Organic agricultural products have certainly gained momentum in the foliar industry over the last decade. However, ever since the U.S. Department of Agriculture began to regulate “organic” fertilizers and pesticides, companies across the world have had to comply with strict standards in order to promote the “organic” nature of their products. The USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) was established in order to regulate specific standards for U.S. farms, wild crop harvesting, or the sale of agricultural products being marketed and produced organically.

According to NOP, organic refers to the labeling term which indicates food or other agricultural products that are produced with compliance to NOP’s approved methods. From biological to cultural to mechanical practices, those labeling their products as organic must ensure that they promote ecological balance, foster cycling of resources, and conserve biodiversity. There is a myriad of incredible benefits and advantages to using all organic products in harvesting crops.

The following are some of the greatest advantages to using organic fertilizers:

• Nutrients are released slower and consistently, deterring the likelihood of a boom-and-bust pattern
• Soil nutrients that are already on the grounds are mobilized, which wastes much less while lowering the density of nutrients
• Soil structure is vastly improved
• Soil moisture is optimal, reducing moisture stress and benefiting crop growth
• Topsoil erosion is better prevented
• No need to continually reapply fertilizers, compared with artificial fertilizers which require constant applications and heavy use
• Local organic fertilizers are less costly than their artificial counterparts

Agriculture in the United States today has come a long way. Producing foods organically starts with organic fertilizers. Allowing the plants, fruits, and vegetables to consume good microorganisms will lead to healthier, stronger, and thriving crops. Together, the environment will sustain the pressures of human nature as organic products continue to become a mainstay for growers and gardeners.

Fall is often the prime time to plan shrubs, trees, grass seed and sod, perennials, and bulbs. With cooler temperatures and fantastic growing conditions, September is typically the time that growers and gardeners prepare for large harvests and plentiful crop. From a smaller scale perspective, even home gardeners will find that September is an excellent month to seed the lawn for the entire year. Thicker and healthier lawns are seeded in September and thrive throughout the year with proper fertilization.

In many cases, September is also a great time to add color to your plants and trees. The following are some of the plants and trees that thrive and bring color in September:

• Crape Myrtles
• Viburnums
• Hydrangeas
• Beautyberry
• Cotoneaster
• Butterfly Bush
• Hypericum
• Potentilla
• Pyracantha

September is also the time when deciduous trees and evergreens should be fed with shrub and tree food. In doing so, the trees and shrubs will flourish during the fall months. In addition, we suggest planting the following perennials in September:

• Ccabiosa
• Corepsis
• Ornamental grasses

All growers must remember to mulch after planning when waiting until late fall to plant bulbs. Mulch plays an enormous role in insulating the soil and keeping the area warm for optimal root growth. Finally, leaf lettuce, radishes, turnips, and beets should be seeded in September for a healthy, thriving fruit and vegetable garden in the fall season.

Growers can attest to the fact that powdery mildew is one of the biggest headaches in their day to day. As one of the most widespread plant diseases today, powdery mildew can truly alter a crop’s ability to flourish and thrive properly. When warm and dry weather is present, powdery mildew is abundant and threatening. Even worse, there is really no escaping it. Powdery mildew does not discriminate when it comes to plant; they attack vegetables, fruit trees, grasses, flowers, shrubs, weeds, and many types of trees. While a number of plants have been able to develop a resistance and/or tolerance for powdery mildew, creating a plan for controlling and restricting attacks is imperative.

Typically recognized by patches or spots of white, then yellowish, then black areas on your precious plants, powdery mildew is a powerful and dangerous fungus. While the powdery mildew will be seen on the top of leaves, the fungus will also be present on the bottom of leaves as well as the buds, young stems, young fruit, and flowers. One of the most difficult concepts to grasp when it comes to powdery mildew infestations certainly surrounds the unique attraction to warm, dry weather. Powdery mildew thrives in the wet leaf surface.

The following tips should be followed in order to reduce the likelihood of a powdery mildew infestation:

• Avoid crowding your plants
• Keep air circulation at relatively high levels
• Avoid shaded and damp regions
• Control humidity levels
• Young plant tissues are most susceptible to attacks
• Most damaging to pumpkins, cyclamen, squash, and begonia

It is also important to remember that growers should avoid watering their crops from overhead, as this is a trigger for humidity. In addition, once an infestation is detected it is vital to remove every plant part that is infected. Powdery mildew infestations expand quickly when damaged leaves are not removed. Finally, keep in mind that powdery mildew is able to adapt to the host plant’s characteristics, so purchase a powdery mildew killer immediately to treat your crops.

For years, indoor gardeners have suffered at the hands of spider mites. As medical marijuana continues to legalize throughout the United States, 19 of 50 states as well as Washington, D.C. have legalized the drug, it is more important than ever for growers to understand the tricks behind protecting their crop. Far too many growers look to research spider mite killing products once an infestation has surfaced. Unfortunately, this is typically a point in time where much of the harvest has already suffered. Rapidly reproducing and attacking, spider mites present a serious threat to indoor growers trying to build upon their medical marijuana crops.

In what can literally happen overnight, growers have found that they often lose an entire crop due to a spider mite infestation. The two-spotted spider mite is the biggest culprit to date. These mites are particularly attracted to medical marijuana crops and are often able to continually resist treatments to eradicate them. Getting rid of spider mites for good entails picking a product that maintains the following crucial components:

• Kills spider mite eggs to prevent future infestations
• Kills on contact to remove current infestations
• Composed completely organically
• Able to be used at all times, germination through harvest
• No harmful chemicals
• Non-burning
• Safe to use under any light

Growers should also make sure that the spider mite killer chosen has been laboratory tested. Indoor gardeners often struggle to find a product that is safe to use under any type light. Medical marijuana growers must pay special attention to the product’s ability to perform under lighting. In addition, organic products are certainly preferable for medical marijuana. Finally, the spider mite killer must also attack the eggs and mites on contact, to stop infestations from getting out of control and completely destroying a crop.

All in all, medical marijuana growers must act quickly when it comes to spider mite infestations. As more time goes on, the likelihood of salvaging infested crops decreases significantly.

For most growers, it comes as no surprise that nonorganic pesticides are incredibly dangerous for the land, the crops, and the end-consumers of any grown products. However, one of the most terrifying developments in the use of nonorganic pesticides has come in developing countries who fail to store their pesticides carefully. Sadly, stories continue to trickle in regarding pesticides being stored next to food and farming areas and causing a growing number of deaths throughout Ghana.

Ghana’s pesticide catastrophe is certainly not a new discovery. Last year, a study was published that highlighted the vast dangers linked to pesticides used in Ghana and the need for the government to get involved and take further action. Ghana farmers have first and foremost felt the effects of pesticides both during and after application. Form shortness of breath to body weakness to skin irritations, chemicals inhaled on the farms is causing serious illness amongst Ghana’s farmers.

Additionally, the misuse of pesticides is a threat to far more than simply the farmers, but for all of those people who will eventually consume the products being farmers. The storage of pesticides is another key issue in Ghana. A growing number of recent deaths and severe illnesses have begun to plague the country, all pointing to storing pesticides containers inside of or in close proximity to food stores. When the public consumes these food products, they are at risk of many diseases as well as death.

Unfortunately, without ample government regulations, the pesticide problem in Ghana will continue to grow. Private companies have a stronghold on the sale of pesticides in the country and those that are not sold by private companies are typically smuggled or unlicensed. All of these factors contribute to the severe health risk of all Ghana residents. The bottom line seems to be that organic pesticides must find their way to Ghana to begin to reduce the effects that current pesticides has had on the country’s overall health.

Organic agriculture has quite a few definitions and depending upon who you ask, quite a few different benefits and advantages. The bottom line, however, is that using synthetic pesticides and fertilizers creates a slippery slope down the road to potentially disastrous environmental and social impacts throughout the world. Things such as additives, preservatives, veterinary drugs, and genetically modified seeds threaten the health of the world’s environment. Therefore, a push towards organic growing continues to build steam throughout the United States.

Long-term soil fertility is maintained and encouraged through the application of organic agriculture. Preventing the onset of pests and diseases is entirely achievable through organic growing practices. In fact, as more and more attention is placed on the value of organic growing, the options expand and the prices go down, giving little excuse to those who choose to grow with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

Here are some of the most important benefits of organic growing:

• Long-term sustainability
• Enhancement of healthy, fertile soil nutrients
• Water infiltration is improved drastically
• Mitigation of the greenhouse effect
• Mitigation of global warming
• Biodiversity
• Conservation of nature
• Increase in agriculture production
• Natural resource increases

Creating a culture of organic growing is critical to the future of the farming industry. As the nation continues to lean towards organic practices in an effort to maintain the environment, it is important for all growers to contribute the best way possible. Something as simple as changing to organic pesticides and organic fertilizers can make a significant difference today and, more importantly, for our tomorrow.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has voiced a number of concerns regarding corn crop in farms across the country. According to the most recent USDA Crop Progress Report, the U.S. is 50 percent behind schedule for corn crop silked in a five-year comparison. As of July 15^th, only 16 percent of the U.S. corn crop was silked and the average percentage during mid-July is typically closer to 35 percent.

Most farmers will point to the “nature of the beast”, as farm country sheds light on the delayed progress of their fields. This past spring brought record-level rains across the country. As a result, corn crop was kept out of the field by growers. As they prepare to go into pollination, growers are now faced with a crop-growth delay. The impending issues regarding this late pollination may make bigger waves than some growers would think.

Due to these delays, it is likely that the corn crop will not pollinate until late July, even early August. If this is in fact the case, the corn will be growing in conditions of low moisture and high heat. Missy Bauer, an associate field agronomist of the Farm Journal, warns farmers that the late crops may be susceptible to substantial kernel abortion. Take a look at the link here to view the video where Missy highlights the issues surrounding late pollination this year.

In addition to kernel abortion, Missy warns about the potential for pest pressure. When crops take a longer amount of time to pollinate, pests are in turn given more time to infiltrate and feed. As such, all growers should be well-aware of the state of their corn crop this summer.

Since World War II ended, agriculture throughout the world transformed significantly. First, due to the massive increases in production and new technologies, labor demands were reduced and fewer farmers where required to provide the food and fiber to the United States. While these advancements were beneficial in many ways, they also led to a number of negative consequences such as a vast reduction in family farms, groundwater contamination, poor working conditions for farm laborers, increases in production costs, and much more. As a result, the last 20 years have focused on sustainable agriculture to help reduce the social, economic, and environmental concerns.

Sustainable agriculture provides new opportunities to growers, consumers, and policymakers to make a true difference in the nation’s food system. In general, sustainable agriculture focuses on the following:

• Economic Profitability
• Environmental Health
• Social and Economic Equity

By focusing on the above three elements, sustainable agriculture will maximize resources in order to lay a solid foundation for the future. By keeping our future generations in mind with each and every agricultural and environmental decision, we are keeping sustainability at the forefront of each initiative. In doing so, the ecosystem will be able to benefit for many years to come.

In recent years, water has become one of the hottest topics in terms of natural resources. Sustainable agriculture accounts for keeping water supply and water quality at optimal levels for farming and consumption. In addition, wildlife plays a significant role in enhancing the ecosystem. From growers to farmers to landscapers to winery owners, maintaining a sense of sustainable agriculture is imperative to the future of our ecosystem. As each agricultural realm comes together in an effort to maximize sustainable, the world will greatly benefit for many years to come.