Crop production, soil quality, and economic analysis: Organic legume cover crop farming in Southern Ontario

Citation

Xueming Yang. 2023. Crop production, soil quality, and economic analysis: Organic legume cover crop farming in Southern Ontario. 2023 GUELPH ORGANIC CONFERENCE. Guelph, ON Jan 27, 2023. https://guelphorganicconf.ca/program2023/#1670601295139-31760753-5b55

Résumé

Dr. Yang’s legume-corn–soybean–winter wheat rotation could provide a feasible pathway to increase large scale organic grain production in Southwestern Ontario, including:
• Legume-based cover crops were tested in a corn-soybean-winter wheat rotation in Harrow, ON for the potential to increase productivity and growers’ incomes, and to maintain soil health.
• Overall, profit margins doubled due to relatively high crop yield and organic grain price especially for corn and soybean premiums.
• All three legumes tested, crimson clover, hairy vetch, and red clover, can be summer-seeded after winter wheat harvest as winter-hardy cover crop in Southwestern Ontario. They become well established, continue to grow into winter, re-grow vigorously the following spring and are easy to terminate.
• Incorporating the legume biomass into soil, soon after termination, provides sufficient nitrogen to the following corn crop. Moldboard plow is recommend for termination over chisel plow for better incorporation, reduced weeds and increased yields.
• Summer-sown crimson clover, hairy vetch or red clover after winter wheat harvest can be used as a primary nitrogen source in organic corn-soybean-winter wheat rotation.
• Frost-sown red clover into winter wheat works as a steady nitrogen source for the following corn, however some decline in winter wheat yield of about 10-15% was observed and would benefit from additional organic nitrogen sources.

Date de publication

2023-01-27

Profils d'auteurs