Successful organic farmers know organic farming works, but they want scientific evidence of why and how it works. Researchers are designing long-term transition experiments for both vegetables and field crops to address these questions. Station research includes grains, vegetables and fruits, cover crops, soil quality, weed control, tillage, variety trials, fertility, and rotation studies.

CURRENTLY FUNDED ORGANIC FARMING RELATED PROJECTS

Agronomic/Field Crops

ECOSYSTEM BASED WEED MANAGEMENT: GIANT RAGWEED IN THE CORN BELT  (Regnier, E. E. , Stoltenberg, D. , and Mahoney, K. (Ohio State University))

Vegetable & Fruit Crops

ENHANCING PRODUCTIVITY AND SOILBORNE DISEASE CONTROL IN INTENSIVE ORGANIC VEGETABLE PRODUCTION WITH MIXED-SPECIES GREEN MANURES  (McSpadden Gardener, B. B. , Miller, S. A. , Kleinhenz, M. , Everts, K. , Meyer, S. , Norton, G. , Parmeter, C. , and Smart, C.; USDA NIFA-Organic Research Extension Initiative)

RENEWABLE MULCHES FOR INTEGRATED WEED MANAGEMENT IN SMALL-SCALE CROP PRODUCTION   (Regnier, E. E. , Harrison, S. K. , Metzger, J. D. , and Bennett, M. A.  (Ohio State University))

MENTAL MODELS AND PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH TO REDESIGN EXTENSION PROGRAMMING FOR ORGANIC WEED MANAGEMENT  (Doohan, D. J. , Ernst, S. , Wilson, R. , Stinner, D. , Parker, J. , Tucker, M. , Gibson, K. , Smith, R. , Gallandt, E. , and Riemens, M.;  USDA NIFA-Organic Research Extension Initiative)

Livestock

IMPACT OF ORGANIC ANIMAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS ON WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY IN OHIO - AN INTEGRATED RESEARCH, EXTENSION AND EDUCATION PROGRAM  (Loerch, S. C. , Moore, R. , Taylor, R. , Stinner, D. , McCutcheon, J. , Bonta, J. , and Owens, L.  (Ohio State University))

WHOLE FARM APPROACH INCORPORATING PASTURE RAISED ORGANIC POULTRY AND A NOVEL CEREAL GRAIN (NAKED OATS) INTO AN ORGANIC ROTATION  (Lilburn, M. S. , Phelan, L. , Batte, M. , and Mariola, M.; USDA NIFA-Organic Research Extension Initiative)

IMPACT OF ALTERNATIVE ENDOMETRITIS THERAPY ON FERTILITY OF LACTATING DAIRY COWS  (Schuenemann, G. , Daniels, J. , and Pinto, C.; USDA NIFA-Organic Research Extension Initiative)

ASSESSING PRODUCTION SYSTEMS, ECONOMICS, MARKETING, PRODUCER AND PROCESSOR PERCEPTIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF MEAT FROM FORAGE-BASED SYSTEMS  (Fluharty, F. L. , Loerch, S. C. , Zerby, H. N. , Kuber, P. , and McCutcheon, J.  (Ohio State University))

Marketing & Economics

ORGANIC FOOD MARKETING: PANACEA OR PROBLEM?  (Haab, T. C. and Hooker, N. H.  (Ohio State University))

US Organic Food and Beverage Innovations: Trends 2009-2010. (DiMarcello, Nicholas and Neal H. Hooker). 2011. HSB Working Paper. 11-1. Available online: http://www.sju.edu/academics/hsb/resources/workingpapers/  April. 15 pp

Soils

INCREASING THE SERVICES OF SOIL INVERTEBRATES IN AGROECOSYSTEMS  (Hoy, C. W. and Grewal, P. S.  (Ohio State University))

Processing

PATHOGEN INACTIVATION IN FRESH PRODUCE BY INCORPORATION OF SANITIZERS INTO EXISTING OPERATIONS WITHIN THE PRODUCE CHAIN  (Sastry, S. K. , Yousef, A. E. , and Kaletunc, G.  (Ohio State University))