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Know how. Know now. University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources

G2120

University of Nebraska–LincolnOrganic Farming Research

Charles A. Shapiro, Soil ScientistCharles A. Francis, Sustainable Agriculture/Landscape Design Specialist

Elizabeth A. Sarno, Organic Farming Systems EducatorTwyla M. Hansen, Organic Project Assistant

• UniversityofNebraska–LincolnOrganicFarmingResearch

• TransitioningtoOrganicFarming• DevelopingaFarmOrganicSystemPlan• CertificationProcessforOrganicProduction• HealthyFarmIndex

• BirdConservationonWorkingFarms• SelectingWinterWheatCultivarsforOrganic Production• FlameWeedinginAgronomicCrops• CoverCropsSuitableforNebraska• NutrientManagementinOrganicFarming

Organic Farming and Related NebGuides for Nebraska

ThispublicationispartofaNebGuideseriesonorganicfarmingbeingdevelopedbyUniversityofNebraska–LincolnExtension.Asthepublicationsarecompleted,theywillbeavailableontheUNLExtensionPublicationswebsite.Gotoextension.unl.edu/publications andenterthetitleintothesearchbox,orcontactyourlocalexten-sionoffice.

Anoverviewof theorganic farming researchand resources available through University ofNebraska–LincolnExtension.

TheUniversity ofNebraska–LincolnInstituteofAgricultureandNaturalResourcesiscommittedtosustainablefood,fiber,andnaturalresource systems that support abio-basedeconomy,andeconomicsandenvironmentsforasustainable

future.Tohelpmeetthesecommitments,fourUNLagri-cultureresearchcentershaveestablishedtheinfrastructurefororganicresearchwithfieldactivitiesfundedbygrantsfromtheUSDAIntegratedOrganicProgram.

OrganiccropresearchisbeingconductedonUSDANationalOrganicProgram(NOP)certifiedorganiclandinthreeofthefourNebraskaecoregions(WesternHighPlains,CentralGreatPlains,NebraskaSandhills,Western

CornBelt)atfouragriculturalfieldlaboratoriesacrossthestateon120totalacresofcropland(Figure 1).

• Southeast: Agricultural Research and Develop-mentCenter(ARDC)nearMead,Neb.,locatedintheWestern Corn Belt Plains (southeast rainfedagroecozone)

• Northeast:HaskellAgriculturalLaboratory(HAL)nearConcord,Neb.,locatedintheNebraskaLoessHills(northeastrainfedagroecozone)

• SouthCentral:SouthCentralAgriculturalLabo-ratory(SCAL)nearClayCenter,Neb.,locatedinthe Central Great Plains (south central irrigatedagroecozone)

• West:HighPlainsAgriculturalLaboratory(HPAL)near Sidney, Neb., located in theWestern HighPlains(westernrainfedagroecozone)

Nebraskahasdiverseecologicalandculturalcharac-teristics—averageannualrainfallrangingfrom13inchesinthewestto36inchesintheeast,differinglengthsofgrowingseasons,altitudes,andsoilsthatarevaluableforscreeningcultivarsanddevelopingcropsforadaptationto organic management under a variety of conditions.Researchisconductedoncertifiedorganicland,usingac-ceptedculturalpracticesandcroprotationsforthevaryingconditions,whichhelpsprovideorganiccropproductionsolutionsforfarmersintheirecoregion.

Long-term and Current UNL OrganicFarming Research

Long-termUNLorganicresearchprojectgoalsinclude:

• Provide the organic farming community withresearch-basedsolutionstoproductionissues;

• Developanagroecologicalresearchandeducationsystemthatincorporatesasystematicanalysisoftheecologicalimpactsoforganicproductionsystems;

• Workcollaborativelywithorganicfarmersonin-dependentandUNL-drivenon-farmfieldresearchexperimentstodetermineresearchpriorities,utilizeorganicfarmers;experience,andidentifycommonorganicproductionsolutions;

• Demonstrateanddeliverresearchresultstofarm-ers in extension meetings, field days and tours,and through classroom teaching and curriculuminformation;

• Developinstitutionalcapacityforresearch,teach-ing,andextensioninorganicfarmingpracticesandagroecologicalsystemsdesign,andgreatercross-disciplinaryresearchintegrationofcomponentsinthefoodsystem;

• Developadecisionsupporttool,theHealthyFarmIndex, toutilizequantitativeassessmentsofbio-diversityandecosystemservicestoimprovefarmmanagement;

• Determinethebiodiversity,conservation,andeco-systemservicesvalueoforganicpractices;

• Contributetotheefficientmanagementofresourcesinagroecosystemstobenefitfarmsandnetincomeinalltypesofsystems,andtoprovideguidelinesformoreecologicallybeneficialsystems;

• Provide extension educatorswith research-basedinformationon transitioning land toorganicpro-duction,organicfarming,culturalpractices,croprotations,and theuseofcovercropswithincroprotations.

CurrentUNLorganicresearchincludes:

• Nutrient management: Determine the effects oforganicsoilamendments,andinteractionbetweengeneralfertilitylevelsandintegratedweedcontrol;assess nutrient balance on organic farms; raiseknowledge in organic community of exportednutrients;

Figure1. AgroecozonesofNebraska.CertifiedorganicfarmoperationsacrossNebraska(2006data,whitedots)andtheUNLorganicagriculturalresearchsites()

UNLOrganicResearchSitesOrganicFarms(2004data)

0 15 30 60 90 120Miles

N

AgroecozonesCentralGreatPlains

HighPlainsNebraskaSandHillsNorthwesternGlaciatedPlains

WesternCornBelt

ExtensionisaDivisionoftheInstituteofAgricultureandNaturalResourcesattheUniversityofNebraska–LincolncooperatingwiththeCountiesandtheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture.

UniversityofNebraska–LincolnExtensioneducationalprogramsabidewiththenondiscriminationpoliciesoftheUniversityofNebraska–LincolnandtheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture.

©2012,TheBoardofRegentsoftheUniversityofNebraskaonbehalfoftheUniversityofNebraska–LincolnExtension.Allrightsreserved.

• Weed management:Evaluateanintegratedapproachfor weed control usingmechanical methods andflameweeding;

• Cover crops:Determineoptimumselectionofmix-ture,timingofplanting,economics,incorporationmethods,effectsoncropyields,benefitstoincreasesoilnutrientlevels,organicmatter,carbon,water-holdingcapacity,erosionpreventionandmicrobialactivity, increasespeciesbiodiversity,habitat forbeneficialinsects,andweedsuppression;

• Organic small grains breeding and systems develop-ment:Breedcultivarsoptimaltoorganicproductionfordiseaseandpestresistance,responsetofertil-izers,andend-usequality;

• Antioxidant production in organic small grains:Determinelevelsofantioxidantlevelsamongwheatcultivars,andorganicenvironments;

• Biodiversity conservation on working organic farms:Quantifytheeffectoforganicmanagementofbreedingbirdpopulations,andinstitutelong-termecologicalmonitoring;

• Healthy Farm Index assessment of biodiversity indicators and land use patterns:Deliveratooltoorganicfarmersforfarmassessmentandstructureddecisionmaking;

• On-farm/farmer research capability: Provideguid-ance, encouragement, and technical support fororganicfarmersandresearchgroupsinNebraska.

On-goingUNLresearchimpactsorganiceducationinNebraskathrough:

• residentinstruction,especiallyundergraduateedu-cation;

• extensionoutreach;• informationresourcesprovidedtootherpublicagen-cies,colleges,highschooleducators,andothersinNebraska.

UNL Organic Information Resources

Education. Resident education at UNL includesspecificunitsandmaterialsincoursessuchas:

• OrganicFarmingandHorticulture(AGRO/HORT439/839)

• Agroecology(AGRO/HORT/NRES435/835)• AgroecosystemsAnalysis(AGRO/HORT436/836)• AgriculturalandNaturalResourcesSystems(NRES/AGRI103)

• AgroforestryinSustainableAgriculturalSystems(NRES/HORT417/817)

• IntroductiontoConservationBiology(NRES211)

An organic option is now available for studentsmajoringinAgronomyandHorticulture.

Extension outreach.Extensionoutreachisavailableto organic, sustainable, conventional and transitioningfarmers, agronomists, farm technicians, advisors, con-sultants, inspectors and suppliers, teachers, students,governmentofficials,consumers,andthegeneralpublic.SpecificactivitiesincludefielddaysattheUNLorganicresearchsitesandonlocalorganicfarms,organiceduca-tionalseminars,workshops,andconferencepresentationsacrossthestate.Informationalmaterials,mentoring,dis-cussions,andlearningfromorganicfarmersareempha-sizedatallvenues.On-farmorganicresearchiscurrentlytakingplaceonorganicfarmsacrossthestate.

Webresources.TheOrganicWorkingGroupwebsite(organic.unl.edu)islinkedtoUNLCropWatch(cropwatch.unl.edu),allowingresultstoreachabroadaudience.TheOrganicWorkingGroupwebsite includes a section forfarmerfeedbackandresearchsuggestions,linkstopastandcurrentorganicresearch,andlinkstoorganicresearchpublications.

OtherWebresourcesinclude:• OrganicFarming2010(sustainableag.unl.edu/pdf/

OrganicFarming2010.pdf)• Multifunctional Rural Landscapes and theImportance of Ecosystem Services in Farmland(sustainableag.unl.edu/research.shtml)

Inaddition,theOrganicWorkingGroupcanbefoundon:• Twitter(twitter.com/UNL_Organic)• Facebook(www.facebook.com/pages/Lincoln-NE/

UNL-Organic-Working-Group/79073982154)

For more information:

ElizabethSarno,ExtensionEducatorUNLOrganicProjectCoordinatorEmail:esarno2@unl.eduPhone:402-584-2261

This publication has been peer reviewed.

UNLExtensionpublicationsareavailableonlineathttp://extension.unl.edu/publications.

Index:CropProduction/FieldCropsCropping Practices

IssuedJune2012