DESIGNING FARMER`S GOAL-ORIENTED ORGANIC GRAIN ROTATIONS TO OPTIMIZE AGRONOMIC, ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL OUTCOMES IN TENNESSEE

The major goal of this project is to sustainably increase organic grain production in Tennessee to harness better profit while meeting national demand, reduced tillage organic production with sustainability as the prime focus, and low-input ecologically based grain production with closed nutrient cycling that does not rely on external inputs. The specific objectives of this project are developed based on the goals defined by local producers and other stakeholders. We will conduct organic soybean-wheat-corn rotational field experiments at two distinctly different locations in Tennessee for three years with the following specific objectives:Objective 1: Quantitatively compare the effects of four organic grain production systems on crop productivity, weed suppression, soil nutrient cycling, soil health, and greenhouse gas mitigation potentialObjective 2: Identify common pests and diseases issues in organic corn, soybean and wheat systems, and determine which management scenarios effectively control themObjective 3: Conduct a comparative economic analysis to identify the most profitable organic cropping rotationObjective 4: Integrate the knowledge generated into Extension and education programs that aim to improve producers' awareness and adoption of organic grain production