Watermelons Tapped for Ethanol

"Agricultural Research Service (ARS) studies in Lane, Okla., have shown that simple sugars in watermelon juice can be made into ethanol. In 2007, growers harvested four billion pounds of watermelon for fresh and cut-fruit markets. Around 800 million pounds--or 20 percent of the total--were left in fields because of external blemishes or deformities.

Now, instead of being plowed under, such melons could get an economic "new lease on life" as ethanol. Normally, this biofuel is produced from cane crops like corn, sorghum or sugarcane as a cleaner-burning alternative to gasoline. The watermelon work reflects a national push by ARS to diversify America's "portfolio" of biofuel crops that can diminish the reliance on petroleum, especially from foreign suppliers." Jan Suszkiw (ARS)

More »

Source: USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

Study Finds Sugar Beet Varieties React Equally to Nitrogen Applications

"A study conducted by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their cooperators has dispelled a belief among some sugar beet growers that different sugar beet varieties require different nitrogen fertilization applications.

In integrated farming systems, sugar beet growers harvest the root for cash income and use the tops and root-processing byproducts for livestock feed. This dual benefit works well, but the amount of nitrogen fertilizer required to produce more tops decreases the amount of sugar in the root."

More »

Source:USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

Agriculture deputy secretary Merrigan announces funding for new organics initiative

"WASHINGTON, May 5, 2009— Speaking today to the USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced $50 Million for a new initiative to meet the Obama Administration's promise to encourage more organic agriculture production. Funding for the initiative is being made available as part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)"
More »

Source: www.usda.gov
Release No. 0146.09

A Biocontrol for a Wide-Ranging Thrips

"A pest with a voracious appetite may have met its match in a predatory mite being evaluated as a biocontrol agent by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Fort Pierce, Fla. in collaboration with University of Florida researchers.

The chilli thrips is an invasive pest that feeds on leaves, turns them brown, kills new growth and attacks up to 150 crops, including peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, peanuts, cotton and a variety of ornamentals."

More »

Source: USDA Agricultural research service

Why Invasive Plants Take Over

"New research shows that two key causes of plant invasion--escape from natural enemies, and increases in plant resources--act in concert. This result helps to explain the dramatic invasions by exotic plants occurring worldwide. It also indicates that global change is likely to exacerbate invasion by exotic plants."
More »

Source: USDA Agricultural research service

Canopy Cover: The Secret to Gauging Plants’ Thirst

Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service’s Water Management Research Unit in Parlier, California, have confirmed that canopy-cover measurements are invaluable for growers, farm advisors, or irrigation consultants who want to determine precisely how much water a plant has used and currently needs.

“A bell pepper with a canopy cover of 40 percent may use, in a week, an inch of water—the amount you might want to replace the next time you irrigate,” says ARS research leader and agricultural engineer Tom Trout. Canopy-cover estimates, used in a standard equation for irrigation scheduling, provide a fast, accurate, dependable, and affordable way for growers to avoid overwatering their crops.

More »

Source:

USDA Agricultural Research Service

Useful Organic Production Information Sources

If you are new to the organic production industry or you want to become more proficient, this week we have some very useful links, courtesy of ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.

Organic Regulation, Certification, Transition & History

Organic Farm Certification & the National Organic Program [Summary] [HTML] [PDF / 190K]

Organic Crop Production Overview [Summary] [HTML] [PDF / 954K]

National Organic Program Compliance Checklist for Producers [Summary] [PDF / 409K]

National Organic Program Compliance Checklist for Handlers [Summary] [PDF / 482K]

Organic Materials Compliance [Summary] [PDF / 555K]

Organic Standards for All Organic Operations: Highlights of the USDA's National Organic Program Regulations [Summary] [HTML] [PDF / 397K]

The Organic Chronicles No. 1: Mysteries of Organic Farming Revealed [Summary] [PDF / 2.9M] [PDF / 1.3M]

Organic Certification Process [Summary] [HTML] [PDF / 455K]

Preparing for an Organic Inspection: Steps and Checklists [Summary] [HTML] [PDF / 622K]

Forms, Documents, and Sample Letters for Organic Producers [Summary] [HTML] [PDF / 463K]

Organic Field Crops Documentation Forms [Summary] [HTML] [PDF / 241K]

If you would like to know more about Organic Production please go to http://attra.ncat.org/organic.html

To learn more about the Ferticell organic product line, please visit our website at www.ferticell.com or call (602)233-2223