Research

Organic Farming Systems Options for Controlling Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) in Kona Coffee

A participatory on-farm research project was conducted on five certified organic coffee farms in the Kona district on the Island of Hawaii to evaluate alternative organic-based practices for the management of Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR). Coffee Leaf Rust is a devastating disease of coffee worldwide but has only recently become established in Hawaii over the past few years. Most efforts to date for the management of this disease in Hawaii have focused on chemical controls.

Building climate change resilience with coffee smallholder producers by extending organic practices to staple crops

Back in 2017, a Participatory Action Research (PAR) team led by the University of Vermont
started a process to be1er understand the root causes of the annual food insecurity season
experienced by families from the organic coffee cooperative. We found that the milpa
system, the traditional and organic polycrop based on maize, beans and squash, was a key
activity to significantly reduce food insecurity, along with (organic) coffee productions and
beekeeping. In a regional context with high abandonment rates of milpa systems and organic coffee grows, as well as an increase in organized crime presence in the area, many
farmers had to migrate to the USA.

This is the reality in which we launched this new PAR process phase, in which we
focused on the milpa system revitalization in four communities, pushing forward organic
alternatives by following participatory methodologies and analyses, as well as co-designing
educational and experimental plots. Across the board, we support awareness in community
processes of the potential of farmers’ livelihoods as a dignified way to prevent the
abandonment of agriculture activities. Since CESMACH cooperative was experiencing an
exceptionally challenging moment, it was not possible to establish the educational and
experimental plots. However, we guided workshops and community reflection to offer the
community alternatives to revitalize their milpas system on their own. Working together
with children and youth, this project generated three short documentaries that raise
awareness about the critical role of the milpa. We also generated a documentary and a
farmer comprehensive poster in that direction, that has been widely disseminated locally
and regionally in other cooperatives, as well as among national and international audiences.
We will continue our own collaboration with CESMACH by providing assistance to their
process of revitalizing the milpa system and overcoming food insecurity.

Companion plantings for organic management of a new invasive Brassica pest

This project leveraged agricultural diversity to mitigate the recent attack of the invasive yellow-margined leaf beetle (Microtheca ochroloma) on leafy brassica greens across the Southeastern United States. This new pest is reviled among farmers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, is rapidly expanding its range northward as winters become milder. Unfortunately, the biology of M.

Increasing the productivity and market value of pulse crops for arid organic conditions

In this project, we evaluated factors impacting productivity and product value in grain
legume crops in semi-arid organic farms. Specifically, we focused on 1) characterization of yield
and other agronomic traits in diverse grain legume crops grown in semi-arid organic
environments, 2) selection of breeding materials based on yield and other characteristics in these
same environments, and 3) understanding the genetics of unique seed types that provide a high
value to organic farmers.To this end, we evaluated a total of 72 varieties or breeding lines

Advancing Organic Potato Production with Mustard Seed Meal Extract: a multi-pronged tool to control weeds, promote soil health, and improve potato nutrition

Weed management, soil health, and nutritional quality of organically produced foods are among the highest priority organic research topics according to organic farmers across the US, and abundant peer-reviewed research supports these perspectives. Utilizing innovative organic agricultural practices that improve soil health, combat weeds, and enhance the nutritional quality of staple foods will enable farmers to successfully meet the challenges of feeding a rising global population.

20 to 20, in 2020

This project investigates 20 promising ancient and heritage grain varieties to measure performance for farm scale organic growing conditions and will increase available seed of these 20 unique varieties to a minimum of 20 pounds each in 2020. Data will be collected on weed suppression, lodging, disease, and pest pressure as well as yield and height and environmental conditions at two sites- Ketchum, Idaho and Paonia, Colorado.

Evaluating costs and benefits of organic-approved liquid injectable fertilizers to improve nutrient uptake and yields in tomato

While research on cover cropping and compost application have surged in the past decade, organic growers are still struggling to maintain sufficient levels of available nitrogen (N) in vegetable cropping systems. Especially in semiarid regions like California, relying on N mineralization from banked reserves in soil organic matter has not provided enough N to support high crop yields competitive with conventional systems; an additional source of labile N may be needed during the season.

Efficacy evaluation of biological control agents against wireworms in organic production

Wireworms, the larval stage of click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae), are generalist subterranean herbivores that cause significant damage in a variety of crops. Managing wireworms has been a challenge due to their long-life cycle, subterranean living habitat, and ability to survive wide range of host plants. Although there are a few insecticides available for conventional farming, there is no effective alternative control measure against wireworms in organic production.

A Comprehensive Approach To Control Weeds in Organic Peanut Systems in the Southeast

This project will examine the effectiveness of an integrated weed control system in Certified Organic peanut production utilizing regular mechanical cultivation and Eugenol, a broad spectrum herbicide derived from cloves and approved for Certified Organic production in a commercial formulation as Weed Slayer. The project will be conducted with four Certified Organic farmers at four locations in Southwest Georgia: (1) two loamy/clayey farms, (2) two sandy farms.