Ecological Agriculture Projects (EAP) at McGill University in Canada is
launching a unique new sustainable agriculture information retrieval
service. It is a membership-based organization, providing a full range of
information services.
EAP is home to one of the world's largest collections of materials on
sustainable agriculture. Founded in 1974 by Dr. Stuart Hill, the EAP
collection consists of nearly 100,000 articles, more than 2,000 books and
hundreds of journals and newsletters. It has been used regularly by farmers,
gardeners, researchers, extension agents, business people and consumers to
further their knowledge of ecological and alternative farming practices. The
collection is going on-line in spring 1997. Promotional material says it
will be the most sophisticated ecological agricultural site on the Internet,
and will include a mix of full texts and excerpts from key documents
selected from its collection, back issues of important farm magazines and
newsletters, all of EAP's writings, and the syntheses and fact sheets
prepared for its Agro-Bio and Eco-Info services. In addition, it will be
hosting on-line conferences. At the same time, it will launch another new
service, providing members with commentary on sustainable agriculture news
and events. Part of the site will be freely accessible to all Web browsers.
For more information, including membership costs, see
http://www.agrenv.mcgill.ca/Extension/EAP
INTEGRATED FARM UPDATE: WINDBREAKS INCREASE PEPPER YIELDS
A bell pepper evaluation was conducted on the Integrated Farm at the UNL
Agricultural Research & Development Center in Ithaca, Nebraska during the
summer of 1996. Our objectives were to determine if cultivars responded
differently to production under wind-protected culture than to production
under more open conditions, and to identify cultivars that show promise for
high yields of marketable fruit of excellent size and quality.
A key quality factor in bell peppers is wall thickness, which is reflected
in the average weight per fruit. Genetics, cultural practices, and
temperature affect wall thickness. This past summer was atypically cool for
Nebraska and contributed to the excellent quality in the peppers, since high
temperatures contribute to thinner walls.
On each harvest, we picked from an average of 3.3 plants/sq. ft. in the
sheltered plot but only 1.3 plants/sq. ft. in the exposed plot even though
the stand counts were identical. A significant factor in the reduced yields
from exposed plot vs. sheltered plot was the much more severe development of
bacterial leaf spot in the wind exposed plants. Wind abrasion provides entry
points for this devastating disease. The genetic leaf spot resistance in
cultivars such as 3XRCamelot held up in our situation. Weekly copper sprays
held the disease in check in the sheltered plots and infestation was much
less severe.=20
Continuous data recorders monitored environmental conditions in the plots.
Unfortunately, several weeks of wind data were lost due to malfunctioning.
We normally obtain roughly 47% reduction in wind speed in the zone 1-2X the
height of the windbreak, which was the location of the pepper plot. There
were very high winds during the first week of July, 3 weeks from
transplanting. From transplanting through the fifth harvest, the seasonal
accumulated air temperature was 43% higher in the sheltered area. In our
heavy clay soil, the soil heat unit accumulation, measured 3 inches deep,
was 61% higher in the sheltered areas.
Wind significantly reduced plant height, the number of flower buds
initiated, and the number of open flowers and fruit set. Fruit set four
weeks after transplanting indicated significantly higher numbers of
reproductive structures on plants in the sheltered plot. This early
advantage carried through to the seasonal harvest. Five weekly harvests were
made between July 31 and August 30. There was 63% more early (harvest 1+2)
peppers and 358% more total marketable peppers in the sheltered plots
compared with the exposed plots. No cultivar showed a unique response to
shelter (non-significant interaction of treatment and cultivar), thus the
primary differences in yield were due to shelter and cultivar acting
independently on yield. Cultivars that produced good early yields were Vidi,
King Arthur, Gator Bell, Renegade and North Star. Vidi is a very elongate
bell pepper; Gator Bell, Renegade, and King Arthur are somewhat elongate;
and North Star is a square blocky bell. The average weight per marketable
fruit is indicative of both size and wall thickness. Individual fruit size
is also a function of how much total fruit is on the plant. There were
significantly more culls due to fruit shape from the sheltered plants,
mostly because the fruit became crowded on the plant. When sheltered,
Keystone Resistant Giant #3 produced the heaviest average fruit weight (8.2
ounces) and when exposed, Gator Bell averaged 8.4 ounces for the heaviest
fruit. On average, cultivars producing fruit averaging at least 7.5 ounces
include Camelot and X3RCamelot, Galaxy, Elisa, KRG#3, Clovis and Gator Bell.
The average bell pepper fruit from the sheltered plot was 30% heavier than
from the exposed plot. Overall, there were more culls from the sheltered
plots because there was more fruit! Significant increases in culls in
sheltered production were due to shape, insect damage (mostly grasshopper),
and hail damage which occurred between the first and second harvest.
In summary, weather conditions, cultural practices, and harvest timing all
affect marketable yields. Our yields, while approximately the U.S. average,
were not competitive with major production areas. The higher yielding
cultivars, when grown under sheltered conditions, come the closest to the
desired 20,000 lb/acre marketable yield. The use of black plastic mulch and
higher fertilization rates if combined with drip irrigation and sheltered
production may improve yields. We anticipate repeating this study in 1998
using fewer cultivars and larger plots. =20
Submitted by Laurie Hodges
Editor's Note: For more detailed information on this study, contact Laurie
Hodges, 402-472-1639, hort034@unlvm.unl.edu.
SOUTHERN REGION MEETS TO DISCUSS SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE EDUCATION
"Sustainability is a direction rather than a destination, like a star that
guides the ships at sea but remains forever beyond the horizon. However,
sustainability can still be an important guiding principle." =20
John Ikerd, University of Missouri, used this metaphor to begin his keynote
address at the Southern Region Professional Development Program (PDP)
meeting in Gainesville, Florida, January 15-16. Ikerd described the many
dimensions of sustainable agriculture and strategies for management. He
asserted that the texts for understanding and teaching the fundamentals of
sustainable agriculture already have been written by people outside the
production mainstream.
Several directions emerged in group discussions about the future of PDP in
the South:
- Expand networking among Extension, commodity organizations, nonprofits,
and others=20
- Improve access to information on sustainable agriculture education
- Broaden the base of stakeholders
- Gather and publish success stories to increase credibility
The next morning a diverse group spoke on their perspectives of PDP.
Michael Sligh, with Rural Advancement Foundation International, challenged
the audience to think of future issues when designing the call for
proposals. Clack Garland, University of Tennessee, and Steve Isaacs,
University of Kentucky, recounted the trials and successes of forming a
two-state team to develop a sustainable dairy systems manual. Tom Trantham,
a dairy farmer from South Carolina, praised Extension for its past help, but
said the organization needed to commit more time and effort to sustainable
agriculture education. A proceedings of the meeting will be available from
ATTRA, 800-346-9140.
Submitted by Heidi Carter
STUDY ASSOCIATES NITRATE IN DRINKING WATER WITH GREATER CANCER RISK
In a study published in the September, 1996 issue of the journal
Epidemiology, scientists from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in
Omaha and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore assessed the average amount
of nitrate consumed daily in tap water by Nebraska residents diagnosed with
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), a cancer of the lymphatic system, and by a
control group of persons without the disease who lived in the same area.
Both groups used public water supplies. The study concluded that persons
with NHL were twice as likely to be in the group that consumed the highest
levels of nitrate from their drinking water as those without the cancer.
One advantage of the new study is that the researchers calculated nitrate
consumption levels for each person rather than simply comparing cancer rates
in large populations with differing nitrate levels in their water supplies.
"This is one of the first epidemiologic studies to suggest a link between
drinking-water nitrate and risk," said Mary H. Ward, Ph.D., the study's lead
author. However, it is uncertain whether the findings truly reflect the
effect of nitrate, she added. An alternate possibility is that nitrate
exposure is simply a surrogate or "marker" variable that is correlated with
another NHL risk factor that was not directly measured in the study.
Since 1973, incidence of NHL in the U.S. has increased about 75% =97 one of
the largest increases among major cancer sites.
The article from which this excerpt was taken was provided by the Cancer
Information Service, which provides a nationwide telephone service for
cancer patients and their families, the public, and health care
professionals. The toll-free number is 1-800-4-CANCER.
Primary Source: M.H. Ward et al. Drinking Water, Nitrate and the Risk of
Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Epidemiology, September 1996.
Secondary Source: Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society Newsletter,
Winter 1997.
RESOURCES
Sustainable Practices for Vegetable Production in the South. $28.95 + $4.50
s&h. Covers both the concepts of sustainable agriculture and specific
technical information on how to implement these concepts in the southern
U.S. Focus c/o PBS, PO Box 390, Jaffrey, NH 03452, 1-800-848-7236,
pullins@seacoast.com, http://www2.ncsu.edu/sustainable/
Biological Control Web Page. Center for Integrated Pest Management and
Consortium for International Crop Protection. Provides links to biological
control organizations, databases and other web sites with information about
biological control.
http://ipmwww.ncsu.edu/biocontrol/biocontrol.html
Direct Marketing Resource Notebook. $20 (+ 5% for Nebraska residents).
Produced by the
Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group. Available from Nebraska
Sustainable Agriculture Society, PO Box 736, Hartington, NE 68739,
402-254-2289.=20
Alternative Farming Systems =97 Economic Aspects, March 1993-June 1996.=
Free.
Bibliography. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, National
Agricultural Library, 10301 Baltimore Ave., Room 304, Beltsville, MD
20705-2351, 301-504-6559, afsic@nal.usda.gov, http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic
New Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture. $14.95 + $3.50 s&h. World
Resources Institute Publications, PO Box 4852, Hampden Station, Baltimore,
MD 21211, 1-800-822-0504, ChrisD@wri.org.
Integrated Animal Waste Management. $20 + $3 s&h. Council for Agricultural
Science and Technology, 4420 West Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50014,
1-800-375-CAST, cast@cast-science.org.
Proceedings: Fourth North American Agroforestry Conference. $35 + $5 ($10
non-U.S.) s&h. Sections of the proceedings from the July 1995 conference in
Boise, ID include: Agroforestry Potential, Biology of Temperate Agroforestry
Systems, Economics of Agroforestry of North America, Evolving Systems for
Varying Temperate Conditions, Riparian Buffer Strips, Silvopastoral Systems
in Temperate Zones, Temperate Zone Alleycropping and Intercropping, and
Windbreaks and Shelterbelts. Conference Proceedings, Attn. John Ehrenreich,
College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Range Sciences, U. of Idaho, Moscow, ID
83844-1135, 208-885-7600, johne@uidaho.edu.
Social Capital and Sustainability: the Community and Managing Change in
Agriculture (22 min. video). $20. Demonstrates how social capital and
community are critical for managing change in=20
agriculture, as well as how sustainable agriculture contributes to vital
rural communities. Extension Distribution Center, Iowa State U., 119
Printing and Publications Building, Ames,
IA 50011-3171, 515-294-5247, pubdist@exnet.iastate.edu. Specify publication
EDC-88.
National Organic Research Policy Analysis Project. $15 donation requested.
Final report of two-year study that reviewed the "organic content" in USDA's
agricultural research programs. Organic Farming Research Foundation, PO Box
440, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, 408-426-6606, research@ofrf.org
Successful Whole Farm Planning: Essential Elements Recommended by the Great
Lakes Basin Farm Planning Network. $6. Report articulates the consensus of a
diverse group of 120 farmers, nonprofit groups, researchers, and agency
staff from seven states and Ontario who are working together to explore,
test, and evaluate different approaches to whole farm planning. The
Minnesota Project, 1885 University Ave. West, Suite 315, St. Paul, MN 55104,
612-645-6159, water007@gold.tc.umn.edu. Or view the text at:
http://www.centers.agri.umn.edu/misa/mnproj.html
Also available on this web site are past issues of The Whole Farm Planner,
the bimonthly newsletter that explores innovations, experiences, and
policies related to whole farm planning.=20
COMING EVENTS
Contact CSAS office for more information.
Feb. 21-22 =97 Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society and the Nebraska=
Fruit
and Vegetable Growers annual meetings, Columbus, NE
Feb. 25-28 =97 International Erosion Control Association 28th Annual
Conference, Nashville, TN
Mar. 1-2 =97 Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association Annual Conference,=
Soul
and Soil: Feeding Field and Communities, Wooster, OH
Mar. 3-4 =97 Conservation Tillage Conference, Ada, OH
Mar. 4-5 =97 Experiential Learning in Sustainable Agriculture, Minneapolis,=
MN
Mar. 7-8 =97 Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference, near Dubuque, IA
Mar. 12-14 =97 Cover Crops, Soil Quality and Ecosystems Conference,=
Sacramento, CA
Mar. 19-21 =97 International Conference on Agricultural Production and
Nutrition, Boston, MA
Mar. 26-27 =97 Livestock and the Environment Symposium, Kearney, NE
Apr. 14-14 =97 Interactions: Investigating Ecosystem Dynamics at the
Watershed Level, Athens, GA
May 18-21 =97 Feeding People without Poisons =97 PAN International Meeting,=
La
Habana, Cuba
May 25-28 =97 8th Global Warming International Conference & Expo, New York,=
NY
(http://www2.msstate.edu/~krreddy/glowar/glowar.html)
June 3-5 =97 Wind Erosion: An International Symposium/Workshop, Manhattan,=
KS
(http://www.weru.ksu.edu/)
June 8-9 =97 XVIII International Grassland Congress '97, Manitoba and
Saskatchewan, Canada
June 21-22 =97 Pacific Northwest Bamboo Agro-forestry Workshop, Ft. Worden,
Port Townsend, WA
June 25-28 =97 3rd International Interdisciplinary Conference on the
Environment, Boston, MA
(http://www.assumption.edu/html/academic/conf/iicecall.html)
June 13-26 =97 Training Workshop on Sustainable Agroecosystems and
Environmental Issues,=20
West Texas A&M Uviversity
July 23-26 =97 Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Conference=
(focusing
on ecosystem management within watersheds), Toronto, Ontario
July 30-31 =97 Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture's 10th Anniversary
Conference,=20
Ames, IA
DID YOU KNOW...
A fall 1995 survey indicated there are 29 universities in the U.S. that have
an agroforestry program. To obtain a directory listing detailed information
about each program, call Clover Shelton at the National Agroforestry Center,
402-437-5178, ext. 14.
"The first endangered species act is where Noah is asked by the Creator to
take two of every kind and preserve their lineages."
Dr. Calvin Dewitt, Director, Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies
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