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2005 Research and Education Projects Southern SARE recieved 69 preproposals in 2005. After review 28 were invited as full proposals. After technical review of the full proposals, the Administrative Council chose 10 projects for funding with amounts ranging from $102,000 to $250,000. The 2005 project chart below gives insight not only about what SARE reviewers look for in a grant but also a glimpse into what's currently on the mind of researchers. This year three of the 10 new awards went to small ruminant research indicating that researchers are responding to the needs of that fast-growing industry, and that SARE recognizes it as an important area for funding. The number of proposals addressing organics continues to increase with four of the ten new projects falling in that subject area. Two important areas received first-time funding in the Southern Region: organic peanut production and organic orchards. The following abstracts introduce the new projects. The project investigators will be entering their new projects into the data base and following up with annual reports throughout the life of the project. View the reports at www.sare.org
LS05-169 Exploiting the Organic Peanut Market: Design of Production Systems for the Southeast Peanut farming is woven into the fabric of agriculture in the Southeast, providing an excellent food with a great diversity of market outlets, yet the lucrative organic peanut niche is exploited almost entirely by growers in New Mexico and Texas. At one time the weed, disease, and insect problems in the humid Southeast may have explained this paradox, but many new techniques are now available to make organic peanuts a viable option for growers as they adjust to the new economics of peanuts since the quota system was abolished in 2002. New resistant cultivars, judicious use of cover crops and rotations, a better understanding of diversification for disease and insect management, weather-based advisories, organic pesticides, and so on, today allow growers in the Southeast to take economic and agronomic advantage of the organic peanut without undo risk. This could be encouraged by demonstrating how peanuts can be included in organic farm plans and tailored to individual circumstances, with documented effective techniques for specific production problems. The proposed project seeks to do just this by refining and integrating available techniques through experimental trials and on-farm application, using an iterative, whole-system approach. Ultimately a decision-making tool will be created and made available to growers and extension agents on-line. This tool, along with presentations, demonstrations, a publication, and a self-contained travelling exhibit designed for commercial shows and peanut or organic grower conferences, will help farmers integrate organic peanuts into their operations and sustain this vital component of small family farms. Points specifically mentioned by reviewers:
Mark A. Boudreau LS05-170 Integrated Management of Purple Nutsedge in Organic Vegetable Production A multistate on-farm and research farm evaluation of serial integrated crop management systems will be conducted to manage purple and yellow nutsedge in organic vegetables in the southeastern US. A multi-pronged approach that involves year-long management during fallow and cropping periods will be employed. The integration of several strategies into a systems approach to vegetable crop management may provide improved nutsedge suppression and crop yields. Control methods will include soil solarization, cover crops, clean fallows with tillage or flaming, suppressive mulch, and biofumigation. Knowledge of the weed's biology is central to this approach. Thus, methods either focus on reducing the existing reservoir of tubers in the soil by directly killing the tubers or indirectly through depletion of reserves; or aim to decrease subsequent tuber production with competitive crops and suppressive mulch. Economic analysis is being undertaken as part of the holistic approach to ensure that systems which prove to be practical for organic growers and effective in suppressing yellow and purple nutsedge are also economically feasible. Points specifically mentioned by reviewers:
Carlene A. Chase LS05-171 Certified Forests: preparing private landowners for the future We propose a combined research and extension effort to identify the potential for certified forest products in Louisiana and Mississippi. The research component will survey major home retail centers to identify the current and potential future certification systems acceptable to these companies. We will survey private landowners to determine their knowledge of certification. The outreach component will consist of 6 workshops for private landowners designed to increase their understanding of certification, how it is applied on the ground, and if certification is worth pursuing for their forestland. Each workshop will include a significant evaluation component. A "Private Landowner's Guide to Forest Certification in the South" will be published and provided to workshop participants. The guide will also be available for other landowners across the South. Points specifically mentioned by reviewers:
H. Glenn Hughes LS05-172 Forage systems for the sustainable production of uniform goat carcasses Limited resource farmers have employed a wide range of approaches to produce goat meat. The result has been a sporadic supply of non-uniform goat carcasses that will not support dedicated slaughter/processing facilities. A lack of dedicated slaughter facilities and available markets to sell goats has discouraged goat producers from expanding their operations to a sustainable level of production. This project is designed to evaluate the requirements for supporting a dedicated goat slaughter facility and develop goat forage/handling systems that will result in the steady production of uniform goat carcasses. An economic feasibility study will be conducted through survey of goat producers in West Tennessee to determine the potential for the development of a goat slaughter facility. A separate component of the feasibility study will evaluate the number and characteristics of goat carcasses necessary to sustain a dedicated goat slaughter/processing facility. In addition, animals raised on six different forage systems will be analyzed for growth rate and live carcass traits. Goats from each forage system will be weighed every 14 days, and fecal samples will be collected to monitor internal parasite infestation. Throughout the growing period carcass traits will be monitored using ultrasound technology. After animals are slaughtered, meat characteristics will be correlated with the ultrasound data collected throughout the growing period. Forage quality of the pastures will be determined throughout the grazing period using NIRS analysis. These data will be correlated with goat growth. After completion of the initial trials at the University of Tennessee at Martin, three cooperating producers will be identified and the best forage systems will be established on those farms. Grazing trials will be conducted on these producer operations with forage quality monitored throughout the grazing season using NIRS analysis and animal carcass development monitored using ultrasound. Annual goat production workshops will be conducted in each of the three years of the study to highlight various aspects of the goat production system. The initial workshop will focus on goat grading and marketing. The second workshop will provide information on forage systems for goats and goat nutrition. The third workshop will focus on the results of the forage system trial and the economic feasibility studies with the goal of generating producer interest in the development of marketing groups. Extension publications covering the topics highlighted at the workshops will also be published and distributed. Throughout the course of this project a producer/processor committee will evaluate the progress of the project and make recommendations for modifications in the study design. These project participants will play a key role in identifying producers to participate in the on-farm grazing trials. Ultimately this project will integrate production practices with the marketing of finished goat meat products to provide limited resource goat producers with the information and skills necessary to successfully sustain an economically viable goat production operation. Points specifically mentioned by reviewers:
Richard Joost LS05-173 Microarray analysis and functional assays in soils under organic or sustainable management Long-term farming systems experiments have been initiated at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) in Goldsboro North Carolina as part of an inter-disciplinary, multi-institutional and stakeholder (NGOs, farmers, citizens) desire to enhance the science and practice of farming sustainably. Farming system experiments, particularly on the large scale as occurs at CEFS, provide an opportunity to evaluate the impact of management practices and cropping systems on crop/animal productivity, economic returns, and sustainability indicators, in addition to the impacts on soil physical, chemical and biological responses. The practice and science of sustainable agriculture will advance through implementation of visionary practices informed by fundamental knowledge obtained by component research. In particular, there is a need to characterize soil microbial communities and understand (and ideally manage) the links between microbial community structure/diversity to ecological function. Fundamental ecological functions consistent with our expertise include nutrient cycling, plant disease suppression, and plant growth promoting effects as mediated by soil microbes. In our SARE-funded farming systems experiments, we archived soils at the start of the long-term experiment (baseline samples, Spring 1999) and at each sampling date (~4/yr). Corresponding soil samples have been analyzed by soil scientists, microbial ecologists, entomologists, and nematologists, providing a fairly comprehensive analysis of the samples. Our archived soils represent an irreplaceable repository and resource to ask fundamental questions about the impact of farming systems on microbial communities. Parallel to this opportunity, is the need to develop methods and knowledge about the mechanisms and links between these communities and impacts on plant health. Therefore, the objectives of this proposal are: (1) To utilize microarray technology to assess microbial diversity and structure as impacted by long-term farming systems structure with emphasis on microbial communities associated with nutrient cycling and disease suppression. Baseline soil samples will be compared to fresh samples to be collected in 2005or 2006 to ascertain the impact of selected farming systems on microbial communities; (2) to elucidate mechanisms of disease suppression in long term SARE organic and farming systems projects. Soils from the different farming systems will be sampled, analyzed, and manipulated to discover components that contribute to disease suppression (primarily plant pathogen invasion and colonization); and 3) to develop functional plant assay(s) to assess plant disease suppressive mechanisms and plant growth promoting effects. These objectives seek to link knowledge about the soils, microbial communities, soil borne pathogen fitness, and plant response as impacted by long-term farming systems and management of "soil health". We believe component research as proposed here can be translated into practical recommendations and knowledge that will serve our clientele and goals to enhance the objectives of a sustainable agriculture. Members of our team have a proven history of translating basic information into effective extension talks concerning the implementation of practices consistent with a sustainable agriculture, organic production, and plant health management. Our proposal specifically addresses the SARE priority areas of component research and organic farming. Points specifically mentioned by reviewers:
Frank Louws
LS05-174 Understanding Plant-Soil-Livestock Interactions: A key to enhanced sustainability in southern pine silvopasture systems The purpose of this project is to better understand the ecological interactions which are the foundation of sustainability in Southern-pine silvopasture systems. Research will focus on how changes over time in the plant community structure of grazed silvopasture modify belowground pasture productivity and the resulting impacts on pasture soil quality (i.e. soil health or the capacity of the soil to function) components related to water infiltration and retention. This understanding will be achieved by monitoring the interactions of plant, soil and livestock responses to management strategies designed to sustain forage productivity and soil quality through enhanced soil organic matter capital. The specific objectives are to: 1) Determine the impacts of N supply (fertilization versus clover) on above- and below-ground forage productivity, forage quality and plant diversity in developing silvopasture; 2) determine the impacts of N supply on pasture soil structural stability and relationships to soil compaction, and water infiltration and retention in developing and mature silvopasture; 3) compare the use of small ruminants to the more conventional use of herbicides to control invasive broadleaf plants within developing silvopasture systems and impacts on infiltration; 4) examine the economic feasibility and level of landowner acceptance of management practices being proposed; and 5) estimate the effects of silvopasture management practices on watershed-level hydrology using the Hydrology Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF). The holistic approach used in this project is evidenced by inclusion of studies at several levels of ecological scale. Information will be integrated from all studies of management impacts on plant-soil and plant-soil-livestock interactions related to water infiltration and retention. In turn, this information will be used to model the effects of these component interactions on watershed-level hydrology of the system. These models will be used to draw the big picture that will illustrate the 'story' of the findings that will be translated into a practical take-home message for all who participate in the planned outreach opportunities. Outreach activities will focus on farmer/landowner education through field days, workshops, grazing schools and publications, and the extent of the participants' understanding and acceptance will be fully evaluated. Through increased dissemination of the insights we gain from this project about the positive links between forage diversity and soil health, as well as how the grazing process modifies the plant-soil relationship, we will promote Southern-pine silvopasture management practices which have an enhanced capacity to regenerate vital ecosystem functions, such as nutrient recycling and water retention, and thereby increase ecological and economic sustainability in the Southern Region. Points specifically mentioned by reviewers:
Mary S. Miller-Goodman
LS05-175 Sustainable and Profitable Control of Invasive Species by Small Ruminants The invasion of aggressive and undesirable vegetation is an environmental and agricultural concern common to the southeastern USA, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Both weed invasion and degradation of pasture and rangeland over-stocked with small ruminants threatens native biodiversity and sustainability of small ruminant production throughout the region. A logical connection between these is the commercial use of small ruminant flocks to control invasive weeds, thereby removing undesirable vegetation in a more environmentally friendly and sustainable manner, relieving pressure on overgrazed pasture and rangeland, and providing additional revenue streams for small ruminant producers.
James P. Muir, ARS LS05-176 Best management practices for organic orchard nutrition Expansion of sustainable and organic tree fruit production in the southern region is hindered by lack of reliable, regionally appropriate, and scale neutral technologies. Fertility management and tree fruit nutrition are key to successful fruit production. However, most of our understanding about nutrient biology in orchard soils and trees is based upon research in orchards using conventional nutrient management practices. These conventional practices use synthetic soluble fertilizers and a weed-free center strip, while organic orchards are managed using slowly available organic sources of nutrients and a variety of ground covers. While the application of soluble fertilizers can be timed to correspond to periods of critical nutrient needs, a range of soil and climate conditions affect the availability of organic nutrients. Moreover, cover crops or mulches used to protect the soil and control weeds also affect nutrient uptake, water availability, and pest populations. Points specifically mentioned by reviewers:
Curt R. Rom
LS05-177 Sustainable Control of Gastro-intestional Nematodes in Small Ruminants Infection with gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) parasites, particularly Haemonchus contortus, a voracious blood-feeder, is the most important constraint to profitable sheep and goat production in the southern USA and Puerto Rico. Lambs and kids are more susceptible to GIN infection than older animals, but haemonchosis can rapidly lead to lost production and even death of small ruminants of any age. Anthelmintic drugs (dewormers) have been over-used in attempts to control this problem, which has resulted in high levels of anthelmintic resistance in goat and sheep GINs throughout the South. The problem is so severe that it is threatening the viability of small-scale and limited-resource small ruminant farm operations in this region despite continued high demand for sheep and goat products. A more sustainable approach to parasite control involves integrating targeted, limited use of anthelmintics with non-chemical, novel control techniques that reduce worm numbers in the host animal and lower pasture contamination with GIN eggs and larvae. In the proposed project, a multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary team of researchers, extension educators, and producers from 10 southern states, Puerto Rico, Denmark, and South Africa will be conducting research to test and validate this approach, with a final goal of on-farm implementation of successful control strategies. Use of smart drenching techniques to maximize effectiveness of available drugs will be combined with FAMACHA technology (a system developed in South Africa to identify level of anemia) to target specific animals in need of treatment. This will be combined with novel (nematode-trapping fungi, condensed tannin-containing forages, copper oxide wire particles, and breeding for reduced susceptibility to parasites) control technologies in integrated, sustainable GIN control systems that can be adapted to various small ruminant management systems. Results will be disseminated to clientele groups via Extension educator, young farmer teacher, and producer workshops, our project web page (SCSRPC.org), and various institutional print and web-based extension publications. Points specifically mentioned by reviewers:
Thomas Terrell
LS05-178 Sustainability indicators to guide farmers, scientists, policy makers and the general public The SARE program has now been in place for sixteen years. Excellent research results have been obtained from both component studies and also long-term systems projects. Still there has been little attempt to relate what we are learning back to the guiding concept of 'sustainability'. At the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, N.C. we have a unique systems experiment where we have collected a wide range of parameters since 1998. Using these data as a starting point, we now seek to develop an approach to relate our data to long-term agricultural sustainability. Crucial to this approach is that the development and selection of sustainability indicators needs to be integrated with the research of improved farming systems and with input from farmers and other stakeholders. A comprehensive list of attributes of economic, social and ecological sustainability will first be identified and then ranked by using the perceptions of different stakeholder and experts. Data collected at CEFS will be used to quantify the selected indicators. Next, graphical and numerical comparisons will be employed for an overall assessment and evaluation that can be adapted to natural conditions and socio-institutional constraints. The proposed project will enable an integrated evaluation of all the data collected at CEFS and is a logical step toward the assessment of sustainability of the various agricultural systems under study. Our project could serve as a guide for other regional efforts aimed at monitoring the sustainability of farming systems. Points specifically mentioned by reviewers:
Ada Wossink
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