WEEK III - May 26 - 28

WEEK III

May 26

The Orchard

In order to conduct an observational study on how two different varieties of crop will grow under different environmental conditions, monocrop vs. intercrop, a set of five experimental plots were laid down in the orchard’s Zone B: one plot of corn, one plot of squash, and one plot of squash and corn intercropped (Fig 1) 

Fig. 1. Layout of Experimental Plots in The Orchard, Zone B

The initial plan was to have 5 rows of squash in 30 inch spacing on the southern plot, only four beds in the northern plot, and 16 inches spacing for the squash at the center where it would be interplanted with rows of corn (Fig. 1).  

Once we went in with the rotary plow, this initial spacing was hard to achieve, so we ended up with 3.5 to 4 feet spacing between each row. As a result we only did squash in the southern plot and corn in the northern plot, with a mix of both crops at the centre. The centre rows were laid down by extending row#1 from the squash plot, all the way to the end of the center plot, skipping row#2, extending row#3, etc. 

We were able to plant some squash from West Coast Seed, Small Sugar Variety. These small pumpkins will mature in 110 days.

We also prepared the beds for planting nine rows of potatoes that were donated by West Coast Seeds. Although the timing for planting potatoes was considered to be over, we thought we give it a try, since warm weather has been lasting well into the end of September over the last few years.


An interesting trick for making sure the beds had a rectangular shape was used by first marking the corners with flags, then connecting them with a string that would make a rectangular shape around the perimeter, and then measuring a triangle in one of the corners of the plot, where the base was 3 feet, the height 4 feet and the hypotenuse 5 feet. This is called the 3-4-5 technique.

May 28

Farmwest.com

The Farmwest website is a non-profit venture developed by the Pacific Field Corn Association, a non-profit society. Informaton in the web becomes a useful tool for farmers.

Farmers look at things such as Evapotranspiration and Effective Precipitation. The difference between these two gives the Moisture Deficit Index to plan for their irrigation schedules. For example, in May the total evapotarnspiration rate was 88mm, while effective precipitation was 0mm, a record low in the Lower Mainland, this means that farmers will require to provide 88mm of water via their irrigation systems.

Effective Precipitation (EP) is the amount of precipitation that is actually added and stored in the soil. During extended warm dry periods rainfall less than 5 mm may not add any moisture to the soil reservoir as most of it is evaporated before entering the soil.  If rainfall is less than 5mm no effective precipitation.  Only 75% of the rainfall over 5mm is considered to be effective precipitation. 

Evapotranspiration – The sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from the Earth's land and ocean surface to the atmosphere. 

WEEK II - May 19 - 21

WEEK II

May 19

Ecological Integrated Pest Management

According to Masanobu Fukuoka, Japanese farmer and philosopher who wrote, among other books "The One Straw Revolution", in a healthy and diverse farm ecosystem, the crops grow vigorously and live natural lives, but that doesn't mean they are pest or insect free. The damage they cause must be allocated to provide food for the birds and insects and to thin out the weakest individuals (Masanobu Fukuoka, Sowing Seeds in the Desert).

Over the last decades, mankind has been obsessed with the idea of being able to "control" agricultural pest. The approach has been to treat pests as "enemies" who compete with humans for resources, and not as important components of the farm ecosystem. The problem with this linear approach is that by removing a pest from the ecosystem we are trying to manage,  either by spraying a pesticide or an herbicide, we are creating the niche for another pest species to move in. We also encouraging the development of "resistance to pesticides" in the pest population. A more ecological approach has been to incorporate the idea that pests populations cannot be controlled but "managed". Ecological Integrated Pest Management (EIPM) approach takes into consideration the complexities of pest population dynamics, the various causes of pest outbreaks, and the factors determining the abundance and distribution of pests, and tries to combine a number of biological control applications to keep pest populations at a level that it would not have a significant effect in crop production and yield.

Farm Management Practices

Richmond Terraces Field Notes

Late Blight in Potato Plants

We started observing Late Blight symptoms in the leaves of potato  plants growing in the west terrace (Fig. 1 to 3). The use of sprinkler irrigation might be contributing to the occurrence of this oomycete, which is extremely common in our area, by creating a moist environment where the organism could thrive. At this point, it is too late to try to apply any organic pesticide, most of the pesticides available in the market serve as a preventive measure and must be applied before planting the potatoes/tomatoes. There's a non-organic alternative that is widely used among potato growers,that involves spraying with a coper containing solution, but we overruled the option, since we are trying to keep the patch as organic as possible. 

Fig 1. Potato Leves displaying yellow lesion

Fig 2. Young Potato Leves displaying yellow lesion

Fig 3. Potato leaves displaying yellow and brown lesion

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Lady Bugs: a biological control approach to manage mite populations in broad beans

The broad beans on the west terraces developed a significant mite problem. Broad bean mites have a short generation time (5 days) and high fecundity, as a consequence, populations occur in a large numbers. The plant injury they produce is often confused with deceases and phytotoxicity, however studies show that some of the symptoms following mite attack are due to various diseases including plant viruses. In any case, broad mites reduce, market yield and injure plants by damaging their leaves, flowers and fruits. Plants under heavy attack stop growing and die. (Peña, J. E., & Bullock, R. C. (1994). Effects of feeding of broad mite (acari: Tarsonemidae) on vegetative plant growth. The Florida Entomologist, 77(1), 180-184.)

Fortunately, a healthy ladybug population could also be observed applying some sort of biological pressure over the mite population (Fig 4 to 7). We decided to monitor the plants and observe their progress before selecting a more invasive pest management approach.

Fig. 4 Ladybug in broad bean plant

Fig. 5 Ladybug pupae in broad bean plant

Fig. 6 Ladybug cluster of eggs  in broad bean plant

Fig. 7 Unknown brown cluster in broad bean leaf

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Sun Scald in Indoor Seedlings

Seedlings that are growing indoors are very susceptible to  developing white leaves when they are moved outside for the first time. 

Treatment: Move seedlings back into a part shade environment.Remove badly bleached leaves. Reintroduce to full sun in a couple days.

Fig. 8 White tips of sun scald in pepper seedlings

Fig. 9 White tips of sun scald in tomato seedlings

Building our Tunnel and Transplanting the Seedlings

We were successful in building our tunnel. It only needs a few adjustments.

Having the tunnel in place we were able to transplant the Tomatoes, Peepers, Squash, Zucchini, and Cucumber Seedlings we grew in the Lab during the Sring Semester. Some of the Tomatoes  Peppers and Zucchinis were placed in the tunnel.

WEEK I - May 12 -14

WEEK I

May 12

Farm Management Practices

Fungus Gnat in indoor seedlings

At the beginning of April, the seedlings growing in trays in the lab developed a significant fungus gnat problem. Little flies could be observed hovering over the seedlings. As a consequence most seedlings developed wilt like symptoms, as if not been watered. This is a very common problem in indoor garden settings were moist levels and warm temperature predominate. In order to keep populations under control, we used a bio control approach that involved the application of Hypoaspis miles over the trays. Hypoaspis are generalist soil predatory mites, capable of controlling Fungus Gnat larvae, thrips pupae, pathogenic nematodes, Spring Tails, Strawberry Root Weevil, Varroa Miles, and Cactus Root Weevil, and it is currently being tested for its potential ability to control the Black Vine Root Weevil.

Days later, the number of flies seem to have decreased..

Hypoaspis Miles: Biological Control of Varroa Miles and other Agrological Uses

Being a bee-lover, I found this very educational and interesting video about the Hypoaspis Miles and its agricultural applications.

https://vimeo.com/63418711

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Revisiting the Compost Trials Set Up in the East Terraces

A compost experimental triel was set up in April in the East terraces to assess the effectiveness of adding compost material to untreated sandy soil, as well as comparing the quality of compost of two different local companies: Net Zero and Harvest Power.

The terraces where divided into 12 different plots, each measuring 10 feet wide by 3 feet in depth.

Each plot was seeded with three varieties of leafy greens from West Coast Seeds: lettuce Drunkend Lady, spinach Bloomdale Savoy, and swiss chard Pink Flamingo. 

By May 12 we recorded the following germination rates:

North East Terrace

Swiss Chard	17	5
Spinach	7	20
Lettuce	2	12

Swiss Chard	11	3	4	15
Spinach	4	13	10	5
Lettuce	5	0	1	3

South East Terrace

Swiss Chard	33	65	84	53
Spinach	14	15	4	14
Lettuce	9	11	7	3

Lettuce	2	5
Spinach	0	8
Swiss Chard	54	30

There seems to be a difference germination success across all the experimental plots with the control plot having the lowest success. The Harvest Power plots displayed earlier emergence, maybe due to the fact that we laid the compost first and the rain leached away the salt in these plots, where as Net Zero was laid at a later date, close to seeding time. In the other hand, there seems to be a higher nitrogen content in Net Zero compost which is causing the swiss chard and the spinach to look greener than the plants growing in the Harvest Power and Control plots. 

Journey to Sustainable Farming

Journey to Sustainable Farming

Journey to Sustainable Farming is a personal journey to reconnect with my grandparents’ knowledge and wisdom of the land and its inhabitants. These treasures were lost over one generation (wow, only one generation!!), our parents' generation, who naïvely and not to their fault believed the industrial revolution could feed the world.

Learning is a journey, not a destination. 




“It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know the sense of wonder and humility. ” 

Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder


"The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.” 

Albert Einstein