Abstract
Maize producers transitioning to an organic cropping system must grow crops organically without price premiums for 36 months before certification. We evaluated conventional and organic maize with recommended and high seeding and N rates in New York to identify the best organic management practices during the transition. Conventional versus organic maize management differences included a treated (fungicide/insecticide) Genetically Modified (GM) hybrid versus a non-treated non-GM isoline; side-dressed synthetic N versus pre-plow composted manure; and Glyphosate versus mechanical weed control, respectively. Organic versus conventional maize yielded 32% lower as the entry crop (no previous green manure crop). Grain N% and weed densities explained 72% of yield variability. Organic and conventional maize, following wheat/red clover in the second year, yielded similarly. Organic maize with high inputs following wheat/red clover and conventional maize with high inputs following soybean in the third year yielded the highest. Grain N% and maize densities explained 54% of yield variability. Grain crop producers in the Northeast USA who do not have on-farm manure and forage equipment should plant maize after wheat/red clover with additional N (~56 kg N/ha) at higher seeding rates (~7%) during the transition to insure adequate N status and to offset maize density reductions from mechanical weed control.
Highlights
Recent downward trends in crop prices have prompted some cash crop producers, who practice maize (Zea mays L.)-soybean {Glycine max (L.) Merr.} or maize-soybean-wheat/red clover (Triticum aestivum L./Trifolium pretense L.) rotations, to contemplate transitioning from a conventional to an organic cropping system
Comprehensive survey data indicate that organic maize, despite higher profits because of the price premium, had lower yields and higher per-hectare production costs when compared with conventional maize [2]
Organic maize, which yielded in the dry second year and 15% greater in the wet third year compared with conventional maize when following wheat/red clover, appears viable as second or third transition year crops when following wheat/red clover in this environment
Summary
Recent downward trends in crop prices have prompted some cash crop producers, who practice maize (Zea mays L.)-soybean {Glycine max (L.) Merr.} or maize-soybean-wheat/red clover (Triticum aestivum L./Trifolium pretense L.) rotations, to contemplate transitioning from a conventional to an organic cropping system. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), requires a 36-month transition period that prohibits the use of GM crops, synthetic fertilizer, pesticides, and so on before a field can be certified as organic and eligible for the organic price premium [1]. Comprehensive survey data indicate that organic maize, despite higher profits because of the price premium, had lower yields and higher per-hectare production costs when compared with conventional maize [2]. A major deterrent for potential organic crop producers is a loss in profit during the transition because of higher production costs, lower yields, and the absence of a price premium. The identification of best management practices for organic maize could help grain crop producers minimize yield and profit losses during the transition period
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