OBF flashcards
OBF · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Organic system plan
- A written document describing production practices, materials used, monitoring methods, and record-keeping that a certified operation follows and updates when practices change.
- National List
- The regulatory list specifying synthetic substances allowed in organic production and non-synthetic substances prohibited from use, reviewed periodically.
- 36-month transition
- The period during which no prohibited substances may be applied to land before a crop harvested from it can be sold as organic.
- Ruminant pasture rule
- Requires grazing for at least 120 days per year and at least 30 percent dry matter intake from pasture for organic ruminants.
- Crop rotation
- A planned sequence of different crops on the same land that interrupts pest cycles, balances nutrients, and reduces dependence on external inputs.
- Biological pest control
- Management of pests using living organisms such as predators, parasitoids, and pathogens, supported by habitat that sustains their populations.
- Net return per acre
- Gross revenue from a field minus variable and fixed costs attributed to it; used to compare practices more reliably than gross yield.
- Field trial replication
- Repeating each treatment in multiple plots so treatment effects can be distinguished from natural field variability and random error.
- Carbon-to-nitrogen ratio
- The balance of carbon and nitrogen in organic material; high ratios slow decomposition and can temporarily immobilize soil nitrogen.
- Economic threshold
- The pest density at which the cost of control equals the value of the crop loss prevented, marking the point where treatment pays.
- Soil pH and nutrients
- A measure of soil acidity that governs nutrient availability; values below about 6.0 reduce phosphorus availability and legume nodulation.
- Diagnostic order for crops
- A systematic sequence checking water, nutrients, pests, disease, and chemical injury, using field distribution patterns to isolate the cause.
- Compost maturity
- The stage when decomposition slows, temperature declines after the hot phase, and the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio approaches roughly 25 to 30 to 1.
- Cover crop termination
- The timing and method of ending a cover crop, which determines whether nitrogen is released to the next crop or temporarily tied up.
- Certification process
- The sequence of application, plan review, on-site inspection, and certificate issuance, repeated annually to maintain organic status.
- Audit trail records
- Documents linking inputs, field activities, harvests, and sales that allow an inspector to verify organic integrity from field to market.
- Split operation controls
- Procedures that keep organic and non-organic products separate during storage, handling, and transport to prevent commingling.
- Buffer zone
- A physical distance or barrier that protects an organic field from prohibited substances applied on adjacent land or from contamination.
- Supplier certificate verification
- Confirming that purchased inputs come from certified sources with current documentation, while also checking that the material is allowed for the intended use.
- Sanitation as pest control
- Cleaning and preventive controls in handling facilities that remove food and habitat, limiting pest and pathogen establishment.
- Organic labeling tiers
- Labeling categories based on organic content: 100 percent organic, organic at 95 percent or more, and made with organic ingredients at 70 percent or more.
- Below 70 percent rule
- Products with less than 70 percent organic ingredients may list them on the information panel but cannot use the organic seal.
- Residue testing response
- Detection of a prohibited substance triggers investigation by the certifier and may lead to loss of certification.
- Traceability requirement
- The ability to follow a product from field through handling to sale, deterring fraud and supporting enforcement of labeling rules.
- Conflict of interest disclosure
- Inspectors and certifiers must reveal financial or personal interests in an operation and recuse themselves from assessing it.
- Confidential business information
- Sensitive operational data collected during certification that must be protected and not disclosed without proper authorization.
- Contamination remediation plan
- A documented response to prohibited substance use on organic land, defining corrective actions and the period before organic status returns.
- Must, may, must not
- A communication framework that separates requirements, allowances, and prohibitions so audiences clearly understand what the organic rules permit.
- Drift notification
- Written notice to neighboring farms about planned applications, reducing the risk of prohibited substances reaching organic fields.
- Evidence-based recommendation
- Advice grounded in cited data such as soil tests or replicated trial results, allowing the audience to evaluate the reasoning.
- Data-sharing agreement
- A written arrangement specifying which records are exchanged, with whom, and for what purpose, protecting confidentiality among collaborators.
- Seasonal review meeting
- A structured team discussion of observed results that adjusts practices and improves shared understanding of the operation's plan.