Developing Critical Tools for Organic Farmers

By Walter Goldstein, Research Program Director

We are working to supply organic farmers with a special seed corn that is naturally high in essential amino acids. This is a critical development for the future of organic poultry production. Birds with inadequate methionine, an essential amino acid, suffer from poor feather production, poor health, and low egg production. To meet the nutritional needs of their birds, organic poultry producers currently supplement their rations with synthetic methionine. However, recent rulings by the USDA National Organic Programs have made clear that organic farmers may not feed synthetic methionine after October 2008. That's where Michael Fields steps in.

Our research team is working to avoid an abrupt disruption in the supply of organic poultry and eggs by creating a reliable supply stream of affordable, naturally high-methionine corn for farmers, grain handlers, and feeders. This year, we bred high methionine corn, evaluated it in field trials with collaborators in Iowa and Minnesota, supplied high methionine corn for feeding trials, and developed a test for methionine and other essential amino acids that can be used by breeders and grain marketers. Our team includes not only MFAI's own research staff, including stalwart Bill Barber and our new Research Assistants, Laura Smith and Hugo Gonzales Dupuy, but also major contributions from USDA, Iowa State University, Practical Farms of Iowa, the Organic Valley Egg Pool, the University of Minnesota, two Seed Companies, a consortium of organic poultry companies (the Methionine Task Force), and the USDA's Germplasm Enhancement of Maize project.

Other highlights from this year include our winter nurseries in Chile and Hawaii, and production of new high methionine hybrids for commercial testing. In our nursery in Chile, we reproduce our corn lines and make hybrids, producing much needed seed. Furthermore, our Midwest trials of high methionine corn are helping us to identify which of our cultivars will be acceptable to farmers in terms of grain yield and ability to stand up under stress. Our feeding trials with Organic Valley and the University of Minnesota suggest that if our high methionine corn is fed to layers and broilers instead of synthetic methionine, there is no loss in growth or productivity.

This work would not be possible without the help of several institutions. Financial assistance from the Methionine Task Force is enabling us to multiply high methionine breeding lines and hybrids overseas. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Value Added Program and USDA are enabling us to develop needed testing methods and to breed and test high methionine corn varieties. Organic Valley is helping us to fund our new intern, Hugo Gonzales Dupuy from Peru. Additionally, support from the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center makes possible our new research assistant position.

With help from the Agricultural Section of the Goetheanum, in Dornach, Switzerland, we are also beginning a project with cooperating farmers in three states to better clarify soil quality and how it changes through the growing season.

For more information, please contact Walter Goldstein.