Graduate Students Receive Top Honours

by Tanya Brouwers

On November 16, 2008 the town of Saskatoon sponsored the Organic Connections conference, an annual three day forum where producers can access the latest information on organic business opportunities, production methods and marketing techniques. In addition, attendees were also privy to the Research Poster Expo, a visual display of student and professional research projects pertaining to organic management practices. Emily Clegg of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC) and Justin Renkema of Dalhousie University, both supervised by Dr. Derek Lynch of NSAC, received top student honours for their contributions to the event.

Justin Renkema's research poster focused on the effects of different mulches on the activity-densities of ground beetles in an organic highbush blueberry field. His preliminary results indicated that beetle activity in the pine needle and biosolids mulch was, on average, 37% and 8% less, respectively, than the activity measured the unmulched control plot. On the other hand, measurements of beetle activity in the farm compost was, on average, 30% greater than that recorded in the control plot. For organic blueberry producers plagued by the blueberry maggot, this is good news. One of the maggot's predators may be the ground beetle. Justin's efforts to find mulches that will support the largest numbers of these beneficials is a promising first step to bringing organic blueberry producers a preventative solution to a financially troublesome problem.

Emily Clegg's poster concentrated on emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide from organically managed potato fields. Focussing on factors of crop, fertilization method and timing of tillage Emily compared the emissions from various test plots. Her initial findings revealed that those plots treated with synthetic fertilizer had the highest yields but also had the highest emissions (11.6 kg N2O-N ha-1). The plot that was heavily composted released only 3.57 kg N2O-N ha1. Emissions dropped even further, in the following year to 1.37 kg N2O-N ha-1 without reapplication and without compromising yield. The plot utilizing a nitrogen-fixing clover in a potato rotation also demonstrated low emission levels of only 4.4 kg N2O-N ha-1 with yields comparable to the synthetically fertilized crop.

Justin Renkema and Emily Clegg are each pursuing research topics that organic farmers and the public at large should find extremely interesting. Justin's search for a method to control the blueberry maggot will help to ensure that Eastern Canadian organic blueberry farmers can profitably provide enough fruit to meet rising consumer demands. Emily's initial findings will inform the agricultural community about ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Together, these two bright individuals are bringing the Canadian organic community the resources and information it needs to move ahead, successfully.



Tanya Brouwers is a Consultant for the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada. Please send comments or questions by phone to 902-893-7256 or by email to oacc@nsac.ca. One month after publication, OACC newspaper articles are archived at www.oacc.info