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November 24, 2009
· New approach will help scientists and farmers
· When urban farms collide with big city rules
· Gene discovery may improve plant yields
· Frost? Northeast veggie season lasts all year
· Don’t let elephants in your garden got you down
New approach will help scientists and farmers
(newswise.com) – Sustainable farming, initially adopted to preserve soil quality for future generations, may also play a role in maintaining a healthy climate, according to researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge and Los Alamos national laboratories.
ORNL and LANL scientists are exploring the large potential
of the earth’s soils to sequester carbon, with estimates claiming that new
land-use practices could greatly reduce
“This is a tool one could use to measure changes in soil carbon over time and try to establish whether soil carbon stocks are increasing or decreasing as a result of land-use practices,” said lead author Madhavi Martin of ORNL’s Environmental Sciences Division. “Although it is possible to measure these properties in the laboratory, the simplicity and portability of the device allow researchers exponentially greater flexibility to conduct their investigations.”
The paper describes the adaptation of Laser Induced
Breakdown Spectroscopy, or LIBS, a technique that once made Martin something of
a celebrity when she used it confirm the common origin of two separate pieces
of firewood – evidence that eventually led to a confession in a 2006
The challenge for the authors was configuring the experimental design to ensure accurate measurements of carbon regardless of soil characteristics. To accomplish this, the authors acquired a varied set of soil samples with different sand, silt and clay compositions from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and tested them against numerous laser wavelength and energies.
“We found that LIBS is a promising technique that provides a robust method for the sampling of soil carbon, relying solely on technology that can be taken to the field,” Martin said. “Crop scientists, carbon managers and instrument developers should find these results encouraging.”
With new techniques such as LIBS to assist them, researchers hope they can eventually identify the agricultural practices that provide the maximum benefits to farmers and the climate alike. Intensive farming is a double-edged sword as it can greatly enhance crop production in many areas of the country. Often, however, this comes at the expense of soil health in addition to accelerating the rate of climate change, according to the researchers.
Twice as much carbon is stored in the soils of the world as in the atmosphere, thanks to centuries of decomposition of plants and other organic matter. Fertile (high carbon content) soil is necessary for the growth of large healthy crops. However, fertile soil is also a favorite target of naturally occurring bacteria.
Fortunately for farmers and plants, the majority of carbon beneath our feet is physically protected from bacteria in what scientists call soil aggregates. A large portion of that carbon is concentrated near the earth’s surface and therefore highly vulnerable to changes in land use. When a soil’s aggregate structure is disturbed, such as through intensive farming, the organic matter it protects becomes accessible to soil microorganisms that use it as an energy source, releasing the stored carbon back into the atmosphere as the greenhouse gas CO2.
“Disruption of soil structure is estimated to contribute to a 50 percent loss of soil carbon,” said Chuck Garten, a soil scientist at ORNL. “When the microstructure of the soil is disturbed, it breaks down the aggregates allowing large losses of soil carbon as a result of microbial decomposition.”
This lesson was learned the hard way by many American
farmers when pressure for production leads to serious soil degradation through
erosion and nutrient losses. Intense farming by pioneer farmers in the first 30
years of settlement depleted the organic matter in the
Eventually, better agricultural practices were adopted and production recovered. Still, grassland and forest soils continue to lose 20 percent to 50 percent of their original carbon content within the first 40 years of cultivation while tropical climates that practice shifting cultivation or slash and burn agriculture can lose their fertility within two to three years. Farmers make up for the loss by simply moving to new fields or replenishing carbon stocks with the use of manures and other organic wastes.
The research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory was funded by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research.
UT-Battelle manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the Department of Energy.
When urban farms collide with big city rules
(Kansas
City Star)
But technically he is violating
Brooke Salvaggio never dreamed she
and her husband, Dan Heryer, were running afoul of
city codes when they used a few apprentices in their backyard garden business
in south
While trying to capitalize on blossoming awareness about the
benefits of turning lawns into fresh fruits and vegetables, they are colliding
with city rules designed to protect
Those are rules that the city will be rethinking. For now, Mann is not allowed to sell produce from a residential property he does not own. And Salvaggio and Heryer are not allowed to use apprentices in their garden business, dubbed BadSeed Farm, because city codes prohibit outside employees at home occupations.
Urban farming is an issue confronting cities all over the country.
In this area, people are hoping the Kansas City Council will take the lead in balancing these competing interests.
"Because of
Not so fast, says Dona Boley, a
neighborhood and historic preservation advocate. She grew up on a farm outside
"We want to protect residential neighborhoods," she said.
In June, the Overland Park City Council denied a permit for
four backyard hens despite testimonials about fresh eggs.
Yet across the country, many communities are welcoming urban agriculture for its small-business potential, especially in economically deprived areas riddled with vacant properties.
"Cities are looking at it as much as an economic
development issue as a hobby or recreation," said Alfonso Morales, a
Among examples Morales cited:
But as the movement gains momentum, Kelly said she thought
Judging from the 100 people who packed a late October
meeting at Salvaggio's and Heryer's
BadSeed Farmer's Market, the urban farming movement
has a lot of support. City Councilman John Sharp, whose district includes Salvaggio's backyard farm near Bannister and State Line
roads, told the crowd that he thought
"We don't want to generate constant traffic, but if we allow people to grow vegetables for more than their own use, there has to be some way for them to sell them," Sharp said in an interview.
"I think urban farming is an inevitable trend in the
In
But as Salvaggio and Heryer found when someone this summer called animal control, three goats can mean trouble. (The urban farmers say three goats are more content than two.)
An August public hearing about the goats prompted the city to review its rules — and provoked passionate views from opponents and supporters.
"My wife and I strongly object to the use of this property for multiple goats," witness Barry Seward testified. "And certainly, we have concerns about chickens and other wildlife or animals in the neighborhood."
Supporters argued the 1-acre garden was a community asset and that the three goats were cleaner and better behaved than most dogs.
"It is a beautiful piece of property," witness Jane Carol said, adding that it was a better use of the land than a lawn.
Salvaggio and Heryer
lost their appeal and sent the goats to a rural farm in
Urban farmer Steve Mann, active in a
"This is how you build community," he said.
Yet Boley, the neighborhood
advocate, wondered where
"If you're selling, it's like you have a nursery, or a kennel," she said. "It's like parking a business down in a residential neighborhood. Business rules need to apply."
Boley knows from her childhood on a farm that the issues concerning chickens, rabbits and other livestock are even more difficult.
"Chicken (excrement) is everywhere," she said. "I don't think it's appropriate within residential zones."
Carol Winterowd, a past neighborhood president who lives two blocks from the BadSeed Farm, also wants to ensure that Kansas City doesn't jeopardize neighborhood stability.
"Everyone has their own picture of what a neighborhood should look like," she said. "I just want to be sure the neighborhood quality of life is not compromised."
Morales, the assistant professor, said urban agriculture needn't threaten strong residential character and could increase property values. There are ways to impose distance and setback requirements, landscape screening guidelines and other restrictions to limit animal impact and make sure gardens don't become unsightly, he said.
Sharp said he believed the city could deal with the home-based business issues before the next planting season, though animal issues may take longer.
Salvaggio and Heryer said they may need to find a new location with more acreage to run their business successfully. But they have no intention of disappearing into the country. Heryer said the urban farming debate could educate the public and benefit the community.
"It doesn't have to be a point of division," he said. "It can be a point of unity."
Gene discovery may improve plant yields
(USDA) – In a new research, scientists have shown how a family of genes are responsible for production of ethylene gas, a discovery that could make plants disease resistant, able to survive and thrive in difficult terrain, increase yields, and other useful agronomical outcomes.
This discovery of the family of genes (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase, or ACS genes) was made with the weed Arabidopsis thaliana, but it will be applicable to plants used in agriculture.
"I hope that this work will provide insights into how a set of genes work together like a finely tuned symphony to regulate plant growth because we may be able to use such knowledge to engineer plants more suited to our changing world," said Athanasios Theologis, a senior scientist at the Plant Gene Expression Center of the US Department of Agriculture and the senior researcher involved in the work.
"This is critically important because as the human population grows, we may need to produce more food in the same or in less space," he added.
To understand the function and regulatory roles of each ACS gene in ethylene production during plant development, scientists from Theologis' laboratory analyzed the essential and nonessential roles of each of the family of Arabidopsis ACS genes.
They found that while loss of any single ACS gene had no visible effect on the plant, it did affect the activity of other genes in the family.
They grew different plants that had different combinations of these genes "turned on" and "turned off" and found that the members of this gene family have different but overlapping functions in plant development, such as growth, flowering time, gravitostimulation, and disease resistance.
"Ethylene gas is best known for causing fruit to ripen, but the molecule is critical to development and growth of plants," said Mark Johnston, Editor-in-Chief of the journal GENETICS.
"By revealing how plants regulate the amount of ethylene they produce, this study gives scientists an entirely new genetic approach for developing heartier, more productive crops. This is becoming increasingly important as our planet warms and our population grows," he added.
Frost? Northeast veggie season lasts all year
(Common
Dreams.org)
Not anymore.
An increasing number of farmers are pushing the growing season into the winter to take advantage of the surging demand for locally grown food. As a result, more farmers are operating greenhouses, branching out into cool-weather crops and creating new markets for their produce.
"Basically, people have gotten into it because their
infrastructure is already there," said Mark Hutton, vegetable specialist
and assistant professor of vegetable crops with the
Winter farming was pioneered in the 1990s by organic farmer
and writer Eliot Coleman and his wife, Barbara Damrosch, at their Four Season
Farm in Harborside. The two took a trip to Europe in
1996, following the 44th parallel through
"The whole time, we had seen gardens in January with Brussels sprouts and leeks, and the minute we got above the snow line there was nothing," said Coleman.
Coleman said he realized there was plenty of sunlight in
While there are no recent statistics on how many
There are about 18 community-supported agricultural
operations selling winter shares of organic crops raised on
Other farmers markets are extending their seasons, including
the Portland Farmers Market in
Just why winter farming was not widely practiced before is a bit of a mystery.
Coleman said it could be that people simply assumed vegetables wouldn't grow when there is snow on the ground.
Hutton attributes the practice's growth to the advent of the locally grown movement in reaction to the rise of global corporate marketing, creating a demand that farmers are now rushing to fill.
Paul Lorrain, who raises lettuce and other vegetables in the winter at Sunset Farm Organics in Lyman, said it probably was just that vegetable farmers burned out in the summer and needed the winter to recuperate.
A landscaper in the summer, Lorrain has been steadily expanding his operation since he started in 2000. His first greenhouse was unheated. But after a two-week stretch of cloudy, minus-20-degree weather destroyed his crop, he started heating his greenhouses with propane to 37 degrees.
Today he operates eight greenhouses between Oct. 1 and the
end of April, harvesting about 300 pounds of produce a week. He sells it to
local restaurants, at a winter farmers market in
"We have gone from not being able to give it away to not being able to grow enough," Lorrain said.
Tom Harms, who runs Wolf Pine Farm with his wife, Amy Sprague, left his job as a computer programmer this year to manage the winter community- supported agricultural venture at the farm, which until last winter sold shares of the harvest only in the summer.
"We are not just extending the season, we are making the winter our whole business," Harms said.
If all goes well, next year the farm will grow vegetables just for distribution in the winter, he said.
Harms has sold 350 shares this
winter, signing up summer customers as well as new customers at agricultural
fairs. He hopes to sell 50 more shares. It is possibly the largest winter share
operation in the state, delivering as far away as
"People figure there is just a lot of turnips and kale, but we have worked really hard to bring diversity," Harms said.
Every three weeks, customers receive a box of produce -
enough for three weeks - from 10
The contents vary and may include dried beans, flour and other grains, fruits and berries, vegetables and eggs. Shares cost $500 if the customer picks up the produce; it is $600 for door-to-door service.
Scott Jillson of Jillson's Farm and Sugarhouse in Sabattus is venturing into winter farming this year for the first time.
Using techniques developed by Coleman, Jillson
is growing lettuce and radishes in a hoop-style greenhouse - a series of hoops
covered with a thick, taut layer of greenhouse plastic - to sell at new winter
farmers markets that have opened in
Jillson said the winter markets give his family another way to sell the vegetable crops it raises from the 30 acres under cultivation. The family also sells vegetables at a year-round farm stand, through its own community-supported agriculture venture, and at summer farmers markets.
Jillson said that in the past, with fewer sales venues, the family often ended the traditional growing season with a vegetable surplus.
"Sometimes we would have to feed them to the animals," he said.
Winter farming doesn't work in all northern regions of the
Most of the winter farming is being done on small existing
farms because of the high cost of starting large-scale ventures, such as
Backyard Farms LLC. That company opened a 24-acre, year-round tomato-growing
operation in
For many farmers, Hutton said, winter farming generates enough cash to allow them to retain some of their summer help and keep themselves on the farm rather than drive a snowplow or take on other temporary winter work.
Kathy Shaw of Valley View Farm in
"In the past, I would have rested," she said.
Last week she had cauliflower, beets, turnips, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, parsnips, squash, onions, poultry and red meat, all raised in Auburn. She said she does it not only for the cash but also to put her philosophy into practice.
"I want to provide good fresh food to the public," she said.
Don’t let elephants in your garden got you down
(AFP via StraitesTimes.com) GABORONE - TOURISTS love to watch herds of elephants trekking across Botswana's famed Okavango Delta, but nearby farmers watch in dismay when the animals trample their crops, leaving them little to eat.
Now those farmers have a new, safe weapon to keep elephants at bay: Chilli pepper.
Planted around crops, infused into cloth, even made into chilli-dung bombs -
Government-sponsored training on how to use the chilli to best effect wrapped up last week, and farmers say they are optimistic the pepper will cut down on their crop losses as they begin planting this month.
The landlocked southern African country has more than 150,000 elephants, a conservation success story that means the animals increasingly come into conflict with the growing human population.
Gaseitsiwe Masunga, chief wildlife biologist said the chilli are best planted around the perimetre of maize and sorghum crops, acting as a buffer. If elephants wander in, the smell of the chilli crushed under their feet will drive them away.
End Transmission