On the Farm and in the Garden

Agricultural studies conducted by Farm Fuel Inc. have focused on three uses of mustard seed meal:

• Soil Fumigant
• Fertilizer
• Weed Control

Objectives

The objective of the research conducted by Farm Fuel Inc. is to determine the potential value added benefits from mustard meal treatments in California agriculture. While the existence of the pesticide properties of mustard meal are well known, before recent studies conducted by Farm Fuel Inc. it was not yet known what ways were best to selectively apply the meal to particular crops and cropping systems in order to increase yields and improve sustainable productivity in farming systems.

Mustard seed meal offers the advantage of being one product that may be used to control soil disease, safely and effectively fertilize crops, and control weeds. Much of Farm Fuel Inc.'s research has also been focused on determining the appropriate applications of mustard seed meal. This includes the mix of mustard species that is most useful (different types of mustard offer different amounts of fumigation or pesticidal properties), the amount of meal to use, and the timing of the meal application. Current research is focusing on how mustard seed meal specifically controls soil diseases and how it may enhance healthy soil flora by feeding the soil to grow better produce.

Teamwork

A group at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho has been researching the possibility of using mustard seed meal with high glucosinolate content as a natural pesticide for the last decade. Farm Fuel Inc. stays in close contact with the research staff from the University of Idaho while conducting mustard meal field trials in California in order to take advantage of previous field trial findings on this topic. Farm Fuel Inc. has worked closely with Matt Morra Ph.D. at the University of Idaho to develop realistic applications of mustard seed meal on working farms and gardens.

Information for Growers

FFI is in its 3rd year of trials on the central coast of California. Mustard seed meal offers a N-P-K ratio of 6-1-1 and in tests has proven to be a comparable fertilizer to commercially available fertilizers such as cottonseed meal. We have found exceptional results particularly in strawberry cultivation. Application of mustard seed meal in research trials has increased strawberry yield up to 50 percent. We have also found that mustard seed meal may control many agricultural weeds (some of which effect the home gardener as well).  Please contact FFI for more specific information about trials and crop types.  Please reference the reading list below for more information about mustard seed meal in strawberry cultivation.

Reading list for Strawberry Growers

Landscaping and Environmental Restoration