A Living Laboratory/Classroom for the Integration of Research and Education Efforts on Alternative Vegetable Production Systems

1992 Annual Report for LNE92-032

Project Type: Research and Education
Funds awarded in 1992: $128,400.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/1995
Matching Non-Federal Funds: $10,180.00
Region: Northeast
State: Pennsylvania
Project Leader:
Michael Dann
Penn State University

A Living Laboratory/Classroom for the Integration of Research and Education Efforts on Alternative Vegetable Production Systems

Summary

Summary
During the past five years, we have collected comprehensive baseline data on crop growth and development, soil properties and fertility, disease incidence and damage, insect pressure and damage, produce yield and quality, and costs of agricultural inputs. This project is analyzing four different high-value vegetable crops in five different production systems. The systems include variations of organic and chemical practices, which differ in their approach to soil management and pest control strategies.

Key Findings
We found significant differences in soil conditions between the organic and other main systems, including improvement in soil tilth, greater soil friability, and improved water infiltration. Growth and yield responses accompanied these differences.
Companion cover crops for cabbages could not be recommended over the use of herbicides or cultivation when considering yield.
No correlation was observed between disease severity and tomato production. Comparisons suggest that the loss is fairly close between the treatments.
Compost, as part of a vegetable production system, contributed to greater crop yields in the years following actual application.

Objectives
1. To evaluate the ecological, agricultural, and economic performance of alternative vegetable production systems, as well as single-component variations of these systems.
2. Develop more resource-efficient and environmentally sound management systems for high-value vegetable production by using a focused team approach to investigate complex biological processes and their economic implications.
3. To involve the general public (rural and urban dwellers, legislators, growers, extension agents, students, other researchers) in agricultural research as an integrative, interactive process.

Project Methods and Results
Five production systems were analyzed in 1997. Codes are followed by fertility source and pest control: ORG-OCIA (composted cow manure/Organic Crop Improvement Association guidelines), ORG-CHEM (composted cattle manure/agrichemical), ICM-IPM (hairy vetch + agrichemical/OCIA and agrichemical), CON-CHEM (agrichemical/agrichemical), CON-OCIA (agrichemical/Organic Crop Improvement Association guidelines).
We collected baseline data on the following: amounts and costs of labor, equipment, and materials; official weather station data; plant growth and development; soil properties and nutrient analyses; arthropod density and damage; pathogen epidemiology and plant damage; plant tissue analysis; yield and grade of produce; and postharvest storability.
Insect populations were monitored weekly in tomatoes, snap beans, and cucumbers. Pheromone and blacklight trap data were used to monitor activity of sweet corn pests. Monitoring data were used to time pest management activities. In tomatoes, we evaluated the effect of a very low rate of imidacloprid on the early establishment of Colorado potato beetle.
Sweet corn insect management was based on pheromone trap catch. This was part of a transition to an integrated pest management program (IPM) based entirely on pheromone trap catches conducted throughout the state of Pennsylvania. Prior to this year, the sweet corn IPM program relied upon blacklight trap captures for monitoring European corn borer and pheromone traps for corn earworm and fall armyworm. Moving entirely to pheromone traps will allow much wider on-farm adoption.
Observations
Vegetable crops planted in the same field year after year break down soil structure and make tillage and planting practices difficult. Improvement in soil tilth, however, was observed upon the incorporation of rye or hairy vetch winter cover crops. This was especially noticeable when the rye cover crop was incorporated at a relatively mature stage of growth—ripening stage in early summer.
Greater soil friability was evident throughout the five-year experiment in the treatments that were compost amended compared to those without amendments. Increased cultivation proficiency was observed in the amended treatments. The amended treatment with OCIA pesticide practices had a greater number of weed species (including perennials) than the unamended soil treatments. The rotary hoe provided effective weed control in the non-herbicide sweet corn and snap bean crops.
Water infiltration is an important characteristic for any crop producing soil. Average organic soil infiltration rates were well over 1.5 times those of the conventional soil treatments.
Conventionally fertilized soil treatments exhibited rapid early growth. The organic soil treatment appeared to have a delayed growth response different from the conventional soil treatment. Established plants grew slowly at first but exhibited sustained vigor in the later stages of development. Fruit development and ripening of tomato and cucumber was found to be delayed in the organic soil treatment.
Growth of tomato plants in all systems was excellent. Where organic soil practices are combined with synthetic chemical pesticide application yield and quality were highest. Where conventional soil practices are combined with OCIA pest control guidelines (CON-OCIA), yield and quality were lowest.
Straw mulch used in tomato culture may have a deleterious effect on production. An herbicide mulch combination was very effective in suppressing weed species such as common lambsquarters and redroot pigweed.
Outreach
A home page for the SARE project continues on the World Wide Web with monthly updates about the project, a calendar of events and announcements, and links to other sources of information on sustainable agriculture. The project continues to be a classroom for several field biology courses.
Reported December 1997.