Organic Grain Project Newsletter June 2008 Issue I; Vol I |
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In this Issue:
I. Coming Events: wheat workshop, out-of-state bus tour The following two workshops are being held as part of NCSU’s Organic Grain Project. A Bread Wheat and Organic Production Workshop will be held at the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville, NC on June 24 from 4-7 p.m. There is increasing demand for bread wheat and organic wheat in NC. At this workshop, information on hard wheat varieties (bread wheat) that perform well in the southeast will be presented by a USDA wheat breeder. A wheat agronomist and a farmer who is growing the varieties commercially in NC will talk about commercial production techniques. Organic wheat production will also be covered, and an organic wheat farmer will discuss his experience. Conventional and organic wheat buyers will be in attendance to answer marketing questions. Registration for this workshop is $10 and includes dinner. To register, call 919-513-0954 or go on-line to: www.cefs.ncsu.edu/calendar2008.htm . The Out-of-State Bus Tour will take place from July 24 to the 26 th. We will tour 4 organic grain farms in three states where we will see, first-hand, how these farmers handle production. The tour will also highlight organic no-till grain production. We will be touring two farms on the Eastern Shore of Maryland on the 24 th: Mason’s Heritage Farms has around 400 acres of organic corn and soybean production with a significant amount of no-till organic acreage; and Fair Hills Farm which has a 400 acre organic rotation of corn, soybeans, and hay. On the 25 th, we will travel to the Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania and visit their 333 acre farm and research plots. No-till organic grain production techniques will be emphasized since the Rodale Institute is one of the innovators of this production strategy. We will tour one farm in Virginia on the 26 th on the way back to Raleigh . Hillsborough Farm is a 400 acre organic corn and soybean farm, also with significant no-till acreage. Registration for this tour is $75 and includes accommodations, travel, and most meals. If you wish to have a single room, registration is $150. For an application to register, go to: www.cefs.ncsu.edu/calendar2008.htm . Call Molly Hamilton (828-273-1041) for more information about this tour. Other events of interest: July 18: Organic No-till: New Farming Strategies for the 21 st Century. Organic no-till brings together the environmental benefits of organic production—eliminating chemical pesticides and fertilizers and improving soil quality through composts and cover crops—with the conservation benefits of reduced or zero-tillage. This one day event brings together researchers, farmers and extension educators to share their successes and challenges encountered on the road to perfecting a farming system that may become one of the best alternatives for farming in the future. Workshop will be held at the Rodale Institute farm from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration: $10; On-line at www.rodaleinstitute.org/forms/event/register.php . Call 610-683-6009 for more information. II. How to: Organic Wheat Storage Storing organic wheat is an important part of being able to market a quality product. Since most organic wheat buyers cannot or will not take wheat at harvest, farmers must be able to store their wheat. Of course, storage bins must be labeled as organic and harvest and storage records must be maintained to insure organic certification. There is the potential for insects to become a problem in stored wheat. We recommend adding food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) to the wheat grain as it is being loaded into the storage bins (at a rate of up to 40 pounds per 1000 pounds of grain). DE can be sprinkled on top of the grain while it is moving in the auger to the bin, and then on top of the grain after it is loaded. DE works because the surface of each particle is very sharp and these sharp edges cut into worms as they feed or move over the grain causing them to desiccate, or dry out and die. You can obtain food-grade DE from the following companies:
PyGanic © is another product that can be used alone or, for better control, in conjunction with DE in stored wheat and other grains. It contains pyrethrum, is labeled for use in stored grains, and is listed by OMRI as compliant with the USDA Organic Program Dilute at the rate of 1 part to 22 parts water (6 fl. oz. with one gallon of water). Thoroughly mix the emulsion and apply at the rate of 5 gallons per 1,000 bushels of grain as it is carried along a belt or as it enters the auger or elevator. Pyrethrum does not have a long residual so inspect grain weekly during the warm summer months and monthly over the winter. If the top 2 or 3 inches are found to be infested, re-treat applying at the rate of 2 gallons of diluted material per 1,000 bushels of stored product. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is recommended for the control of Indianmeal moths. Apply as a liquid or dust to the top 4 inches of grain. Use only products labeled for grain storage. Another approach is to use carbon dioxide as a fumigant. Carbon dioxide is listed as an allowed synthetic under 205.605b in the National Organic Program rules. Carbon dioxide concentrations must be elevated in the bin for 15 days to insure destruction of insects. Sealed or sealable bins are required. For a complete guide to using carbon dioxide, please visit: http://sgrl.csiro.au/storage/carbon_dioxide/carbon_dioxide_FADec03.pdf Other resources: Insect Pests of Stored SmallGrains from North Carolina State University http://www.smallgrains.ncsu.edu/Guide/Chapter12.html Management of Stored Grain and Peanut Pests from the University of Florida http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/IG/IG10300.pdf
Dr. Randy Weisz and Christina Cowger issued the following report about wheat scab on May 15: While most wheat fields in North Carolinaappear to be free of head scab, we are seeing significant scab problems in some eastern locations. At these locations the infection levels appear to be high enough to warrant concern about lowered yield, reduced test weight, and possible problems with elevated levels of mycotoxins in the grain. We expect that these problems are most likely to be found in fields where 10% or more of the heads are showing symptoms. At this time, we have seen some fields with levels as high as 15%. Recommendations 1) Remember: Scab is not controlled by foliar fungicides currently available in NC. So, fields that were sprayed with a fungicide earlier this Spring will not have been protected from this disease. 2) All wheat fields should be checked before the heads turn golden-brown. In many cases that means NOW! If scab is present, an estimation of the percentage of infected heads should be made. 3) Where infections of 10% or higher are estimated, special effort should be made to adjust the combine to blow scab infested grain out the back of the machine. That will help raise the test weight and lower mycotoxin levels in the grain. For a list of wheat varieties at risk visit: http://www.smallgrains.ncsu.edu/Pests/Scab.html IV. Update on Organic Grain Production Research at NCSU – 2006-2007 The North Carolina State University organic grains program continues to conduct numerous experiments in an overall research program aimed at meeting the needs of North Carolina organic grain producers. Organic weed management is a major challenge for organic soybean producers and constitutes a significant aspect of the research program. The research program also investigates: improved crop rotations for organic producers, use of cover crops for nitrogen needs, no till organic production, and long term crop breeding for organic producers. Organic soybean weed management The biggest obstacle to organic soybean production in the Southeast is weed management. Current organic soybean systems rely on mechanical weed control. The rotary hoe is one implement that allows for within row weed control through early broadcast cultivation, also called “blind cultivation”, because the rotary hoe goes over the whole field without regard for the soybean row position. Pre plant rotary hoeing, also called stale seed bedding, is also a practice that has been utilized for weed control. By pulling the rotary hoe over the field following field disking and conditioning but prior to planting, small weed seeds are induced to germinate and subsequently killed. In two years of experimentation (2006 and 2007) at two different locations in eastern NC, results indicate that multiple rotary hoeing, while effectively managing weeds, may reduce soybean yields because of increased damage to soybean stands. Stale seed bedding was effective at times in reducing weed pressures but the effect of stale seed bedding dissipated after one effective post plant rotary hoeing. Soybean seeding rates have traditionally been suggested at 100,000 to 150,000 live seeds per acre. For farmers accustomed to using round up ready seed technology, less seed is better to reduce the technology fee. Such a technology fee is not a factor for organic soybean producers. It is well known that drilling soybeans on 7 inch rows provides a more competitive soybean stand, closes the canopy faster and often results in higher yields than soybeans planted on 30 inch or 38 inch rows. But drilling soybeans on narrow rows eliminates the ability of a farmer to cultivate, often a critical part of the weed management program. Experiments were conducted in 2006 and 2007 to investigate differing seeding rates, with all rates planted on 30 inch row spacing. Two years of experiments at two locations have shown that seeding rates as high as 280,000 live seeds per acre may provide producers with better weed control and higher yields.
The development of a more competitive soybean genotype would be useful for organic producers. Typical soybean breeding trials are maintained weed free and, consequently, new soybean cultivars are not selected based on their ability to compete with weeds. Genotypic differences in competitiveness for weeds have been identified for several agricultural species including: wheat, rice, cowpea, corn and many others. Similar studies have suggested differences in competitiveness of soybean genotypes. Competitiveness of 29 genotypes maintained in the North Carolina USDA soybean breeding program with varying characteristics of seed size, petiole length, leaf shape and height were measured in the 2007 season. These experiments will be repeated in 2008 with the goal of identifying soybean traits most related to improving weed competitiveness. Organic soil fertility Many organic grains farmers are interested in soybean/corn rotation systems. Providing enough nitrogen for organic corn is a challenge to producers. Manure can provide sufficient nitrogen but results in buildup of other nutrients such as phosphorous, zinc and copper. Legume cover crops may provide an economic alternative to manure as a nitrogen input. Experiments have been conducted investigating the nitrogen contribution effect of the timing of clover seeding following a soybean crop and the amount of clover seed spread. Initial results suggest that spreading clover before soybean leaf drop or following soybean harvest may provide over 100 lbs/acre of nitrogen to the following corn crop. No till organic grain production research Many farmers in the Southeast have turned to no till production. Because secondary tillage has been such a critical component of organic weed management, no till organic grain production is largely unknown in the Southeast. This 2008 season will initiate the first series of experiments investigating the most feasible way for organic soybean producers to use no till production systems with the use of lesser used and newer technologies such as: rolled rye cover crops, high residue cultivators and organic pre and post emergence herbicides. Experiments will also be initiated comparing the effectiveness of several organic herbicides, organic adjuvants and various spray rates. Organic corn hybrid trials Dr. Ron Heiniger is conducting two organic corn hybrid tests this summer, one in Halifax County and one in Hyde County . Each trial will include at least 8 hybrids and will be planted in early May. V. Organic Valley Forms Grower Pool In an unprecedented effort to provide market stability to both crop growers and livestock producers, Organic Valley Family of Farms is opening its membership to organic crop growers with the introduction of its Grower Pool. With more than 1,200 member farms, Organic Valley is America 's largest cooperative of organic farmers and is one of the nation's leading organic brands. Growers joining the pool will benefit from a guaranteed floor price for their crops on a long-term contract basis and will be able to enroll all or portions of their crop acreage in the pool. Organic Valley will offer contracts for feed-grade grains, beans, oilseeds and hay beginning with the 2008-2010 cycle. Source: Organic Valley Family of Farms
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