Abstract

Helping farmers better understand their farming systems.

Issue

Organic agriculture is a growing sector of the food system. Organic farmers are eager to understand more about the production systems they have developed, and have the kind of research and extension support their conventional neighbors receive. Conventional farmers can benefit from a better understanding of organic farming systems as well, and integrate beneficial aspects into their farming systems.

Response

I organized a team and obtained funding to conduct an extensive study of potato and winter squash production in organic and conventional mixed vegetable production systems between 2000 and 2002. A substantial part of my research program in 2003 and 2004 was directed toward analyzing a large data set from the project, which explores the relationships between soil and ecosystem factors and pest populations on organic and conventional farms. This funding also made possible two three-day workshops on organic vegetable production and several trials examining the efficacy of organically-approved pest management products.

Impact

This research will help growers better understand their farming systems and make informed decisions about adopting new practices. I have presented the results of our study to approximately 250 people in the past year. The organic vegetable production workshops were attended by a total of one hundred and fifty people, and proceedings from the second workshop has been produced by NRAES (NRAES-165). The proceedings contain information that will be useful to existing and potential organic vegetable growers throughout the Northeast United States. The results from the efficacy trials have been disseminated in Northeast organic farming newsletters and incorporated into a set of fact sheets on organic pest management produced by another project, which will be used by organic farmers throughout the United States.

The study identified the potato leafhopper as a serious pest problem for organic growers, reducing yields of susceptible varieties up to 50 percent. This finding has helped document the need for research funding to find techniques that will help organic potato growers control the potato leafhopper. This project has also helped define useful approaches to conducting and analyzing systems trials.

Funding Sources

• State or Municipal (e.g., NYSDAM)
• Other USDA (e.g., Water Quality, Special Grants, NRI)

Collaborators

• Department of Horticulture, Cornell Unversity
• Department of Plant Pathology, NYSAES, Cornell University
• Department of Entomology, Cornell University
• Dehm Associates, Farm Business Services
• Computer Center, NYSAES, Cornell University
• Bloodnick Family Farm
• Blue Heron Farm
• Fenton Farm
• Moses Farm
• Our Green Acres
• Porter Farms
• Slack Hollow Farm
• Starflower Farm
• Wickham Farm

Key Personnel

• Abby Seaman, NYS IPM Program, NYSAES
• Jeromy Biazzo, Horticulture Department
• Anu Rangarajan, Horticulture
• Michael P. Hoffmann, Department of Entomology
• George Abawi, Department of Plant Pathology, NYSAES
• Bruce Dehm, Dehm Associates, Geneseo, New York
• John Barnard, Computer Center, NYSAES, Geneva, New York
• Brian Caldwell, NOFA-New York, Spencer, New York