Reducing Tillage in Organic Production Systems Anu Rangarajan, Cornell University [email protected].
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Transcript of Reducing Tillage in Organic Production Systems Anu Rangarajan, Cornell University [email protected].
Reduced Tillage Goals Enhance soil quality
Conserve organic matter Improve tilth Conserve moisture Reduce erosion
Minimize soil disturbance Minimize weed
germination Reduce compaction
Reduce fuel use Reduce equipment use Minimize hand weeding Maintain yields
Key Features in Organic RT Cover crops intensively cultivated
Seeding and rates Timing of seeding Methods of seeding Methods of killing
Rotations can be complex Diversified operations Diverse crop types and planting schemes Integration of animals
All organic RT systems will require some type of tillage at some point in the rotation
Objective is to minimize frequency, intensity and energy needed for these events.
Organic Options to Reduce tillage
Annual Strategies Frequency Intensity Spatially
Multi-year Strategies Rotation
Different Systems Hybrid mulch system Permanent Beds
Conventional tillage•Primary, secondary tillage, seedbed preparation•2-4 field tillage passes•‘Clean Field’
Permanent No-till•No tillage passes•Residue minimally disturbed•Maximize protection against erosion and crusting
Steps:
Seeding a cover crop Kill cover crop, leaving mostly on surface Establish reduced width planting zone Establish Transplant or Large Seeded Crop Manage weeds Harvest crop Seed a cover crop
Unverferth Zone Builder
Tufline subsoiler
Strip tillage•Vertical tillage to reduce compaction•Zone building for seedbed•One or two passes
Penetration Resistance
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Soil Depth (ins)
Pen
etra
tion
Res
ista
nce
(MP
a)
Plow-till Strip -till Zone-till
High Residue cultivator sweeps (12 to 20” wide) work well in high residue conditions to undercut weeds. The angle of the sweep can be changed to 0-degree, 2-degree, and 4-degree for differing aggressiveness. The shank is ½ wide at the soil to allow soil and residue to flow more easily and minimize hairpinning.
*Grisso et al
Test:•Sweeps•V-plows•Undercutters•Seeding Rates!
Reducing tillage in time through Rotations
Four Winds Farm Polly & Jay Armour, NY
Oats
Potatoes OR Tomatoes*
Straw Mulch
Garlic
(in alternate beds**)
Winter Squash (in alternate beds)
Straw Mulch
Straw Mulch
Beans
Compost
Direct-seeded Quick Crops/ Small-Seeded Greens/Radishes
Cukes (mulched
with straw) Lettuces
Return to Year One
*This rotation switches between potatoes and tomatoes in alternate cycles. **This rotation is designed around alternate beds.
Winter
Spring
Summer Y1
Fall
Winter
Spring
Summer
Y2
Fall
Winter
Spring
Summer
Y3
Fall
Winter
Spring
Summer
Y4
Fall
Winter
Spring
Summer
Y5
Fall
Beech Grove Farm Eric & Anne Nordell, PA
Winter Rye
Fallow
Oat Pea
Early Crops, Lettuce, onions
Winter Rye
Fallow
Rye vetch
Late Crops, Broccoli
Winter rye
Return to year 1
“Bio-extensive” rotation Weed management Soil moisture
conservation Fixing and recycling
carbon and nitrogen Feed soil microbes and
crops Shallow and reduced
tillage
*Dacum Rotation Planner, NESFI and NEON
Organic Options to Reduce tillage
Annual Strategies Frequency Intensity Spatially
Multi-year Strategies Rotation
Different Systems Hybrid mulch system Permanent Beds
Maintain drive areasReduce Tillage in space
•Fall •tillage (conventional)•drill cover crop
•Spring•roll cover crop•no-till transplant into cover
•NOTE: cooler soils