1. Soil Organic Matter Accumulation at the George Jones Farm:
A comparison of organic treatments with natural processes and conventional management
December 10, 2003
Nathaniel Decker, Kate Merrick, Tina Bosch

2. SOM and Organic Farming
Soil Fertility
Importance for Organic vs. Conventional Farming
OSAP aims to increase SOM
Treatment Types

3. Treatments Note: C/M- COVER CROPPED AND MOWED FOR 3 YEARS
CHX- CHICKEN TRACTOR
LM- LEAF MULCH
XLM- EXTRA LEAF MULCH
M- MANURE
1,2- YEARS IN CULTIVATION

4. SOM and Organic Farming
Soil Fertility
Importance for Organic vs. Conventional Farming
OSAP aims to increase SOM
Treatment Types
OSAP would like to know what effects the organic amendments used have on SOM

5. Objectives and Hypotheses
Organic management increases SOM
- conventional management
- pre-OSAP SOM
SOM content will be higher in proportion to amount of organic amendments
- GH>N & S Beds> Orchard
Will the Wetland Edge also increase SOM?

6. Methods
Soil cores
Loss-on-ignition
Sampling sites

7. Site Map

9. North Beds
South Beds

13. Results OSAP SOM A B, C B, c B C North Beds South Beds Wetland Edge0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9%
10%
North Beds
South Beds
Wetland Edge
Fallow Field
Neighbor
Orchard
Greenhouse Beds
SOM Content B
B, c C
B, C A

14. Analysis Greenhouse – high Fallow Field – low
No significant differences among treatments
Neighbor – lower than GH but not other organic treatments
Wetland indistinguishable from treatments
SOM increased since 2000
OSAP SOM 0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9%
10%
North Beds
South Beds
Wetland Edge
Fallow Field
Neighbor
Orchard
Greenhouse Beds
SOM Content B
B, c C
B, C A

15. SOM in 2000 at OSAP

16. Recommendations/Lessons
Experimental setup would be helpful
- effect of different crops
- cause and effect in GH

17. Shout Outs Yay Greenhouse! Yay Amendments!
Further study to determine precise mechanisms for SOM increase

18. Acknowledgments JP and his lab Brad and his farm Becca and her car
A Group Phoenix Production