6 mph, every other row, D2 nozzle Standard: $50-75/ac

GF-120: $17/ac

Courtesy: H. Ostenson

RED 715K 542K 75.8 18.0

RED O 119K 101K 84.9 20.0

GALA 604K 499K 82.6 18.6

GALA O 256K 236K 92.1 21.3

Storage Quality

ORGANIC: ● 10% more fresh market packs than conventional ● Packed to same grades ● CA storage 6-7 months ● No storage fungicide ● Need to store larger crop for more months ● Internal quality – alternate bearing, nutrient ratios

Extension Outreach• WSHA annual meeting, other grower meetings

• Trend data to companies, USDA, IFOAM world organic report

• 3rd North American Organic Tree Fruit Research Symposium

• Web site, field tours, publications

Organic Grains In Washington State

Diana Roberts, PhDArea Extension Agronomist

WSU ExtensionSpokane, WA

Challenges for Organic Grain Production in

WA

• Soil fertility

• Weed management

• Crop rotations for diversity Limited by lack of summer rainfall

• Soil fertility and weed management

Lentils

Sustainability of organic grain

• Direct seeding (no-till) Conserves soil Utilizes synthetic

fertilizers & pesticides

• Organic farming Eliminates synthetic

fertilizer & chemicals May include soil building

practices May include intense tillage

Picture by John Aeschliman

Types of organic farmers• Stereotypical lifestyler

(back to the land) Small scale Often value-added

marketing Independent

• Stereotypical conventional farmer Organic adds value,

diversity Transition from CRP Interest may fluctuate

Organic research in WA

• 1970’s – Energy usage comparison

• 1980 – USDA report on organic farming

• Present - >30 WSU and USDA faculty involved in organic research Portion of work Biocontrol, pea cultivar

selection, composting, livestock integration, organic no-till

T. Julis wasp stinging cereal leaf beetle larva.Photo by Terry Miller

InsectaryBeetle bank

Irrigated circle of peas

Organic grain research

• Steve Jones et al. – evaluation and selection of wheat cultivars in certified organic ground

• Rob Gallagher et al. – dryland organic transition Crop rotations – alfalfa

important Weed management – surface

tillage• Pat Fuerst et al. – USDA organic

funds $1.2 million - foster sustainable dryland organic grain farming systems in the dryland PNW – reduced tillage!

Rotary harrow

Rotary hoe

WSU Extension• Grower interest

fluctuates

• Successful workshops 2004 (87) and 2005 (45)

• Organic grain listserv >80 subscribers Workshop & program

announcements Link buyers and

sellers Q&A

• Irrigated farm tour 2009

On-farm testing

• Extension integral part of USDA grant

• Collaboration with ID and OR – 2 sites each

• Farmer won $50,000 NRCS CIG (Conservation Innovation Grant) Testing surface

tillage research on farm scale

On-farm testing

• Grower driven Farmer choice Team design

• Replicated over field & (4) years

• Farmer does field work• Farmer speaks at

workshops, tours• Farmer compensated $$• Comparing commercial

fertilizer products

Nature Safe 13-0-0

Perfect Blend 4-4-4

Project outcomes

• Research data on dryland cropping systems

• Economic budgets

• Learning from tours & workshops

• Extension publications

• And much more…