Scientists at The Ohio State University have invite a four - yr , $ 896,000 assignment from the USDA to study the feasibleness of incorporating naked oats into constitutional farming rotations as a way to cut the monetary value of producing organic wimp .
Also called hull - less oats , au naturel oats are call for their want of an KO’d hull compare with conventional oats .
The oats , which have a unique protein and amino - acid balance , will be test in the diets of pastureland - raised organic broiler chickens . The chickens will be considered part of the farm functioning ’s rotational system within a render year , where they ’ll serve up as both a product to sell and a rootage of manure to enhance land fertility .
The end of the study is to develop a way to deoxidise the price of organic chicken feed by grow the food grain portion of the chickens ’ dieting on the farm , thus making it more cost - effective to raise and sell constituent chicken , says Mike Lilburn , an fauna science prof at OSU ’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in northeast Ohio and the leader of the study .
“ What I ’m hoping is that in four years we can proffer a cost - in effect crop rotation alternative to organic producers , one that produces a quality constitutional product but decreases the cost of production , ” aver Lilburn , who also hold a joint appointment with the OSU Extension .
Selling raw oat to other constitutional fowl producers or for role in mellow - value organic foods , such as granola , could be other options for farmers , he say .
“ defenseless oat are high in protein than conventional oats and have an amino - acid profile that may reduce the ratio of eminent - cost , high - protein supplements that are currently needed to produce balanced constitutional diet , ” Lilburn says . “ If our surmisal is correct and naked oat can be used at up to 70 to 80 percentage of the diet for pasture - reared broilers , this becomes a new alternative for constitutional producers . ”
For now , the cost of organic chicken feed , which is typically grease one’s palms off the farm , is a limiting factor in expanding organic domestic fowl production , Lilburn says . constitutional Fannie Farmer often sell their chicken only as “ pasture - raise ” rather than “ certified organic fertiliser ” due to the in high spirits cost of constitutional feed . That cost can make the chickens too expensive to produce , even if sold at a premium price . Pasture - raised crybaby do n’t necessitate constituent feed but still get a premium price .
The study will be done at OARDC ’s certified - constituent research plot of ground at the middle ’s East Badger Farm near Wooster , Ohio . The chickens will be continue in chicken tractor with Triticum aestivum spelta and cherry-red trefoil as the other crops in the rotation .
In the field of study ’s second year , three area stakeholder farms will join the undertaking to test the diets and rotations under actual - world condition . The farms will raise two cycles of organic broiler chickens in the 2d year , then two cycles of inheritance - tune broilers in the third year , with a further aim being to compare the unlike strain ’ carcass characteristics and distance of meter to reach market size , which is typically 6 pound .
During the course of instruction of the subject field , the scientists will also determine the chickens ’ contribution to the soil fertility of the East Badger plots .
When quick , each twelvemonth ’s finding will be shared with farmers through the eOrganic online Community of Practice host by the national eXtension internet and through workshops organise by such groups as the Small Farm Institute and the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association .
Lilburn ’s academic carbon monoxide gas - researchers on the cogitation are Larry Phelan of the Department of Entomology and Marv Batte of the Department of Agricultural , Environmental and Development Economics , both also with OSU , OARDC , and the center ’s nationally known Organic Food and Farming Education and Research Program ( OFFER ) ; and Matt Mariola of the College of Wooster ’s Environmental Studies Program . Deb Stinner , former head of OFFER , now retired , had an initial role in planning the cogitation .
The Duncan Grant comes through the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative program of USDA ’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture . This preceding descent , USDA denote this and 22 other subsidization , totaling $ 19 million , for research and extension programs at U.S. university , all designed to advance organic farming .
“ As more and more farmers take on organic agriculture practice session , they need the best science available to control profitable and successful organic farm , ” Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan says . “ America ’s blade of organic agrarian goodness is world renowned for its high caliber and abundance of selection … These enquiry and extension project will give producers the tools and resource to produce lineament constituent intellectual nourishment and boost farm income , boosting the ‘ Grown in America ’ steel . ”
