The Potential Use of Organically Grown Dye Plants in the Organic Textile Industry: Experiences and Results on Cultivation and Yields of Dyers Chamomile (Anthemis tinctoria L.), Dyers Knotweed (Polygonum tinctorium Ait.) and Weld (Reseda luteola L.)

The organic cultivation of dye plants for the certified natural textiles industry is an emerging and promising sector of organic farming. In 1999 a field trial was done with different provenances of Dyer’s Chamomile (Anthemis tinctoria L.), Dyer’s Knotweed Polygonum tinctorium Ait.), and Weld (Reseda luteola L.) on two organic farms in Lower Austria. Yields, dyestuff content, and quality parameters were analyzed. Dry matter yields of Weld ranged between 0.7 and 2.7 t ha-1, of Dyer’s Chamomile (flower heads) between 1.1 and 1.8 t ha-1. Significant differences were found between seed Weld provenances as well as between those of Dyer’s Chamomile. The total leaf dry matter of Dyer’s Knotweed (2 cuts) ranged at both sites on average 3.1 t ha-1. Seed provenances did not show differences. The total flavonoid content of Weld ranged between 1.53 and 4.00%, of Dyer’s Chamomile between 0.84 and 1.5%. The content of indican in Dyer’s Knotweed ranged between 0.50 and 1.45% of leaf dry matter, the calculated theoretical content of indigo ranged between 0.22 and 0.64% of leaf dry matter. The general use fastness properties differ according to species and provenance. Both high and low values were achieved. The data on the cultivation of dye plants in organic farming show promising results. Research should address improvement in yields and quality, development of dyestuff extracts, and optimization of dyeing methods. Research on dye plants needs a systemic look at the whole chain including producers, processors, trade, and consumers

Dry matter and fibre yields, and the fibre characteristics of five nettle clones (Urtica dioica L.) organically grown in Austria for potential textile use

The aim of the field trial was to quantifiy yield, fibre content and fibre quality of 5 fibre nettle clones cultivated according to the principles of organic farming. The field trial started in 1997 and was organized in a randomised block design with 4 replications per clone. The field trial was situated in Neulengbach, Lower Austria. Since fibre nettle does not provide sufficient yields in the first cultivation year, the harvest of the second and third cultivation year (1998 respectively 1999) was used for calculation of yield per hectar and for the analysis of fibre content and quality. The dry matter yield (stalks) of the 5 nettle clones in the second cultivation year (1998) lies between 2,3 – 4,7 t/ha. Clone 1 and Clone 7 achieve the highest yields. This result was statistically significant. The dry matter yields of that year correspond with the dry matter yield achieved under extensive cultivation conditions (without nitrogen fertilizer) as described by SCHMIDKE ET AL. (1998). The dry matter yields of the third cultivation year (5,6 – 9,7 t/ha), however, are more than twice as high as those of the second cultivation year. They are also higher than the yields from the nitrogen intensive cultivation system described by VETTER ET AL. (1996) with 200 kg N/ha + 100 kg N/ha after the first cutting (per year; the fertilizer used was calcium ammonium nitrate). This large increase in yield in the third cultivation year is caused by an increase in the height (20 – 40 cm higher) and by the production of runners: the number of stalks per plot more than doubled in the third cultivation year. Additionally the undersowing of clover (Trifolium repens) seems to have had a positive effect on the growing of fibre nettle. The fibre yields lie between 335 – 411 kg/ha in the second cultivation year and between 743 – 1.016 kg/ha in the third cultivation year. Clones with a high dry matter yield have a low fibre content and vice versa. Therefore the differences between the clones in dry matter yield/ha and fibre content are balanced and there is no more difference between the fibre yield/ha of the clones. The fibre content after chemical processing lies in both the second and the third cultivation year between 8 – 16 % drymatter (stalks). This result confirms the maximum fibre contents reported in recent literature (DREYER ET AL. 1996, DREYER & DREYLING 1997, SCHMIDTKE ET AL. 1998, KÖHLER ET AL. 1999, FRANCKEN-WELZ ET AL. 1999). Clone 8 and Clone 9 have the highest fibre content in 1998 (16,0 respectively 14,5 %), and Clone 8 (15,7 %) in 1999. There is no significant difference between the fibre quality (fibre strength, elongation, fibre fineness, lenght of fibre) of the five nettle clones. In general the fibre material is very inhomogeneous, which is caused by the differing consistence of the upper and the lower part of the stalk and by fibre processing methods. In principle, nettle fibres are suitable for textile use, however, the further developement of an economic and functional method for processing along with high yields is essential. The results show that higher yields and fibre contents were achieved in the third cultivation year under the described cultivation conditions of organic farming than other authors (BREDEMANN 1959, VETTER ET AL. 1996, DREYER ET AL. 1996, SCHMIDTKE ET AL 1998, FRANCKEN-WELZ ET AL. 1999). The yields of the third cultivation year are higher than the minimum for economic cultivation as defined by DREYER & DREYLING (1997). The cultivation of fibre nettle under the conditions of organic farming in Austria is therefore possible, as long as fibre processing plants and consumer demand exists. There is a need for further research in optimizing cultivation methods in organic farming (undersowing of leguminosae, manuring with slurry, row width, crop rotation) as well as in optimizing fibre processing methods for the quality of raw materials available and taking into account further processing into textiles (e.g. production of a pure yarn or a mixed yarn with cotton). There is also a need for research into possibilities to use fibres from different parts of the nettle plant for different purposes (e.g. textile and industrial uses)

Prozessqualität im Wandel: Beobachtungen am Beispiel der Bio-Wertschöpfungskette in Österreich

Initially, organic farming claims to take care of ecological, economic, social, political as well as ethical aspects alongside the supply chain. Current dynamics in the Austrian organic farming sector endanger the achievement of these process quality aims. A number of measures have to be taken to keep these aims as they seem to be essential for the prosperity and viability of the organic farming sector in the long run

Bäuerliche Hausgärten - Vielfalt im Kleinen, die sich stetig entwickelt

Bericht über Bäuerliche Hausgärten und ihre Bedeutung für Tradition und Brauchtum, Vielfalt, Selbstversorgung, Ökologie und Naturschutz etc

Encounters and places: Project negotiations in Galessa, Ethiopia

Purpose – Reflections on negotiation processes between farmers and scientists in research projects provide insights into issues of participation, power and equity. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how actors chose places to meet, negotiate and represent technologies. Design/methodology/approach – The research involved semi-structured interviews and participant observation with farmers, scientists, government agricultural advisors (extensionists), policymakers, and staff of development organisations involved in a research for development project in Western Shewa, Ethiopia from 2009 to 2011. It combines theories from social studies of science as well as development studies. Findings – Using blueprint approaches in research projects will not yield sustainable results. Participation must go beyond consultation or trying to educate farmers. Social relations are at the core of cooperation between farmers and scientists and require much more attention. Powerful choices on modes of representation and communication technologies as well as unilateral decisions on places have important implications for the way decisions are eventually made and by whom. Originality/value – This approach to studying research for development projects from social studies of science perspectives adds new insights into debates on participation and power in technology transfer and multicultural cooperation in rural development

A Bethe-Salpeter model for light mesons: spectra and decays

The spectra and electroweak decay properties of light mesons are analyzed within the framework of the instantaneous Bethe-Salpeter equation. The interaction kernel comprises alternative spin-structures for a parameterization of confinement and a residual quark-antiquark interaction based on instanton effects. It is shown that only with a vector confinement the parameters can be chosen such as to yield an excellent description of the light pseudoscalar and vector mesons including weak and two photon decays. However it is found that it is not possible to reconcile this with the Regge behavior of higher lying meson states with the same parameter set.Comment: 12 pages, RevTeX, TK-93-1

Electromagnetic form factors of the nucleon in a covariant diquark model

We present a simple covariant constituent diquark-quark model for the nucleon. The nucleon is assumed to be composed of a scalar diquark and a quark which interact via a quark exchange. Starting from the Bethe-Salpeter equation, the instantaneous approximation leads to a diquark-quark Salpeter equation. In the Mandelstam formalism, the electromagnetic form factors of the nucleon are calculated for momentum transfers up to q^2 = - 3 \; (\mbox{GeV/c})^2. A remarkable description of the experimental data is obtained. Especially, the model gives nearly the right values for the proton and (negative) neutron charge radii, and a qualitative description of the magnetic form factors.Comment: 17 pages, revtex, 8 figures in additional fil

QUALITY PERCEPTION OF ORGANICALLY GROWN TOMATOES (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Austria is one of the major organic tomato producing countries for local and export marketing. These tomatoes are produced in parts of Austria especially around Vienna where their production system has to meet stringent organic quality standards in both local and international markets. These quality standards may put considerable strain on farmers and are normally formulated without famers’ participation so may not be wholly representative of the farmers’ quality interpretation. The aim of this paper is therefore to determine the Austrian organic tomatoes growers’ perception and practice of quality and challenges. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were carried out among 28 organic tomatoes farmers in Vienna, Austria. Findings suggest that quality of organic tomatoes is mainly perceived in terms of both informal values (big fruit size, long shelf life, food security and amount of income received from tomato sales) as well as formal norms (non- application of chemicals, human health, damage free, sweet taste, red colour, and juiciness). There were no gendered differences in quality perception among the growers. High costs of production inputs were identified as the main challenge to attaining quality in organic tomatoes. Following these findings, there is need for effective participation of growers in formulation of standards as well as subsidizing of production inputs by the government. The Austrian tomato growers as well as local and international retailers should work closely to increase the price received by the Austrian organic tomato growers so that it more adequately covers their production costs