June 2004
Biological control conference focuses on organic farming July 13-15
Researcher vacuums insects from trap crop experiment in Salinas organic strawberry field. SAREP director Sean L. Swezey is the principal investigator on the project. (photo by Sean L. Swezey, UC SAREP).
The dramatic rise in organic farming is driving a University of California research symposium July 13-15 in Berkeley . “Biological Control and Organic Production” is the theme of California Conference on Biological Control IV at UC Berkeley, which includes a special third day devoted to organic farming research.
“The aim is to provide information to growers, researchers and industry representatives on biological control—the use of natural enemies to control pests—and its impact on organic production,” said Lynn LeBeck, conference organizer and academic coordinator at UC Berkeley’s Center for Biological Control, which is hosting the event at the campus International House.\
“Organic farming is one of agriculture’s expanding areas today, with an estimated 20 percent per year increase over the last five years. It is vitally important to offer up-to-date scientific information to growers and others to support the continued development with research-based information of this segment of the industry,” she said.
The conference will feature researchers from UC’s Davis , Riverside and Berkeley campuses, state and federal government agencies, and industry. The three-day program begins with two days of symposium talks specifically targeting biological control and its impact on organic production.
“Each session will be followed by panel discussions that will involve grower and industry participants,” LeBeck said.
The final day, “California Organic Farming in the New Millennium: A California Research Symposium,” is a comprehensive symposium on organic farming research in California, cosponsored by the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resource’s Organic Farming Research Workgroup.
Sean L. Swezey, director of the UC statewide Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP) and chair of the UC Organic Farming Research Workgroup, noted the importance of the conference.
“In 2002 the U.S. market for organic products was over $11 billion, up from $78 million in 1980,” Swezey said. “Organic acreage in California has more than doubled since 1998 to nearly 2,000 organic growers and handlers registered. More than 6,000 U.S. farms are engaged in certified commercial production without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. We’re pleased that UC is hosting this conference to help get needed university-level research to those in the field.”
Swezey will be among the presenters at the conference, detailing his research with trap crops for pest control in organic strawberries. He will present results of research related to growers who planted alfalfa near their strawberry fields. Lygus bug, a key strawberry pest, was attracted to the trap crop; this method reduced its impact on the berries, he said.
Sessions will be devoted to the makeup of healthy soil and the soil food web, which is the foundation of good pest control in farming systems. Other researchers will talk about farming systems, soils and pest management including the use of compost for biological control of pests. Presenters will talk about pest management and habitat manipulation, including case studies on commercial organic farms in California.
Researchers will present case histories and discuss the impacts of allowed organic materials on “good bugs,” including the economic success of releasing natural enemies. The use of cover crops, soil organic matter, nutrient cycling and nitrogen availability will be covered in a soil management session. Post-harvest economics and marketing studies will be presented, and systems-level organic farming research is a session topic.
Mark Lipson, policy program director at the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), will give a presentation about the state of organic systems research in California. OFRF is a charitable foundation that supports organic research.
“This symposium is significant because the organic research community in California has not had many opportunities to share information at a statewide forum," Lipson said. "We need to assess the organic systems research that is under way, and build the capacity for more.”
Other organizations involved in planning the conference include USDA-Agricultural Research Service, USDA Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service, UC SAREP, California County Agricultural Commissioners, California Department of Food and Agriculture, California Department of Pesticide Regulation, the California State University system, UC statewide Integrated Pest Management Project-Exotic Pests and Diseases Research Program, and the UC Center for Invasive Species Research. The Columbia Foundation also provided funding assistance.
To register for the conference, access the Center for Biological Control’s Web site at http://nature.berkeley.edu/biocon/ and click on the conference announcement, or contact LeBeck at (559) 360-7111, llebeck@nature.berkeley.edu. The registration fee for the meeting is $120 per person (includes meals and a banquet July 14), and a copy of the conference proceedings. There is a $10 late fee after July 2. Continuing education credits will be offered.
Media contacts:
Lyra Halprin, (530) 752-8664, lhalprin@ucdavis.edu
