2007 Graduate Student Projects There's no magic formula for a winning proposal. Reviewers are peers of the applicants, knowledgeable about sustainable agriculture as well as the current problems growers face in the different sectors of agriculture. Reviewers compare the proposals to the guidelines set forth in the CFP. Many factors go into the rankings, but in general a competitive proposal is one that clearly explains how it will evaluate a sustainable solution to an agricultural problem. While interdisciplinary systems research is not required of graduate student proposas, reviewers take note when a proposal has those elements as in GS07-062. This project is evaluating purslane as a high omega-3 forage to replace long-hauled forage such as flax seed in laying hen diet. Reviewers noted that it was an ambitious, integrated project, crossing the disciplines of crop science, poultry science, and human nutrition. According to reviewer comments GS06-064 basically left no cow pattie unturned in evaluating a cropping system that combines turf production with dairying. The proposal covered the whole scope with a combination of field scale and laboratory activities examining everything from response systems to runoff measures to mass balance. Project GS07-058 had sound experimental design with a well-defined hypothesis relevant to sustainable agriculture. One reviewer noted that the justification was exceptionally well written with detailed methodology. Reviewers like to see the research continuity of new proposals that use a foundation from previous SARE projectsj. Project GS07-056 builds on two decades of SARE research about livestock and cotton systems conducted by Vivien Allen. GS07-063 also builds on a previous SARE graduate student project that used dye in irrigation water to see how far irrigation travels in soil. Based on those results the new project will evaluate tomato production using a lower pressure irrigation. Thoroughness and farmer participation are hallmarks of GS07-060 which is establishing plots of grafted heirloom tomatoes at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems as well as on regional organic farms. At the end of the first growing season the farmers and researchers will meet to compare notes and suggest changes for the next year. GS07-057 was noted for being well thought out with tangible results that can be put to practical use in current cropping systems. When it comes to being practical and timely, reveiwers usually take note of proposals such as GS07-059 that address ways to reduce parasite load in small ruminants without the use of chemicals. The practical and economical sense of looking for a non-chemical way for limited resource farmers to manage soilborne diseases helped project GS07-061 get noticed.
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GS07-056 Allelopathic effects of small grain cover crops on cotton plant growth and yields, $10,000
Vivian Allen (professor) Yue Li (student)
GS07-057Optimizing buckwheat use as a weed suppressive cover crop for sustainable cropping systems in Florida, $10,000 Effective nonchemical weed management approaches can assist with weed management problems for which there are no registered herbicides, reduce the use of herbicides in conventional production systems, provide increased options for sustainable systems, and result in more profitable, less labor intensive organic production systems. Buckwheat has the potential to suppress weeds by competing for resources, by limiting weed seed germination and propagule sprouting through soil microclimate modification, and by allelopathy. Experiments are proposed to (1) determine the optimal environmental conditions and range of effective planting dates for production of buckwheat, and its effects on weed emergence and growth and (2) assess the impact of different incorporation practices on buckwheat decomposition, regrowth, and weed suppression. This work will facilitate the effective use of buckwheat in suppressing specific problematic weeds in Florida and the southeastern US and contribute to the aggregate data being generated on effective planting windows for buckwheat in other regions of the U.S. Increased use of cover crops for weed management in sustainable agricultural systems, and a decrease in tillage, cultivation and hand weeding in organic systems can be expected, in conjunction with improved weed control and crop yield. Carlene Chase (professor) Pei-wen Huang (student)
GS07-058Cover crop mulches for no-till organic onion production, $10,000 The environmental and sustainable production benefits of conservation tillage and cover cropping are well documented. More research is needed to further integrate these practices into organic vegetable production systems. Key challenges for organic no-till include: Effective termination of cover crop; coordinating quantity and timing of cover crop and amendment nitrogen release with subsequent crop demand, and; weed management. In the southeastern US there is a potentially effective niche for summer annual cover crops that can be rolled and then frost-killed allowing a fall planted over-wintering cash crop. Nancy Creamer Emily Vollmer
GS07-059 Effect of a grazing sericea lespedeza as a treatment padock for controlling natural nematode infection in lambs, $10,000 Infection with gastrointestinal nematode parasites, particularly Haemonchus contortus, a blood-feeder, is the most important constraint to profitable small ruminant production in the southeastern US and worldwide. Weanlings are especially susceptible to infection during their first grazing season. Haemonchosis can rapidly lead to lost production and even death. Anthelmintic drugs (dewormers) have been over-used in attempts to control this problem. Over use has resulted in high levels of resistance to dewormers in nematodes throughout the southeast and other regions where H. contortus is a problem. The problem has become so severe that it is threatening 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 alternative control methods that reduce nematode numbers in the host animal and lower pasture contamination with eggs and larvae. In the proposed project, one alternative control method, grazing sericea lespedeza, a condensed tannin containing forage, as a deworming paddock will be evaluated for affect on naturally acquired infection. In addition, this method will be evaluated as part of an integrated program with the FAMACHA system and smart use of anthelmintics as a viable alternative to extend the useful life of available anthelmintics. Results will be disseminated to scientific and producer groups via producer workshops, the Southern Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control web page (SCSRPC.org), and various scientific and extension publications. James Miller Allyson Moscona
GS07-060 Potential of grafting to improve nutrient management of Heirloom tomatoes on organic farms, $10,000 The existing scientific literature suggests that grafted herbaceous plants can be more efficient at absorbing certain macro- and micro- nutrients (Ruiz, 1996: Leonardi, 2006). However, data regarding nutrient uptake of tomatoes in scarce and existing research has been carried out with conventional growing methods and hybrid cultivars. This project will collect and analyze data on the nutrient uptake efficiency of grafted heirloom tomatoes grown at multiple farming locations with organic management practices in eastern North Carolina. Several combinations of rootstock/scion pairings will be evaluated for nutrient uptake and marketable fruit yield. In addition the productivity of a grafted crop grown under the protection of high-tunnel structures versus a crop grown in the open field will be evaluated. Best management practices for fertilization will be developed for organic growers in the region for each growing regime. Together these investigations will help develop and tailor a sustainable, systems approach to growing grafted organic heirloom tomatoes in the Southeast region. Mary Peet Suzanne O'Connell GS07-061 Importance of Brassica soil amendments for managing soilborne disease in ornamentals and vegetables , $9,944 Soilborne pathogens of ornamental and vegetable crops cause production losses every year. However, current disease control methods offer few strategies, and fumigation with methyl bromide has been decreed inappropriate for continued use. Additionally, reliable and sustainable disease management methods appropriate for limited resource farmers should be further researched due to the lack of availability of effective sustainable management methods. Some plants, such as mustards, contain secondary metabolites, such as glucosinolates, which decompose into biocidal and volatile isothiocyanates, as well as other chemicals, which are thought to manage pathogen populations including fungi and nematodes. This biocontrol method appears to be a viable alternative to chemical soil fumigation practices as part of a sustainable agricultural system in the climate of the mid-south. However, additional information is needed on effective Brassica spp. and rates of incorporation. Objectives in the study will be as follows: 1. To determine the importance of brassica cover crop selection and biomass application rates in relation to disease management of root-knot nematodes, or Meloidogyne incognita, on cucumber: 2. To determine the importance of brassica cover crop selection and biomass application rates in the disease management of Rhizoctonia solani AG4 on petunias and impatiens. Effective management of soilborne pathogens for vegetable and ornamental crops using a biofumigation system in both limited-resource farming operations and home production appears promising. Craig Rothrock Kimberly Brown
GS07-062Omega-3 Purlsane Eggs, $10,000 Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to human health. Presently, the typical western diet does not provide adequate amounts of omega-3's, and the primary sources for omega-3's are limited and inconsistent with sustainability. For optimal nutritive benefit, humans must consume the long chain omega-3 form (DHA) generated in animals. Unfortunately, DHA is being supplied from sources like flax seed and wild-caught fish (e.g. salmon) that must be transported over long distances with large energetic and environmental costs. Also, demand for omega-3 is contributing to over-fishing and the fish can contain high levels of heavy metals. Thomas Rufty Laura Vance
GS07-063Reducing nutrient loss below the root zone of drip-irrigated vegetables using low-pressure, increased irrigation time. $9,966 Fresh market tomatoes are grown in Florida on approximately 45,000 acres and have an annual value of about $800 million. They are mostly grown in the fall, winter or spring growing seasons under intensive irrigation and fertilizer management. Drip-irrigation is rapidly gaining popularity among vegetable growers in the South Eastern United States because it allows for flexible water and fertilizer application and conserves water. Current drip-irrigation recommendations for Florida include a target irrigation volume based on historical weather data, and crop age, a fine tuning of that volume using soil moisture devices, a rule for splitting irrigation, and a method to account for rainfall. However dye tests have shown that the wetted front exceeds the root zone (12 inches) with these recommendations. Lowering the amount of water discharged through drip irrigation to plant water uptake requirements may decrease leaching losses of both water and water soluble crop nutrients. Low-pressure drip irrigation system, a new concept known to have low flow rates, has also been reported to have higher water use efficiency than either overhead or drip-irrigation. With adequate modification of the low-pressure drip irrigation system, we propose to replace the current recommendation of split irrigation of 1000 gallons/acre/string/day with 750 gallons/acre/string/day using a semi-continuous low-pressure drip irrigation system that mimics crop evapotranspiration for fresh market tomato production. We also propose to lower the rate nitrogen fertilizer rate from 200 to 150 lbs/acre, thus lowering fertilizer and water inputs and their subsequent leaching losses Eric Simonne Aparna Gazula
GS07-064Cropping systems for sustainable nutrient management and dairy production, $10,000 Intensification of dairy production within Texas and other southeastern states has led to concerns over nutrient and waste management effects on environmental quality. The purpose of this project is to evaluate cropping systems that enable sustainable nutrient management and improved environmental quality for dairy production systems in the southeastern US. Nutrient imports, exports, and forms in soil will be compared between Tifton 85 bermudagrass grown for forage and Tifway bermudagrass turf under field conditions and varied manure management practices. In addition, mineralization and sorption studies will be conducted under laboratory conditions to evaluate responses of soil biological and chemical processes to manure nutrients and to relate those processes to nutrient export and environmental quality. Furthermore, relationships of manure management to runoff losses of nutrients and carbon will be evaluated under simulated rainfall for each the forage and turfgrass production systems. The evaluation of manure management practices for the forage and turfgrass production systems is expected to enable producers to optimize and improve net export of nutrients from dairies while protecting water quality. Diverse cropping systems and proper management of manure and nutrients will lead to environmentally responsible and economically viable dairy production in the southeastern US. Donald Vietor Ronnie Schnell
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