Diversifying Dryland Grain Cropping Systems for Organic

Production

Kristy Ott BorrelliPh.D. Candidate

Department of Crop and Soil Sciences

Outline• Background of Region and Organic Wheat

Production

• Dryland Organic Grain Production from Transition to Certification

• Intercropping winter pea and wheat for optimal soil nitrogen and moisture

• Dryland organic grain management considerations

The Palouse Prairie

• Sub humid Region– 500 mm annual precipitation (21 inches)– 60% precipitation November through March

• Rain-fed annual cropping systems

• Soft White Winter Wheat

• 2 to 3 year rotations– Winter Wheat – Spring Legume – Spring Wheat– Winter Wheat – Spring Legume – Winter Wheat– Winter Wheat – Winter Wheat – Winter Wheat

Papendick, 1996; Cook, 1986; McCool et al., 2001

WA Organic Grain ProductionWhich of the following are your main reasons for NOT

having any certified organic acres? %

Organic weed control methods are inadequate 69.3Cannot get same yields with organic as conventional methods 59.3Organic pest/disease control methods are inadequate 58.9Not worth the time 43.4Transportation and access to organic buyers are limited 36.3Too difficult to get enough nitrogen 35.9Need more information on organic production 33.2Certification is too much trouble 24.3Other reasons 17.8

Jones et al., 2006

Jones et al., 2006

Within the last five years, 2001 – 2005, have you considered transitioning any of your acreage to certified organic?

Dryland Organic Grain Production from Transition

to Certification

(AKA The Boyd Farm Project)

Dryland organic cropping systems

• Identify strategies to minimize economic and management risks for organic grain growers

• To evaluate different transition cropping systems– Do not rely on inversion tillage

– Supply N using legume crops (grain, green manure and forage)

Objectives• To identify how cropping systems in

transition phase impacted grain yield and protein during the certified organic phase.

• To develop a soil fertility management plan for organic grain producers.– Construct a nitrogen budget

Materials and Methods

Experimental Design

Rotation SystemsTransition Phase Certifiable Organic Phase

Year

System 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Control Rotation

1 Spring Wheat Winter Wheat Spring Barley Spring Wheat Winter Wheat

3 yr of Grain Cropping

2 Spring Pea Winter Wheat Spring Pea Spring Wheat Winter Wheat

3 Spring Pea Spring Wheat Spring Pea Spring Wheat Winter Wheat

2 yr of Grain Cropping + 1 yr Green Manure

4 Spring Pea Winter Wheat Winter Pea GM Spring Wheat Winter Wheat

5 Spring Pea Spring Wheat Winter Pea GM Spring Wheat Winter Wheat

1 yr of Grain Cropping + 2 yr Green Manure

6 Fava Bean GM Winter Wheat Winter Pea GM Spring Wheat Winter Wheat

7 Fava Bean GM Spring Wheat Winter Pea GM Spring Wheat Winter Wheat

3 yr Green Manure

8 Fava Bean GM Winter Pea GM Winter Pea GM Spring Wheat Winter Wheat

Legume/Grass Forage

9 Alfalfa + Oat/Pea Alfalfa + Oat/Pea Alfalfa + Oat/Pea Spring Wheat Winter Wheat

General Agronomics• 2x Seeding Density

• Cereal Crops– BioGro 7-7-2 NPK– Foliar Fish Emulsion 12-0.25-1 NPK– Gypsum

Rotary Harrow

• Pre-plant weed control and soil prep.• 1-2 passes

Rotary Hoe

• In-crop weed management • 3-5 passes

Sub Sampling• Crops and Weeds

– Separated and biomass yield was determined– Total N– Grain N measured separately

• Soil Samples– 1.5 m depth– Inorganic N

Harvest• Green Manure Crops were Flail Mowed

– Residue retained on soil

• Forage cut 1-2x season– Baled as hay

• Grain HarvestedGallagher, R.S., D. Pittmann, A.M. Snyder, R.T. Koenig, E.P. Fuerst, I.C. Burke, & L. Hoagland, 2010. Alternative strategies for transitioning to organic production in direct-seeded grain systems in Eastern Washington I: Crop agronomy. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 34:483-503.

Nitrogen Balance• Net N input = (Fertilizer N + Plant N + Post-

harvest Soil N) – Pre-plant Soil N

– Fertilizer N = organic N when applied to cereal crops– Plant N = crop N + weed N– Pre-plant soil N = post-harvest soil N from the previous year

• Net N Balance = Net N input – N removal (crop)

– Net N input = equation above– Crop N removal = grain or forage crop N only

Transition Phase Results

Cropping System

Net

Sys

tem

N B

alan

ce (k

g ha

-1)

-50

0

50

100

150

200

250

300200320042005

Cash cereal/grain

ns = not significant 2003; ab for 2004; xyz for 2005

xy

z

x

ns†

x

x

x x x

yz a b b b b b b bb

Net System Nitrogen Balance (by year)

GRM last year

3yr GRM

Forage

Cropping System

Soi

l Ino

rgan

ic N

itrog

en (k

g ha

-1)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160 200320042005

b

b b b b a b ns

ns†

b b

† ns = not significant (2003 and 2005); ab for 2004

Soil Inorganic Nitrogen (by year)

Cash cereal/grain GRM last year3 yr GRM Forage

Certified Organic Phase Results

Cropping System

SW - W

W - S

B

SP - WW

- SP

SP - SW

- SP

SP - WW

- WP

SP - SW

- WP

BB - WW

- WP

BB - SW

- WP

BB - WP - W

P

For - F

or - F

or

Gra

in Y

ield

(kg·

ha-1

)

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

Pro

tein

(%)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

2006 Spring Wheat Yield (bars) and Protein (dots)

e cde de bcd de abc bcd ab a

y y y

x x x x x x

Cash cereal/grain3 yr

GRM ForageGRM last year

3293 kg ha-1

Cropping Systems

SW - W

W - S

B

SP - WW

- SP

SP - SW

- SP

SP - WW

- WP

SP - SW

- WP

BB - WW

- WP

BB - SW

- WP

BB - WP - W

P

For - F

or - F

or

Gra

in Y

ield

(kg

ha-1

)

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

Pro

tein

(%)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

2007 Winter Wheat Yield (bars) and Protein (dots)

d cd bcd abcd a ab a a abc

y y y y

x x x x x

Cash cereal/grain3 yr GRM ForageGRM last year

5052 kg ha-1

Cropping Systems

Soi

l Ino

rgan

ic N

(kg

ha-1

)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180Sp 2006Fa 2006Fa 2007

aab bc

bc de e

e e

cd

w w wx wx xyz wx wxy yz z

†ns (not significant) for Sp 2006; abc for Fa 2006; wxy for Fa 2007

Soil Inorganic N in Certified Organic Phase

†ns

Summary• Certified organic grain had some of the

highest yields and protein levels following Forage systems in the 1st year– decreased 2nd year

• Green manure in 3rd year of transition resulted in some of the highest grain yields 2nd year– High protein levels both years

Intercropping winter pea and wheat for optimal soil

nitrogen and moisture

Intercropping

• The simultaneous cultivation of more than one crop species on the same piece of land with part of the crop life-cycles overlapping.

(Hauggaard-Nielsen et al., 2008; Walker et al., 2011; Pridham and Entz, 2008).

Benefits of Intercropping• Source of plant N to cereal crops• Suppress weeds• Reduce disease• Stabilize erodible soils • Increase SOM • Provide crop rotation options• Management tool in organic or low-input systems• Reduce time spent growing a green manure

(Walker and Ogindo, 2003; Blackshaw et al., 2010; Hauggaard-Nielsen et al., 2008; Walker et al., 2011; Liebman and Dyck, 1993; Thiessen Martens et al., 2005; Lithourgidis et al., 2011; Hartl 1989; Reynolds et al., 1994)

Objective• Determine the optimal time to mechanically

remove winter pea intercropped with winter wheat

– Improve N input

– Reduce soil moisture stress

Materials and Methods

Experimental Design

• Seeded Mid-October

• Winter Wheat – (Triticum aestivum L. cv. ‘Brundage 96’)

• Winter Pea – (Pisum sativum L. cv. ‘Granger’)

• “Direct seeded” 2.2 m wide Fabro® no-till drill– Wheat 135 lbs. acre-1; 15” row spacing (152 kg ha-1; 38 cm row spacing)

– Pea 200 lbs. acre-1; 15” row spacing (225 kg ha-1; 38 cm row spacing)

Treatments

25% CoverEarly May

50% CoverMid May

75% CoverEarly June

100% CoverLate June

IntercropNo Removal

No IntercropControl

Soil Samples

– Pre and Post season 1.5 m – 0 to 30 cm– Repeated each sampling date– Gravimetric water content– Inorganic nitrogen

Plant Biomass

– 0.3 m2 collected on each sampling date– Repeated each sampling date– Dried and weighed

Grain Yield– Late August

Inter-row Cultivator

Results

Soi

l Moi

stur

e (%

) 0-3

0 cm

0

5

10

15

20

25

30Control25% Cover50% Cover75% Cover100% CoverHarvest

Soi

l Moi

stur

e (%

) 0-3

0 cm

0

5

10

15

20

25

30Control 25% Cover50% Cover75% Cover100% CoverHarvest

% Soil Moisture (0-30 cm) Over Time

Sampling Date

2010 2011

Soil Moisture (0 – 1.5 m) Pre and Post Season

Soi

l Moi

stur

e (%

) 0 -

1.5

m

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Soi

l Moi

stur

e (%

) 0 -

1.5

m

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Treatment

2010 2011ns

a b ab ab b b b

Soi

l Ino

rgan

ic N

(kg

ha-1

) 0-3

0 cm

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Control25% Cover50% Cover75% Cover100% CoverHarvest

Soi

l Ino

rgan

ic N

(kg

ha-1

) 0-3

0 cm

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Control 25% Cover50% Cover75% Cover100% CoverHarvest

Sampling Date

Soil Inorganic Nitrogen (0-30 cm) Over Time2010 2011

Soil Inorganic N (0 – 1.5 m) Pre and Post Season

Soi

l Ino

rgan

ic N

(kg

ha-1

) 0 -1

.5 m

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Soi

l Ino

rgan

ic N

(kg

ha-1

) 0 -

1.5

m

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Treatment

2010 2011

a b b b ab ab b

a b b b b b b

Wheat Biomass Variation with Intercrop Removal Time

Sampling Date5/3 5/17 5/31 6/14 6/28

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

3502010 Wheat w/ pea removed2010 Wheat w/ pea all season2011 Wheat w/ pea removed2011 Wheat w/ pea all season

Bio

mas

s Y

ield

(g m

-2)

a

xax

Wheat Grain Yield after Pea Removal for Different Crop Growth Phases

ns

Gra

in Y

ield

(kg

ha-1

)

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

Gra

in Y

ield

(kg

ha-1

)

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

Treatment

2010 2011ns ns

Mean = 3527 kg ha-1Mean = 5560 kg ha-1

5666 kg ha-1

Summary

• No differences in soil moisture

• No difference in soil nitrogen

• No difference in grain yield or protein

• No difference among plant N levels or biomass yield

Dryland Organic Grain Management Considerations

Agronomics

• Reduced tillage weed control (in crop)– Rotary Hoe– Rotary Harrow– Inter-row Cultivator

• Choose competitive crops and cultivars– Winter Crops > Spring Crops

Agronomics

• Peas established better with wheat

• Biodiversity in intercrop system

Soil Fertility

• Include a forage system during the transition ($)– Supplement soil N following 1st year of grain

production

• Include a green manure during the last year– Multiple years of green manure likely not

necessary

Soil Fertility

• External (commercial) organic fertilizer sources are too expensive

• Adding a source of animal manure may be beneficial

AcknowledgmentsCommittee MembersDr. Rich Koenig (Co-Chair)Dr. Ian Burke (Co-Chair)Dr. Dave HugginsDr. Scot Hulbert

Special ThanksDr. Bill PanDr. Pat Fuerst

Co-AuthorsDr. Rob GallagherDr. Lori HoaglandDr. Kate PainterAmanda SnyderMisha Manuchehri

FarmersPat and Lester Boyd

TechniciansDennis PittmannRod Rood John RumphMargaret DaviesDave Uberaga

Undergraduate AssistantsCharlie ClarkLydia Baxter PotterMadeline JacobsenHeather FuerstNick Boydson Rachel King

Questions?