Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Despite the overall rapid increase in organic crop production (OCP) in the U.S., the Mid-South region has seen minimal growth in organic acreage and production. The primary reason is the lack of geographically specific production and management strategies for farmers to use. The most significant barriers to organic production include perceived complexity concerning crop management, organic certification, and pest control issues. Of these, weed control has proven the most difficult to overcome, primarily due to the extended seasons, warmer temperatures, high humidity, and diversity of pests.Despite these barriers, relevant organic production research and subsequent information remain very limited. Farmers have justifiable concerns about organic systems when they have few control options. Geographically relevant research and outreach efforts are necessary to address these problems and make OCP more feasible for producers in this region. This project addresses these issues by 1) conducting a replicated, controlled field trials on organic crop production systems; 2) conducting economic research and analyses on organic production systems; and 3) enhancing understanding of organic production through education and outreach activities. This project addresses specific barriers identified in current work and will address the OREI goals of developing organic production methods, evaluating benefits to producers and communities, conducting advanced on-farm research, and examining optimal outcomes of organic production.This project will generate important information to address the most pressing concerns related to organic crop production management in the Mid-South. The project will benefit farmers who are considering or transitioning to organics as well as those who are certified, by answering weed control and economic viability questions. Outcomes will be practical management guidance to address weed control, cover crop use, and tillage systems shared among farmers and agricultural institutions.The stakeholders of this project effort are farmers in the Mid-South region of the U.S.A., and people in the agriculture community in general, who have an interest in organic agricultural crop production. They lack consistent and reliable research data to address geographically prominent organic crop production issues (e.g., pest management, soil fertility, crop rotations) that provide significant barriers to growth in regional organic crop production. Lack of information hinders farmers' transition to organic production as evidenced by the comparatively small number of organic farms and acres in the Mid-South.The long-term goal of this project is to make organic farming a more economic and viable option for Mid-South farmers by generating and disseminating regionally relevant research that addresses these significant concerns.
Animal Health Component
30%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
70%
Applied
30%
Developmental
0%
Goals / Objectives
The long-term goal of this proposed OREI follow-on project is to make organic farming a viable option for Mid-South farmers through development of regionally tailored management strategies and subsequent dissemination of these research findings to the farming community.High-quality research-based information will be collected and shared, demonstrating practical application of organic management production in the Mid-South region, through the following objectives:1. Objective 1: Conduct replicated research trials on organic production systems.The research plan uses a combination of cover crop types, tillage, crop rotation, tailored weed control methods, and planting differentials.Two weed management systems studies will be conducted - one under conservation tillage (Study 1) and the other under conventional tillage (Study 2). All plots will be under lateral move, sprinkler irrigation systems. We will integrate various weed control tools including mixed grass-legume cover crops, cover crop termination method, soybean planting method, supplemental weed control tools (organic herbicide, flame weeding, hoe-weeding), and tillage (no-till, strip till, conventional till). The selected crop rotations will serve as model rotations focused on evaluation of proposed management systems with the variables as outlined, rather than strictly crop selection and rotation comparisons.Study 1. Integrated weed management programs for organic row crop production under a conservation tillage system with irrigation.The conservation tillage study will be comprised of 10 weed management programs. The programs will be established in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Data will be collected from the two middle rows such that each pair of data rows are separated by four border rows. The location of each plot will remain the same across years.1.2 Study 2. Integrated weed management programs for organic row crop production under a conventional tillage system with irrigation.The conventional tillage study will be comprised of 10 weed management programs. These programs represent various combinations of weed management tools as in Study 1. A cereal rye plus crimson clover cover crop will be used for Programs 1 to 5. The cover crop will be terminated by flail mowing then discing and rototilling, to prepare a smooth seedbed. Programs 6 and 7 will be planted with winter wheat double cropped with soybean in year 1, cereal rye plus crimson clover cover crop in year 2 and revert to double cropping wheat and soybean in year 3. Programs 8 to 10 will not have cover crops.1.3 Data to be collected for Studies 1 and 2.Data will be collected on:Cover crop biomass and weed biomass.Soil nutrient analysis.Nitrogen production from crimson clover.Crop density.Estimate of the viable weed seedbank.Weed density.Weed control and crop injury (percent) from organic herbicide.Overall weed cover.Insect infestation will be monitored for all crop rotations.Diseases will be monitored by scouting plots beginning at emergence, and throughout the season.Yield estimates for commodity soybean and corn.Yield of edamame soybean will be estimated.Cost of all inputs, including the number of man-hours for hoe-weeding, will be recorded and submitted as part of Objective 2.1.4 Data analyses for Studies 1 and 2.Data will be analyzed as a randomized complete block, one factor design using PROC GLIMMIX in SAS. The response variables are listed under data to be collected. Fixed effect will be the weed management program and block will be the random effect. Weed composition and cover and pest pressure will be analyzed as a repeated measure. In general, data will be analyzed by year since data in succeeding years will potentially have carryover effect from the management system of the previous year.2. Objective 2: Conduct economic research and analysis on the organic production systems.Determining how economically viable an organic enterprise can be will provide crucial information to farmers considering organic production. The gap in understanding is how cost-effective, or profitable, organic enterprises are as compared to conventional enterprises and systems.2.1 Economic evaluation.A partial budgeting approach - wherein revenue and cost differences across production systems are tracked - will be used to determine the most profitable system. Sensitivity analysis will be conducted to assess the price premium needed to break even or, alternatively, what yields are needed to break even given available organic price premiums. Since systems are evaluated over the course of three production years, we plan to use net present value analysis and game theory approaches for identifying optimal production systems that will identify and analyze production systems from a dual perspective of maximizing profit and minimizing risk.2.2 Economic analysis of farm-scale trials.As part of the overall objective regarding the on-farm research demonstrations, economic analyses will be conducted. Farm-scale trials will be used to obtain estimates of profitability of a subset of production practices evaluated at the research scale. This will assist with observing how transferable research results are in comparison to farm-scale trials. Profitability assessment will require collection of data to determine revenue and expenses. Equipment use, time, and fuel as well as all applied inputs will be tracked. Sensitivity analyses will be performed, again, to determine breakeven yield and price as with the research trials.3. Objective 3: Enhance understanding of organic production through education and outreach activities.The primary audience for this effort will be farmers, but other people in the agricultural industry may benefit from and help convey the information, such as Extension Agents, state departments of agriculture, commodity groups, or market outlets, among others. Outreach deliverables include implementation of demonstration sites, the number of public events held, information disseminated, and media postings.3.1 Farm-scale Demonstration Sites. Demonstration sites will be located at the University of Missouri Southwest Research, Extension and Education Center near Mount Vernon, Missouri, and another at Agricenter International near Memphis, Tennessee. These sites will replicate, at field-scale, research approaches being evaluated in Objective 1. By placing these sites in the Mid-South region but some distance from the research site, they will further substantiate the research outcomes and provide data, especially for economic analyses, that address regional production challenges.3.2 Field Days and Workshops. Field days and workshops are valuable tools to share information generated in the project, and they will be scheduled at optimal times during the project period. Through these events, farmers and people in the agricultural industry will have direct access to project information, view the practices being tested in a real-world environment, and interact with researchers and project staff.3.3 Disseminating Information. This activity will be done through contemporary forms of communication.Sharing information with cooperating institutions. The project will distribute findings to university Extension Services, USDA agency offices, farmer cooperatives and groups, local and state organic associations, commodity groups, agricultural advocacy groups, state departments of agriculture, research universities, USDA ARS facilities and other agriculture-related agencies.Digital outreach. Communication methods using various platforms (e.g., social media, websites, e-mail, tools) will be used for modern information exchange among farmers.
Project Methods
The 48-month project will consist of replicated, small-plot research on organic production systems, research on economic performance of these systems, and education and outreach to increase understanding of organic production in the Mid-South.The expected results of the project will contribute to long-term profitability and sustainability of organic agriculture by increasing the likelihood of farmers adopting organic practices in the Mid-South, a region under-represented in organic farming activity within the United States, and with unique challenges for organic production. Specifically, Objective 1 (research on production systems) will address the largest barrier to organic production in the region - weed management. By researching and determining optimal weed control practices specific to the region, farmers will be prepared to adopt tested, successful practices on their farms and avoid costly yield reductions or crop failures while transitioning to organics. Likewise, Objective 2 (research on the economics of the tested practices) will inform farmers of how likely various practices and rotations are to be profitable in a certified organic enterprise or transition period. This is necessary information for farmers to have before attempting organic production. The activities of Objective 3 (outreach and education) will connect the outcomes of Objectives 1 and 2, alerting farmers and local agricultural industry people to the vital work being done in this project and enhance the broader information environment for organics in the region.Data collection and analysis Research results will be captured (as described in the Data Management Plan) and analyzed to provide optimal application for farm settings in the Mid-South. The information will be organized, structured, and placed in document formats (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) that are accessible, easily read, and understood by farmers and other end-users. Data collection will occur across the project timeline in cooperation with collaborators.Objective 1: Conduct replicated research trials on organic production systems.The research plan uses a combination of cover crop types, tillage, crop rotation, tailored weed control methods, and planting differentials.Two weed management systems studies will be conducted - one under conservation tillage (Study 1) and the other under conventional tillage (Study 2). All plots will be under lateral move, sprinkler irrigation systems. We will integrate various weed control tools including mixed grass-legume cover crops, cover crop termination method, soybean planting method, supplemental weed control tools (organic herbicide, flame weeding, hoe-weeding), and tillage (no-till, strip till, conventional till). The selected crop rotations will serve as model rotations focused on evaluation of proposed management systems with the variables as outlined, rather than strictly crop selection and rotation comparisons.Study 1. Integrated weed management programs for organic row crop production under a conservation tillage system with irrigation.The conservation tillage study will be comprised of 10 weed management programs. The programs will be established in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Data will be collected from the two middle rows such that each pair of data rows are separated by four border rows. The location of each plot will remain the same across years.1.2 Study 2. Integrated weed management programs for organic row crop production under a conventional tillage system with irrigation.The conventional tillage study will be comprised of 10 weed management programs. These programs represent various combinations of weed management tools as in Study 1. A cereal rye plus crimson clover cover crop will be used for Programs 1 to 5. The cover crop will be terminated by flail mowing then discing and rototilling, to prepare a smooth seedbed. Programs 6 and 7 will be planted with winter wheat double cropped with soybean in year 1, cereal rye plus crimson clover cover crop in year 2 and revert to double cropping wheat and soybean in year 3. Programs 8 to 10 will not have cover crops.1.3 Data to be collected for Studies 1 and 2.Data will be collected on: Cover crop biomass and weed biomass; soil nutrient analysis; nitrogen production from crimson clover; crop density; estimate of the viable weed seedbank; weed density; weed control and crop injury (percent) from organic herbicide; overall weed cover; insect infestation will be monitored for all crop rotations; diseases will be monitored by scouting plots beginning at emergence, and throughout the season; yield estimates for commodity soybean corn, and edamame; cost of all inputs, including the number of man-hours for hoe-weeding, will be recorded and submitted as part of Objective 2.1.4 Data analyses for Studies 1 and 2.Data will be analyzed as a randomized complete block, one factor design using PROC GLIMMIX in SAS. The response variables are listed under data to be collected. Fixed effect will be the weed management program and block will be the random effect. Weed composition and cover and pest pressure will be analyzed as a repeated measure.2. Objective 2: Conduct economic research and analysis on the organic production systems.Determining how economically viable an organic enterprise can be will provide crucial information to farmers considering organic production. The gap in understanding is how cost-effective, or profitable, organic enterprises are as compared to conventional enterprises and systems.2.1 Economic evaluation.A partial budgeting approach - wherein revenue and cost differences across production systems are tracked - will be used to determine the most profitable system.2.2 Economic analysis of farm-scale trials.As part of the overall objective regarding the on-farm research demonstrations, economic analyses will be conducted. Farm-scale trials will be used to obtain estimates of profitability of a subset of production practices evaluated at the research scale.3. Objective 3: Enhance understanding of organic production through education and outreach activities.The primary audience for this effort will be farmers, but other people in the agricultural industry may benefit from and help convey the information, such as Extension Agents, state departments of agriculture, commodity groups, or market outlets, among others.3.1 Farm-scale Demonstration Sites. Demonstration sites will be located at the University of Missouri Southwest Research, Extension and Education Center near Mount Vernon, Missouri, and another at Agricenter International near Memphis, Tennessee. These sites will replicate, at field-scale, research approaches being evaluated in Objective 1.3.2 Field Days and Workshops. Field days and workshops are valuable tools to share information generated in the project, and they will be scheduled at optimal times during the project period. Through these events, farmers and people in the agricultural industry will have direct access to project information, view the practices being tested in a real-world environment, and interact with researchers and project staff.3.3 Disseminating Information. This activity will be done through contemporary forms of communication.Sharing information with cooperating institutions. The project will distribute findings to university Extension Services, USDA agency offices, farmer cooperatives and groups, local and state organic associations, commodity groups, agricultural advocacy groups, state departments of agriculture, research universities, USDA ARS facilities and other agriculture-related agencies.Digital outreach. Communication methods using various platforms (e.g., social media, websites, e-mail, tools) will be used for modern information exchange among farmers.