Survey participants were given an opportunity to list desired subject areas for OARDC researchers to pursue relevant to organic producers. Table 15 provides a summary of the comments by categories of responses. Three topic areas were clearly more important than all others:
Other frequently mentioned topics were:
Table 15. Frequency of Suggestions for OARDC Research for Organic Producers. |
|
|---|---|
| Pest Control | |
| Mechanical or non-chemical systems for weed control on farms | 18 |
| Insect control for vegetables | 4 |
| Perennial weed control (crops, vegetables, pasture) | 3 |
| Disease control – vegetables | 2 |
| Insect repellent – cover crops and companion crops | 2 |
| Alternatives to row net covers | 1 |
| Controlling squash bugs and flea beetles on vegetables | 1 |
| Cultivation techniques for transition farmers | 1 |
| Disease reduction through improved soil conditions | 1 |
| Effectiveness of bug traps | 1 |
| Grape fungal control | 1 |
| Impact of various mulches in weed reduction | 1 |
| Insect and disease control for fruit | 1 |
| Pest control benefits of rotations | 1 |
| Vegetable selection for raised beds vs. field cropping | 1 |
| Vegetable variety research for disease control | 1 |
| Product Quality | |
| Nutritional value of organic crops (field crop and horticultural) relative to non-organic products | 10 |
| Soil nutrient effects on grain quality | 4 |
| Quality of organic livestock feed | 3 |
| Food quality as a result of liming | 1 |
| Crop Production Methods | |
| Soil nutrient balancing/fertility without synthetic fertilizers | 11 |
| Cover crops for weed suppression and soil nutrients | 7 |
| Best rotations | 6 |
| Field crop variety performance for organic systems | 4 |
| Foliar feeding of crops | 3 |
| Organic systems for increasing yields | 3 |
| Soil sustainability without livestock manure, e.g., green manures, natural products | 3 |
| More fruit crop research | 2 |
| Use of tillage instruments | 2 |
| Alternative crops (spelt, buckwheat, flint corn) | 1 |
| Avoiding GMO contamination | 1 |
| Effects of companion planting and inter-planting on vegetable yields | 1 |
| Increasing organic nitrogen availability | 1 |
| No-till vegetable production | 1 |
| Organic orchard methods | 1 |
| Organic soil amendments | 1 |
| Over-seeding legumes to maximize crop/vegetable growing time | 1 |
| Planting dates | 1 |
| Soil biology effects on nitrogen | 1 |
| Vegetable raised-bed machinery | 1 |
| Market Development | |
| Marketing organic products | 6 |
| Buyer and broker list development | 4 |
| Consumer acceptance of organic vs. conventional | 4 |
| Field-crop marketing and direct marketing | 4 |
| Valuing locally produced food for consumers | 3 |
| Consumer assessment of CSAs | 1 |
| Designs for small-scale processing | 1 |
| Development of white wheat or hard red winter wheat for flour | 1 |
| Organic cut flower demand | 1 |
| Urban market gardening | 1 |
| Economics | |
| Profitability of organic production systems | 5 |
| Affordable organic certification | 2 |
| Beginning farmer options with high land prices | 1 |
| Economical equipment suggestions to save labor | 1 |
| Economics of transition to organic | 1 |
| Systems Approaches | |
| Organic research needs to be long-term and an examination of systems 5 | |
| Evaluation of biodynamic approaches 2 | |
| How to support acceptance of holistic resource management1 | |
| Livestock | |
| Alternative livestock feeds and feed mixing for organic farms | 3 |
| Rotational grazing | 3 |
| Assess animal health in organic systems | 2 |
| Organic treatments for worms | 2 |
| Raising and finishing beef on grass only | 2 |
| Avoiding manure pathogen and contamination | 1 |
| Cattle fly control | 1 |
| Goats on pasture – pasture improvers | 1 |
| Irrigated pasture | 1 |
| Manure handling near urban settings | 1 |
| Pastured poultry | 1 |
| Simple, efficient manure composting methods | 1 |
| Transition Methods | |
| Crops and farming methods for transition to certified organic | 3 |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Environmental benefits of organic systems | 4 |
| Biodegradable mulch | 2 |
| Compost benefits | 2 |
| Heirloom vegetable varieties | 1 |
| Insecticidal soap effects on greenhouse potting soil conditions | 1 |
| Medicinal herbs | 1 |
| Recycling human waste | 1 |
| Winter greenhouse production | 1 |