No-till Organic Corn Production.

No-till Organic Corn Production.

Alfonso Suarez and Larry J. Grabau

Most organic corn (Zea mays L.) production systems make extensive use of tillage as part of their weed management strategies.  Unfortunately, reliance on tillage demands labor and fuel inputs, may exacerbate soil losses due to erosion and CO₂ efflux to the atmosphere, and sometimes fails to control key weed species.  The objective of this research was to determine the utility of no-till methods for production of organic corn.  The experimental design included two locations (Princeton and Lexington, KY), two tillage systems (no-till and conventional), and two cover crops [hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) and winter rye (Secale cereale)].  Planting of all blocks was delayed until early June when hairy vetch reached 75% flowering (in order to ensure good kill); no-till plots of both hairy vetch and winter rye were rolled-down using a front-mounted roller crimper followed by a no-till planter.  Measurements included ear leaf N (both locations), weed and crop biomass at maturity (Lexington only), and yield (both locations). The interaction of cover crops and type tillage was found significant in yield and ear N leaf at both locations. It appears that no-till methods have some potential for organic corn production.