INDUSTRY DIRECTORY

University of Idaho to Showcase Organic Research

Published online: Jul 03, 2009
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A field day highlighting organic research underway at the University of Idaho's Kimberly Research & Extension Center will be held Tuesday, July 21. Registration begins at 9 a.m., with the tour of the organic field commencing at 9:30 a.m. The event concludes with lunch. 
Organic farmers and the public are invited to attend. 
The field day will feature a variety of organic production methods, and their use on the 11-acre research site, in its second year of certified organic production. This year, the researchers are growing winter wheat, potatoes, and dry beans. 
The field day includes seven University of Idaho researchers speaking about their studies of organic nutrient sources, cultivation and meals for weed control, biological control agents for diseases, visual and olfactory attractants for insect control, as well as an organic potato variety and storage trial. 
Registration costs $10 and includes lunch. Interested persons should RSVP by July 17 to Jennifer Miller at (208) 850-6504 or jmiller@pesticide.org. 
The Kimberly R&E Center is located at 3806 North 3600 East. From I-84, take exit 182 and travel south on Hwy 50. Turn north at mile marker 1 on 3600 E. Take the first right and park at Potato Storage Facility. 
Car pooling from the Boise and Pocatello areas is available. From Boise, contact Jennifer Miller with NCAP at (208) 850-6504 or jmiller@pesticide.org. From Pocatello, contact Paula Jones with Three Rivers RC&D at (208) 237-4628 ext. 104 or Paula.Jones@id.usda.gov.
 
Research topics to be covered at field day:
Amber Moore, extension soils specialist, will share her study of organic nitrogen sources. Moore is studying the impacts of a variety of nutrient sources on potato tuber yield and quality, including fresh dairy manure, composted dairy manure, fish emulsion, Chilean nitrate and dried distillers grain. 
Nora Olsen, extension potato specialist, leads a tour of the potato storage facility and a discussion of organic storage and sprout control methods. Seven different potato varieties have been planted, to study how different varieties perform under organic growing conditions.