Horticultural Cropping Systems
The bracketed names after the title are funding bodies, the italicised organisations are collaborators.
Current Projects
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Vegetable variety trials (DEFRA)
Field trials assessing the performance of commercial vegetable varieties under organic systems. The current study includes trials on potatoes, carrots, onions, parsnips, lettuces, oriental vegetables and broccoli.
NIAB (project leader)
More details of the Vegetable Variety Trials project can be found here
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Alternative, non-animal based nutrient sources, for organic plant raising (DEFRA)
This project has recently been commissioned to identify suitable alternative, non-animal based nutrient sources for organic plant raising and to assess these non-animal based nutrient sources under UK organic plant raising conditions. The results will be disseminated through two technical notes produced within the project and also through the presentation of the projects findings at various organic grower and advisor training events. It builds on experience gained in a previous project
EFRC (project leader) & HDRA
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Organic vegetable seed production (DEFRA)
An investigation of the potential seed yields, quality and economics of organic seed production systems of hybrids and open pollinated varieties of onion, lettuce, winter cauliflower and parsnip.
HRI Wellesbourne, Kirton (project leader) & EFRC
More details on the Organic vegetable seed production project can be found here (this links to the HRI website)
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Varieties and Integrated Pest and Disease Management for Organic Apple Production (Horticultural LINK)
This 5 year project will identify varieties of apples suitable for organic production and will develop suitable strategies for pest and disease management.
HRI East Malling (Project leader), HDRA, APRC, East Malling Trust and Industry partners (including: Sainsbury's, Waitorse, Orchard World, Fruition, Fourayes, North Court Farm and Oakwood Farm)
More details on the Organic Apple Production project can be found here
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Organic Cane and Bush Fruit Production (DEFRA)
Organic soft fruit production is a profitable enterprise for anyone wishing to diversify within a mixed organic smallholding or on a small organic farm. However, little information is currently available on the commercial growing of organic soft fruit in the UK. This new project for 2002 will provide much needed guidance and information for growers of cane and bush fruits (raspberries, hybrid berries, currants and gooseberries). The guide will be based on a booklet entitled 'La culture biologique des petits fruits' produced by the Swiss Institute of Organic Agriculture, which will be revised and updated for UK conditions.
HDRA (project leader), Organic Soft Fruit Working Group
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Advantages and disadvantages of different break crops in organic arable rotations (DEFRA)
This project seeks to identify a range of agronomically, economically and environmentally suitable break crops that can be introduced to organic arable systems. Ten crops are trialled on four sites across Britain.
AUCOA Aberdeen University (project leader); SAC; WIRS University of Wales, Aberystwyth & HRI Kirton
Break crops in organic arable rotations project results can be found here(PDF 26Kb)
Completed Projects
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Overwinter transplant production for extended season organic cropping (DEFRA)
Developing systems for raising organic vegetable transplants, involving studies on disease control and a programme of propagation trials on commercial plant-raisers' holdings.
EFRC (project leader) & HRI Wellesbourne
More details on the overwinter transplant production project can be found here
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Genetic resources of potato (EU)
This project involved the development of a central EU potato database and the evaluation of the performance of a range of secondary (unlisted) potato varieties for potential use in commercial organic agriculture.
- Further details on the results of this project can be found at:
www.plant.wageningen-ur.nl/about/Biodiversity/Cgn/research/eupotato/ - The data collected on cultivars and breeding lines as part of the EU
project RESGEN CT-95-34/45 is now available in a searchable, on-line form
at:
www.europotato.org
- Further details on the results of this project can be found at:
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Organic Vining Peas
A project to examine the feasibility of organic production of vining peas. Agronomic and economic aspects of organic vining pea production are being recorded and analysed to determine the potential for future production.
PGRO (project leader)
More details on the Organic Vining Peas project can be found here
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Storage of organically produced crops (DEFRA)
This project aims to highlight the main post-harvest problems experienced by organic grain growers in the UK and to provide information on how to deal with grain storage problems.
Central Science Laboratory (project leader) & Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine
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Organic fruit production: a review of current practice and knowledge (DEFRA)
The aim of this study is to provide information on best practice techniques for established organic fruit growers and growers considering conversion to organic fruit production.
Soil Association & Organic Advisory Service EFRC (project leader)
More details on the Organic fruit production project can be found here
Researchers working on these projects:
- Gareth Davies advises on the organic vegetable seed production and NIAB variety evaluation projects.
- Chris Firth is responsible for the economics element of the storage, organic apple and the organic pea project.
- Stella Cubison is HDRA's fruit researcher and is responsible for work on the organic apple varieties and agronomic monitoring of organic orchards.
Top of pageGarden Organic is the working name of the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA).
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