| A | B |
|---|
| Allelopathy | The release of a substance by one plant that is toxic to another plant. |
| Best Management Practices | A proven or time tested standard way of doing things that multiple organizations can use. |
| Composting | Piling organic materials under conditions that cause rapid decay. Reduces the carbon-nitrogen ratio and destroys many weed seeds & disease organisms. |
| Cover Crop | A crop planted to prevent erosion on a soil. Cover crops can be planted on soils not currently being farmed, between crop rows, or after main crop harvest. |
| Crop Rotation | Practice of growing a series of dissimilar types of crops in the same space in sequential seasons for various benefits. |
| Green Manure | A crop grown with the intention of plowing under while still green to improve soil structure, fertility, tilth, organic matter, and nitrogen level (if a legume). |
| Mesophilic | Organisms whose optimum temperature for growth is an intermediate range, between 59 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Dominant microorganisms in early & late stages of composting. |
| Mulch | Materials such as straw, sawdust, leaves, plastic film, and the like, spread upon the surface of the soil to protect the soil & plant roots from the effects of raindrops, soil crusting, freezing, evaporation, and so on. |
| Organic Standards | A framework of guidelines and regulations that govern the production of organic crops. |
| Thermophilic | An organism that thrives at high temperatures. Optimum temperature range for growth is about 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Dominates composts during middle stage of decay. |
