The 2010 ASHS Annual Conference

Objective(s):
The objective of this workshop is to explore differences in the root environment and its function between conventional and organic farming systems.

Soil environments differ considerably between organic and conventional farming systems.  In general, organic production systems have much higher inputs and retention of organic matter, which lead to larger labile pools of C, greater microbial activity, and increased availability of soil nutrients compared to systems that receive only mineral fertilizers.  In this workshop, we will explore how such differences influence presence and function of roots and associations with microbial organisms in the rhizosphere.  The speakers will discuss recent research on this topic and explore benefits and difficulties associated with soil management in organic horticultural production.