Long‐Term Agronomic Performance of Organic and Conventional Field Crops in the Mid‐Atlantic Region

• DOI: 10.2134/agronj2006.0373
• Publication Date: 2008-05-08T00:53:59Z
• Authors: Michel A. Cavigelli; John R. Teasdale; Anne E. Conklin
• Keywords: Crop Rotation; Cropping system; Rotation system

Despite increasing interest in organic grain crop production, there is inadequate information regarding the performance of organically‐produced crops United States, especially Coastal Plain soils mid‐Atlantic region. We report on corn ( Zea mays L.), soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.], and wheat Triticum aestivum L.) yields at USDA‐ARS Beltsville Farming Systems Project (FSP), a long‐term cropping systems trial established Maryland 1996 to evaluate sustainability conventional production. The five FSP include no‐till corn–soybean–wheat/soybean rotation (NT), chisel‐till (CT), 2‐yr corn–soybean (Org2), 3‐yr corn–soybean–wheat (Org3), 4‐ 6‐yr corn–soybean–wheat–hay (Org4+). Average yield during 9 yr was similar NT CT (7.88 8.03 Mg ha −1 , respectively) but Org2, Org3, Org4+ were, respectively, 41, 31, 24% less than CT. Low N availability explained, average, 73% losses relative while weed competition plant population 23 4%, these losses. positive relationship between length among related decreasing abundance with length. Soybean averaged 19% lower three (2.88 ) (3.57 alone accounted for this difference. There were no consistent differences systems. Crop complexity had little impact Results indicate that supplying adequate controlling weeds both are biggest challenges achieving equivalent