Control of Phytophthora infestans in organic potato production

Phytophthora infestans, the cause of late blight, is the most devastating pathogen in potatoes world-wide. To replace copper fungicides in organic potato production, we examined preparations based on plant extracts, micro-organisms, and other natural compounds for their effect on late blight in field trials as well as in vitro and in vivo. Most of this work we realised as participants of the EU project Blight-MOP. The majority of the preparations effectively inhibited P. infestans in vitro or in vivo on tomato plants. However, under field conditions and with applications once a week, commercial and experimental copper-free preparations failed to sufficiently control late blight. In contrast, copper fungicides applied according to the decision support system Bio-PhytoPRE or in regular intervals consistently reduced foliar blight and prevented significant yield losses. Results from an in vitro test and from a detached leaf test indicate that a main cause of the failure of copper-free preparations could be low stability towards rain or dew

Medicinal plants in late blight management of organic potato

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Leguminosen als Zwischenbegrünung im ökologischen Ackerbau mit konservierender Bodenbearbeitung

In large-plot field trials leguminous cover crops were examined under conservation tillage systems in organic farming conditions for their ability to suppress weeds. Cover crops were directly drilled after wheat harvest into the field. Suitability of cover crop was estimated by assessing their growth, soil coverage, biomass, biomass of weeds, mulch layer and yield of the main crop, which was either maize or sunflower. Fast growing cover crops, which had a high biomass, reduced weed growth most. Any cover crops grown reduced weed biomass significantly compared to the control without cover crop. Effects on the main crops will be determined after harvest in autumn 2010

Kraut- und Knollenfäule im Kartoffelanbau - ist im ökologischen Anbau eine wirksame Bekämpfung ohne Kupfer möglich?

In laboratory, growth chamber, micro-plot and small-plot field trials, 53 copper-free preparations (CFPs) were examined for their potential to control potato late blight (PLB) caused by Phytophthora infestans (PI). In-vitro, 43% of the CFP inhibited the germination of sporangia or the mycelial growth of the pathogen completely. In growth chamber trials, 21% of them reduced PI foliar blight of tomato seedlings by at least 80%. In contrast, in small-plot field trials with potatoes under practice like applications, none of the CFPs sufficiently controlled the disease. Even in micro-plot field trials with applications twice a week the efficacies did not exceed 60%. With in-vitro tests we showed that the reason for the insufficient performance of the CFPs was due to their lack of persistence and rainfastness. However, applications of copper fungicides with low rates according to the decision support system Bio-PhytoPRE resulted in a good control of late blight. We recommend using this strategy until CFPs are developed for practise application

Zwischenfrüchte als wichtiges Puzzleteil für den pfluglosen ökologischen Landbau

The preservation of soil and soil fertility are two major concerns in order to sustain food productivity. An increasing number of studies performed in conventional farming systems indicate that reduced soil tillage can increase the quality of agricultural soils. However, until now it is unclear whether reduced soil tillage can be used to develop sustainable organic farming systems. A long-term experiment was set up in 2009 at the research station Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon (ART) to compare conventional and organic farming systems with and without ploughing, and to assess the contribution of cover crops in reduced tillage systems. First results show that the cultivation of cover crops has a positive impact on weed suppression and yield of winter wheat and maize, particularly under reduced tillage in organic farming syste

Proceedings of the 3rd Biennial Conference of the Society for Implementation Research Collaboration (SIRC) 2015: advancing efficient methodologies through community partnerships and team science

It is well documented that the majority of adults, children and families in need of evidence-based behavioral health interventionsi do not receive them [1, 2] and that few robust empirically supported methods for implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) exist. The Society for Implementation Research Collaboration (SIRC) represents a burgeoning effort to advance the innovation and rigor of implementation research and is uniquely focused on bringing together researchers and stakeholders committed to evaluating the implementation of complex evidence-based behavioral health interventions. Through its diverse activities and membership, SIRC aims to foster the promise of implementation research to better serve the behavioral health needs of the population by identifying rigorous, relevant, and efficient strategies that successfully transfer scientific evidence to clinical knowledge for use in real world settings [3]. SIRC began as a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded conference series in 2010 (previously titled the “Seattle Implementation Research Conference”; $150,000 USD for 3 conferences in 2011, 2013, and 2015) with the recognition that there were multiple researchers and stakeholdersi working in parallel on innovative implementation science projects in behavioral health, but that formal channels for communicating and collaborating with one another were relatively unavailable. There was a significant need for a forum within which implementation researchers and stakeholders could learn from one another, refine approaches to science and practice, and develop an implementation research agenda using common measures, methods, and research principles to improve both the frequency and quality with which behavioral health treatment implementation is evaluated. SIRC’s membership growth is a testament to this identified need with more than 1000 members from 2011 to the present.ii SIRC’s primary objectives are to: (1) foster communication and collaboration across diverse groups, including implementation researchers, intermediariesi, as well as community stakeholders (SIRC uses the term “EBP champions” for these groups) – and to do so across multiple career levels (e.g., students, early career faculty, established investigators); and (2) enhance and disseminate rigorous measures and methodologies for implementing EBPs and evaluating EBP implementation efforts. These objectives are well aligned with Glasgow and colleagues’ [4] five core tenets deemed critical for advancing implementation science: collaboration, efficiency and speed, rigor and relevance, improved capacity, and cumulative knowledge. SIRC advances these objectives and tenets through in-person conferences, which bring together multidisciplinary implementation researchers and those implementing evidence-based behavioral health interventions in the community to share their work and create professional connections and collaborations