Carrots as a Model for Defining Critical Period of Weed Management, Biofertilization, and Market Opportunities for Great Plains Vegetables Producers

View the project final report

Commodities

• Vegetables: carrots, radishes (culinary)

Practices

• Crop Production: fertilizers, food processing
• Education and Training: demonstration, extension, farmer to farmer, on-farm/ranch research, youth education
• Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns, value added
• Pest Management: competition, integrated pest management, weed ecology
• Production Systems: holistic management, organic agriculture
• Sustainable Communities: local and regional food systems, new business opportunities, partnerships, values-based supply chains

An essential aspect of making agriculture economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable is to look at food production holistically. From a crop being planted to being brought home to eat, assessing how to increase the sustainability of all steps is fundamental. In vegetable systems, the challenges of intense labor shortages across the USA, increased consumer demand for diverse and locally sourced produce, and a changing climate underscores the need for versatile integrated management tactics. Yet, little research has been done to jointly assess weed management, climate change, and value-added market opportunities on organic vegetable farms.  To address this knowledge gap, this research and education project combined on-farm research with experimental plots and growth chamber studies to 1) define the critical period of weed control (CPWC), 2) assess the impact of elevated CO₂ on weed-crop competition, and 3) investigate value-added market opportunities in organic vegetable production.  Due to their high market value and management challenges, this project used carrots (Daucus carota var. sativus) as a model crop. Additionally, we used radish (Raphanus sativus var. French breakfast) due to its successful emergence in growth chambers and the impact of weed/crop competition on its biomass. By assessing yield, quality, and labor needs, results from this research will improve growers’ quality of life by enabling them to optimize inputs, crop quality, value-added products, and net returns. To secure the adoption of our results, education outcomes included field days, a short video, Extension articles, and community outreach. In addition, plots and research results have been used as educational tools to explain ecologically-based crop management in various classes at Montana State University.    

Research Objectives 

• Objective 1. Determine the length of the critical period of weed control (CPWC) in organically grown carrots (Kubinski, Brown, Gustafson, Chance, Burgess, Menalled)
• Objective 2. Evaluate the impact of elevated CO₂ on radish growth and weed competition (Kubinski, Menalled)
• Objective 3. Investigate value-added products for vegetables in the Great Plains, specifically those impacted by weed competition (Kubinski, Walsten, Williamson, Burr, Ebel, Menalled)
• Objective 4. Estimate enterprise budgets for carrot production that include the different weed management scenarios (Kubinski, Ebel, Menalled)

Educational Objectives

• Objective 1. Develop and deliver an off-campus education program aimed at enhancing the sustainability of vegetable farms (Kubinski, Brown, Gustafson, Chance, Ebel, Walsten, Williamson, Burr, Burgess, Menalled)
• Objective 2. Enhance student active learning on the sustainable management of vegetable farms (Kubinski, Ebel, Burgess, Menalled)