Disease control strategies for organically grown field vegetables
The Diseases of Organic Vegetables (DOVE) project was a collaborative project concerned with improving advice to organic growers.
Aims and Objectives
- To review the significance of diseases in organically grown field vegetables and the potential effectiveness of current control strategies when the scale of production is increased.
- To evaluate novel techniques and strategies for control of diseases in organically grown field vegetables.
- To monitor disease development in organic crops in relation to rotation and size of enterprise.
- To update, produce and publicise advisory literature for disease control in field vegetables.
Approaches
A
literature and technical review has been carried out to identify the important
diseases in organic vegetables and suitable non-chemical control strategies
in field vegetables and other crops. This has enabled components of disease
control strategies for organic field vegetables in the UK to be considered
for seed, propagation, field production, harvesting and storage phases.
Comparison has been made with diseases occurring in conventional production
in the UK and includes all the major vegetable crops and potatoes.
Click here for the abstract and contents of the literature review (PDF 56Kb)
- Experimental studies have been carried out under glasshouse and field
conditions to evaluate a range of treatments for activity against both foliar
and soil-borne pathogens. Treated seedlings or soils were inoculated with
specific pathogens to determine biocidal activity. Lettuce downy mildew
(Bremia lactucae) has been used as a test system to explore the potential
of using mulches, plant spacing, cultivar mixtures and biocides to manage
diseases in organic production.
Disease
development in organic rotations has been monitiored on a large and a small
established commercial organic holding in both eastern and western England.
Visits were made on three occasions and asssesments made on a range of mature
and young crops at each visit to quantify the incidence and severity of
diseases.
- A booklet with colour photographs is being prepared which will provide
an appraisal of the current situation, organic principles and identify important
components of disease management for the major pathogens. This is being
prepared during 2001 and will be available for organic growers in spring
2002.
Brief Summary of Results
The project found that many diseases are present in organic production, but the economic impact of diseases on organic vegetable production was limited to a few serious problems. Whether this changes or not will depend on the direction that organic vegetable production takes and the kind of markets that develop and the pressures that these markets exert on producers in terms of acceptable varieties, quality specifications and cropping flexibility. Some promising technologies with potential for organic disease management have been identified including compost use and varietal mixtures. Careful planning is vital for successful organic production and these will be summed up in a booklet that will be published shortly.
Events:
Information
gathered during the project was disseminated at various events including two
workshops:
- Organic Salad growers workshop,
(PDF 189Kb)
- Farming to Manage Pests
and Diseases (PDF 206Kb)
- the latest developments for organic brassicas and carrots
Held at Ryton Organic Gardens - November 1st 2001
Other Reports and publications:
- Davies, G (2001). Taking control.
Grower, 22 March 2001, pp. 18-20
- Davies, G (2000). 'Scientific study to help organic veg growers.'
'The Organic Way' Issue 159 (Spring 2000) pp. 18-19.
- Davies, G, Lennartsson, M, Gladders, P, Wolfe, M, Haward, R (2000). Disease
control strategies for organically grown field vegetables.
Proceedings of the BCPC Conference - Pests and Diseases 2000, 3, 999-1004.
- Davies, G, Lennartsson, M, Gladders, P, Wolfe, M, Haward, R (2000). Development
of disease control strategies for organically grown field vegetables : the
DOVE project.
Proceedings of the 13th International IFOAM Scientific Conference, Basel (abstract and poster).
A booklet on disease management in organic vegetable will
be published shortly.
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