Establishment of variety trial techniques for vegetable performance trials under organic growing regimes

Summary

Organic vegetable growers require advice on the choice of variety for their growing regime; correct choice of variety is a fundamental pre-requisite for production of high quality crops. This study will aim to establish the optimum system for obtaining performance data for varieties growing under organic regimes and will attempt to set up a trials protocol. The study will also initiate a database on the performance of varieties grown organically and over time, to investigate the relationship of this data with that produced from conventional trials. Trials will be established for varieties of carrots, cabbage, leeks, lettuce, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower grown under approved organic production systems; yield, quality, pest and disease resistance will be recorded for each variety. Produce from carrot and Brussels sprouts trials will be taste-tested, while produce from leek, lettuce, Brussels sprout and cauliflower trials will be tested for shelf life. Results of the study will provide a protocol for vegetable variety trialling under an organic regime and will answer the question as to whether specific trials are required or whether data can be obtained through conventional trials. The study will also provide data relevant to pesticide usage and safety and may provide data relevant to the problems of conversion from conventional to organic or low input systems.