Buckwheat as Natural Weed-Killer
Posted - March 31, 2008
Buckwheat Proves Successful Weed Control
Growing buckwheat as a cover crop may be an effective alternative to herbicides when targeting certain weeds, suggests a study published in a recent issue of the Weed Science journal.
Michigan State University and Cornell University researchers theorized that because lower levels of nitrogen were available for other plants right after buckwheat is grown, the weeds’ early growth was inhibited.
Low nitrogen levels may hurt unwanted weeds more than other, wanted plants. During the early stages of development, the researchers proposed, weeds grow rapidly (by their nature!) and require rapid nitrogen uptake.
Three weed species were controlled by buckwheat in the study: corn chamomile and shepherd’s purse, due to nitrogen and fungal effects, and Powell amaranth, it for reasons the researchers have not yet determined.
As chemical-free options, intercropping and cover cropping can be essential tools on organic farms. Cover crops can help reduce erosion while improving nutrient cycling and pest management.
Buckwheat, a short-duration, broadleaf annual crop, is a suitable summer cover crop because it grows quickly enough to beat many weeds to the punch, according to a release from the journal’s publisher.
The full study is available at http://www.allenpress.com/pdf/i0043-1745-56-2-271.pdf
Weed Science, the official publication of the Weed Science Society of America, presents research and scholarship in the form of peer-reviewed articles on such topics as invasive plant species.
BioFach 2008: Exciting Success
Posted - March 1, 2008
BioFach Closes with a 98% Satisfaction Rate
BioFach’s 2008 edition once again brought the organic world together in Nuernberg, with major retailers, buyers and traders well-represented amongst 46,000 visitors (up from 45,000 last year) and 2,700 exhibitors (up from 2,500).
The 89,500 m2 of display space featured exhibitors from 80 countries. International exhibitors, headquartered outside Germany, made up 66% of those present according to the fair organizer’s final report. Fully 98% of visitors and 90% of exhibitors told an independent pollster they were satisfied with the fair, the organizer reported.
“Our team is very satisfied with this visit to BioFach”, said Silvio Elias, managing director of Spain’s leading organic supermarket chain Veritas. “We had the opportunity to see interesting new products, which we could possibly introduce into the Spanish market”.
Other visitors pleased with the new products found at BioFach included Jorge Antunes, CEO and founder of top Brazilian retail chain Mundo Verde with 115 outlets and new expansion into other countries, and Georg Kaiser, founder of Bio Company, one of Germany’s trendy organic supermarket chains with 11 stores focused around Berlin.
This year BioFach expanded its offerings with a focus on wines, featuring the world’s largest organic wine exhibition alongside olive oils in Hall 4A. Awards went to top products in both categories.
Almost 550 organic wines, the majority red with many whites and several rosé and sparkling wines, were on show. More than half of BioFach attendees stopped by this hall at some point, sampling wines and olive oils and enjoying a bite to eat. Well-known organic chefs served up snacks and meals in sections of the nature-themed hall.
The winner of the Olive Oil Award was determined by popular vote. “It was an important experience to take part in this competition and to see a good number of organic oil producers under one roof, all with the same goal to please the palate of the visitors and judges”, said Amir Qayyum, sales manager of NADEC, the National Agricultural Development Company in Saudi Arabia. NADEC’s oil won a merit award.
The personal care and wellness exhibition Vivaness, held in Hall 7A, had a successful second year. Almost 200 firms exhibited - 22% more than at the first 2007 edition. Firms from Israel, Latvia, Morocco, Portugal, Sweden, Spain and Turkey participated in Vivaness for the first time, according to organizer MesseNuernberg.
The African Pavilion in Hall 4, with musicians creating a lively atmosphere, drove strong traffic to about 75 companies. With some booths showcasing lesser-known, less-processed exotic fruits and crops, the pavilion featured everything from devil’s claw to fig jam to cashews.
Besides meetings and product presentations going on throughout the bustling exhibition halls, about 9,000 participants took advantage of the more than 100 organic industry and regulation-related events held at the BioFach Congress and Vivaness Forum.
There was no country of the year this time, but it was announced that Denmark will be the “Country of the Year” at BioFach 2009, next February 19-22.
