Source: CORNELL UNIVERSITY submitted to
TAKING TILLAGE OUT OF ORGANIC GRAIN CROP PRODUCTION WITH ECOLOGY, TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1023545
Grant No.
2020-51300-32183
Cumulative Award Amt.
$2,000,000.00
Proposal No.
2020-02150
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2020
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2025
Grant Year
2020
Program Code
[113.A]- Organic Agriculture Research & Extension Initiative
Project Director
Ryan, M.
Recipient Organization
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
ITHACA,NY 14853
Performing Department
Soil & Crop Sciences
Non Technical Summary
Organic field crop and dairy farmers in the Northeast and Upper Midwest are facing extraordinary challenges related to an increased frequency of extreme weather events that restrict crop production. Additionally, there is increased market competition from both imported organic grain and industrial farms that have transitioned to organic production. Transformative changes are needed to address these challenges and meet the goals of the OREI program. Building on decades of combined experience using rolled-crimped cover crops and cultural weed management practices to replace tillage in organic field crop production, we will help organic farmers increase profitability and resilience to extreme weather by 1) redesigning crop rotations to enable extended sequences of no-till production, 2) integrating cultural, mechanical, and electric weed control practices for reducing weed populations and weed-crop competition, and 3) developing adaptive management decision support tools to optimize cropping system performance. Central to our transdisciplinary project is a farmer-focused co-learning approach to research and extension where organic farmers work together with researchers on experiments and are involved in direct farmer-to-farmer learning. New curriculum will be developed for an undergraduate course on organic agriculture at Cornell University and modules will be shared with professors at other universities. Project activities will culminate in an international summit on organic no-till crop production held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. There, farmers, researchers, extension educators, and other agricultural service providers will work together to catalyze adoption of organic no-till cropping systems, while undergraduate and graduate students connect their curriculum to real-world applications.
Animal Health Component
95%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
5%
Applied
95%
Developmental
0%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1021599107080%
2162300107020%
Knowledge Area
102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships; 216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
1599 - Grain crops, general/other; 2300 - Weeds;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;
Goals / Objectives
Project Goal and Objectives. Our long-term goal is to develop robust management strategies for reducing tillage in organic grain and forage based cropping systems and facilitate the transformation to a more sustainable agriculture that better balances tradeoffs between productivity, environmental impact, and farmer quality of life. We will achieve our long-term goal through the following five objectives:1. Test adaptive management strategies and new weed management tools for optimizing organic no-till soybean production.2. Develop an organic reduced-tillage cropping system for grain and forage production that decreases soil disturbance across an extended sequence of crops in a rotation.3. Conduct a series of on-farm research and demonstration trials to develop a real-time decision support tools for management of cereal rye in an organic no-till soybean phase.4. Develop extension tools and activities to facilitate farmer-to-farmer learning, create on-line videos and a production guide and host an international summit on organic no-till production.5. Train the next generation of farmers, agricultural service providers, and educators by developing course modules and experiential learning activities focused on organic no-till.
Project Methods
Activity 1a. The Self-Seeding in Organic Soybean Experiment will be initiated in September 2020 on certified organic land at Cornell and UW Agricultural Research Stations. The field experiment will be repeated each year in a different field at both sites for a total of 6 site-years. The experiment design will be a split-split-split randomized complete block with two levels of four different factors. We will measure soil temperature (Watchdog data loggers) and soil moisture (neutron probe) continuously in rolled cover crop and tillage-based plots to better understand weed suppression and competition. Ground cover of cereal rye will be measured using Canopeo. Protocols and sampling methods will be similar to those used in previous research.Activity 1b. The Supplemental Weed Management in Organic No-till Soybean Experiment will be initiated in September 2020 by seeding cereal rye in certified organic land at Cornell and UW Agricultural Research Stations. The field experiment will be repeated each year in a different field at both sites for a total of 6 site-years. The experiment will be designed as a split-plot randomized complete block with four treatments: 1) Standard management (rolled-crimped cereal rye alone); 2) High-residue cultivation, 3) Inter-row mowing, and 4) Electric weed zapper (Fig. 7). Each main plot (40 × 120 ft) will be split to evaluate weed management efficacy under ambient weed populations and supplemented weed seed bank conditions. Cover crop and soybean planting will occur in a single pass operation at cereal rye anthesis as described above.Activity 2a. The Reduced-tillage Rotation Experiment will be initiated in September 2020 on certified organic land at Cornell and UW agricultural Research Stations. This experiment will strive towards a viable, continuous organic no-till crop rotation by building upon existing organic no-till management research of summer annuals, grains, and winter annual cereals. This continuous organic no-till crop rotation will consist of linking together established rolled-crimped system crop couplets of a) cereal rye-soybean, b) buckwheat-winter wheat and c) hairy vetch-corn by employing cultural weed management tactics, utilizing no-till seeding equipment, reducing weed seed rain via strategic mowing & forage harvests, exploiting cover crop competition and biology, and implementing innovative weed management tools.Activity 2b.We will compare production across several winter and summer cash crops that are no-till planted into rolled-crimped cover crops. This experiment will be conducted at the Cornell and UW Agricultural Research Stations. Using a gradient of crop species representing different plant families that have beneficial traits with respect to management and market options, we will examine biotic (pests, cover crop growth, etc.) and abiotic (soil moisture, soil nutrient, temperature, etc.) factors that affect cash crop establishment, growth, productivity, and profitability. Expenses and labor will be tracked in each treatment and assessed along with crop yields to calculate profitability. Prior to grain harvest, we will evaluate the density and biomass of each weed species within a 0.5 m2 quadrat in each experimental unit. Weed community structure will be assessed through multivariate analysis (e.g., nonmetric multidimensional scaling, PERMANOVA, indicator species analysis). Structural Equation Models (SEM) will be used to evaluate the relative contributions of nutrient availability, allelopathy, and phylogenetic relatedness. Activity 2c. We will test the effect of rolled cover crops on white mold in several of the main crops (soybean, sunflower and dry bean) within Activity 2c at the Research North facility of Cornell AgriTech at the NY State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, NY. This field is transitioning to certified organic production and has been uniformly inoculated with S. sclerotiorum for six consecutive years. The experiment will be repeated twice in different positions of the field over the course of this project.Activity 3. Using a co-learning approach, we will conduct a series of research and demonstration trials at collaborating organic farms in the Upper Midwest and Northeast to evaluate adaptive management strategies, develop decision support tools, and refine management practices and strategies tested in Objectives 1 and 2. On-farm research will focus on timing of no-till planting soybean and other cultural weed management practices in addition to testing new weed management tools, including inter-row mowing and electric weed zapping.Activity 4a. A core group of six organic grain and dairy farmers have agreed to actively assist with our research program and serve as regional representatives. These farmers will then become peer leaders sharing expertise, experiences, and perspectives at workshops and on-farm field days. On-farm field days, using the "seeing-is-believing" strategy, are an important part of our effort to promote strategies for reducing soil tillage across organic grain rotations. In each year, at least one cooperating farmer will host an on-farm field day, organized by the farmer, a co-PD, and local Extension staff. Field days will highlight project results and innovative farm practices.Activity 4b. We will prepare research reports for organic farmers in each year of the project and distribute them to farmers at outreach events and via websites. We will create and distribute a quarterly newsletter via email to project stakeholders, collaborators, and interested farmers. The newsletter will take a broader and more informal approach than the annual research reports. It will feature introductions to the team, project profiles, photos from the experiments, tool updates, and applicable stories about organic no-till production from other researchers outside the project. In addition to email, the quarterly newsletters will be available online through the existing university websites. In year 4, we will also publish an extensive Organic No-till Crop Production Guide based on our research data, other relevant research, and producer experience.Activity 4c. We will organize the International Organic No-Till Summit and bring together people who are interested in organic no-till from around the world. The summit will be held in January 2024 in partnership with the OGRAIN Winter Conference in Madison, WI, thus allowing for efficiencies in facilities costs and speaker travel, as well as ensuring strong farmer participation to complement the research presentations.Activity 5. We will engage students with experiential learning activities that increase their understanding of organic no-till crop production, weed ecology, soil science, systems research, and agroecological theory. Students will learn about using cover crops to reduce tillage in organic crop production by visiting field research sites. Student learning objectives include: 1) introduction to the role of no-till agriculture as a way to adapt to changing weather patterns from climate change, 2) understanding adaptive management through using our decision support tool on theoretical scenarios, 3) developing capacity to formulate solutions to weed management challenges in organic production, and 4) fostering an appreciation of co-learning with farmers during field trips to the farms of our participating advisory board.

Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences reached during this reporting period were organic farmers in the Upper Midwest and the Northeast regions who grow grain crops (soybean, dry bean, small grains) as well as forages, and who have struggled with decreased profitability over the past several years due to challenges from extreme weather, pest outbreaks, or weaker markets. Our farmers benefitted by receiving education on no-till systems from field days, virtual workshops, farmer meetings, research presentations, and online videos. Farmers were able to view novel weed management tools like the Weed Zapper and Inter-row Mower. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has offered five undergraduate student researchers an opportunity to learn about agriculture research within no-till organic systems. Two Masters students and one PhD student managed field experiments related to this project, gaining experience in study design, developing and refining protocols, and interfacing with stakeholders through demonstrations and field days. Research technicians have gained experience in refining sampling protocols and methods, weed identification, and organic no-till management techniques. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been distributed through field days, farmer-advisory board meetings, scientific and farmer conferences, virtual conferences, and a no-till organic soybean growers guide. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The experiments New Crops for Organic No-till, Soybean Integrated Weed Management, and Starter Fertilizer will be written up and submitted to academic journals. Economic and labor analyses will be conducted and shared with farmers. We will hold a farmer-advisory board meeting in February 2023. Undergraduate student feedback from learning modules will be incorporated to further refine content. A farmer-hosted field day is being planned for 2023.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1 relates to optimizing new weed management tools for organic no-till soybean production. 1) Major activities completed: During this reporting period, we conducted the second year of the supplemental weed management study. Nine treatments featured high soybean seeding rates, inter-row mowing, weed zapping, and combinations of these treatments compared to a no-management control.All data are now collected and analyzed, and a journal article is in progress. 2) Data Collected: Cereal rye and weed species biomass, soybean biomass, and soybean yield and density. In 2022, visual estimates of weed cover and weed seed production and maximum seed production in control plots were also collected. 3) Results: the interrow mower suppressed weed biomass in all treatments compared to the control. The combination of the high seeding rate and interrow mower increased soybean yields compared to the control. 4) Key outcomes: Concerns about sole reliance on cover crop mulch for weed suppression and the inability to manage weeds has been cited by farmers as a limitation preventing greater adoption of organic no-till soybean. This research provides insight into the role of specialized weed-management equipment for this system. Objective 2 relates to developing an organic reduced-tillage cropping system that decreases soil disturbance, with activities a) reduced-tillage rotation experiment, b) new crops for organic no-till, c) white mold suppression experiment. Major activities completed: Our 2-year project (32 no-till and 8 tilled cash crop sequences) to develop organic no-till crop sequences was completed, with a trial for winter and summer cash crops. Across all summer cash crop treatments, we also established microplots with supplemental weeding and fertility. The second year of the white mold study evaluated the effect of cereal rye biomass on both white mold suppression and performance of three main crops: dry bean, soybean, and sunflower at the Geneva NY research station. Data Collected: We assessed weed suppression, crop establishment and crop yield in differing cover crop mulches. For the white mold study we collected crop yield and biomass and weed biomass. Results: Winter cash crops struggled to emerge through high biomass mulches. Summer cash crop emergence was relatively unaffected by mulch biomass, and the high biomass mulches suppressed the most weeds. Across all treatments, no-till yields were comparable to the tilled control in at least one cover crop mulch. Results are forthcoming from the white mold trial. Key outcomes: By comparing the cover crop mulches to the tilled control, we described the potential of each no-till crop sequence. Having a more diverse set of cash crops that can be grown using organic no-till methods is an important step towards longer durations without tillage and a transition to continuous organic no-till crop production. Using cereal rye mulch for soybean, sunflower, and drybean is promising as a long-term potential solution for reducing white mold in no-till and organic production systems. Objective 3 included a series of research trials to improve decision making in organic no-till soybean. Major activities completed: To help inform fertilizer requirements for the decision support tools, an experiment with roll-down soybean and three starter fertilizer treatments was repeated at the Musgrave Research Farm (NY) and the Arlington Agricultural Research Station (WI). Poultry litter (5-4-3), feather meal (8-2-2), and sodium nitrate (15-0-2) treatments were compared to a control with no fertilizer. To guide decision making around no-till soybean planting options, an experiment examined alternatives to planting soybeans at anthesis using two different triticale termination methods. Treatments were 1) Triticale forage harvested at boot stage, 2) triticale terminated with a roller crimper at anthesis, 3) no-cover crop control. Soybeans were planted in all treatments at triticale boot stage in late May. Data Collected: For the fertilizer study, cover crop biomass, soybean growth stage, stand counts, height, leaf greenness and yield, and weed biomass were measured.For the triticale study, weed prevalence, soybean development, and soybean grain yield were collected. Results: Neither starter fertilizer application nor source of fertility resulted in a significant difference in plant stand, soybean biomass, or soybean grain yield. In the triticale experiment, the forage harvested treatment had substantially higher weed pressure because ground cover was removed as compared to the roller crimped and cultivated control treatments. Key outcomes: Results from the fertilizer study suggest that using starter fertilizer for soybeans in rolled rye will not reliably offset the cost. This management consideration will be useful to includein our roll-down soybean decision support tools. For the triticale study, weed suppression was enhanced by roller crimping triticale at anthesis, although soybean plant stand was reduced due to the extended time in which soybeans grew underneath the standing triticale canopy. Objective 4 focused on outreach to facilitate farmer-to-farmer learning on organic no-till production. Major activities completed: We continued to distribute hard copies of the Organic No-till Soybean guide to farmers and researchers throughout the Northeast. The guide was posted on the Sustainable Cropping Systems website, as well as on the Hudson Valley Farm Hub website. An OGRAIN (Organic Grain Resources and Information Network) conference pre-event focused on farmer-to-farmer information sharing on January 27, 2022. The OGRAIN list serve continued to be a way for farmers to share organic no-till information and experiences. A farmer advisory board meeting was held for the project on February 18, 2022 with 18 participants. We are still working on the education modules, learning experiences, and international summit. The international summit is being planned for during the 2023 Agronomy Society of America meeting. Data Collected: NA Results: NA Key outcomes: A video on cover crops and cash crop sequences for organic no-till was posted on the Hudson Valley Farm Hub's website to introduce farmers to the experiment. Another video highlighted the inter-row mower, a novel tool for managing weeds in organic soybean systems, and reached 1.4 thousand views. Objective 5 focused on incorporating no-till crop production topics in undergraduate and graduate student curriculum. Major activities completed: A module about organic no-till was developed and delivered in PLSCS 3800 (Principles and Practices in Certified Organic Agricultural) at Cornell University. Students in PLSCI 4125/6125 (Cover Crops in Agroecosystems) at Cornell University learned about the relationship between crop seed size and emergence by conducting a greenhouse experiment and measuring seedling emergence across several planting depths. Data Collected: NA Results: NA Key outcomes: The greenhouse experiment in PLSCI 4125/6125 was shared with other educators and conducted at six universities. In the course at Cornell, students learned about the history of organic agriculture, the USDA National Organic Program, management practices used in organic crop and livestock production, and scientific research on organic agriculture. Laboratory sessions complemented lecture discussions with fieldwork and trips to a variety of organic farms.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Menalled UD, Adeux G, Cordeau S, Smith RG, Mirsky SB, Ryan MR. 2022. Cereal rye mulch biomass and crop density affect weed suppression and community assembly in no-till planted soybean. Ecosphere 13(6): e4147.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Ryan, MR. 2021. Crops better when grown together. Nature Sustainability 4:926-927.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Menalled, UD, MR Ryan, and SJ Pethybridge. January 5, 2021. Organic no-till soybean seeding rate and nitrogen fertilization effects on weed suppression. Proceedings of the Northeastern Plant, Pest, and Soils Conference. 75:89.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Pelzer, CJ, S Wayman, J Cagle, U Menalled, CA Peterson, TJ Rose, and MR Ryan. November 8, 2021. Rolled-Crimped Summer-Sown Cover Crops for No-till Planted Organic Winter Wheat. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting. https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2021am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/135466


Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences reached during this reporting period were organic farmers in the Upper Midwest and the Northeast regions who grow grain crops as well as forages, and who have struggled with decreased profitability over the past several years due to challenges stemming from extreme weather, pest outbreaks, or weaker markets. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has offered four undergraduate student researchers an opportunity to learn about agriculture research within no-till organic systems. Two MS students and one PhD student managed field experiments related to this project. These students gained experience in study design, developing and refining protocols, and interfacing with stakeholders through demonstrations and field days. Research technicians have gained experience in refining sampling protocols and methods, weed identification, and organic no-till management techniques. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been distributed through field days, farmer-advisory board meetings, scientific and farmer conferences, virtual conferences, and a no-till organic soybean growers guide. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1: The Self-Seeding Cereal Rye in Organic Soybean experiment will be initiated. The second year of data will be collected for the Supplemental Weed Management experiment. Data will be analyzed from the first year of work. Objective 2: The Reduced-tillage Rotation experiment will be implemented. New Crops for Organic No-till and the white mold experiment will be repeated for a second year. Data will be analyzed from the first year of work. Economic and labor analyses will be conducted. Objective 3: Plans will be discussed with farmers and on-farm trials will be initiated based on farmer interest. Rye growth data will be used to inform planning decision support tools. Objective 4: We will hire a new post-doc to lead these activities. The organic no-till soybean production guide will continue to be disseminated. Preliminary data from experiments will be shared at a winter farmer meeting. We will meet with our project advisory board in February 2022. Objective 5: Experiential learning activities will be tested, undergraduate course modules will be planned and tested.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1. 1. Although this experiment has not yet been implemented, a YardMax Power Sweeper was used for a proof-of-concept test to explore promoting self-seeding in a cereal rye cover crop. The goal of using the power sweeper was to dislodge the cereal rye seed heads from the cover crop and promote a second cereal rye cover crop through self-seeding. 2. Visual observation of performance of power sweeper in cereal rye mulch. 3. We observed that the power sweeper dislodged seeds from cereal rye seed heads. No difference between brush angles was seen. 4. Working with the power sweeper is a step towards understanding if self-seeding can be promoted for the roll-down organic soybean system. Little information exists about what can be used to promote self-seeding of cereal rye mulch after roller-crimping. Activity 1b. 1. In September 2020, the supplemental weed management study was initiated at the Musgrave research farm in Aurora, NY. Nine treatments in the experiment featured high soybean seeding rates, inter-row mowing, weed zapping, and combinations of these treatments compared against a no-management control. Cereal rye was planted for upcoming experiments in 2022. 2. Cereal rye and weed species biomass, soybean biomass, and soybean yield and density were collected. 3. Nothing to report. 4. Concerns about sole reliance on cover crop mulch for weed suppression and the inability to manage weeds, especially if cereal rye biomass production is low, has been cited by farmers as a critical limitation preventing greater adoption of organic no-till soybean. This research will provide important insight into the role of specialized weed-management equipment to help address this limitation. Objective 2. Activity 2a. No accomplishments for this reporting period. Activity 2b. 1. A field experiment testing the efficacy of various rotations for organic no-till was implemented at two sites, the Musgrave Research Farm and the Hudson Valley Farm Hub (Hurley, NY). 2. Weed communities, and crop biomass and yield were sampled. Crop pests were monitored, and crop roots were assessed to study crop disease. 3. Preliminary analysis of cover crop biomass showed that cereal rye produced the most biomass and hairy vetch the least biomass. Weed biomass was lowered by cover crop biomass with an exponential reduction in weed biomass around 2,500 and 5,000 lbs/ac of cover crop biomass.Weed community analysis suggests that cover crop species affect weed community composition. 4. The goal of this work is to give farmers more flexibility when designing no-till crop rotations, facilitating the adoption of organic no-till. Activity 2c. 1. The white mold study was initiated to evaluate the effect of cereal rye biomass on both white mold suppression and performance of three main crops: dry bean, soybean, and sunflower at the Geneva NY research station in fall 2021. Treatments were two seeding rates of rye and a bare-soil control, with sunflower, soybean, and dry bean. Next year, the plots will be inoculated with white mold sclerotia. A sister trial was initiated to explore trade-offs with black bean plant populations, weed infestations, and white mold, involving five black bean seeding rates ranging from 100,000 seeds/acre to 350,000 seeds/acre. 2. No data collection this reporting period. 3. NA 4. Using cereal rye mulch for soybean, sunflower, and drybean is promising as a long-term potential solution for reducing white mold in no-till and organic production systems. Exploring dry bean seeding rates in rolled-crimped cereal rye mulch is important because performance may be enhanced by increasing the seeding rate in no-till cereal rye, similar to what has been quantified in soybean. Objective 3. 1. To help inform fertilizer requirements for the decision support tools, an experiment with roll-down soybean and three starter fertilizer treatments was initiated at the Musgrave Research Farm (NY) in June 2020 and replicated at the Arlington Research Farm (WI) and Musgrave Farm in 2021. Poultry litter (5-4-3), feather meal (8-2-2), and sodium nitrate (15-0-2) treatments were compared to a control with no fertilizer. A soybean seeding depth experiment was replicated at the Musgrave (2019 and 2020) and Arlington (2021) research farms with five seeding depth treatments ranging from 0.25 inches to 3.25 inches deep. Cereal rye was established at a collaborating field site, the Hudson Valley Farm Hub, for a dry bean seeding rate trial into rolled rye for 2022. 2. Data collection included cover crop biomass, soybean growth stage, stand counts, height, leaf greenness and yield, and weed biomass. 3. Preliminary results suggest there were no significant differences in soybean biomass, stand counts, or yields between fertilizer treatments. For the seeding depth study, in 2020 (a dry year), soybeans planted at deeper depths had higher plant density and soybean grain yield, whereas in 2019 (a normal moisture year) there was no influence of seeding depth on soybean grain yield. 4. Our results suggest that using starter fertilizer for soybeans in rolled rye will not offset the cost. Given our seeding depth results, we concluded that the no-till rolldown soybean system does not do well in dry years, likely due to a lack of good seed-to-soil contact. However, increased soil moisture in wet years improves seed-to-soil contact. This management consideration will be useful to include in our roll-down soybean decision support tools. Good planting equipment to achieve sufficient depth is important for the success of the system in dry years. Objective 4. 1. "Organic No-Till Planted Soybean Production: A guide for organic farmers in New York State" was printed and 297 copies were distributed to farmers, extension educators, and researchers in NY and WI. To create content for extension tools and farmer education events, work was begun on an APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator) model to explore questions on no-till soybean yield gaps. Early work involved configuring APSIM for the conditions and management practices at the Musgrave Research Farm and running simulations with soybean yields and soil moisture in tilled/no-till treatments. 2. Data from multiple previous experiments on cereal rye biomass and soybean yield were collated and cleaned. 3. Work will continue when a new post-doc has been hired for the team. 4. Results from the APSIM model will help inform management standards for cover crop and soil moisture management. Objective 5. 1. A farmer-advisor board meeting was held in April 2021 to develop relationships with our farmers and collaborators. The meeting included research updates from organic no-till experiments in NY, PA, and WI, in addition to receiving feedback on our Organic No-Till Soybean Guide for NY, exploring ways farmers can engage in research trials, and discussing support tools for no-till. On Sept 13, 2021, an on-farm meeting was held with two members of our farmer-advisory board. The farmer's brainstormed ideas about reduced-till rotation management that included inter-row mowing, strip tillage in corn, trade-offs of harvesting summer annuals vs. returning the crop to the soil, and ways to improve buckwheat biomass production. We are currently planning another advisory board meeting for February 2022. 2. NA 3. NA 4. Building relationships with our farmer advisors will help us better develop modules and learning activities for the future.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Wallace, JM, ME Barbercheck, WS Curran, CL Keene, SB Mirsky, MR Ryan, M VanGessel. 2021. Cover crop-based, rotational no-till (CCORNT) management tactics influence crop performance in organic transition within the Mid-Atlantic U.S. Agronomy Journal 113: 5335 5347.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: 10. Menalled, UD, SJ Pethybridge, CJ Pelzer, RG Smith, A DiTommaso, and MR Ryan. 2021. High seeding rates and low soil nitrogen environments optimize weed suppression and profitability in organic no-till planted soybean. Frontiers in Agronomy 3:678567.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: MR Ryan, S Wayman, CJ Pelzer, CA Peterson, UD Menalled, and TJ Rose. 2021. Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) tolerance to mulch. Plants 10:2047.
  • Type: Books Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Ryan, MR, BA Caldwell, K Crowley, JA Liebert, U Menalled, CJ Pelzer, L Pickard, and S Wayman. 2021. Organic No-Till Planted Soybean Production. Sustainable Cropping Systems Lab. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. https://bit.ly/ontsguide
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Menalled, U., M.R. Ryan, S. Pethybridge. Organic no-till soybean seeding rate and nitrogen fertilization effects on weed suppression. ASA, CSSA & SSSA International Annual Meeting. ASA Section: Agronomic Production Systems. Virtual event, Nov. 9-13, 2020. 126271.