Photo: Native Prairie in East Texas. © 2017 Delena Norris-Tull
Organic farming
Interviews and commentary by Dr. Delena Norris-Tull, Professor Emerita of Science Education, University of Montana Western, August 2020.
Hellerstein, et al, 2019, report that, “U.S. organic retail sales reached an estimated $49 billion in 2017. The number of certified organic operations in the United States more than doubled between 2006 and 2016.”
Many state extension services (which are typically maintained by the university in each state that houses a department of agriculture) produce guides for organic gardeners. These guides address many of the topics described in these sections. The University of Tennessee guide can be found at http://organics.utk.edu/growers.htm#Companion
Within this website, refer to the section, Herbicides for a historical look at the use of chemicals in agriculture. Organic farming eliminates chemicals from agriculture. However, this means that managing invasive plants is very challenging in organic farming, and often must be managed manually. The interviews below from a few organic farmers describes some of the challenges they face.
Natural Pesticides
A number of natural alternatives to pesticides have emerged over time. Here are two examples.
In massive greenhouses in the United Kingdom, GW Pharmaceuticals grows pharmaceutical-grade cannabidiol (CBD), for the US-FDA-approved pharmaceutical Epidiolex, used to treat some rare forms of epilepsy. GW does research and development of Cannabis products. They also produce another Cannabis-derived pharmaceutical called Sativex, approved in 25 countries as a treatment for Multiple Sclerosis. The company does not use pesticides or herbicides on the Cannabis plants. They hang bags of mites on the plants, to control some of the pests.
Water hyacinth is considered a noxious weed throughout the Southeastern States. Siddique & Mashkoor Alam, 1989, found that chopped parts of water hyacinth, when added to soil, are effective in controlling nematodes that attack tomato and eggplant crops.
References:
Interviews with Organic Farms:
Links to additional Agricultural Best Practices:
Links to more Innovative Solutions:
Organic farming
Interviews and commentary by Dr. Delena Norris-Tull, Professor Emerita of Science Education, University of Montana Western, August 2020.
Hellerstein, et al, 2019, report that, “U.S. organic retail sales reached an estimated $49 billion in 2017. The number of certified organic operations in the United States more than doubled between 2006 and 2016.”
Many state extension services (which are typically maintained by the university in each state that houses a department of agriculture) produce guides for organic gardeners. These guides address many of the topics described in these sections. The University of Tennessee guide can be found at http://organics.utk.edu/growers.htm#Companion
Within this website, refer to the section, Herbicides for a historical look at the use of chemicals in agriculture. Organic farming eliminates chemicals from agriculture. However, this means that managing invasive plants is very challenging in organic farming, and often must be managed manually. The interviews below from a few organic farmers describes some of the challenges they face.
Natural Pesticides
A number of natural alternatives to pesticides have emerged over time. Here are two examples.
In massive greenhouses in the United Kingdom, GW Pharmaceuticals grows pharmaceutical-grade cannabidiol (CBD), for the US-FDA-approved pharmaceutical Epidiolex, used to treat some rare forms of epilepsy. GW does research and development of Cannabis products. They also produce another Cannabis-derived pharmaceutical called Sativex, approved in 25 countries as a treatment for Multiple Sclerosis. The company does not use pesticides or herbicides on the Cannabis plants. They hang bags of mites on the plants, to control some of the pests.
Water hyacinth is considered a noxious weed throughout the Southeastern States. Siddique & Mashkoor Alam, 1989, found that chopped parts of water hyacinth, when added to soil, are effective in controlling nematodes that attack tomato and eggplant crops.
References:
- Hellerstein, D., Vilorio, D., & Ribaudo, M. Eds. (May, 2019). Agricultural resources and environmental indicators, 2019. USDA, Economic Research Service.
- Siddique, M.A., & Mashkoor Alam, M. (1989). Possible utilization of a noxious weed in nematode control. Biological Wastes, 28(3): 181-188.
Interviews with Organic Farms:
Links to additional Agricultural Best Practices:
- Ecologically based Successional Management
- Perennial Crops, Intercropping, beneficial insects
- Soil Solarization
- Natural Farming
- Permaculture
- Embedding Natural Habitats
- Conservation Tillage
- Crop Rotation
- Water Use Practices
- Tree Planting: Pros & Cons
Links to more Innovative Solutions: