IMPROVING THE PRODUCTIVITY, RESILIENCE, AND DIVERSITY OF ORGANIC SMALL GRAIN PRODUCTION IN THE NORTHEAST

We propose to improve the productivity and market potential of spring- and fall- sown organic small grains to increase ecological and economic resilience of organic grain production systems within Pennsylvania and the Northeast US. Here, organic grain farmers capitalize on the strong demand for corn and soybean needed for the rapidly growing organic poultry and egg production sector. Organic grain farmers have traditionally integrated perennial forages in rotation with corn and soybean to break pest life cycles, build soil fertility, and manage economic risk. Integration of small grain crop sequences is an alternative means to manage weed seedbanks, increase soil fertility via expansion of cover cropping windows, and facilitate reduced-tillage and organic rotational no-till corn and soybean production practices.We will integrate multi-disciplinary research and extension-education to improve the viability of organic small grain production. Specifically, we will (Obj 1) assess interactions between soil management legacies created by rotational no-till practices, soil fertility, and integrated weed management (IWM) tactics to optimize spring oat production; (Obj 2) evaluate interactions between soil management legacy and cultivar mixtures on yield stability of fall- and spring- sown small grains; and (Obj 3)evaluate yield, quality, and weed suppressive ability of extended small grain sequences using intercropping practices. Evaluations of integrated crop management practices will be extended to include measures of food quality and safety, as well as poultry nutrition and health (Obj 1-3). Our extension-outreach efforts will (Obj 4) grow small grain market opportunities by providing co-learning opportunities for diverse stakeholder groups across the small grain value chain (growers, millers, poultry nutritionists, policymakers).Our project will help develop climate-resilient, environmentally and economically viable organic grain production systems within the Northeast region. This work builds on sustained efforts to develop viable reduced-tillage and rotational no-till corn and soybean production practices, which we view as the foundation for intensified organic grain systems. Our research products will facilitate more robust local markets for small grains grown for food and feed, and increased adoption of small grain sequences that improve pest regulation, soil fertility, and economic viability. Ourresearch objectives support this goal by (1) identifying ways to improve small grain productivity and resilience through on-station experiments and on-farm field trials; and (2) exploring effects of integrated crop management practices on feed- and food-grade small grain quality, including important marketability factors such as the grains' vulnerabilities to fungi and mycotoxins, and their potential to benefit chicken gut health, an especially important factor in antibiotic-free production. We will also provide regionally-specific educational and networking events to improve grain growers' and purchasers understanding of sustainability challenges and market opportunities.Project outcomes will improve the ecological and economic resilience of organic grain production systems in Pennsylvania and the Northeast. Our research meets program priority No. 1 by conducting multidisciplinary crop production research (on-station and on-farm) focused on advanced agroecological practices that address production and environmental goals. Project outcomes will increase resiliency to climate change and address both short- and long-term economic viability of organic grain cropping systems. Our project meets program priority No. 2 by fostering regionally specific co-learning events for farmers, millers, bakers, and poultry nutritionists, plus other extension personnel and government agencies. Our project meets program priority No. 3 by evaluating important marketability factors for organic small grains in the context of integrated crop management practices.Anovelapproachof ourcropping sequence experiments(Obj 1 - Obj 3)is our evaluation of integrated crop management practices for small grain production in the context of soil management legacies left by rotational no-till practices for summer annual cash crops. Another is our extending grain performance analysis to include implications for food safety and quality, and poultry nutrition and health for feed grade markets. Advancing management practices and market potential for small grains has yet to be a focus of regional organic cropping system experiments110-113, 28. Few multi-disciplinary projects have addressed the interconnected relationships between soil-management legacy, integrated crop management practices for small grains, food safety and quality endpoints, and poultry feed nutrition and poultry health. We will extend our research to includeon-farm trials(Obj 2)to assess small grain performance across a broad range of soil-environment (E x M) conditions using cultivar mixtures (G x E x M) to increase resiliency of small grains within agronomic windows increasingly influenced by climate change.Finally, we'll support our on-station and on-farm research withco-learning opportunities that bridge the gap between growers and end users(Obj 4). Farmers want more viable grain markets to increase the ecological and economic resilience of their cropping system. Our project will make important advancements toward this goal via sustained engagement with diverse stakeholders gathered at the same table, virtual space, or organic production field.