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Introduction: In Oman, the weather is not conducive to year-round cultivation of vegetables. However, these are dual-purpose commodities because they can be grown to achieve food security goals as well as serve as cash crops that generate employment and income. Increasing vegetable production in Oman has the potential to contribute to the government’s economic diversification efforts. Technical efficiency analysis for selected crops indicated the ability to improve crops’ production with the present state of technology in-line with regional food security objectives. Materials and Methods: Relevant documents about cultivating vegetables in terms of area, production, price structure, and other factors were extensively researched, analyzed, and presented in tables and figures to show their present and future trends. Researchers surveyed about 118 randomly selected farms across Oman. They also evaluated Technical Efficiency (TE) using a Trans-Logarithmic function (TL) and Cobb Douglas (CD) function with SHAZAM comprehensive economics and statistics package to achieve meaningful results. Results: The results include retrospective analysis of area and production of different vegetables cultivated in Oman and their import and export, their price, and its potential increase in vegetable production in Oman for economic diversification in domestic consumption and export markets. They also identified trends in organic vegetable cultivation, and sales showed the potential to increase production levels and assist government efforts to increase agriculture’s contribution to the gross domestic product of Oman. Technical efficiency for tomato in selected samples indicated the ability to improve production beyond 20% with the present state of technology. Conclusion: Analysis of data on ordinary vegetable cultivation established that the outlook for global vegetable supply and demand is attractive. The global demand for vegetables, is increasing and will continue to do so. Moreover, growth is especially strong in demand for organic vegetables in wealthier countries such as Switzerland, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates. Technical efficiency analysis indicated a potential increase in the production of vegetables with the present state of technology.

High tunnels have been used in the United States for more than 50 years, and growers are encouraged to use them more frequently through government cost-share programs. Research on fruits and vegetable production systems has focused on high value crops such as tomato, salad greens, and several fruit crops. Maintaining soil quality and controlling insects and diseases are all issues that growers face. This review looks at current research on these issues as well as economic considerations addressed in the scientific literature. Global statistics and reports are also reviewed that complement the North American studies. Gaps in our understanding are identified, and directions for future research are suggested.

Grafting with interspecific hybrid rootstock is effective for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) growers looking to reduce soilborne disease in the southeastern United States. However, production with grafted tomato has not been tested in the central United States, where soilborne disease pressure is low. Small-acreage growers would like to produce grafted plants themselves, but many have difficulty with propagation due to water stress in the scion postgrafting and/or high temperatures. Removing the upper portion of the scion to reduce leaf area during the grafting procedure [shoot removal (SR)] could help to reduce water stress postgrafting, but there are no data available that indicate what effect this practice has on tomato yield. Five high tunnel trials and one open-field trial were conducted in 2011 and 2012 to investigate potential yield effects related to the use of two rootstocks and SR during the grafting procedure. The implementation of grafting with rootstocks significantly increased fruit yield in five of the six trials (P < 0.05). The average yield increases by ‘Maxifort’ and ‘Trooper Lite’ tomato rootstocks were 53% and 51%, respectively, across all trials. SR during the grafting process may penalize tomato yield and our results suggest that rootstock vigor plays a role. Plants grafted with ‘Maxifort’ across all of the trials consistently increased shoot biomass in four of five of the high tunnel trials compared with nongrafted plants (P < 0.05), whereas plants grafted with ‘Trooper Lite’ rootstock increased shoot biomass in one trial. Similarly, the SR method penalized the total fruit yield of plants grafted with ‘Trooper Lite’ more often than those that were grafted with ‘Maxifort’. Our results suggest that plant growth and ultimately tomato fruit yield is affected negatively by using the SR grafting technique, particularly when less vigorous rootstock is used.

The utilization of grafted tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants in the United States shows significant promise, particularly as intensively managed production systems like high tunnels and greenhouses become more popular. However, the availability of grafted plants in the United States is currently a major barrier and a large portion of farmers who would like to use grafted plants would prefer to propagate their own. The objectives of this study were to determine how healing chamber design affects graft survival and microclimate, and to investigate how scion leaf and shoot removal affects graft survival in various healing chambers. Similar experiments were repeated at two locations in Kansas and a split-plot, randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used in each, with three and four replications being conducted over time at each of the locations. Five chamber treatments were tested including a negative control (none) as well as shadecloth alone, white vinyl mesh, polyethylene film and shadecloth, and polyethylene film with shadecloth and a cool-mist humidifier. No statistically significant effects of chamber design were seen on grafted plant success. However, microclimate data from the various healing chambers offer valuable data toward determining the best management practices for grafted plants. Shadecloth alone showed significant promise as this covering provided cooler temperatures during the afternoon when the healing chambers were prone to excessive heat buildup. Three tube-grafting methods were tested, including standard tube-grafted plants (no leaves removed), leaf removal (LR) plants (≈75% of the leaf surface area was removed from the scion), and shoot removal (SR) plants (the apical meristem and all true leaves were removed). The SR method did not affect graft survival, but the LR method increased grafting success from 78% to 84% and was significant as compared with the other methods (P < 0.05). The long-term goals of this work are to develop successful propagation systems that can be used by small-acreage growers with limited greenhouse facilities. The data presented here indicate that high-humidity healing chambers (>85% relative humidity) may not be necessary for tomato, and LR can increase the grafting success rate.

Greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the response of Brassica oleracea L., pac choi to fertilizer rates and sources and to establish optimal soluble nitrogen (N) application rates and nitrate meter sufficiency ranges. Conventional soluble fertilizer was formulated from inorganic salts with a 4:1 NO3-N:NH4-N ratio. Phosphorus (P) was held at 1.72 mm and potassium (K) at 0.83 mm for all treatment levels. The organic soluble fertilizer, fish hydrolyzate (2N–1.72P–0.83K), was diluted to provide the same N levels as with conventional treatments. Both fertilizers were applied at N rates of 0, 32, 75, 150, 225, 300, and 450 mg·L−1. Seedlings were transplanted and fertilizer application began at 18 days. Plants were harvested at 7 weeks (5 weeks post-transplanting) after receiving 15 fertilizer applications during production. Samples of the most recently matured leaves were harvested weekly and analyzed for petiole sap NO3-N and leaf blade total N concentration. Leaf count, leaf length, and chlorophyll content were also measured weekly. Fresh and dry weights were determined on whole shoots and roots. Optimum yield was achieved at the 150-mg·L−1 fertility rate with both conventional and organic fertilizers. Field and high tunnel experiments were conducted to validate the sufficiency ranges obtained from the greenhouse studies. Sufficiency levels of NO3-N for pac choi petiole sap during Weeks 2 to 3 of production were 800 to 1500 mg·L−1 and then dropped to 600 to 1000 mg·L−1 during Weeks 4 through harvest for both conventional and organic fertilizers sources. Total N in leaf tissue was less responsive to fertilizer rate effects than petiole sap NO3-N. Chlorophyll content was not useful in evaluating pac choi N status. These guidelines will provide farmers with information for leaf petiole sap NO3-N to guide in-season N applications.

The sustainability of soil quality under high tunnels will influence management of high tunnels currently in use and grower decisions regarding design and management of new high tunnels to be constructed. Soil quality was quantified using measures of soil pH, salinity, total carbon, and particulate organic matter (POM) carbon in a silt loam soil that had been in vegetable production under high tunnels at the research station in Olathe, KS, for eight years. Soil under high tunnels was compared with that in adjacent fields in both a conventional and an organic management system. The eight-year presence of high tunnels under the conventional management system resulted in increased soil pH and salinity but did not affect soil carbon. In the organic management system, high tunnels did not affect soil pH, increased soil salinity, and influenced soil carbon (C) pools with an increase in POM carbon. The increases in soil salinity were not enough to be detrimental to crops. These results indicate that soil quality was not adversely affected by eight years under stationary high tunnels managed with conventionally or organically produced vegetable crops.

Growers have indicated that changes in soil quality under production in high tunnels is an important problem, but these have not yet been quantified or critically assessed in the central Great Plains of the United States. We conducted surveys of grower perceptions of soil quality in their tunnels (n = 81) and compared selected soil quality indicators (salinity and particulate organic matter carbon) under high tunnels of varying ages with those of adjacent fields at sites in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Iowa in the United States. Fourteen percent of growers surveyed considered soil quality to be a problem in their high tunnels, and there were significant correlations between grower perceptions of soil quality problems and reported observations of clod formation and surface crusting and to a lesser extent surface mineral deposition. Grower perception of soil quality and grower observation of soil characteristics were not related to high tunnel age. Soil surface salinity was elevated in some high tunnels compared with adjacent fields but was not related to time under the high tunnel. In the soil upper 5 cm, salinity in fields did not exceed 2 dS·m−1 and was less than 2 dS·m−1 under 74% of high tunnels and less than 4 dS·m−1 in 97% of high tunnels. The particulate organic matter carbon fraction was higher in high tunnels than adjacent fields at 73% of locations sampled. Particulate organic matter carbon measured 0.11 to 0.67 g particulate organic matter per g of the total carbon under high tunnels sampled. Particulate organic matter carbon in the soil was also not correlated to age of high tunnel. Soil quality as measured in this study was not negatively impacted by use of high tunnel structures over time.

"Survey responses of producers and institutional buyers in northeastern Kansas (United States) were analyzed to understand barriers and opportunities for sustainable food systems in the region where their emergence has been limited. Producers and buyers identified barriers previously noted regarding mismatches of available quantities and prices. Producers??? enthusiasm to supply locally exceeded buyers??? interest to source locally. Transportation was identified as one of the major concerns by producers, and their responses to choice tasks revealed producers??? preferences to sell locally while pricing their products to secure sales revenue and to cover their logistics expenses at least partially."

Organically produced fruit and vegetables are among the fastest growing agricultural markets. With greater demand for organically grown produce, more farmers are considering organic production options. Furthermore, there is an increasing interest in maintaining optimal production in an organic system, which involves appropriate nutrient management. The objectives of this review were to summarize the current state of our knowledge concerning effects of organic production systems on phosphorus (P) availability, describe P availability in common organically accepted P sources, and review best management practices that can reduce environmental risks associated with P management in organic systems. Organic production systems seek to improve soil organic matter and biological diversity, which may impact P cycling and P uptake by crops. Increases in organic matter will be accompanied by an increase in the organic P pool. Furthermore, management of cover crops and potentially enhanced arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonization from organic production practices can increase the availability of soil P pool (both organic and inorganic) by stimulating microbial activity and release of root exudates. This can help compensate for low soil P, but will not supersede the need to replace P removed by the harvested crop. Phosphorus fertilization in organic production systems entails balancing the P inputs with crop removal through selection and management of both nitrogen (N) and P inputs. Organic production systems that rely on manure or composts for meeting crop N demand will likely have a P surplus; therefore, P deficiencies will not be an issue. Systems using other N sources may have a P deficit, therefore requiring P supplementation for optimal plant growth. In such situations, maintenance P applications equal to crop removal should be made based on soil test recommendations. Primary organically approved P sources are phosphate rock (PR), manure, and compost. Phosphate rock is most effective at supplying P in soils with low pH (less than 5.5) and low calcium concentrations. Phosphate rock applications made to soils with pH greater than 5.5 may not be effective because of reduced PR solubility. Manure- and compost-based P has high plant availability, ranging from 70% to 100% available. Use of manures and composts requires extra considerations to reduce the risk of P loss from P sources to surface waters. Best management practices (BMPs) for reducing source P losses are incorporation of the manures or composts and timing applications to correspond to periods of low runoff risk based on climatic conditions. Organic production systems that use manures and composts as their primary N source should focus on minimizing P buildup in the soils and use of management practices that reduce the risks of P loss to surface waters. Evaluation of P loss risk with a P index will assist in identification of soil and management factors likely to contribute to high P loss as well as BMPs that can decrease P loss risks. BMPs should focus on controlling both particulate and dissolved P losses.

Winter annual legumes in humid regions of the country can have a positive effect on subsequent corn (Zea mays) and grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) crops, mainly through N contribution of the legume and, in some cases, soil improvement. However, water use by the cover crop in drier regions has the potential to reduce yields in subsequent crops. This study was initiated in central and south-central Kansas to look at both the agronomic and economic implications of adding a winter annual legume cover crop to a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum)-grain sorghum rotation. Experiments included researcher-managed on-station trials and cooperative (i.e., farmer-managed) trials with farmers using hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) and Austrian winter pea (Pisum arvense). Results showed that in good rainfall years, establishment of cover crop was adequate, and no significant difference occurred between sorghum yields following cover crops versus following wheat with fertilization. On-station trials showed a significan...

In this paper we report on what “sustainable agriculture” means to farmers who seek to develop more sustainable farming systems. Group interviews were conducted with two groups of sustainable farmers in Kansas to learn how they developed their respective approaches, the kinds of parameters they have used to evaluate success and progress, and what other evaluation tools would be helpful to them. For the farmers we interviewed, the central meaning of sustainable agriculture is its holistic approach to assets management. It also means an alternative perspective on what constitutes success in farming. While economic considerations are important, they are balanced by other considerations such as environmental quality, quality of life, and the contributions the farmers can make to their communities. Sustainable agriculture also means an approach to agriculture that entails “thinking risks” as much as financial risks. Lastly, sustainable agriculture means whole farm planning; the farmers we interviewed were more interested in applying whole-farm planning principles based on their local knowledge, than in evaluation tools based on the expert knowledge of researchers and other scientists. The implications of what sustainable agriculture means to these farmers for research and educational programs are discussed.

This study evaluated germination and establishment characteristics of native legumes, which may hold potential for development as water-efficient cover crops in Kansas. Twenty-three species were subjected to hot water scarification, cold-moist stratification, and no pretreatment and allowed to germinate on moist filter paper under ambient laboratory conditions for 16 days. In the field, 1 m2 plots were planted with 1.1 grams of seed of each of 23 native species and five introduced species at three planting dates, two in the fall and one in early spring. Seedlings were counted in late June. The effect of seed treatment on germination in the lab was highly species dependent. Hot water scarification had positive (4 species), neutral (16 species), or negative (3 species) effects on early germination (day 2), though fewer differences were seen on day 16. Stratification rarely had significant negative consequences and also affected both the rate and total amount of germination. Both species and plantin...

In 1993, a survey was mailed to elicit the opinions of active farmers about on-farm research (OFR), to determine their preferences for collaborative OFR, and their attitudes about research station‐based research. The samples were derived from three groups of farmers: those on a list kept by the Kansas Agricultural Statistics (KAS) office, members of the Kansas Farm Management Association (KFMA), and those on the mailing list of the Kansas Rural Center (KRC), an organization with an explicit commitment to sustainable agriculture. Our results found that most farmers engaged in OFR, either on their own initiative or in collaboration with outside groups. The majority of farmers expressed a desire to cooperate to a greater extent in OFR and a willingness to contribute resources and time to aid in that effort. Another notable result was the willingness of farmers to consult, and share information concerning OFR with other farmers. Differences were found between the KRC sample compared with the KAS and KFMA samples in that OFR related work was particularly important to farmers with an explicit sustainable agriculture orientation, who tended to be less convinced of the usefulness of research station‐based research and the research activities of commercial firms. Kansas Rural Center farmers wanted more say in the design and implementation of such OFR than did the KAS and KFMA farmers. Our findings support the conclusion that every effort should be made to involve farmers as partners in the research process rather than as someone for whom research is done.

This chapter summarizes several recent calls for higher education to adopt more sustainable, environmentally friendly practices, policies, and environmental literacy courses. It then reviews nine pledges and scorecards that contain metrics to determine if the university is making progress toward sustainability goals. Most of the scorecards consider only environmental policy, and only two include any social policy recommendations. In addition, cultural systems, specifically the concepts that underpin capitalism and consumerism, are problematic when used to structure both universities and their environmental policy. Specific questions and recommendations with respect to underlying issues are provided to get at whether university policies embrace both social and environmental issues. Higher education needs to address both environmental policy and social policy to achieve genuine sustainability goals.

An intact soil core lysimeter with its insertion device and process was developed to facilitate the collection of leachate and soil water samples from a series of field plots in eastern Pennsylvania. This design was developed to minimize disturbance of the soil within and around the lysimeter. The lysimeter was constructed of 76.2-cm-diam. steel well casing with a 79-mm wall thickness. The casings were cut to lengths of 1.15 and 0.75 m and were inserted by means of direct downward force to a depth of 1 m. An access hole 38 cm in diameter by 161 cm deep was then augered next to the inserted casing for the installation of a collection device beneath and beside the cylinder. The soil-filled cylinder was removed and set on a prefabricated base and welded in place. The prefabricated base had drain holes and a fitting for attachment of the collection device. The collection unit was attached and the entire lysimeter was reinserted into the cavity. Leachate caught in the collection device was removed by pumping through attached surface tubes alongside the cylinder. This design has proved to be efficient and cost-effective. The insertion method kept soil compaction to a minimum while maintaining a watertight seal between the casing and soil core.

Relying more on biological N 2 fixation has been suggested as a way to meet one of the major challenges of agricultural sustainability. A 15 N study was conducted to compare the fate of applied legume and fertilizer N in a long-term cropping systems experiment. Nitrogen-15-labeled red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 were applied to microplots within the low-input and conventional cropping systems of the Farming Systems Trial at the Rodale Institute Research Center in Penn-sylvania. The 15 N was applied to soil and traced into corn (Zea mays L.) in 1987 and 1988. Residual 15 N was also traced into second-year spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Legume and fertilizer 15 N remaining in soil was measured and loss of N was calculated by difference

A long-term whole-farm analysis compared conventional and low-input farming systems. Data from a nine-year agronomic study at the Rodale Research Farm, Kutztown, Pennsylvania, were used to analyze profitability, liquidity, solvency, and risk on a representative commercial grain farm. Conventional and low-input farms participating in government programs are the most profitable scenarios, followed by conventional and low-input farms not participating in government programs. All farms increased their net worth. The low-input approach is advantageous for risk-averse farmers using a safety-first criterion.

Reaching Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) goals for water quality requires the cooperative efforts of citizens, landowners, local government, and state government. The purpose of this project is to raise the level of awareness through hands-on experiences in surface water monitoring among high school class students, their teachers, and willing landowners. An informed and educated public will make better choices about resource management and protecting water quality. They become a resource for conveying this information to family members, neighbors, and friends. Fact sheets have been prepared on monitoring color, odor, pH, and temperature; turbidity; nitrate and nitrite; ammonia; phosphorous; bacteria (total coliform, E.coli); and triazine pesticides. Participants have gained knowledge that will help them better understand the impact the actions of people can have on water quality. We believe in time this will translate into their greater involvement in helping to protect water quality. The cooperation and help of all sectors of society are needed to meet TMDL goals in the years ahead. For 3 years we have worked with science and agriculture teachers at 5 rural high schools in east central Kansas and with some landowners to teach the importance and procedures of volunteer monitoring of water quality. FFA chapters and Science Clubs have been involved to utilize the test kits and do local water testing projects that they choose and plan. Results of this on-going project of working with teachers, students, and landowners are presented and discussed. Written materials have been developed that are now available on the K-State Research and Extension web site (www.oznet.ksu.edu/kswater).