Agronomic, Ecological, and Economic Tradeoffs Among Different Dryland Organic Transition Cropping Sy

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Agronomic, Ecological, and Economic Trade-offs
Among Different Dryland Organic Transition
Cropping Systems
Robert Gallagher A. Snyder, D. Pittmann, R.
Koenig, K. Painter, H. Hinman, J.
Johnson-Maynard, E. Fuerst and I. Burke

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Transitioning to Organic

• Limited availability of inputs
• More pests
• Lower yields
• No price incentives

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How Organic? versus Why Organic?

• Manage Weeds
• Soil Fertility and Quality
• Crop Productivity and Quality
• Economic returns
• Transition phase
• Certified organic

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Farming on the Palouse
http//agsci.oregonstate.edu/aaa/2006/M61-PalouseS
pring_400.jpg
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Assumptions and Criteria

• Minimize or eliminate inversion tillage
• Legume-based N fertility
• Limited availability of animal manures
• High cost of commercial organic fertilizer
• 16-18 rainfall zone (fall and winter)

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Experimental Transition Systems
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General Agronomic Plan

• 1-2x pre-plant rotary harrow
• 20 above standard seeding rates
• Standard crop varieties with no seed treatment
• Direct-seeded
• Biogrow gypsum 7 lb N, 15 lb P,K,S
• 3-5x in-crop rotary hoe

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Sweep Plow
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Rotary harrow
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Rotary Hoe
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Pre-Transition History

• Conventional tillage winter wheat
• Fall chisel plowed (2002)
• Spring disk/harrow (2003)
• Numerous bindweed patches

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LSD 5
up slope
down slope
Note Inorganic N (0-152 cm) ranged from 47 to 59
kg/ha
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up slope
down slope
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Transition Year 12003
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Transition Year 1 - 2003
       
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Transition Year 22004
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Best and Worst Case ScenariosJuly 2004
Winter Wheat Following Spring Peas
Winter Wheat Following Fava GM
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Transition Year 2 (2004)Green Manure and Forage
Crops
Alfalfa/Pea/Oat Forage (6944 kg/ha)
Winter Pea Green Manure (3360 kg/ha)
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Transition Year 32005
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Note all spring peas mowed Prior to pod set in
2005
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2005Transition Year 3 Crop Yields

• Spring Barley 201 kg/ha
• Forage 6800 kg/ha
• Winter Pea Green Manure 5373 kg/ha
• _at_ 3 N 160 kg N / ha
• Spring Pea crop failure (green manure)
• Weeds, insects and disease

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1st Year Certifiable Organic 2006
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Hard Red Spring Wheat
Soft White Spring Wheat
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(assumes a organic wheat price of 6.00/bu)
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Organic Winter Wheat - 2007
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Optimal Transition System?
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Transitioning to Organic in the Eastern
Washington Summary

• Harrow/hoe-based direct seeding seems feasible
• Legume/grass forage has good potential
• P supply??
• Winter legume green manure promising
• Winter Pea
• Common or Hairy Vetch (10 lb/A seeding rate)
• No direct evidence of differences in organic N
• Winter Wheat vs Spring Wheat
• Spring peas are problematic variety development
  needed
• Perennial weed issues
• Bindweed and Canadian thistle

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2005 Winter Pea Vetch Varieties
Kg N / Ha
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Management of Bindweed, Canada Thistle and
Prickly Lettuce
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Acknowledgements

• Funding
• USDA Organic Transitions Program
• Small Planet Foods
• WSU BioAg Program
• Pat Les Boyd Land Owners
• Research Assistants
• Maria Lockhart, Adam Berglund, Suzanne Kopan,
  Lori Hoagland

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Questions?