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Management Strategies, cont.
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University of California
researchers testing ways to grow profitable organic tomatoes
recommend the use of cover crops, mechanical weed control and
transplants instead of direct seeding.
–Photo courtesy of University
of California-Davis |
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Weeds. One of your biggest transition challenges will be weed management.
New studies are showing, however, that with careful management, weeds can be
controlled effectively during transition:
 Careful
weed control was one reason that an Iowa study found no yield
reduction in soybeans, and loss in corn only for the first year
of a transition trial. "We attribute our results to high
managerial experience in producing diverse crops and accurately
operating various implements in organic systems," said project
leader Kathleen Delate.
A SARE
study in Minnesota found that a crop of buckwheat harvested for
seed was effective at smothering Canada thistle, in both the immediate
and the subsequent crops - winter rye and soybeans. The research
also showed the economic impact of good weed management; every
bushel of soybeans not lost to weeds increased profitability $12
to $18 an acre. Moreover, replacing four rotary hoeings or harrowings
with two well-timed ones for Canada thistle reduced costs by $3
to $5 an acre.
A change in attitude toward weed management is also critical, said John Hall,
a Maryland extension educator who co-created the "Organic Grain: Another
Way" video. "We think a field has to be weed-less to be productive.
What we're seeing by those in transition, though, is that we can tolerate weeds.
We just have to know where the threshold is and be willing to accept that."
John Teasdale, a weed scientist with USDA's Agricultural Research Service who
has studied non-chemical methods to manage weeds, focuses on controlling seeds.
"One aspect of trying to grow crops without herbicides is to control the
weed seed population and keep it as low as possible," he said. "It
is important not only to try to control weeds and prevent yield losses, but
also to prevent those weeds from going to seed and building up a soil seed bank."
Other strategies to consider:
Identify
weed problems before they start, addressing them in crop rotations.
Distinguish
between annual and perennial weeds, as well as those that spread
by rhizomes and seeds, to develop effective management.
Plant
higher crop densities to block weed germination.
Shift
between warm- and cool-season crops in your rotation to disrupt
the life cycle of various weeds and reduce competition.
Include
crops that have natural weed inhibitors like rye and sorghum.
Plant
crops that can be sown late in the season and easily cultivated.
Switching to transplants in horticultural crops can provide a
jump on the season, and allows more soil to be thrown up around
the plant without causing damage.
Insect Pests. Plan your rotation and soil-building strategies
to manage insects and diseases. Be aware that elimination of pesticides
can lead to temporary outbreaks of pests.
Before starting the transition, "minimize pesticide applications, and
use pesticides with the least impact on natural enemies," said Abby Seaman,
an extension educator with the New York State IPM program and Cornell University,
who received a SARE grant to investigate the relationship between management
practices and pest populations. "This will make the transition less jarring."
Seaman also recommends:
Push
the envelope with IPM practices, such as scouting and setting
thresholds for pest populations. Gain experience spotting natural
predators in the field.
Become
familiar with acceptable management materials and start trying
them.
Build
soil organic matter to reduce disease pressure.
Livestock. Many farmers and ranchers who are already using
pasture-based systems to raise their animals don't find the transition
difficult. Beef producers in Nebraska are entering the organic market
by using the pasture-based systems they've perfected over the last
few years, said Martin Kleinschmit, sustainable agriculture specialist
with the Center for Rural Affairs in Walthill, Neb.
"The transition is easy," Kleinschmit said, although certain rules
must be met as you convert to organic production. Ranchers need to provide buffer
areas - 25-foot fenced setbacks from conventional neighbors - on their pastures
and keep animals out of streams.
Similarly, deep-bedded systems, such as those used in "hoop"
barns for hogs, create a jumping-off point for would-be natural
or organic pork producers.
With help from a SARE grant, Minnesota pork producer Dave Serfling decided
to create a deep-bedded system for his 170 hogs. He converted an old, two-story
barn into a straw-based system, an efficient way to generate heat through the
animals' body warmth and manure, which composts in the straw. Not only does
Serfling save on heating bills, but he also avoids manure storage concerns because
the manure-straw mixture creates an ideal crop fertilizer.
"They can even stay warm on days when we record 30 degrees below zero,"
Serfling said. The hogs are able to grow in a group, exercising and interacting
in a herd setting rather than living in individual crates.
Serfling sells his natural pork to an upscale food retailer that
established animal welfare guidelines, including a no-crate rule,
and supplies restaurants and premier retail stores. Serfling receives
at least a 6-cent-per-pound premium.
Dairy farmers are well positioned for transitioning to organic if they use
pasture as a major feed source and don't over-push their cows for production
or utilize many antibiotics or hormones, said Lisa McCrory. Even if transitional
farmers don't follow all these strategies, they can start one at a time by trying
alternative dry cow therapies, eliminating prohibited materials such as hormones
and antibiotics, and getting the cows grazing.
Pastured cows tend to need less medical treatment and antibiotics because of
access to fresh air and exercise, so pasturing is an excellent way to begin
a transition. Depending on a farmer's comfort level with grazing, it can take
anywhere from one season to five years to learn to take full advantage of a
pasture. McCrory also advises producers to:
Network
with other successful organic dairy farmers for tips and information
at farm demonstrations, conferences and meetings.
Expect
cull rates to go up at first, because the older cows will have
a hard time fitting into the new system.
Stay
focused on the bottom line, rather than production numbers. Anticipate
decreased production as your ratio of forage to grain increases.
Many organic dairy farmers have reduced production goals yet still
turn a higher profit than conventional operators because input
costs such as veterinary bills, drugs and feed decrease.
Although the land to produce the organic grain must be managed according to
organic standards for three years, the cows only need to be managed organically
for one year, so some operators transitioning to organic sell off the milkers
and keep the young stock for transition. Heifers eat very little grain, and
most will be in compliance since they haven't received antibiotics, or drugs
for dry-cow treatment.
For more information about transitioning dairy farms, see Cornell
University's booklet, The Organic Decision! Transitioning to
Organic Dairy Production. (See "Resources")
Poultry farmers who have adopted outdoor, minimal-confinement systems
also have a similarly easy transition to organic systems. The small
but growing practice of raising broilers, layers and turkeys in
pasture-based systems lends itself to organic certification because
it meets two of the requirements of the national rule for organic
meat - outdoor access for livestock and elimination of antibiotics
in feed.
Most alternative poultry producers already avoid antibiotics, saying
birds not crowded together in confinement systems experience fewer
infections. Producers still need to watch for diseases and weather-related
stress. To control such incidence, consider:
Moving
the birds frequently, allowing pathogens to die off when their
food source is removed
Cleaning
pens and brooders regularly between flocks
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