Reducing Tillage in Organic Production Systems Anu Rangarajan, Cornell University

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

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  “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 Approach Plastic intact for 2-3 years Cover crop managed between rows

Permanent beds Tillage to incorporate cover Controlled Traffic

Maintain drive areas Reduce 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