1. Horticulture Science Lesson 105 Organic Production of Fruits and Vegetables

2. 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.

3. Student Learning Objectives Define organic agriculture/horticulture. Examine the principles behind organic agriculture/horticulture.

4. Student Learning Objectives Describe practices that support organic production systems. Discuss the marketing of organic fruits and vegetables.

5. Terms allelopathy biodiversity biologicals botanicals direct markets ecosystem indirect markets

6. Terms organic agriculture/horticulture pheromones soaps sustainable agriculture synthetic

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. What are the principles behind organic agriculture/horticulture?

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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 nitrogen- containing 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.

26. What are some practices that support organic production systems?

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. 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.

30. 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.

31. 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

32. 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.

33. 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.

34. 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.

35. 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 community- supported 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.

36. 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.

37. Review/Summary What is organic agriculture/horticulture? What are the principles behind organic agriculture/horticulture?

38. Review/Summary What are some practices that support organic production systems? What is involved in the marketing of organic fruits and vegetables?