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| Web URL(s): | https://turf.rutgers.edu/research/abstracts/symposium2013.pdf#page=39
Last checked: 03/03/2017
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Notes: Item is within a single large file |
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| Publication Type:
| Report |
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| Author(s): | Heckman, Joseph |
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| Author Affiliation: | Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers University |
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| Title: | Agroecology of organic lawn care |
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| Section: | Poster presentations
Other records with the "Poster presentations" Section
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| Meeting Info.: | New Brunswick, NJ: January 11, 2013 |
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| Source: | Proceedings of the Twenty-Second Annual Rutgers Turfgrass Symposium. 2013, p. 38-39. |
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| Publishing Information: | New Brunswick, New Jersey: The Center for Turfgrass Science, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey |
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| # of Pages: | 2 |
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| Keywords: | TIC Keywords: Cool season turfgrasses; Festuca arundinacea; Grassland soils; Grazing; Lolium perenne; Nutrient cycles; Organic Lawn Care; Poa pratensis; Recommendations; Soil fertility
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| Abstract/Contents: | "Grass thrives on fertile soils around the world wherever tree cover is limited, herbivores roam, and climatic conditions are favorable. Grassland soils typically have naturally high levels of fertility and are among the most productive and agriculturally important land areas. Under the right conditions, growing grass naturally builds humus rich fertile soils. Human management and input is not a requirement to make grass to grow. However, in the case of the land area surrounding our homes, a modest level of husbandry can transform our "personal grassland" into a beautiful verdant sod we enjoy as lawn. Cool season grasses, especially the improved cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and tall fescue, are capable of producing a dark green dense sod on most soils of New Jersey. A key factor is creating the right soil conditions before seeding or establishment to allow these grasses to grow and express their natural genetic potential. Organic methods of farming are in many ways rooted in agroecology, especially with respect to soil fertility. One of the fundamental principles of organic farming is to create soil fertility conditions that optimize the biological and physical conditions along with nutrient supply such that crops (and animals, including people) thrive and resist challenges from pests and disease. From the organic perspective, soil fertility is a much broader term than its use in conventional agriculture where it tends to be defined primarily in terms of chemistry. Soil fertility in organic farming is more inclusive and has historically considered qualitative factors such as soil health. Soil fertility is a function of the whole farming ecosystem where biology fully employs synergisms among diverse organisms in the cycling of nutrients and organic matter while producing plant and animal benefits. In the case of organic lawn care, what needs to be accomplished is translation of organic farming principles into this uniquely managed ecosystem. Cultural practices must be adapted to a grass growing area while achieving acceptable quality for human utility and viewing pleasure. In organic farming the main function of growing grass is the feeding of livestock such as cattle. But in the case of an organic lawn, the mechanical lawn mower displaces the living grazing cow. On pasture grazed by herbivores, roughly 80% of the plant nutrients derived from the soil are returned to the soil as manure. This local nutrient cycling goes a long ways towards sustaining soil fertility. In the case of organic lawn care, the practice of mowing and leaving clippings, wherever possible, serves essentially the same function. The above is a preamble for a publication that will describe how to implement the general principles of organic culture as they apply to organic lawn care. The highlights of organic culture include 1) practicing the law of return, 2) composting, 3) amending soils with naturally occurring materials as may be necessary to supply essential nutrients, 4) deep tillage to break up soil compaction, 5) seeding lawns with the best adapted cultivars from conventional plant breeding, 6) encouraging biodiversity by accepting of legumes or having some tolerance for weeds in the landscape, 7) treating the landscape as a whole living system, 8) avoiding the use of prohibited materials as outlined in the USDA National Organic Program standards, 9) employing careful management rather than input substitution, and 10) communicating with honesty and integrity about what is being labeled organic lawn care." |
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| Language: | English |
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| References: | 0 |
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| Note: | This item is an abstract only! |
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| ASA/CSSA/SSSA Citation (Crop Science-Like - may be incomplete):
Heckman, J. 2013. Agroecology of organic lawn care. Proc. Rutgers Turfgrass Symp. p. 38-39. |
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| Web URL(s):
https://turf.rutgers.edu/research/abstracts/symposium2013.pdf#page=39
Last checked: 03/03/2017
Requires: PDF Reader
Notes: Item is within a single large file |
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MSU catalog number: b3696858 |
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