Reducing Tillage in Organic Production Systems

Anu Rangarajan, Cornell Universityar47@cornell.edu

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

Cover crop seeding rates and stand are critical

Mechanical killing Cover Crops

Killing cover crops

Flail Sickle Rotary

OR:Winter killed

cover crops

Zone tillage•Zone building for seedbed•Till zone 4-6 inches•One field pass

Unverferth Zone Builder

Tufline subsoiler

Strip tillage•Vertical tillage to reduce compaction•Zone building for seedbed•One or two passes

Vertical Tillage in the Zone

Reducing Tillage Widths

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

Manage residue during planting

Maintain a Minimum Weed Free Period•Hand weeding•Mechanical cultivation

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

Hybrid Mulch ApproachPlastic intact for 2-3 yearsCover crop managed between rows

Permanent beds

Tillage to incorporate coverControlled Traffic

Maintain drive areasReduce Tillage in space

•Fall •tillage (conventional)•drill cover crop

•Spring•roll cover crop•no-till transplant into cover

•NOTE: cooler soils

Mixing cover crop species on the bed

Future Directions

Small seeded crops New cultivation strategies

Dealing with residue Scaled for smaller vegetable

operation Organic reduced till

Systems comparisons Cover crop management

Engaging more growers in on-farm trials