Transcript Organic Gardening

Horticulture Science
Lesson 105
Organic Production of Fruits
and Vegetables
Interest Approach
Bring to class a selection of fruits and vegetables
purchased at a supermarket. Bring both organically grown
and nonorganically grown produce of the same variety.
Ask the students if they can discern any differences
between the fruits and vegetables of the same varieties.
Announce that some are organically grown. Then, ask the
students what that means.
Student Learning Objectives
•Define organic
agriculture/horticulture.
•Examine the principles behind
organic agriculture/horticulture.
Student Learning Objectives
•Describe practices that support
organic production systems.
•Discuss the marketing of organic
fruits and vegetables.
Terms
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allelopathy
biodiversity
biologicals
botanicals
direct markets
ecosystem
indirect markets
Terms
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organic agriculture/horticulture
pheromones
soaps
sustainable agriculture
synthetic
What is organic
agriculture/horticulture?
• Organic agriculture/horticulture has rapidly
grown in recent years at rates of around 20
percent annually.
– The main reason for this is an increased
consumer demand for organic foods.
• As stated by the National Organic Standards
Board (NOSB) of the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA), organic
agriculture/horticulture is “an ecological
management system that promotes and
enhances biodiversity, biological cycles, and
soil biological activity.
What is organic
agriculture/horticulture?
• It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs
and on management practices that restore,
maintain, or enhance ecological harmony.
• The primary goal of organic agriculture is to
optimize the health and
productivity of
interdependent
communities of soil life,
plants, animals, and
people.
What is organic
agriculture/horticulture?
• 1. Organic agriculture/horticulture was the
earliest form of agriculture and has been
practiced for thousands of years.
– Following World War II, which ended in 1945,
new technologies were applied to
agricultural/horticultural production.
– While some of the new
technologies produced
economic benefits,
they were also
detrimental to the
environment.
What is organic
agriculture/horticulture?
• 2. Organic agriculture/horticulture involves
the application of beneficial technologies,
such as precision farming, new crop
varieties, and efficient machinery.
– At the same time, it rejects the use of synthetic
fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, and genetically
modified organisms.
– Synthetic means made or prepared artificially.
– a. Instead of synthetic fertilizers, growers use
crop rotation, cover crops, and compost to
provide soil fertility.
– b. Rather than synthetic pesticides, growers rely
on biological, cultural, and physical controls to
manage pest populations.
What is organic
agriculture/horticulture?
• Congress passed the Organic Food
Production Act (OFPA) in 1990.
– The purpose was to regulate the organic system
of farming.
– It requires that anyone selling products as
organic must follow a set of approved practices.
– Rules under the OFPA were revised and released
in 2001.
• In 2002, the USDA began enforcing national
standards for foods labeled as organic.
What is organic
agriculture/horticulture?
• 1. There are four different types of labeling
for organic foods.
– a. A food labeled as “100% Organic” must
contain 100 percent organically produced
ingredients.
– b. A food labeled as “Organic” must contain at
least 95 percent organically produced
ingredients.
– c. A food labeled as “Made with Organic
Ingredients” must contain at least 70 percent
organically produced ingredients.
– d. A food that contains more than 30 percent
organically produced ingredients may be labeled
as containing some organic ingredients.
What is organic
agriculture/horticulture?
• 2. The USDA Organic Seal may be applied to
the labels of products that contain 95 percent
organic materials or that contain 100 percent
organic materials.
• Food products promoted and sold as organic
must have been produced on land on which no
synthetic chemical inputs were applied for three
years before harvest.
What are the principles behind
organic agriculture/horticulture?
• Organic agriculture/horticulture is
characterized by biodiversity, integration,
sustainability, natural plant nutrition, natural
pest management, and integrity.
• Biodiversity is the variability among living
organisms on the earth.
– It includes the variability within and between
species and within and between ecosystems.
• An ecosystem is a community of living
(biotic) organisms in a nonliving (abiotic)
physical environment.
– An ecosystem with a high level of diversity tends
to be much more stable than an ecosystem with
a small number of species.
What are the principles behind
organic agriculture/horticulture?
• 1. Farms that have biodiversity have greater
numbers of beneficial organisms that assist
with pollination, pest management, and soil
health.
– Biodiversity in the soil translates to better
nutrient cycling, nitrogen fixation, tilth, and
disease suppression.
• 2. Some practices used to promote diversity
include intercropping, crop rotation, and
establishment of beneficial habitats.
What are the principles behind
organic agriculture/horticulture?
• Organic farming practices are often designed
to integrate various practices.
– A common method of integration involves
livestock and crops.
– As an example, forage legumes used in a crop
rotation are used to feed the livestock.
– The manure from the livestock is used to fertilize
the soil.
What are the principles behind
organic agriculture/horticulture?
• Sustainable agriculture is one strategy
adopted by people in agriculture that
considers ecology, among other things.
– The term was first addressed in the 1990 Farm
Bill.
• Sustainable agriculture encompasses
farming systems capable of maintaining
their productivity and usefulness to society
forever.
• A number of objectives are associated with
sustainable agriculture.
What are the principles behind
organic agriculture/horticulture?
• Over the long term, plant and animal production
practices in a sustainable agriculture farming
system should do the following:
– 1. Enhance environmental quality and the natural
resource base upon which the agricultural
economy depends
– 2. Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable
resources and on-farm resources and integrate,
where appropriate, natural biological cycles and
controls
– 3. Satisfy human food and fiber needs
– 4. Sustain the economic viability of farm
operations
– 5. Enhance the quality of life for farmers and
society as a whole
What are the principles behind
organic agriculture/horticulture?
• Natural plant nutrition begins with the proper care
and management of organisms within the soil
system.
– Belief is that the use of synthetic chemicals and certain
practices, such as excessive tillage, harm the soil
organisms.
• Natural pest management involves the
management of weeds, insects, and diseases.
• 1. It is believed that in a healthy, balanced
production system, pests and diseases are naturally
controlled.
– For instance, certain weeds become a problem only when
the soil is too acidic or too alkaline.
– Other weeds predominate when the soil is compacted.
What are the principles behind
organic agriculture/horticulture?
• 2. Furthermore, it is believed that a
biologically diverse ecosystem has natural
predators that keep plant pests under
control.
• 3. Crop rotation also plays a large role in
reducing weeds, insects, and diseases.
– An example of an eight-year crop rotation is as
follows: Irish potatoes— squash—root crops—
beans—tomatoes—peas—cabbage—sweet corn—
Irish potatoes.
– A four-year rotation might cycle from leaf crops—
fruit crops—root crops—legumes.
What are the principles behind
organic agriculture/horticulture?
What are the principles behind
organic agriculture/horticulture?
• Integrity refers to the assurance that the
consumers of organic products get what
they pay for.
• Consumers have a right to expect that
organic food be produced by organic
methods without
contamination from
commingling with
nonorganic products.
What are some practices that
support organic production
systems?
• Organic producers follow a number of
practices that support their organic
production systems.
• Soil health and pest management practices
rank among the most important.
• Soil health is the basis for all organic
production systems.
– A major goal of organic farmers is to maintain
the biological health and fertility of the soil.
– Microbial populations within the soil are essential
for nutrient cycles.
What are some practices that
support organic production
systems?
• A number of practices promote soil health.
• 1. Crop rotation results in the addition of
nutrients, such as nitrogen from legume
crops.
– Crop rotation contributes to the carbon biomass
necessary for microorganisms.
What are some practices that
support organic production
systems?
• 2. The soil may be amended with naturally mined
lime, compost, and manure.
– Composting stabilizes manure by mixing nitrogencontaining materials with carbon containing materials.
– The preferred carbon to nitrogen ratio is 30:1.
– Temperatures within the compost must be maintained at
131° to 170°F (55° to 77°C) for 15 days, and the pile must
be turned five times during that period.
• 3. Fish emulsion and seaweed materials are used to
supply nitrogen and other nutrients.
– Rock phosphate and potassium chloride are fertilizers used
to supply phosphorus and potassium.
What are
some
practices
that
support
organic
production
systems?
What are some practices that
support organic production
systems?
• Organic producers follow an integrated pest
management program.
• Producers rely on cultural controls, physical
or mechanical controls, biological controls,
and nonsynthetic chemical controls.
• 1. Pest management begins with prevention.
– As a cultural control, varieties are carefully selected
that are resistant to insects and diseases.
– Another cultural control is sanitation, which
involves the removal of diseased or heavily infested
materials from the field.
– Only pest-free seeds and transplants are planted.
What are some practices that
support organic production
systems?
• 2. Physical control includes the practice of covering
crops to prevent insects from reaching them.
– Physical control of weeds is done primarily through
cultivation.
• 3. Organic producers rely heavily on natural
enemies to control pest populations as part of
biological control strategies.
– Parasitic insects and diseases may be introduced to crops
exhibiting pest damage or disease symptoms.
– Predatory insects, such as ladybugs and lacewings, and
spiders control some harmful pests.
– A naturally occurring bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis, can
be used to control caterpillars.
What are some practices that
support organic production
systems?
• Other pest management strategies include
minerals, botanicals, soaps, pheromones,
and biologicals.
– a. Minerals include sulfur, copper, diatomaceous
earth, and clay-based materials, like Surround®.
– b. Botanicals are naturally occurring chemicals
extracted from plants.
• Some more common botanicals are
rotenone, neem, and pyrethrum.
What are some practices that
support organic production
systems?
– c. Soaps are fatty acids that can be used to
control a wide range of plant pests.
• Small, soft-bodied arthropods, such as aphids,
mealybugs, psyllids, and spider mites, are most
susceptible to soaps.
• Soaps are easy to use, safe, and selective.
– d. Pheromones are chemicals or sets of
chemicals produced by living organisms that
transmit messages to other members of the
same species.
• Pheromones can be used as a means to confuse and
disrupt pests during their mating cycles or to draw them
into traps.
What are some practices that
support organic production
systems?
– e. Biologicals are certain types of pesticides
derived from natural materials, such as animals,
plants, bacteria, and certain minerals.
• Biopesticides present some of the greatest hope for
organic control of highly destructive pests.
• Among the best-known biopesticides are the Bacillus
thuringiensis (Bt) formulations that control
lepidopterous pests and the Colorado potato beetle.
Colorado potato beetle
What are some practices that
support organic production
systems?
• 4. Weeds are controlled in a variety of ways.
• Tactics include cultivation, mulching, flame
burning, and allelopathic crops.
– a. Well-timed cultivation successfully controls
many weed species.
– b. Mulching is a common practice used to control
weeds.
• Organic mulch should be spread to a depth of 2 to 4
inches.
• Besides controlling weeds, mulch keeps soil
temperatures uniform, keeps soil moisture even, and
contributes to the organic-matter content of the soil.
What are some practices that
support organic production
systems?
– c. Propane flame burning is effective when used
along with cultivation practices.
• It is especially useful when regular and abundant
rainfalls have kept the soil moist.
– d. Allelopathy is the inhibition of growth in one
species of plant by chemicals produced in
another species.
• Rye and oats have allelopathic properties that inhibit
weed establishment.
What is involved in the marketing of
organic fruits and vegetables?
• Organic fruits and vegetables have become
common in grocery stores around the
country.
• As the organic
farming segment
has grown,
marketing strategies
have effectively
increased to promote
consumer awareness.
• Organic fruits and vegetables are marketed
directly or indirectly.
What is involved in the marketing of
organic fruits and vegetables?
• 1. Direct markets include roadside stands,
farmers’ markets, and community supported
farms.
– A client of a communitysupported farm purchases a
share in the farm’s production
and receives about 15 pounds
of produce a week.
• 2. Indirect markets include wholesale
markets, such as cooperatives, wholesalers,
and brokers.
What is involved in the marketing of
organic fruits and vegetables?
• Organic produce typically receives premium
prices.
• 1. Consumers of organic fruits and
vegetables pay anywhere between 20 and
400 percent more for organic products than
they would for conventionally grown fruits
and vegetables.
• 2. The prices fluctuate with the seasons.
– Prices for organic fruits and vegetables are less
during the growing season than during winter
months.
Review/Summary
•What is organic
agriculture/horticulture?
•What are the principles behind
organic agriculture/horticulture?
Review/Summary
•What are some practices that
support organic production
systems?
•What is involved in the
marketing of organic fruits and
vegetables?