Work

Organic Compared with Conventional Wheat Had Competitive Yields during the Early Years of Organic Production in the Northeast USA

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Organic wheat production has increased significantly because of increased demand by consumers. We used the same variety to evaluate organic (seed treatment) and conventional wheat (no seed treatment) under no-till conditions in 2016 and 2018 with recommended (296 kernels/m2 and 80 kg N/ha) and high inputs (420 kernels/m2 and 56 + 56 kg N/ha) to identify the best organic management practices. Organic compared with conventional wheat with recommended inputs had ~13% lower yields in 2016 but ~7.5% higher yields with high inputs in 2018. Organic wheat emerged 1 to 1.5 days earlier, had 10 to 38% higher plant establishment rates, and had similar weed densities (<0.25 weeds/m2) to high input conventional wheat, which received a fall herbicide. Organic compared with conventional wheat had lower grain N% (0.3 to 0.45% in 2016 and 0.17 to 0.27% in 2018). Organic compared with conventional wheat had mostly higher spike densities, especially with high inputs (~60 more spikes/m2 in 2016 and ~130 more in 2018), probably because of better plant establishment, but mostly lower kernels/spike and kernel weight. Organic compared with conventional wheat had comparable yields, probably because of its competitiveness with weeds. We recommend that growers use recommended seeding and N rates on organic wheat because high seeding rates did not improve weed control, and high N rates were not economical.

Source: Agronomy

DOI: 10.3390/agronomy9070380

Authors: William Cox, Jerome Cherney, Mark Sorrells

Institutions: Cornell University, New York State College of Agriculture & Life Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Organic Food and Agriculture

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,013