1. No-till soybeans for organic farms. Preliminary studies. John Cardina Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center (OARDC) Wooster, OH Cardina.2@osu.edu

2. OBJECTIVES: Develop methods for weed suppression and crop management in organic field crops with no tillage (or as little tillage as possible). Treatments: Various cover crops and kill methods. Mustards did not establish this year. Rye was very successful.

3. Rodale’s Cover Crop Roller

6. METHODS: Rye planted in October 2005. No side-dress fertilizer. Food-grade soybeans planted at 90 lb/acre with a no-till drill on June 1 2006 (rye heading). Three treatments for suppressing rye: 1. Roller 2. Mower (brush-hog) 3. Untreated (plant directly into standing rye).

7. Roller in rye; soybeans planted immediately. June 1, 2006

9. roller No pre- treatment i.e. soybeans drilled into standing rye mowing September 1, 2006.

10. Roller treatment, September 1.

11. Weed Soybean Weight Yield oz/plotbu/A Mow 2.7 42 Roll 2.5 39 No pre 1.0 41 Control13.0 -

12. Two theories for why this worked: 1.Dumb luck. 2.Rye suppressed spring weeds took N away from N-loving weeds produced allelopathic chemicals. Soybeans formed quick canopy fixed their own N. There was ample soil moisture.

13. In 2007: The Ultimate Test: Giant Ragweed!! If you’re interested in trying this, I’d like to learn from your ideas and experience. John Cardina 330-263-3644 cardina.2@osu.edu.