On Farm Variety Trials

On Farm Variety Trials

Toolkit for Risk Management of Organic and Specialty Crop Producers

Seed is a farmer’s first defense in the field, so identifying the best varieties through on-farm trials is an important risk management tool, especially for organic producers who don’t use chemical controls for production challenges, such as disease and pest pressures. Growers rely on varieties that perform well in their local climate and environmental conditions, include important production characteristics (e.g. disease resistance), and meet market demands. This toolkit of resources to  help you plan and conduct on-farm variety trials includes webinars, a guide to conducting on-farm variety trials and an online trial planning and analysis tool.

This project is a partnership between the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA), Organic Seed Alliance (OSA), University Wisconsin-Madison, Oregon State University, eOrganic and the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Services (MOSES). It is funded by the USDA Risk Management Agency award # RM17RMEPP522C027.

National priorities for organic vegetable variety trials

We conducted a survey and planning workshop withe the Organic Seed Alliance and Oregon State University on national priorities for organic vegetable variety trials.  Find the report from the survey and workshop here: Organic Variety Trials and Seeds Summit Proceedings