Organic Friends' E‑zine: October 2017

Photo of the Month, by Joanna White

In this issue:

• Organic Science Cluster II
  
• Practical Resources
• Scientific Results
• Organic in Canada
• News & Articles of Interest
• Events

Organic Science Cluster II

Latest research results

Theme A. Field Crops

• Plant breeding: Selecting for success
  • Top Crop Manager. 2017

Theme C. Crop Pests

• Pre-harvest UV-C irradiation triggers VOCs accumulation with alteration of antioxidant enzymes and phytohormones in strawberry leaves
  • Journal of Plant Physiology (2017) 218: 265-274

Theme D. Livestock

• Scientific advances in organic dairy farming: Switchgrass as a promising sustainable alternative bedding for cows
  • Dairy Research Blog. 2017
• A systematic review and qualitative analysis of treatments other than conventional antimicrobials for clinical mastitis in dairy cows
  • Journal of Dairy Science (2017) 100: 7751-7770

Theme E. Value Adding

• Organic processing sector study underway
  • Manitoba Co-operator. 2017

Practical Resources

Soils and Fertility

• Dung Beetles: How to Identify and Benefit from Nature’s Pooper Scoopers
  • eOrganic. 2017

Horticulture

• Brambles: Organic Production
  • ATTRA. 2017

Pest Management

• Abrasive Weeding: A New Tool for Weed Management in Organic Agriculture
  • eOrganic. 2017

Livestock

• Tail biting in pigs - causes and prevention (Video)
  
  • FiBL. 2017

Ecology and Environment

• Cool Science for a Cool Planet: Breakthrough study shows organic cuts agriculture’s contribution to climate change
  • The Organic Center (USA). 2017

Marketing and Economics

• Today’s Millennial: Tomorrow’s Organic Parent
  • Organic Trade Association. 2017

Scientific Results

Soils and Fertility

• Biological nitrogen fixation in three long-term organic and conventional arable crop rotation experiments in Denmark
  • European Journal of Agronomy (2017) 90: 87-95
• National Comparison of the Total and Sequestered Organic Matter Contents of Conventional and Organic Farm Soils
  • Advances in Agronomy (2017) Online, ahead of print

Horticulture

• Cover Crop Frequency and Compost Effects on a Legume–Rye Cover Crop During Eight Years of Organic Vegetables
  • Agronomy Journal (2017) 109: 2199-2213
• Using Reduced Tillage and Cover Crop Residue to Manage Weeds in Organic Vegetable Production
  • Weed Technology (2017) 31: 536-549
• Weed Abundance and Community Composition following a Long-Term Organic Vegetable Cropping Systems Experiment
  • Weed Science (2017) 65: 639-649

Field Crops

• High Planting Rates Improve Weed Suppression, Yield, and Profitability in Organically-Managed, No-till—Planted Soybean
  • Weed Technology (2017) 31: 536-549
• Productivity of organic and conventional arable cropping systems in long-term experiments in Denmark
  • European Journal of Agronomy (2017) 90: 12-22
• Starter Fertilizer for Managing Cover Crop-Based Organic Corn
  • Agronomy Journal (2017) 109: 2214-2222
• Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation of Black and Navy Bean under Organic Production Systems
  • Agronomy Journal (2017) 109: 2223-2230
• Understanding effects of multiple farm management practices on barley performance
  • European Journal of Agronomy (2017) 90: 43-52

Livestock

• Dairy calf management—A comparison of practices and producer attitudes among conventional and organic herds
  • Journal of Dairy Science (2017) 100: 8310-8321
• The effect of farrowing duration on maternal behavior of hyperprolific sows in organic outdoor production
  • Livestock Science (2017) 204: 92-97
• How can veterinarians be interesting partners for organic dairy farmers? French farmers’ point of views
  • Preventative Veterinary Medicine (2017) 146: 16-26
• Variations in nitrogen utilisation on conventional and organic dairy farms in Norway
  • Agricultural Systems (2017) 157: 11-21

Ecology and Environment

• Bird use of organic apple orchards: Frugivory, pest control and implications for production
  • PLoS ONE (2017) 12(9): e0183405
• Does organic farming enhance biodiversity in Mediterranean vineyards? A case study with bats and arachnids
  • Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment (2017) 249: 112-122
• A global synthesis of the effects of diversified farming systems on arthropod diversity within fields and across agricultural landscapes
  • Global Change Biology (2017) 23: 4946-4957

Nutrition, Safety and Health of Organic Foods

• Eat organic – Feel good? The relationship between organic food consumption, health concern and subjective wellbeing
  • Food Quality and Preference (2017) 63: 51-62

Social Science

• The socioeconomic geography of organic agriculture in the United States
  • Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (2017) 41: 1162-1184

Marketing and Economics

• Country-of-origin preferences for organic food
  • Organic Agriculture (2017) 7: 315-327
• Will an organic label always increase food consumption? It depends on food type and consumer differences in health locus of control
  • Food Quality and Preference (2017) 63: 88-96

Food for Organic Thought

• Building a global platform for organic farming research, innovation and technology transfer
  • Organic Agriculture (2017) 7: 209-224
• Organic 3.0—the vision of the global organic movement and the need for scientific support
  • Organic Agriculture (2017) 7: 199-207
• Organic Agriculture 3.0 is innovation with research
  • Organic Agriculture (2017) 7: 169-197

Organic in Canada

• COG and OFC partner to prepare the next review of the Canadian Organic Standards
  This fall, the Organic Federation of Canada and Canadian Organic Growers are leading a Standards Funding Initiative with support from the Canada Organic Trade Association. The initiative officially kicked off on September 19th when Ashley St Hilaire, COG’s Director of Programs and Government Relations, and Jim Robbins, President of the OFC, presented these organic sector priorities at the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food as part of the government’s consultation on a National Food Policy. Read their testimony. 
• Helping farmers meet growing demand for organics
  • AAFC. 2017
    
• Organic Week 2017 Special Feature in The Globe & Mail
  • The Globe & Mail. 2017
    
• Ontario bill would create organic regulations
  • OrganicBiz. 2017
• New comment period for Standards Interpretation Committee's Questions and Answers Regarding the National Standards for Organic Agriculture [PDF - 702 kB]
  • Comment period open until October 20, 2017

News & Articles of Interest

• Global Policy Toolkit on Public Support to Organic Agriculture
  • IFOAM Organics International. 2017
• 2016 Sales of U.S. Certified Organic Agricultural Production Up 23 Percent from Previous Year
  • USDA. 2017

Events