Written by Mary Hathaway, OFRF’s Analysis & Training Program Supervisor
Maggie Dungan, farmer at Salad Days Farm
Salad Days farm is a various vegetable operation located on 30 acres in Versailles, Kentucky. Licensed natural since 2015, farmer Maggie Dungan’s curiosity in rising meals began with an training in vitamin and the lengthy dream for her household to be self-sustaining. The farm grows yr spherical within the area and in hoop homes to provide their on-farm retailer, eating places, faculties, and 4 weekly farmers markets.
Maggie works onerous to maintain mechanization on her farm minimal, specializing in cowl cropping, minimal tillage, and different soil well being conservation practices. She retains solely 2-4 acres of the farm in manufacturing, permitting her to give attention to the standard of her techniques to develop excessive worth and sustainable meals for her group.
Influence of Solarization on Soil Microbiology
Solarization plots within the excessive tunnel.
Maggie was first uncovered to the observe of solarization utilizing clear plastic in 2022 when the farm participated in a analysis mission with the College of Kentucky. The mission studied the impact of solarization in excessive tunnels on root-knot nematode populations. She was impressed by the outcomes of the trial, and noticed first-hand how this method impacted a persistent soil pathogen.
Natural farmers like Maggie that target minimizing tillage should nonetheless handle pathogens, weeds, and different frequent challenges, and solarization affords potential advantages. Nevertheless, Maggie was involved in regards to the impression of the remedy on her soil well being, and had some questions – if solarization kills pathogens, gained’t it kill the great microbiology, too? How does warmth smothering with a plastic tarp impression soil microbial exercise? What’s the impression on fungal to bacterial ratios?
Earlier than starting to include soil solarization into her area plans, Maggie wished some solutions, and utilized for OFRF’s Farmer Led Trial program to assist her construct out a strong analysis plan and discover dependable outcomes that will have a constructive impression on her operation.
