Organic vegetable production

Lectures

1. Historical overview of organic vegetables, importance and development. Current status at the moment in the European Union. Main point and principles of organic vegetable production. Use of the specific and peculiarities of the environment (forests, hedges, meadows, birds, ponds, has natural barriers etc.) to be included in the system of organic production. Organizing of organic vegetable farm. Established of organic farm in Bulgaria. /3 hours/

2. Substantiated vegetable crop rotations and mixed crops - basic unit in the system of organic vegetable production. Significance, principles, selection of the species, creating of differrent schemes. Application of specific vegetable crops and herbs in relation with nutrition regime and plant protection. /2 hours/

3. Possibilities for mainatin of an appropriate nutrien regime in terms of organic vegetable production. Types of fertilizers organic manuer, vermicompost etc. and materials for fertilization in organic farming. Green manure - a major opportunity to improve the nutritional properties of the media in organic cultivation of vegetable plants. /2 hours/

4. Composting. Composting methods, materials for composting, compost types, suitable for use in organic vegetable production. /2 hours/

5. Mulch and types of mulch application in organic vegetable production. /1 hours/

6. Plant protection in the system of organic farming of vegetables. /2 hours/

7. Specific elements of organic cultivation of main vegetable crops. /2 hours/

8. Harvesting, preparing for the selling of organic products. / 1 hours/

Seminars and practical exercises

1. Craeating of appropriate substantiated schemes of vegetable crop rotation. /3 hours/

2. Creating of schemes of mixed crops - inclusion of appropriate species, planning of available crops, distribution in the bed. /3 hours/

3. Special features of the environment (forests, hedges, meadows, birds, ponds, has natural barriers etc.) and opportunities for inclusion in the system of organic vegetable production. /3 hours/

4. Creation of technology for organic cultivation of some vegetable crops. Guidelines for the preparation of the essay. 5.Seminar. Discussion on the essays in the field of organic vegetable growing on pre-defined topic in group of three students. /3 hours /

Sample of Essay Topics:

1. Growing vegetables in an organic method in home garden.

2. Opportunities for composting at home conditions.

3. Study of the market, the supply with organic vegetable production and consumption in Krakow.

4. Special features of the environment in the region of Krakow and their application in organic vegetable production.

5. Technology for production of vermicompst.

Davies, G. And M. Lennartsson 2006. Organic Vegetable Production. A Complete Guide. Henry Dobleday Research association. 352 pp

Gabinger, V.1999. Sustainable Vegetable Production from Start-Up to Market, PAKS Publishing, Cornell University, 268 pp

Gerald Brust, Daniel S. Egel, Vincennes, IN 47591; Elizabeth T. Maynard, 2010. Organic Vegetable production, Purdue University, 20 pp.

Liuhi M., 1999. Ecological vegetable production. BioSelena, Sofia, 21 pp.

Milton E McGiffen, Jr. Organic Vegetable Production Manual 2011 86 pp University of California.

Panayotov, N. 2000. Introduction of organic vegetable crop production. Agro-ecological Center, Agricultural University. Plovdiv, 68 pp (Bg)

Panaytov, N. 2004. Organic vegetable production. In Manolov Iv and Hr. Yancheva (eds.) Organic agricultural. 110-186 pp (Bg)

Steve Diver 2001 Resource guide to organic & sustainable vegetable production. ATTARA Pres, 62 pp.

Vogtman H., 1990. Ecological gardening. Ecological agriculture Foundation, 96 pp

Exercises and essay evaluation