Category: Perennial ag
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Posted on November 18, 2019
Comparing Apples to Apples
The goal of the Apples to Apples Project was to help hard cider growers—and makers—select apple varieties for a high-quality, artisanal product. To accomplish this, researchers compared the results of laboratory analysis and tastings of single-varietal ciders to identify desirable flavor characteristics.
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Posted on September 13, 2018
Living Mulch Suppresses Weeds and Yields in Organic Vegetable Plots (CIAS Research Brief #100)
Researchers at the UW-Madison tested living mulches for use in the production of three organic vegetable crops to evaluate their impact on weed suppression, labor needs and crop yield and quality. The results demonstrated that, while the living mulches did appear to suppress weed populations, they also resulted in lower vegetable yields. The living mulch plots in this study also had higher labor requirements than the control plots.
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Fall-Sown Cover Crops and Weed Suppression in Organic Small-Scale Vegetable Production (CIAS Research Brief #99)
A technique to control weeds with cover crops called Cover crop-based reduced tillage (CCBRT) is gaining traction on organic row crop farms. Could this technique work on small, organic diversified vegetable farms? A team of UW-Madison researchers undertook a two-year study to evaluate weed suppression, manual labor requirements and crop yield and quality under a CCBRT system in organic vegetable plantings.
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Posted on July 19, 2017
Hard Cider in the North Central Region: Industry Survey Findings
A growing hard apple cider industry in the U.S. has the potential to contribute to local, sustainable food systems. In order to better understand this resurgent industry, CIAS surveyed hard apple cider businesses across 12 states in the North Central Region.
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Posted on February 22, 2017
Options for Weed Control in Hazelnut Plantings (CIAS Research Brief #98)
American Hazelnuts (Corylus Americana) are native to the Upper Midwest. Hybrids between C. americana and European hazelnuts (Corylus avellana) show promise as a commercial crop and, as woody perennials, may offer environmental benefits by providing continuous cover on the land. However, competition from weeds can negatively impact the establishment and growth of hazelnuts.
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Posted on November 2, 2016
Growing Midwestern Tree Nut Businesses: Five Case Studies
The Midwest is home to some successful nut businesses, and expanding tree nut production in this region can potentially increase the sustainability of agriculture and food systems.
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Posted on September 15, 2015
Potential carbon sequestration and forage gains with management-intensive rotational grazing (Research Brief #95)
Do pastures under management-intensive rotational grazing (MIRG) differ from grasslands under other management in terms of forage quality and quantity, carbon sequestration and biological soil activity? Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison set out to answer these questions and discover some of the reasons behind differences in pasture productivity.
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Posted on May 14, 2015
Reducing Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico
Despite more than 40 years of largely voluntary efforts by federal, state, and local government, and tens of billions of US dollars of investment in conservation, nationwide progress on nutrient control has not yet been achieved.
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Posted on March 14, 2014
Whole-Farm Modeled Phosphorus Loss Low on Grazing Dairy Farms (Research Brief #94)
Because agriculture is a major nonpoint phosphorus pollution source, there is strong interest in identifying and managing farm sources of phosphorus runoff. On dairy farms, possible sources of this runoff include cropland, grazed pastures, and outside cattle holding areas such as barnyards and overwintering lots. A new study based on modeled data for four dairy farms that use managed grazing found that these farms have very low phosphorus losses on a whole farm basis.
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Productivity and Nitrogen Retention Tradeoffs in Bioenergy Grasslands (Research Brief #93)
Perennial grassland cropping systems may someday be managed as an alternative source of biofuel that requires fewer fertilizer inputs. This alternative biofuel can also reduce competition with food crops because land that is unsuitable for row crops may be used for perennial grasslands.