Sustainable Agriculture Resources
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This publication explains some of the options available to Green Industry professionals for dealing with these organic materials.
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C 1077
Cover Crop Biomass Sampling
Cover crops are one of the most important practices that farmers can use to improve their soils and the sustainability of their production system. Knowing how much biomass there is in a field is a critical piece of information for cover crop management. Part 1 of this circular provides a step-by-step guide to taking a sample that will be representative of your field. Part 2 provides additional steps for preparing a fresh cover crop sample to send to the Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratory so it can be analyzed to determine nitrogen availability to the following crop. Equation examples and data sheets are also provided in order to help users calculate necessary information for submission using the given formulas.
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Cover crops are in essential part of an organic production system. Cereal rye and crimson clover are cover crops that are commonly used. If organic cover crop production is a viable enterprise for growers, it could improve the availability of varieties adapted to the Southeast; provide a source for locally grown seeds; and be another profit center for growers, seed cleaners, and local seed companies.
This bulletin discusses what farmers need to know about producing cover crops organically and gives example enterprise budgets for cereal rye and crimson clover. A two-year on-farm trial indicated that producing organic cover crop seed may be profitable.
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Weed management is one of the most critical and costly aspects for container nursery production. High irrigation and fertilization rates create a favorable environment for weed growth in addition to crop growth. Weeds can quickly out-compete the crop for light and other resources, reducing the rate and amount of crop growth as well as salability. Weed management in nursery production is most effectively achieved by preventative practices, primarily with the use of pre-emergent herbicides. However, there are valid reasons for managing weeds using alternatives to synthetic herbicides. Weed management alternatives to synthetic herbicides include sanitation, exclusion, prevention, hand weeding, mulching and use of cover crops, heat and non-synthetic herbicides. Only some of these alternative methods can be used to control weeds in containers, but all can be used to manage weeds around containers and in non-crop
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In 2004, the Georgia General Assembly passed and the governor signed House Bill 579, which required all permitted irrigation withdrawals in Georgia to be metered by 2009, depending on available funds. Farmers are continually trying to manage their irrigation systems to increase yields and improve the quality of food and fiber. Some management examples include end gun shut-offs (repaired or installed), uniformity tests, installing new sprinkler packages and improved irrigation methods. Each of these methods help improve the system, reduce costs and distribute more of the pumped water to the growing crop. The agricultural water meter also can be used for improved yields while conserving water.
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This publication describes forest farming (also known as forest gardening), which can be defined as cultivation of plants under a forest canopy. It includes suggestions for appropriate plants for cultivation in the Southeast.
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There are many ways to define what it means to be sustainable. There is increased demand for agricultural production transparency to ensure that food and fiber products are being produced sustainably. To this end, Field to Market: Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture has developed the Fieldprint Calculator through the Fieldprint Platform to help farmers of major commodity crops measure their on-farm sustainability by entering in their yearly management practices. This Extension publication defines sustainability, describes the use of the Fieldprint Calculator, and explains how growers can use this program to measure sustainable progress made on their farms. This publication was produced in collaboration with the University of Tennessee and Field to Market.
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Best Management Practices (BMPs) can be described as management and/or structural practices that are designed to reduce pollutants and erosion while increasing the quality of all life. The BMP concept deals specifically with nonpoint source pollution, such as runoff from agricultural fields, forest areas or urban areas. BMPs are also voluntary in nature. Individual practices and applications can vary widely from field to field. Best management practices are typically used in agricultural areas, and forest and urban settings.
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Additional author: Mengmeng Gu, Professor, Colorado State University Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.
Biochar has been proposed to be beneficial to the environment and plants. However, many people do not know what biochar is, what can biochar do, or how biochar can be used. In Part 1 of this publication, we provide introductory information on biochar used to partially replace peat moss as a container substrate component.
The International Biochar Initiative defines biochar as a solid material obtained from the carbonization of biomass, which may be added to soil to improve soil functions and reduce emissions from biomass that would otherwise naturally degrade to a greenhouse gas. Other researchers define biochar as a multifunctional material related to carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas reduction, soil contaminant immobilization, soil fertilization, and water filtration.
To simplify things, we’ll adopt the most popular definition: biochar is a black, carbon-enriched solid with a porous structure, mainly used in agriculture and environmental industries. Biochar is normally made from the thermal decomposition of biomass materials at high temperatures (570–2200 °F) in a low-oxygen or no-oxygen environment (this process is also known as pyrolysis). Biochar can be produced from pyrolysis of different materials such as pine bark, sugarcane bagasse, rice hull, and straw.|