Agriculture Commons^™

Improving Winter Grain Yields, Quality, And Nitrogen Use Efficiency Using Adaptive Management, Heather Darby, Erica Cummings, Susan Monahan, Julian Post, Sara Ziegler

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

Small grains have gained importance in New England agriculture over the last decade due to expanding demand for local sources for food and feed. Growers are particularly interested in grains that are planted in the fall (winter wheat, spelt, triticale, rye) because they provide numerous rotational benefits, produce high yields, scavenge residual soil nitrogen (N), and protect the soil from winter erosion. Recent grower surveys indicate that N fertility management is a key production challenge for winter grains, which involves providing enough N at the right times to optimize yields and, in the case of bread wheat, grain protein. Readily …

Organic Winter Wheat Variety Trial Report, Heather Darby, Erica Cummings, Susan Monahan, Julian Post, Sara Zeigler

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

In 2014, the University of Vermont Extension conducted an extensive organic variety trial to evaluate hard red winter wheat in order to determine which varieties thrive in the Northeast. The trial was established at the Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, Vermont.

Winter Barley Variety Trial, Heather Darby, Katie Blair, Erica Cummings, Susan Monahan, Julian Post, Sara Ziegler

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

With the revival of the small grains industry in the Northeast and the strength of the localvore movement, craft breweries and distilleries have expressed an interest in sourcing local barley for malting. Malting barley must meet specific quality characteristics such as low protein content and high germination. Many farmers are also interested in barley as a concentrated, high-energy feed source for livestock. Depending on the variety, barley can be planted in either the spring or fall, and both two- and six-row barley can be used for malting and livestock feed. Winter barley has not been traditionally grown in the Northeast …

Organic Spring Wheat Variety Trial, Heather Darby, Erica Cummings, Susan Monahan, Julian Post, Sara Zeigler

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

In 2014, the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program evaluated nineteen hard red spring wheat to determine which varieties thrive in organic systems. The trial was established at the Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, Vermont. Several varieties that did not perform well in previous trial years were eliminated from the 2014 variety trial. Newly released varieties were also sought for evaluation.

Winter Small Grain Forage Trial Species X Harvest Date Dr. Heather Darby, Uvm Extension Agronomist Susan Monahan, Erica Cummings, Julian Post And Sara Ziegler Uvm Extension Crops And Soils Technicians 802-524-6501 Visit Us On The Web: Http://Www.Uvm.Edu/Extension/Cropsoil © March, Heather Darby, Susan Monahan, Erica Cummings, Julian Post, Sara Ziegler

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

Winter cereals are most commonly used as a cover crop in Vermont. Cereals such as barley, triticale, wheat, spelt and rye also have the potential to provide high yield and quality feed for livestock. These cool season annuals can provide early season grazing, as well as high quality stored feed. Winter grains are generally planted in mid-September and can be harvested at various stages of development. The objective of this project was to evaluate yield and quality of various winter grain species harvested in the vegetative, boot, milk, or soft dough stage. The overall goal of this project is to …

Hops Crowning Trial, Heather Darby, Julian Post, Lily Calderwood, Erica Cummings, Scott Lewins, Susan Monahan, Sara Ziegler

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

As the acreage of hops continues to rapidly expand in the northeast, there is a great need for production knowledge specific to our region. Downy mildew has been identified as the primary pathogen plaguing our hop yards. This disease causes reduced yield, poor hop quality, and can cause the plant to die. Control measures that reduce disease infection and spread while minimizing the impact on the environment are desperately needed for the region. Mechanical control is one means to reduce downy mildew pressure in hop yards. Scratching is a practice initiated in the early spring when new growth has just …

Effect Of Temperature On Packaged Hop Quality, Heather Darby, Julian Post, Conner Burke, Erica Cummings, Susan Monahan, Sara Ziegler

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

As the hop industry continues to expand in the Northeast, research is needed into best practices for processing and storing hops. While there are established systems for hop storage on large scale farms in the Pacific Northwest, there is a shortage of information on the systems being employed by growers in the Northeast. Many hop growers are choosing to vacuum-seal their hops in plastic bags. The goal of this project was to determine the effect of temperature on storage quality of dried, vacuum-sealed hops.

Sunflower Variety Trial, Heather Darby, Sara Ziegler, Erica Cummings, Susan Monahan, Julian Post

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

Sunflowers are being grown in the Northeast for their potential to add value to diversified operations as fuel, feed, fertilizer, and an important rotational crop. Some sunflower varieties have also been gaining popularity for their potential to produce high quality edible oil. The major sunflower production areas are in the northern Great Plains, so seed production and agronomic management guidelines generally come from this region. Identifying varieties of sunflower that will perform well in Vermont’s climate is essential to viable crop production. With this in mind, UVM Extension’s Northwest Crop and Soil Program has been evaluating sunflower varieties for performance …

Winter Canola Soil Preparation X Fertility Timing Trial Dr. Heather, Heather Darby

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

Although winter canola is a relatively new crop to the Northeast, it has the potential to be utilized in rotations to break pest and disease cycles or as an oilseed crop for high quality culinary oils or on-farm fuel production. Winter canola is planted in late summer as it overwinters and is harvested for seed the following year in early summer. Due to the very small size of the seed, it is also important to establish good seed-soil contact when planting to ensure proper germination. If planted too deep or with minimal soil contact, germination will be low resulting in …

Winter Canola Variety Trial, Heather Darby, Sara Ziegler, Erica Cummings, Susan Monahan, Julian Post

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

Winter canola is a relatively new crop to the Northeast. The majority of the canola grown in North America is grown in the Midwestern U.S. and Canada for both culinary oil as well as biodiesel production. Winter canola is planted in the late summer where it grows through the fall before entering a period of dormancy for the winter. The following spring, the plants resume growth and seed is harvested in summer. Winter canola could potentially be a useful crop to growers in the Northeast for diversifying rotations, farm products and markets, and producing fuel on farm. However, for winter …

Summer Annual Variety Trial, Heather Darby, Susan Monahan, Erica Cummings, Julian Post, Sara Ziegler

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

Warm season grasses, such as sorghum x sudangrass crosses, sudangrass, millets, and teff are high-yielding summer annuals that can provide quality forage in the hot summer months, when cool season grasses are not as productive. The addition of summer annuals into a rotation can provide a harvest of high-quality forage for stored feed or grazing. Generally, summer annuals germinate quickly, grow rapidly, are drought resistant, and have high productivity and flexibility in utilization. However, it is important to know the challenges of growing summer annuals, including the high cost of annual establishment, increased risk of stand failure due to variable …

Summer Cover Crop Mix Trial, Heather Darby, Katie Blair, Erica Cummings, Susan Monahan, Julian Post, Sara Ziegler

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

Many farmers have realized the multitude of benefits cover crops provide in terms of soil health and fertility. Most farmers, however, plant cover crops in the fall to protect their soils from erosion through the winter into spring while they do not have a crop planted. Summer cover cropping may be another option for growers interested in building soil health. Summer cover crops could be planted throughout the season and offer a wide range of species to select from so benefits are maximized. Another benefit to growing cover crops during the summer is increased whole plant above and belowground biomass. …

Late Summer Cover Crop Trial, Heather Darby, Lindsey Ruhl, Erica Cummings, Susan Monahan, Julian Post, Sara Ziegler

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

The Northwest Crops & Soils Program initiated a trial in Alburgh, VT to assess the potential for using annual ryegrass, oats, and winter peas as cover crops in Vermont. These species have not been commonly grown as cover crops in the region because they require an earlier establishment date compared to that of winter rye. Farmers are interested in finding alternative cover crops that may provide additional benefits over the standard practice. As an example, incorporating winter peas, a legume, would provide a nitrogen fixing cover crop to the system. Annual ryegrass may provide better soil cover and easier to …

Tillage Radish Seeding Rate Trial, Heather Darby, Julian Post, Erica Cummings, Susan Monahan, Sara Ziegler

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

Tillage radishes are being utilized by farmers as a new cover crop for their unique characteristics. Tillage radishes are quick at scavenging nitrogen, provide good ground cover, and break down very quickly in the spring to make way for spring planting and provide available nitrogen to the next crop. The plants winter kill, but the dead frozen plant material can still supress the earliest spring weeds from establishing. The holes left by decomposed roots allow more water to infiltrate the soil. Growing tillage radish as a cover crop in the northeast is new and best practices for success have yet …

Tillage Radish Planting Date Trial Dr., Heather Darby, Julian Post, Erica Cummings, Susan Monahan, Sara Ziegler

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

Farmers are interested in growing tillage radishes as they may potentially offer many environmental and economic benefits. Tillage radishes are quick at scavenging excess nitrogen, provide good ground cover, and break down very quickly in the spring to make way for spring planting. The plants winter kill, but the dead frozen plant material can still supress the earliest spring weeds from establishing. The roots themselves are known to drill through compacted soil layers as they grow and the holes left by decomposed roots the next spring may also allow more water to infiltrate into the soil. Although tillage radish may …

Early Fall Cover Cropping Trial, Heather Darby, Lindsey Ruhl, Erica Cummings, Susan Monahan, Julian Post, Sara Ziegler

Northwest Crops & Soils Program

Farmers are interested in expanding their cover crop options beyond winter rye. Species of interest include annual ryegrass, oats, vetch, winter pea, tillage radish, and canola. These species have not been commonly grown as cover crops in the region because they require an earlier establishment date compared to that of winter rye. Farmers are interested in finding alternative cover crops and cover crop mixtures that may provide additional benefits over the standard practice. As an example, incorporating winter peas or vetch would provide a nitrogen fixing cover crop to the system. Annual ryegrass may provide better soil cover and easier …

Considering Vermont's Future In A Changing Climate: The First Vermont Climate Assessment, Gillian L. Galford, Ann Hoogenboom, Sam Carlson, Sarah Ford, Julie Nash, Elizabeth Palchak, Sarah Pears, Kristen Underwood, Daniel V. Baker

Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

The Vermont Climate Assessment (VCA) paints a vivid picture of a changing climate in Vermont and calls for immediate strategic planning to sustain the social, economic and environmental fabric of our state. The VCA is the first state-scale climate assessment in the country and speaks directly to the impacts of climate change as they pertain to our rural towns, cities and communities, including impacts on Vermont tourism and recreation, agriculture, natural resources and energy.

Synthesis And Review: Advancing Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Quantification, Lydia P. Olander, Eva Wollenberg, Francesco N. Tubiello, Martin Herold

Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Reducing emissions of agricultural greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as methane and nitrous oxide, and sequestering carbon in the soil or in living biomass can help reduce the impact of agriculture on climate change while improving productivity and reducing resource use. There is an increasing demand for improved, low cost quantification of GHGs in agriculture, whether for national reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), underpinning and stimulating improved practices, establishing crediting mechanisms, or supporting green products. This ERL focus issue highlights GHG quantification to call attention to our existing knowledge and opportunities for further progress. In …

Governing Agriculture-Forest Landscapes To Achieve Climate Change Mitigation, Arun Agrawal, E. Wollenberg, L. Persha

Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

This introduction to the special section on "Governing Agriculture-Forest Landscapes to Achieve Climate Change Mitigation" reviews external interventions to improve forest conditions and reduce deforestation, and by extension, influence carbon storage in agriculture-forest landscapes. The review is based on a careful survey of 123 cases of project-based and policy interventions to influence land use and forest cover outcomes. We propose that outcomes of interventions can be explained in terms of rights, incentives, and technologies related to land use and apply this framework to examine 12 types of interventions in agriculture-forest landscapes. The analysis of the identified 123 cases raises concerns …

Agricultural Innovation For Climate Change Mitigation And Adaptation: A Comparison Of New Zealand And California Farmers And Policies, Meredith T. Niles

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

In response to agriculture's vulnerability and contribution to climate change, many governments are developing initiatives that promote the adoption of mitigation and adaptation practices among farmers. Since most climate policies affecting agriculture rely on voluntary efforts by individual farmers, success requires a sound understanding of the factors that motivate farmers to change practices. Recent evidence suggests that past experience with the effects of climate change and the psychological distance associated with people's concern for global and local impacts can influence environmental behavior. This work examines how farmer's perceptions and psychological distance of climate change, environmental policy perceptions, and perceived impacts …

Transforming Organic Waste Into A Marketable Product: A Conjoint Analysis Of Bulk Compost Preferences And Strategies For Expanding The Compost Market In Vermont, Daniel Colin Keeney

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Organic waste management presents challenges and opportunities alike for community-based economic development. Waste-to-compost transformation can be socially and economically successful by employing ecological design principles, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and values-based supply chains (VCs). An analysis of commercial buyers' preferences for compost will inform approaches to forming effective partnerships of public, private and nonprofit stakeholders to develop a market for local waste resource products. The thesis summarizes the results of a consumer preferences survey of current and prospective bulk compost purchasers and discusses strategies for implementing new organic waste management policies that will strengthen a local market for compost, build social capital …

Farmer Adoption Of Best Management Practices Using Incentivized Conservation Programs, Jennifer Christine Miller

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Many farms in the United States impose negative externalities on society. Population growth and the accompanying increase in demand for food further promote this trend of environmental degradation as a by-product of food production. The USDA's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) provides financial assistance to farmers who wish to address natural resource concerns by making structural improvements or implementing best management practices (BMPs) on their farms. Regional examinations of program implementation and incentive levels are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of EQIP at both the farm and environmental level. This research addresses this need in the following two ways. First, …

Shade Coffee: Update On A Disappearing Refuge For Biodiversity, Shalene Jha, Christopher M. Bacon, Stacy M. Philpott, V. Ernesto Méndez, Peter Läderach, Robert A. Rice

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

In the past three decades, coffee cultivation has gained widespread attention for its crucial role in supporting local and global biodiversity. In this synthetic Overview, we present newly gathered data that summarize how global patterns in coffee distribution and shade vegetation have changed and discuss implications for biodiversity, ecosystem services, and livelihoods. Although overall cultivated coffee area has decreased by 8% since 1990, coffee production and agricultural intensification have increased in many places and shifted globally, with production expanding in Asia while contracting in Africa. Ecosystem services such as pollination, pest control, climate regulation, and nutrient sequestration are generally greater …

Extension 3.0: Managing Agricultural Knowledge Systems In The Network Age, Mark Lubell, Meredith T. Niles, Matthew Hoffman

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

This paper develops the idea of “Extension 3.0” as an approach to agricultural extension that capitalizes on the network structure of local agricultural knowledge systems. Over the last century, agricultural knowledge systems have evolved into networks of widely distributed actors with a diversity of specializations and expertise. Agricultural extension programs need to manage these networks in ways that maximize the synergy between experiential, technical, and social learning. Using empirical research from California farmers, we highlight the structure of these networks within and across contexts, and the importance of boundary-spanning relationships. We provide some initial recommendations about actions needed to realize …

Diversification Activities Of Vermont Dairy Farmers: A Study Of Raw Milk And Local Beef Processing In The State., Ryan Leamy

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The vast majority of earned agricultural dollars in Vermont come from the dairy industry, but with volatility in the market in recent years, including rising costs of feed and the fluctuating price of milk, state officials have begun to recommend diversification of farm activities to instill resiliency into the system. The research presented in this thesis explores two avenues for diversification, farm-to-consumer sales of raw milk and local beef production.

The second chapter utilizes diffusion theory to understand the prevalence of raw milk consumption in Vermont, develop a profile of the raw milk consumer, document the motivations of raw milk …