The Profit Potential of Certified Organic Field Crop Production

McBride, William D.; Greene, Catherine; Foreman, Linda F.; Ali, Mir B.

doi:10.2139/ssrn.2981672

Cited by 43 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Because it is not possible to simultaneously operate on all fields, farmer decisions often involve tradeoffs in sequencing, with the likelihood of poorer weed control under suboptimal soil moisture levels. Weed pressure is indeed the factor cited most often by farmers as their greatest management challenge (9). In contrast, in experimental plots, mechanical weed control can generally be conducted at optimal times.…”

Section: Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

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Field-scale experiments reveal persistent yield gaps in low-input and organic cropping systems

Kravchenko

Snapp

Robertson

2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Knowledge of production-system performance is largely based on observations at the experimental plot scale. Although yield gaps between plot-scale and field-scale research are widely acknowledged, their extent and persistence have not been experimentally examined in a systematic manner. At a site in southwest Michigan, we conducted a 6-y experiment to test the accuracy with which plot-scale crop-yield results can inform field-scale conclusions. We compared conventional versus alternative, that is, reduced-input and biologically based-organic, management practices for a cornsoybean-wheat rotation in a randomized complete block-design experiment, using 27 commercial-size agricultural fields. Nearby plot-scale experiments (0.02-ha to 1.0-ha plots) provided a comparison of plot versus field performance. We found that plot-scale yields well matched field-scale yields for conventional management but not for alternative systems. For all three crops, at the plot scale, reduced-input and conventional managements produced similar yields; at the field scale, reduced-input yields were lower than conventional. For soybeans at the plot scale, biological and conventional managements produced similar yields; at the field scale, biological yielded less than conventional. For corn, biological management produced lower yields than conventional in both plot-and field-scale experiments. Wheat yields appeared to be less affected by the experimental scale than corn and soybean. Conventional management was more resilient to field-scale challenges than alternative practices, which were more dependent on timely management interventions; in particular, mechanical weed control. Results underscore the need for much wider adoption of field-scale experimentation when assessing new technologies and production-system performance, especially as related to closing yield gaps in organic farming and in low-resourced systems typical of much of the developing world.field experiments | scaling | corn soybean wheat rotation | weed control | organic agriculture

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Section: Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent meta-analyses of plot-scale studies suggest organic yield penalties of 20-25% on average (6, 7), although possibly as low as 8% (8). Farmer surveys, on the other hand, report organic grain yield penalties of 27-34% (9). Why the disparity?…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Field-scale experiments reveal persistent yield gaps in low-input and organic cropping systems

Kravchenko

Snapp

Robertson

2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…Demand for organic grains continues to increase in the United States in response to growing consumer preference for organic feed (required for meat and milk production) and food-grade agricultural products (e.g., soymilk and tofu) [1]. Increasing societal demand for sustainable biomass accumulation to enhance physical suppression of weeds is critical to the success of no-till cash crop production.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cover Crop-Based, Organic Rotational No-Till Corn and Soybean Production Systems in the Mid-Atlantic United States

et al. 2017

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Cover crop-based, organic rotational no-till (CCORNT) corn and soybean production is becoming a viable strategy for reducing tillage in organic annual grain systems in the mid-Atlantic, United States. This strategy relies on mechanical termination of cover crops with a roller-crimper and no-till planting corn and soybean into cover crop mulches. Here, we report on recent research that focuses on integrated approaches for crop, nutrient and pest management in CCORNT systems that consider system and regional constraints for adoption in the mid-Atlantic. Our research suggests that no-till planting soybean into roller-crimped cereal rye can produce consistent yields. However, constraints to fertility management have produced less consistent no-till corn yields. Our research shows that grass-legume mixtures can improve N-release synchrony with corn demand and also improve weed suppression. Integration of high-residue inter-row cultivation improves weed control consistency and may reduce reliance on optimizing cover crop biomass accumulation for weed suppression. System-specific strategies are needed to address volunteer cover crops in later rotational phases, which result from incomplete cover crop termination with the roller crimper. The paucity of adequate machinery for optimizing establishment of cash crops into thick residue mulch remains a major constraint on CCORNT adoption. Similarly, breeding efforts are needed to improve cover crop germplasm and develop regionally-adapted varieties.

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“…for both feedstock and human consumption has grown continuously over the past decade. Increased demand has driven commodity prices to near record highs, and in many cases organic soybean sells for twice that of conventional soybean (McBride et al 2015). However, organic soybean production incurs considerably higher operational costs than conventional soybean production, arising primarily from higher fuel costs for weed management (McBride and Greene 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Establishing the relationship of soil nitrogen immobilization to cereal rye residues in a mulched system

et al. 2018

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Background and aims Soil nitrogen (N) immobilization from cover crop residues may help suppress weeds. We established a gradient of cereal rye shoot biomass to determine the extent that soil N can be immobilized and its effect on redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.). . Pigweed tissue N and biomass were reduced in the presence of cereal rye. The magnitude of pigweed N reduction was similar across all shoot application rates. Conclusions We found weak evidence for a cereal rye shoot-based N immobilization mechanism of weed suppression. Our results indicate N immobilization may be primarily due to root residues.

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The Profit Potential of Certified Organic Field Crop Production

Cited by 43 publications

References 37 publications

Field-scale experiments reveal persistent yield gaps in low-input and organic cropping systems

Field-scale experiments reveal persistent yield gaps in low-input and organic cropping systems

Cover Crop-Based, Organic Rotational No-Till Corn and Soybean Production Systems in the Mid-Atlantic United States

Establishing the relationship of soil nitrogen immobilization to cereal rye residues in a mulched system

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