Agriculture Archives - Page 3 of 5 - Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station

Agriculture

Chemistry and bioavailability of organic matter adsorbed on soil mineral surfaces

Evidence of anthropogenic climate change has become increasingly stronger and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has called for strong, global action to reduce the risk of human-induced climate change. Agricultural practices adopted since the mid-twentieth century have progressively diminished soil quality through the reduction of soil organic matter levels. Sustainable agricultural practices provides a […]

Ecological bases for weed management in sustainable cropping systems

Weeds remain the foremost production problem on organic farms. Organic farmers rely mostly on cultivation for managing weeds, yet weed density is generally high, and often increasing on these farms. There are two central problems with physical weed control: First, cultivation efficacy is often low and is highly variable. We aim to characterize this variability […]

Soil and crop management for biologically based fertility systems

Biologically based soil fertility systems provide multiple ecosystem and crop production services. These systems rely on organic sources of nutrients (e.g., manure, compost, green manure, and plant and seed meals) to meet crop needs. They can replace some or all of the need for synthetic fertilizer, improve soil quality and productivity, and recycle nutrients that […]

Factors affecting organic matter decomposition and stabilization in soils

Because soil organic matter stores both nutrients and water, it is a key to soil quality in both agricultural and forested ecosystems. The overall goal of this research is to help us to understand the factors that preserve organic matter in soils and also understand how soil organic matter levels may be affected by rising […]

Sustainable nutrient management for Maine fruit and vegetable crops

Maine’s agricultural economy is restricted to some extent by short seasons, extremely cold winters and soils that may be erodible, acidic, low in organic matter, underlain with compacted glacial till or with a sandy subsoil that promotes nutrient leaching. In spite of the challenges, Maine has a thriving agricultural sector that has adapted to soil […]

Integrated management of insect pests of potato to delay insecticide resistance and reduce virus spread

Profitable production of potato, which continues to be the most important agricultural commodity in the state of Maine, is impossible without successful control of its insect pests. Insecticides do not provide a long-term solution because of the rapid evolution of resistance in the targeted populations. Furthermore, they are largely ineffective in preventing the spread of […]

Improving potato nutrient-use efficiency, processing quality, and nutritional composition

Most potato production systems used in the U.S. require high rates of chemical fertilization to maintain yields and frequent chemical sprays for disease control. This project will develop and evaluate nutrient management practices that will reduce the dependence of potato production systems on purchased P and K fertilizers. It will also improve the nitrogen fertilization […]

Potato breeding and variety development activities to enhance farm sustainability in the eastern U.S.

Consumer demographics and food preferences present new challenges for farmers who seek to supply high quality, highly nutritional products to consumers, while maintaining economically and environmentally sustainable production practices. This multidisciplinary regional research project helps farmers address these needs. Specifically, we propose to provide farmers new potato varieties to solve production problems and meet consumers […]

Managing plant microbe interactions in soil to promote sustainable agriculture

Potato is the top-ranked vegetable crop in the US, and number one vegetable in Maine. The crop is attacked by many diseases, such as common scab. There is an urgent need for managing this disease due to significant economic losses and a lack of consistent and effective control methods. Evidence has shown that some soils […]

Epidemiology and management of potato diseases

Potato production plays an important role in the state of Maine and significantly contributes to the economy of the United States. Studies are urgently needed to address the management of both airborne and soilborne diseases in potato. This project will involve studying the principle of disease development with changing environments and agricultural production, updating the […]

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