Project Overview
Annual Reports
Information Products
Commodities
- Fruits: melons, berries (strawberries)
- Vegetables: cucurbits, greens (leafy), peppers, tomatoes
- Additional Plants: ornamentals
Practices
- Crop Production: cover crops, double cropping
- Education and Training: demonstration, extension, on-farm/ranch research
- Pest Management: biological control, integrated pest management
- Production Systems: organic agriculture
Proposal abstract:
High tunnels are low tech and inexpensive unheated plastic greenhouse structures that allow for production of extended season, higher quality and greater yielding vegetables, small fruit and flowers. Organic production in this environment benefits from reduced disease pressure, as well as the potential for enhanced prices. Cost effective, safe, and practical methods to control pest pressure in these structures are being researched and evaluated. Field events will be held at on-station and on-farm locations and will allow multi-disciplinary team members to engage with producers. Extension programming is being addressed with a range of educational materials and outreach activities.
Project objectives from proposal:
Research objectives:
Evaluate three organic IPM techniques on selected high tunnel crop production systems in on-station trials at four sites--
Double-cropping annual strawberry and vegetable production systems – Wichita, Kansas
Organic and conventional production systems for green leafy vegetables – Olathe, Kansas
Flower-based production systems – Mead, Nebraska
Extended-season production of warm-season crops – Columbia, Missouri.
[Organic IPM techniques include use of beneficial attractant perimeter crops, release of beneficial insects, and use of OMRI approved control products for pest problems.]
On-farm Objectives:
Evaluate organic IPM techniques identified through the research, or of current importance. An economic analysis will be preformed on the IPM techniques assessed positively by the grower-collaborators.