What is the Organic Cropping Systems Trial?
The OCS is a long-term field experiment ongoing since 2005, located at the Musgrave Research Farm, in Aurora NY. Our goal is to test innovative management strategies within organic crop rotations to provide practical insights to farmers. This long-term project showcases farming systems which emphasize diverse management strategies, designed with our organic farmer advisory board. We are comparing systems with different intensities of external inputs and soil disturbance over crop rotations in a long-term context. Testing these systems will allow us to make practical recommendations based on which systems show better yields, increased soil health, and higher profits.
What are the systems in the OCS?
Why is the OCS important?
Less research has been done in organic systems than in conventional systems, with few long-term organic research studies in existence. Weed and fertility management are major concerns for organic farmers and choosing to emphasize weed control, high fertility, or reduced tillage can have varying benefits and drawbacks for crop yield and profitability. Testing effects of system approaches across rotations and seasons allows a deeper understanding of agroecological dynamics of organic management decisions.
Experiments
Weed competition across a fertility gradient in the Organic Cropping Systems Trial (2015)
Publications
Caldwell, B., Mohler, C.L., Ketterings, Q.M., DiTommaso, A., 2014. Yields and profitability during and after transition in organic grain cropping systems. Agron. J. 106, 871–880. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj13.0286
Jernigan, AB, K Wickings, BA Caldwell, L Drinkwater, CL Mohler, C Pelzer, S Wayman, and MR Ryan. 2020. Legacy effects of contrasting organic grain cropping systems on soil health indicators, soil invertebrates, weeds, and crop yield Agricultural Systems 177: 102719.
