David Orr

The Long-Term Farming System Research trial (FSRU) at CEFS was initiated in 1998 and comprises more than 200 acres with 5 different systems replicated 3 times. The objectives for initiating this trial 13 years ago were to research: 1) how the various systems impact long-term sustainability of soil and water resources, 2) whether some systems are more resilient to perturbations in weather, input and market prices, and 3) how the systems impact biodiversity, wildlife, pest dynamics and the ecological services of farmland. Our study is designed to provide a better understanding of how different systems interact with and impact the natural resource base and economic viability of farms, as well as identify alternative approaches with potential for synergistic effects, (such as diversification, access to direct markets, environmental conservation, etc.). Over time the FSRU systems experiment has become irreplaceably unique for several reasons. First is the comprehensive nature of the systems being studied and their relevancy in the South. Second, the scale (200 acres) and large plot size gives us the ability to study important production system dynamics (e.g., insect and disease management) that others cannot, making our results more relevant to producers. We are also a model of interinstitutional collaboration with involvement of various departments and colleges at each 1890 and 1862 Land Grant university, the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and NGO's as diverse as Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and the NC Farm Bureau. Our systems experiment has also integrated outreach at every level with farmer involvement in both research and educational programming. These funds will set our project on a path of long-term sustainability at a critical time as the state prepares for major budget cuts that put the experiment at risk. The NC Department of Agriculture and both universities are cutting personnel and operating support. Short-term grant funding has been indispensable with starting this project, but after 13 years of piecing together support we have learned that maintaining the core components of a systems trial is extremely difficult with sporadic funding. We are also preparing the FSRU for a new future. The majority of our advisory board are new members of CEFS. Their guidance on what is the current thinking of the farm community lends new vitality to our work. Similarly, the university is in the middle of rapid turnover. Eight of the faculty involved with this grant were not involved with the establishment of the FSRU. This experiment is key for recruiting new faculty to work in sustainable agriculture. New research questions in soil processes, insect ecology, livestock productivity, and socioeconomic impact of cropping systems were developed for this grant in response to board input and new expertise at our institutions. We hope to use this grant to prepare a solid future for the FSRU over the coming decades.

The Long-Term Farming System Research trial (FSRU) at CEFS was initiated in 1998 and comprises more than 200 acres with 5 different systems replicated 3 times. The objectives for initiating this trial 13 years ago were to research: 1) how the various systems impact long-term sustainability of soil and water resources, 2) whether some systems are more resilient to perturbations in weather, input and market prices, and 3) how the systems impact biodiversity, wildlife, pest dynamics and the ecological services of farmland. Our study is designed to provide a better understanding of how different systems interact with and impact the natural resource base and economic viability of farms, as well as identify alternative approaches with potential for synergistic effects, (such as diversification, access to direct markets, environmental conservation, etc.). Over time the FSRU systems experiment has become irreplaceably unique for several reasons. First is the comprehensive nature of the systems being studied and their relevancy in the South. Second, the scale (200 acres) and large plot size gives us the ability to study important production system dynamics (e.g., insect and disease management) that others cannot, making our results more relevant to producers. We are also a model of interinstitutional collaboration with involvement of various departments and colleges at each 1890 and 1862 Land Grant university, the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and NGO's as diverse as Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and the NC Farm Bureau. Our systems experiment has also integrated outreach at every level with farmer involvement in both research and educational programming. These funds will set our project on a path of long-term sustainability at a critical time as the state prepares for major budget cuts that put the experiment at risk. The NC Department of Agriculture and both universities are cutting personnel and operating support. Short-term grant funding has been indispensable with starting this project, but after 13 years of piecing together support we have learned that maintaining the core components of a systems trial is extremely difficult with sporadic funding. We are also preparing the FSRU for a new future. The majority of our advisory board are new members of CEFS. Their guidance on what is the current thinking of the farm community lends new vitality to our work. Similarly, the university is in the middle of rapid turnover. Eight of the faculty involved with this grant were not involved with the establishment of the FSRU. This experiment is key for recruiting new faculty to work in sustainable agriculture. New research questions in soil processes, insect ecology, livestock productivity, and socioeconomic impact of cropping systems were developed for this grant in response to board input and new expertise at our institutions. We hope to use this grant to prepare a solid future for the FSRU over the coming decades.

The purpose of this project is to improve management of stink bug pests by focusing on conservation biological control of a parasitic insect, Telenomus podisi, that attacks stink bug eggs. The practice of conservation biological control seeks to modify aspects of agricultural environments to enhance beneficial organisms. Although insecticides are effective against stink bug adults and nymphs, they have been found to be ineffective against eggs but lethal for egg parasitoids. Insecticides, whether they are synthetic or organic, can have significant impacts on beneficial insects and other ecological components in farm landscapes, as well as human applicators. As an external farm input, they are a recurring cost to growers, and reducing their need will improve agricultural sustainability. This study proposes to identify overwintering refuges that the egg parasitoid Telenomus podisi might utilize on farms as well as types of carbohydrate sources utilized for its daily functioning. This information will help us to provide recommendations to growers on what plants and trees to keep or maintain on farms to enhance on-farm populations of the parasitoid, and reduce potentially damaging populations of stink bugs.

The purpose of this project is to evaluate a range of field border habitat types for their value to insect and weed pest management within crop fields, as well as their value to on-farm wildlife. The objectives of this proposal help to fill gaps in our knowledge about how best to implement field border habitats to enhance beneficial insects, wildlife, and management of pest insects and weeds by making use of on-farm populations of beneficial organisms (both insects and birds). We will examine the effect of different types of border habitat plantings on the beneficial insect communities they harbor, and the effect of these communities on insect as well as weed management in adjacent crops. We will assess the value of the border habitats as cover and a food resource for quail. In addition, we will examine the arthropod diets of songbirds that move between the borders and crop fields to assess the value of these habitats, and the potential contribution of early successional songbirds to insect management in adjacent crops. Our plantings will include plant types that have been shown to be beneficial to quail and early successional songbirds, as well as plant types that have been shown to be helpful to beneficial insects. Locally adapted ecotypes of native perennial plants will be utilized to help ensure successful long term management and to add to the conservation value of border habitats. All of the species chosen can be easily obtained as seed through commercial nurseries in the South, and can be readily established. Experiments will be conducted on a large scale utilizing 100 acres of the Organic Research Unit, a part of the 2,000 acre Center for Environmental Farming Systems. An advisory group has been assembled in order to direct this project from the beginning towards a practical product that growers will use on their farms. This advisory group includes growers from an organic agriculture cooperative, extension personnel, and a crop consultant. The research team is interdisciplinary and includes a biological control specialist, an organic grains specialist, a soil entomologist, an on-farm wildlife specialist. The project will be regularly evaluated by an external evaluator, to ensure satisfactory delivery of outcomes to growers. The cropping system this research will be conducted in is a multi-year rotational scheme for organic grain production (corn soybeans, hay). Although we are using an organic farming production system for this project, the outcomes should be applicable to a wider array of cropping systems looking to integrate sustainable pest management and wildlife practices, because we are targeting field border vegetation, outside of crop fields.

Conservation of native pollinators has become an important issue in recent years. While much is known about native pollinators and their specific life cycle requirements, there have been few on-farm projects in the southeast that provide resources for pollinators other than just nectar and pollen. This application proposes to develop, implement, evaluate, and demonstrate easily adopted, affordable methods of enhancing native pollinator habitat on organic farms. The innovative aspect of this project is that it will implement habitat to meet all these needs, including not only feeding sites, but nesting sites, and nesting materials sites. This proposed project will establish pollinator habitat areas on three farms in Halifax/Nash counties, three farms in Sampson/Duplin counties, and one farm in Chatham county. Working with growers and consultants will allow identification of practices that are logistically sound, practical and affordable. The three locations chosen for this project will allow for easier dissemination of results through consultants, extension personnel, field days and farmer-to-farmer contacts. This application proposes setting up pollinator centers, that include non-tilled, planted habitat (30 by 100 feet) for both nectar and pollen sources. This planted habitat is designed for ease of establishment and long-term maintenance. These pollinator centers will also include ground-nesting habitat. The planted, non-tilled foraging habitat can act as nest sites, but we will also include bare soil areas (maintained by flame cultivation) for other ground nesting pollinators, and nesting blocks for mason bees and leafcutter bees. We will also include resources for nesting materials, such as a source of mud, and redbud trees for leaf cutter bees. A key feature of this proposal is to work with growers, their consultants, and extension personnel to develop, implement, evaluate, and demonstrate easily adopted, affordable methods of enhancing native pollinator habitat on organic farms.

This proposal seeks funding to deploy a demonstration project that will test and evaluate the planting of native prairie plant vegetation on crop field borders to enhance populations of native pollinators, crop pest predators and parasites, as well as quail. Seed from North Carolina ecotypes will be used to avoid concerns from those involved with Piedmont prairie restoration projects. The combination of plants will include native warm season grasses that provide excellent nesting habitat for quail, as well as habitat structure that has been shown to attract some native pollinators, and crop pest parasites. Several flowering species will be included that have been shown to assist populations of pollinators as well as crop pest parasites and predators. These field border habitats will be planted beside cucumber fields that can benefit from enhanced populations of pollinators and other beneficial insect. The waste cucumbers that remain in the field following harvest should act as a food source for game birds. Based on the results of this project, we will provide guidance for including beneficial insect consideration into the application of conservation practices by developing information on specific practices and disseminate it through Extension, conservation districts, grower organizations, and the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign.