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OMRI Materials Review

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A guest article from SaskOrganics

Deb Tuchelt, Programs Coordinator, SaskOrganics
Myriam Fernandez, Research scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Swift Current Research & Development Centre

Over the last two years, grasshoppers have been wreaking havoc on many parts of the Canadian Prairies. When these voracious pests descend on an area, they can severely damage plants, in some cases devouring crops so thoroughly as to leave previously green fields brown and barren. They have even been known to...

By Lindsay Fernandez-Salvador

Methionine (MET) is an essential amino acid that supports complex metabolic processes in poultry, including the synthesis of body proteins that make up muscles, organs and feathers. A lack of methionine nutrition in poultry can lead to reduced immune function and may result in poor feathering, feather pecking, cannibalism and mortality. While birds can obtain methionine from dietary sources such as fish, sunflower meals and insects, it can be difficult to ensure they have sufficient amounts from their...

How does OMRI review chelates under the COR standards?

By Maddie Nagy

In general, chelation of crop nutrients and production aids is allowed under the Canada Organic Regime (COR), with some exceptions. There are several entries on Canada’s Permitted Substances List (PSL, CAN/CGSB-32.311-2020) that specify that...

Does OMRI restrict compost tea products?

By Annie Amos

Compost tea is made by steeping compost in water. Typically, manufacturers aerate the tea during the steeping process, and then filter it to get a liquid product that will not clog irrigation or spray lines. Manufacturers may add other ingredients such as molasses or yeast to increase microbial growth. Crop producers use compost tea for a variety of purposes, including plant disease control and soil fertility. Because it is a liquid, the microbial biomass, fine...

This article describing our policy position on Corn Steep Liquor (CSL) was reposted to our website on January 13, 2011, after originally appearing in our spring 2010 OMRI Materials Review newsletter. Subsequent to reposting, the NOSB met again in April 2011 to further discuss CSL. While our position did not substantively change following the April 2011 NOSB meeting, we are amending the article to include additional details that resulted from the discussion.

This article describes OMRI’s position regarding CSL,...

What alternatives to antibiotics exist for the control of fire blight on fruits such as apple and pear in organic production? 

By Amber Lippert

If you grow pome fruits (such as apple, pear, and quince), chances are you know about fire blight. This destructive disease is caused by a bacterium, Erwinia amylovora, which forms cankers that can kill branches and tree trunks. Bacterial “ooze” infects flower blossoms and new shoots, and subsequently spreads into woody tissues. The bacteria can also be spread by...

Is charcoal allowed as a soil amendment in organic farming?

The answer depends on how the charcoal is made. If the charcoal is produced by burning untreated plants or animals, then the charcoal would be permitted as a soil amendment on organic farms. Guidance NOP 5034-1, Materials for Organic Crop Production lists biochar as an allowed nonsynthetic substance. Charcoal produced by burning manure, sewage sludge or fossil fuel sources, such as coal, is prohibited.

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What extraction processes and carriers are prohibited and allowed for use in flavors used in organic processing?

Organic standards have additional requirements for flavors beyond what are considered natural flavors used in conventional foods. To begin with, some ingredients that are identified as “natural flavors” are in fact “nature identical” substances that are synthetic, such as ethyl citrate. These are not the same as true nonsynthetic flavors.

Natural flavors may contain synthetic solvents, carriers and...

What is EDDI, and why is it used? Can it be used as a feed additive for organic cows?

EDDI stands for ethylenediamine dihydriodide, a synthetic feed additive. EDDI is also used for therapeutic purposes and administered subtherapeutically for the claimed prevention of certain diseases. Because it is Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) in small doses by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and because the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) refers to EDDI as an nutritional source of iodine, OMRI recognizes...

What is sugar (beet) lime, how is it made, and why is it prohibited for use in USDA organic crop production?

Beet sugar refineries typically operate on-site limekilns that burn limestone to produce calcium oxide—also known as burned lime or quick lime. In addition to calcium oxide, carbon dioxide is also produced. Both calcium oxide and carbon dioxide are used in sugar refining processes, and the chemical reaction can be written as follows:

CaCO3 + heat → CaO  + CO2

Cane sugar refining...