Research
ORC's research is aimed at answering the needs and addressing the questions of the UK organic sector.In order to successfully address these needs, ORC believes, and has demonstrated, that organic agricultural research should be conducted within established and well functioning organic systems, on a scale large enough to include the range of interactions inherent within diverse agro-ecosystems.
ORC believes this systems research approach provides the best approach to organic systems research and aims, wherever possible, to undertake research in this way.
| PolicyFind out more about ORC's current policy related research projects. | 
| SystemsFind out more about ORC's current system related research projects. |
| Soil, water and nutrientsFind out about current projects concerning soil, water and nutrients. | 
| Crops programmeFind out about current projects in the area of crops and plants. |
| Animals and the environmentFind out more about research projects concerning animals and the environment | 
| Other detailsMore information about ORC's research projects and partners. |
Research projects include:
Policy
· A Review of the Knowledge of the Impacts of GMOs on Organic FarmingORC Genetic Engineering Programme
· Colloquium of Organic Researchers (COR)
· Organic Farming in Bedfordshire: Constraints and Solutions
· European Consortium for Organic Plant Breeding (ECO-PB)
· Field Scale Evaluations Appraisal
· Animal Welfare Issues
· Seed Company Ownership
· What issues and aspirations do stakeholders feel should be addressed by publicly funded research into organic farming in the UK
· Learning and research for sustainable agro-ecosystems by both farmers and scientists
· Quality and Environmental Benchmarking for Organic Agriculture
· ENEAC - the European Network for Eco Agro-Culture
Whole Systems
· Wakelyns Agroforestry, Suffolk· Agroforestry Systems for Organic Chicken Production
· Functional Biodiversity
System Parts
· Clover: Cereal Bicropping for Organic Farms· Companion Cropping for Organic Field Vegetables
· Making the Case for Organic Milk
Soil and Nutrients
· Optimisation of Phosphorous and Potassium Management within Organic Farming Systems· Improving N Use and Performance of Arable Crops on Organic Farms Using an Expert Group
· Managing Manure on Organic Farms
· Modelling Manure NPK Flows in Organic Farming Systems to Minimise Nitrate Leaching, Ammonia Volatilisation and Nitrous Oxide Emissions (MANMOD)
· GROWS Project
Crops Programme
Current research projects include:· 'Wheat Breeding LINK': Adaptive winter wheat populations: development, genetic characterisation and application
· 'Wheat Breeding' (AR 0914): Generating & Evaluating a Novel Genetic Resource in Wheat in Diverse Environments
· 'Oat LINK' (LK0954):The incorporation of important traits underlying sustainable development of the oat crop through combining 'conventional' phenotypic selection with molecular marker technologies
· 'Wheat LINK (LK0970)':Sustainable low-input cereal production: required varietal characteristics and crop diversity
· 'Ergot LINK (LK0962)':Towards a sustainable whole-farm approach to the control of Ergot
Past research projects include:
· 'Participatory Cereals (OF0330)':Cereal varieties for organic production:developing a participatory approach to seed production and varietal selection
· 'Participatory Weeds' (OF0315):Participatory Investigation of the Management of Weeds in Organic Farming Systems
· A review of Knowledge: Inter-Row Hoeing and its Associated Agronomy in Organic Cereal and Pulse Crops (OF0312)
· 'Blight Mop':Potato Variety Mixtures to Reduce Blight (Blight-MOP)
· EFRC Cereal Varieties and Mixtures Trials
· Alternative, Non-animal Based Nutrient Sources for Organic Plant Raising (OF0308)
· Economic & Agronomic Feasibility of Organic Vegetable Seed Production in the UK and Subsequent Seed Quality
· Breeding Brassicas for Genetic Diversity
· Development of Disease Control Strategies for Organically Grown Field Vegetables (DOVE)
· Overwinter Transplant Production for Extended Season Organic Cropping
· Clover Varieties: Early Bite
Animals
· Agroforestry Systems for Organic Chicken Production· Ley Mixes & Parasites
· Enhanced biodiversity and the risk to food safety: Campylobacter and Poultry
· Towards One Hundred Percent Organic: Research and development to achieve a one hundred percent organic ration for the Sheepdrove poultry system: Trial 1
· Towards One Hundred Percent Organic: Research and development to achieve a one hundred percent organic ration for the Sheepdrove poultry system: Trial 2 – Differing formulations of one hundred percent rations
· Towards One Hundred Percent Organic: Research and development to achieve a one hundred percent organic ration for the Sheepdrove poultry system: Trial 3 – The winter season and bird performance on one hundred percent organic ration
Environment
· Factors Influencing Biodiversity within Organic and Conventional Systems of Arable Farming· Development and Evaluation of Whole Farm Conservation Plans for Organic Farming Systems
Details of the research projects listed above can be found in ORC’s publication - Looking Closer Seeing Further: The Research of EFRC.
Organic Research Centre’s Research Partners
ORC works collaboratively on projects and in its dissemination of results with a number of UK and European partners.Europe-wide, ORC was a founding member of The European Consortium for Organic Plant Breeding (ECO-PB) – for more information see their website www.ecopb.org.
We are members of FQH – the International Research Association for Organic Food Quality and Health. www.organicfqhresearch.org.
In the UK, ORC and HDRA work closely together under their Initiative on Organic Research (IOR). It was also a founding member of the Colloquium of Organic Researchers (COR) – contact our research department for more details of both. ORC is also a partner in Organic Centre Wales.
ORC works closely with IOTA, who have undertaken collation and analysis of organic research. Reports with practical recommendations for use by advisers and others is available on www.organicadvice.org.uk/res_reviews_public.htm.
Organic eprints provides a fully searchable archive for all organic research. To upload results and search projects Europe wide go to www.orgprints.org.
