Progress report for FS23-349
Project Information
SARE Sales Markets Net$
Finding locally sourced compost that is indigenous to the area and would adapt to a citrus ecosystem would have several significant economic implications to Squeeze Citrus LLC. The immediate economic impact would be on operational expenses for the grove.
1. reduction but not complete elimination of organic fertility expenses ($720 per acre per year).
2. A fully integrated microbial ecosystem in the soil is documented to result in dramatic increases in BRIX levels in plants (dissolved solids) which is an indication of plant health. Higher BRIX will give plants a greater degree of freeze protection which is a major limiting factor for Citrus in Georgia.
3. An increase in BRIX has also been documented to reduce insect feeding due to a lack of sophistication in their digestive system. Currently the major limiting insect pest in Georgia is the citrus leaf miner. Dr. Tom Dykstra has documented that leaf miners will cease feeding at BRIX levels above 12. The cost of leaf miner control is $80 per year/A. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnNOvA3diDU&t=4166s
The more significant economic impact of an indigenous effective microbial ecosystem would be nutrient dense fruit and the value it would bring in the marketplace. I have estimated the incremental increases in the value of fruit per pound based on current knowledge of the markets. Market values would increase significantly at each step from wholesale to organic to nutrient dense to premium restaurants to community supported agriculture (subscription boxes) to food as medicine. Based on University of Florida yield estimates for Citrus in the south east the following net profit is estimated for Squeeze Citrus LLC. A full spreadsheet with all the calculations is attached. The net profit is calculated from gross value per pound minus actual harvest cost per pound minus yearly maintenance cost (calculated from actual 2022 monthly expenses).
ECONOMIC RETURNS FROM VARYING SALES OUTLETS:
Successfully targeting the appropriate outlet for Regenerative fruit will make the difference between financial success and failure from a small grove. The anticipated increasing market values are: whole sale < retail fresh fruit < Organic < Certified organic < CSA** < Certified Regenerative organic < nutrient dense < "food as medicine"
** CSA is Consumer-Supported Agriculture (subscription boxes). There are 8,000 CSAs in America. They are almost entirely organic vegetables which are primarily available in the spring, summer and declining in the fall. Citrus harvest is November through April and would fit perfectly as the source of produce for CSA customers who continue their subscriptions year round. Example: Willow Haven Farm outside of Philadelphia has 250 boxes/week subscriptions in the summer months which declines to 100 boxes/week in the winter when they are forced to source produce from outside.
The chart assumes that the full crop will go to a single outlet. The most premium outlets may have smaller portions of the harvest with remaining poundage going to other markets, therefore the final net value will be a mix of the above estimates.
Herb Young has spent 25 years in field testing and research positions in the Ag Chem industry. This experience included large scale for field demonstration plots, large scale replicated trials (2 to 10 acres), and small scale replicated plots on rented grower fields and on corporate research farms. He has a masters degree in plant pathology from Clemson University that included two years of replicated field trial experience in soybean diseases. His direct fruit tree experience during his career has included Citrus in Florida, stone fruits and apples in the northeast, and working with university trials in the Pacific Northwest and nut crops in California.
At Squeeze Citrus LLC there are currently five replicated field trials dealing with regenerative practices. They include:
1. Regenerative versus conventional growing practices.
2. Evaluation of algae, Chlorella vulgaris, application techniques as a plant and soil stimulant.
3. Evaluation of Algae as a stimulant on cover crop seeds.
4. Evaluation of mowing practices for cover crop management.
5. Evaluation of the fungal endophyte Beauvaria bassiana for the control of citrus leaf miner.
This proposal for the search for viable indigenous microbe sources through compost would include the following replicated trials:
1. Continuation of the already established regenerative versus conventional trial into its third and fourth year (the trial was set to expire at the end of 2022 and results are yet inconclusive). Measurements include: Twice per year trunk diameter measurements for each tree (15 trees/plot, three replications, three treatments), leaf flush ratings per tree three times per year, and soil DNA analysis by Biome Makers in the spring and fall each year.
2. Identifying a living compost source which has microbes that are indigenous or will adapt to citrus and remain viable from year to year. Current sources are: on-farm compost from a static pile made of power-line trimmings, a local commercial compost from wood-chips + cow manure + biochar, and potentially a vermicompost from a local bait shop (limited quantity). This trial would be a replicated trial (minimum 5 trees/plot) of evaluation of all compost sources vs. an untreated. The same evaluations described for trial #1 above would be used.
3. Compost tea would be the quickest (24-48 hour) and most economical way to ramp up microbe populations and apply to trees and soil. Each of the compost sources will be evaluated in a compost tea as the microbe (bacteria + fungi + protozoa) source. Detailed records of each recipe will be kept and trees will be evaluated for one month following each application. Leaf flush and general tree vigor will be the primary evaluations. Two application methods will be evaluated: air blast sprayer foliar application (some material will reach the orchard floor and impact microbial population) and irrigation injection through microjet placed at each tree. Both types of application method will be used for the entire grove with replications being tree rows as untreated. The compost tea brewer owned by Squeeze Citrus is a 275 gallon tote modified with a high-volume air bubbling system. Each "batch" is 250 gallons by necessity and should be sufficient to treat the 5 acre grove. The compost will be evaluated microscopically for life (activity) prior to brewing and the compost tea will be evaluated for life after brewing. Quantification may be possible (i.e. bacterial counts).
A critical measurement under girding all of these trials will be the Haney Soil Health Analysis. It includes: Soil Respiration which is a measure of biological activity, Organic Carbon which is a measure of available microbial food, and % Organic Matter as well as multiple other measurements including fertility. An additional test will need to be found to give a bacterial:fungal ratio in order to plot the rise of fungal populations which are critical to sustain tree crops. The goal of a self-perpetuating system is a fungal dominated soil, particularly mycorrhizal fungi which are absent in the soils of Squeeze Citrus.
Cooperators
- - Producer
Research
Year 1: COMPOST IDENTIFICATION REPORT
Researcher: Herb Young
Squeeze Citrus LLC
Hypothesis: Growing trees or any crop has been determined to be highly dependent on the soil microbial population. In an organic production system, the microbial population can be modified or increased in many ways: inoculants, compost, cover crops, compost tea, microbial food, etc. This is in contrast to conventional agricultural production where tillage, pesticides and synthetic fertilizer all have detrimental impacts on the soil microbial population. The first phase of this study is to find a practice that is both feasible from a labor standpoint and one that is economically feasible. Adding a compost or humus layer to each tree seemed to be the feasible from both of these standpoints. The replicated trial would evaluate four different amendment sources and aged cypress mulch as the untreated:
- Cypress mulch – one year old purchased from Stone’s, Thomasville, GA. $2.5/bag. $0.63/tree.
- Static-pile compost from my farm using indigenous (local) tree and understory debris from clearing powerlines. Cost = $0 but 18-month delay in composting time.
- Graco compost: dairy manure:pinebark:biochar in a ratio of 50:25:25 turned using traditional commercial compost turning equipment. $32/cu yard. Easily available by the pickup load (= 2 cu yard). $0.64/tree.
- Bio-Complete compost generated using the Soil Food Web closely regulated turning technic to maximize microbial content. It was produced by Soil-Life Organics. Jacksonville, FL. $40/5 gal quantity which was used to treat only 8 trees. $5.00/tree. Availability is limited for the 2024 re-treatment. A similar substitute will be found.
- Humus which is a mined material from an ancient cypress swamp. This amendment is 48% humic acid and 88% total Carbon. $275/1000 lb supersack. NutriHold “Organic Peat Humus” purchased from Advanced Ag Solutions LLC, Tifton, GA. $0.275/tree if purchased in supersack quantity.
The microbial population stimulated by each of these amendments / composts will assumedly be different in species composition and population density and have a different impact on tree growth. Several tree growth measurements will be taken (trunk growth, leaf flushing and bloom) to evaluate the ultimate impact of each amendment. An untreated control will be used as the comparison.
Variety: Cara Cara Red Navel on Flying Dragon dwarf Rootstock
Transplant: April 9, 2021
Cultural Practice: Grown in Tree TPee until trial establishment. Spacing = Ultra-high density. Due to a limitation of space and need for a quick economic return, the trees were planted at 6’ between trees and 18’ alley between rows. This results in 403 trees/A vs. the standard 12’ X 25’ which gives 145 trees/A. Trees have been grown with Regenerative Organic practices from prior to transplanting (mycorrhizal inoculation in the nursery). Bacterial and fungal inoculations have been 5-6X per year and foliar vs. drench fertility applications have been rougely alternated on a 2-week schedule from the end of March through October each year beginning in July 2021. This resulted in 19 nutrition applications in 2022.
Irrigation: The entire orchard was laid out with a microjet irrigation emitter for each tree. This requires a ¾” poly-pipe laid on top of the ground running the length of every row. While facilitating irrigation, it prevents any mowing between trees. This creates a challenge for “terminating” any of the cover crops that have grown in the tree row.
Moinitoring: NRCS has supplied a grant to install soil moisture / temperature / EC value probes into each irrigation zone of the orchard. The probe in the Cara Cara zone is 72’ east of the trial block. The soil type is very uniform and would be comparable to soil parameters in the trial. The soil moisture is monitored multiple times per week and irrigation applied as needed to keep trees in a positive growth stage. They have not been water stressed since transplanting.
Cover Crops: 8-10 multi-species cover crops were seeded (not incorporated) in the spring and fall of each year. Establishment of the fall cover crop was very good with most species germinating and establishing. Establishment of the summer cover (spring planting) was poor. Primarily one grass species would become established and dominant each summer. There is also invasion of the Bermuda grass from the adjacent hay field that is a problem in competing with the trees for water and nutrients. This is the reason for double hoeing around the trees after TPee removal to eliminate the Bermuda competition as much as possible from influencing the tree growth differences in treatments.
Microbial: In an attempt to supplement the natural soil microbiome beneficial species, commercial inoculants were applied multiple times per year through the microjet irrigation system. Four commercially available inoculants have been used:
- Spectrum from Tanios (128 species of bacteria) 2X and as cover crop seed inoculant.
- Sunrise from BioGreen Planet (8 bacterial species) 8X and on cover crop seed.
- Myco Applied mycorrihizal fungi inoculant applied pre-transplant, in the transplant hole and as an inoculant on each cover crop seed.
- EnSoil Algae Chlorella vulgaris from Enlightened Soil. Applied 3X in 2022 through the microjet irrigation and multiple times in 2023. It has been proven (Dr. James White, Rutgers University) to be endophytic and to carry bacterial endophytes. On my farm, it accelerated leaf flushing in a replicated trial on Page Mandarin (no impact on Honeybell) and accelerated soil microbe respiration.
Freeze: Christmas freeze (5 days) 2022 caused the loss of 50% of the tree canopy. All of the dead wood was trimmed off the tree and pruning wound spray applied to major trunk prunes. As a result, the trees have an oversized root system and have grown at a good rate in 2023 since the freeze.
Ground Prep: In preparation for applying the compost trial, all cover crop and grass growing immediately around the tree was removed by hoeing to a radius of 18” from the tree trunk. This was done 1 month prior to compost application and again at the time of application. Pictures available.
Plot Design: July 3, 2023. The Cara Cara block is four rows of 20. Trees each. The trees are relatively uniform in size and growth. Each row of 20 trees was used as a Replication. Each “plot” was four successive trees. The trial has five treatments. A colored wire flag was placed at the beginning and end of each four-tree plot. Each row (replication) was randomized as the plots were marked. Care was taken to disperse treatments (not adjacent) and especially insure that there was a wide range of distribution for the Untreated control plots.
On the South side, the trial is buffered by a Bermuda grass hay field with a 25’ grass drive between. North – 50’ drive separating from a grapefruit block. West – farm shed. East – two additional rows of Cara Cara Navels.
Application: Application of the soil compost treatments were staggered over roughly two weeks as the compost materials were acquired. The compost was spread evenly over the 3’ diameter clear ground circle around the tree. At the conclusion of the applications, the grass and cover crops surrounding the trees was mowed with clippings ejected towards the trees from both sides. The grass was only 2-3” high but resulted in a uniform ¼” covering over the compost. The trial was then irrigated to set the covering and give moisture to any life in the compost.
Cover Crops seeded both spring and fall are the growing practice for this grove. Multiple times per year they are mowed “to the row” to provide nutrition to the trees and microbes, water retention, temperature reduction and habitat for the soil microbes.
Set up trial site – hoe 2.5’ – 3’ diameter area around each tree.
TREATMENTS:
-
Cypress mulch was used as the treatment for the untreated control
Untreated Control – to give comparable level of weed/grass suppression, the ground of the UTC was covered with aged (1.5 years) cypress mulch. appl. 7/21/23 (picture on right) > - On-site Static Pile Compost. This compost was from power-line mulch delivered to the farm in the summer of 2021. Three truck-loads. It was left as a static pile undisturbed during 2021 but was turned 3X in 2022 with the tractor loader when it was observed that the pile was active and naturally composting (heating). The original pile has compressed in size by half and only a small fraction of sticks remaining compared to the original mulch. 7/21/23
- Graco Commercial Compost. This compost is produced commercially in Cairo, GA less then 20 miles from the farm. It is a mixture of dairy cow manure from a grass-fed dairy mixed with wood chips and 25% Biochar. The compost is “turned” with a large-scale commercial aerator-turner on a regular but not frequent basis. It is aged at least 6 months. It is inexpensive for a commercial compost: $32 for a one-yard scoop. Because of the low cost, it was applied at twice the rate (thickness) of the other composts. 7/21/23
- Soil-Life Organics. Jacksonville, FL. Grown under the specific guidelines of the Soil FoodWeb method of Dr. Elaine Ingham. Allen Skinner produces the compost under strict time frames, monitoring temperature and turning. The compost is microscopically evaluated and full microbial analysis provided when purchased. Produced in this manner, the compost is expensive: $40/5 gallon quantity. A 2.5 gallon quantity was applied to each tree which resulted in approximately 1” coverage of the 3’ diameter circle around the tree. Total cost for the trial (16 trees / treatment) was $320. Microbial analysis provided. 7/14/23
-
Compost application
Humus Compost from Advanced Ag Solutions LLC, Tifton, GA. NutriHold “Organic Peat Humus” – a mined material produced by Organics Products Company from Ludowici, GA. Claims to be a dry version of Humic and Fulvic acids. “Contains a significant amount of microbes.” The same quantity was obtained as for the Soil-Life compost but predictions are that much less will be needed. Material was secured later than the other materials – 8/11/23. TPees were removed 8/12/23 and all cover crops and grasses were removed around tree in 18” radius. OMRI listed. Label: humic acid 48%, total Carbon 88%. Rate trees and shrubs: 10-15 lb/1,000 sq.ft. single tree = 7.065 sq.ft. = 0.106 lb/tree. (0.425 / 4 tree plot). NutriHold relates examples of reducing HLB in citrus without exactly pinpointing the cause. 8/14/23
Claims: contains microbes, humic and fulvic acids.
Measurements:
-
Measurement always taken just above the graft union with the caliper in line with the row.
GROWTH: prior to compost application, the trunk diameter of every tree was measured using a caliper (mm to the 0.1). To maintain the exact spot on the tree, the trunk was measure at the base of the scion immediately above the graft union. The caliper was aligned North-South (with tree row) so that the exact location would be measured each time. In previous trials, this has been a highly accurate measure of tree growth even during the winter months. Entering data into EXCEL, the % growth will be calculated per tree and that number averaged for the four trees in each plot. This give a “Relative Growth” measurement that should be valid regardless of the starting size of an individual tree. - Tree Flush – Citrus trees have the potential of “flushing” (producing a new set of leaves) up to five times per year. Increased flushes greatly increase the productivity of the tree. If the timing or frequency of the flushes can be expedited or compressed there is a significant benefit to growers. Earliness of the first flush in the spring will be evaluated for this trial.
- microBIOMETER measurement of the compost. This was done prior to initiation of the trial in order to select the best commercial compost and to get a base-line on the on-farm static-pile compost. A highly acclaimed bagged compost (Malibu Compost from California) was eliminated from the trial after the MicroBIOMETER results indicated it was not as biologically active as claimed. It was replaced with compost from Soil-Life Organics as the “biologically active” treatment.
Calendar Notes:
7/27/23 Initial mowing to cover compost treatments.
8/8/23: Gysum was applied broadcast at a rate of 1,000/A. There was a 0.4” rain that night that washed the gypsum off of leaves.
8/11/23 - Material was secured later than the other materials. TPees were removed 8/12/23 and all cover crops and grasses were removed around tree in 18” radius. Tree growth is at a high level.
8/12/23 -middles were mowed. Good initial covering of compost treatments.
8/14/23 – NutriHold humus was applied to treatment #5. Half the rate of Soil Life Organics compost: 1/16” – 1/8” thick. The humus is very finely ground and makes a uniform coverage of the ground.
8/24/23 – the middles were mowed and entire debris (clippings) was “blown” to the tree row. This insured that every compost treatment was covered in mulch 0.5-1” thick. This would help with moisture retention. Because the 95F temperature for over a week, the ground was getting dry. Therefore, heavy irrigation was applied (25 gallons/tree). The water spreads in a 12’ diameter circle around each tree. Moisture sensor Graphic:
4” = red line, 8” = blue, 12” = bright green, 16” = purple
20” = orange, 24” = teal green
9/9/23 – Extensive new growth. The repeated (6X on weekly schedule) Ca, B, Mn, Cu, Fe, Zn foliar sprays to break the K excess have seemed to result in great stem extension. All the previous flush has grown 18”-24” shoots which have caused the trees to appear “droopy”. If the growth was too long or approaching the ground, those branches were trimmed. New flush is present but limited.
picture: soil probe moisture measurements used to monitor water needs of the trial. Each line is a 4” depth. Spikes are rain events.
10/30/2023 : Bermuda Grass Evaluation in Compost Trial.
Bermuda is the most invasive weed in all of my regenerative orchard. It is a deep rooted grass that has prolific runners that continually re-root and spread. After evaluation of the tree growth in the Conventional vs. Regenerative trial (now in third year), it is clear that the 2X growth rate in the conventional treatment is due to cover crop and weed (primarily Bermuda grass) competition. With trunk-to-trunk cover crops (zero herbicide), Bermuda has also spread throughout the grove and become the dominant limiting factor. Without herbicides, manual removal is virtually impossible at this stage. As Bermuda grass has begun encroaching on the cleared area around the base of trees in the Compost trial, I’m using it as an opportunity to evaluate removal techniques. Steps:
- Remove Bermuda grass from a 2’ radius around just the West side of each tree using a triangular “scuffle hoe” which slides along the soil surface, cuts tops of all weeds and cover without penetrating and harming citrus roots.
- One side of tree only to be able to observe the impact on each plot on the eastern side of the tree.
- Contrary to the practice in the grove of blowing all middle mowing towards the tree for mulch, the removed Bermuda residue was blown away from the tree.
3/8/2024: A hive of Bumblebees was placed in the trial to increase both pollination and fruit size of the Cara Cara. Placement was 1-2 weeks prior to anticipated full bloom.
4/5/2024: It was observed that the HUMUS treatmenet had very little cover crop growth in the two foot radius around the tree. This is a positive response and would simplify hoeing around the tree.
RESULTS:
November 7, 2023
microBIOMETER measurements of soil. A composite sample was taken (4 reps combined). A soil sample 3” deep was taken 8” from the tree trunk from the middle two trees of each replication. The cores were hand mixed in a 5 gallon bucket for about 5 minutes to get a uniform sample and removing any iron nodules. The soil microBIOMETER test was run on each of the compost types. The results were surprisingly low and didn’t seem consistent with expectations. That’s research. Sample uniformity was as good as could be accomplished. The final portion used to run the test is only 0.5 ml of soil. This may contribute to some inaccuracy.
FUNGAL :: BACTERIAL RATIO
The ultimate goal for tree crops is to have a F::B ratio above 5 and ultimately very high. The ratio in my grove after 3 years of heavy mulching from mowing cover crops has been very slow to move and is still <1. In this microBIOMETER measurement, any compost treatment with woody content (especially the UTC) had the higher ratio of 0.8. The full composted Graco product and the pure humus product both had lower fungal:bacterial ratios of 0.6. If this proved to be a consistent result, it could have a positive impact in that a woody compost or wood chips are easy to obtain and the impact on increasing effectiveness of microjet applied nutrients could be dramatic. The tree response to microjet irrigation applied nutrients has been very disappointing and may be attributed to citrus roots going deeper as the tree grows and more likely to direct competition to the cover crops and weed grasses that have been allowed to grow adjacent to the tree in my system (that strategy is being re-evaluated). The pictures are citrus roots growing entirely in the compost layer instead of the soil (pronounced color change separating compost and topsoil).
When moving aside the compost layer to get an accurate soil sample underneath, it was observed that the citrus root proliferated in the compost layer on top of the soil. This was unexpected. It implies that I should check other areas of the grove where compost has been applied. It has been observed all over the grove that the weeds are easy to remove when they are growing through the compost layer. Similarly, if citrus roots easily proliferate in compost then it should be evenly spread in a wide circle completely around the tree. I have avoided compost right up next to the tree trunk for fear of encouraging disease. The nearby commercial compost from GRACO is easily obtained and not difficult to spread. If added root growth can be obtained, this would be a significant compost advantage. Previously, it was assumed that the biggest benefits from compost was stimulation of microbes. Apparently, there are multiple benefits that this study will help to explain.
TRUNK GROWTH
The key measurement for tree growth is trunk diameter. The trees in the test are planted on Flying Dragon dwarf rootstock. As a result they are slow growing.
Over the winter, four of the treatments appear to have slight trunk diameter reduction s. This could be a real phenomenon (shrinkage due to cold and freezing conditions). Only the Compost from SoilLife (Elaine Ingham preparation technique) had a clear growth over the winter period. These number when expressed as percentage growth, showed the same advantage to the SoilLife compost.
|
% growth 4 months |
% growth 7 months |
|
|
UTC |
16.1% |
13.1% |
|
Humus |
14.6% |
9.7% |
|
Graco |
12.4% |
10.1% |
|
On Site Compost |
17.0% |
15.1% |
|
SoilLife |
15.4% |
19.0% |
The importance of leaf-flushing in citrus was described above. The above ratings were taken beginning 3 weeks after the application of compost. The high microbial activity of the “SoilLife” compost delayed the first leaf flush after application and kept that treatment at the lowest level through the remainder of the 2023 season. The following spring (results below) the SoilLife treatment had the best flush which implies that the microbial life introduced in this compost survived the winter. The HUMUS treatment was applied later than the three compost treatments but had an immediate affect through the remainder of the 2023 season. It is thought to encourage indigenous microbial populations as opposed to introducing new species. Those species were suppressed the following spring and showed no advantage when compared with the cypress mulch untreated.
With very little activity during the winter months that could be measured, Spring leaf flush was an obvious indication of tree vigor and potentially difference due to compost. An evaluation was made along with a bloom rating on each tree individually:
The three compost treatments had a distinct advantage over the untreated (cypress mulch) and pure humus treatment. Surprisingly, the simplest compost that was generated on-farm from powerline brush and infrequent turnings was numerically the best compost when both leaf flush and bloom were considered together. From purely a leaf flush perspective, all three compost treatments were comparable. It was also surprising to see that the compost suspected of having the highest level of microbial life from the strict production guidelines (Elaine Ingham Aerobic Hot-Compost method) fell between the untreated and the two competing compost treatments from a blooming perspective. These visual plant response ratings did NOT correspond with the microBIOMETER ratings that were taken of the soil under the compost four months after initial application.
The HUMUS treatment was distinctly different and resulted in a delay in Spring Bloom. The three compost treatments all had a increase in bloom earliness when compared to the untreated control. The Graco and On-farm “static” composts were the best. The delay from the HUMUS treatment was not obvious by the time of full bloom 2-3 weeks later.
A SPRING 2024 application of the same (or similar) treatments will be made as soon as the winter cover crop is cleared from the plots.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
There are multiple outlets for communicating study results:
Social Media - All of the major activities (routine production actions and research activities) are published to instagram on squeeze_citrus_llc. Research findings if not confidential are posted on LinkedIn for comment by professional peers. This has been a highly productive input mechanism.
Poster Sessions (Extension and The Southeastern Fruit and Vegetable Conference). Cooperator, Sydni Ingram - Thomas County Agent of University of Georgia is proficient at developing posters for formal presentation during extension competitions and for the SE Fruit and Veg Conference.
Presentations:
- Citrus Meetings: There is an opportunity to present results at either of the local citrus associations meetings: GA Citrus Association and the Cold Hardy Citrus Association. Herb is currently a Board of Directors member for the GA Citrus Association.
- Regenerative Conferences: There have already been potential opportunities to present at the Georgia Organics Annual meeting and the Regenerative confernce sponsored by Sand to Soil LLC in Sebring, Florida. These are annual events and any significant research is welcome.
Publications: There are numerous magazines directed at organic, sustainable or regenerative farmers that would all be potential outlets for results of this research. They include:
- Acres Magazine (the primary Regenerative Magazine)
- Sustainable Farming Magazine
- Organic Farmer Magazine
More specific to citrus production are several magazines:
- Citrus Industry Magazine
- The Florida Grower
Journals:
- The Open Agriculture Journal
- GRO Intelligence
- Sustainable Agriculture Research
- There is a new journal is available for non-peer reviewed agricultural research. Article acceptance is determined by the editor. This will be a significant opportunity for publication.
Herb has already been included in a sponsored article in Acres Magazine that was focused on Biome Makers soil DNA analysis system. He has also been interviewed by the Atlanta Journal Constitution for an upcoming article on Regenerative agriculture. There has also been a recommendation to the editor of Citrus Industry Magazine of a future interview that could include information or conclusions of the SARE studies. Interest in the novelty of Regenerative farming is at an all-time high and there will be many opportunities to get popular media coverage that can include testing results which give increased legitimacy - what the organic industry is lacking.