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Agronomic performance and quality of spring wheat and soybean cultivars under organic culture

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2009

H.G. Nass ,
J.A. Ivany  and
J.A. MacLeod
H.G. Nass*
Affiliation:
Spring and winter wheat breeder
J.A. Ivany
Affiliation:
Soil scientist, Crops and Livestock Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, 440 University Avenue, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, CanadaCIA 4N6.
J.A. MacLeod
Affiliation:
Soil scientist, Crops and Livestock Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, 440 University Avenue, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, CanadaCIA 4N6.
*
H. Nass (nassh@agr.gc.ca).
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Abstract

Spring milling wheat (Triticum aestivum L em. Thell) and soybean (Glycine max L.) cultivars were managed to International Organic Certification Standards on two organically certified farms to evaluate two physical weed control methods, cultivar performance and quality. Nutrients were supplied as manure and compost. There was no difference (P<0.05) between flaming plus fingerweeding versus fingerweeding twice, 10 days apart, on weed control, yield, and protein in both crops. The spring wheat cultivar, AC Barrie, may be particularly well suited to production under an organic system, as indicated by its superior performance to AC Walton at the Springfield site in 2000, when growth conditions were favorable. A severe drought in 2001 limited the mineralization of soil and manure nitrogen, with the result that all spring wheat cultivars at the Springfield site did not make 13.5% grain protein, required to meet milling quality criteria. Also, in 2001 at both sites, soybean yields were reduced by 50% compared to 2000 because of reduced moisture availability and weed competition. Delays in field operations, lack of sufficient soil moisture and reduced mineralization of manure during the 2001 growing season were major factors in influencing crop production, especially at Springfield.

Keywords

spring wheatTriticum aestivumsoybeanGlycine maxproteinnitrogenorganicweed populations
Type
Research Article
Information
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture , Volume 18 , Issue 3 , September 2003 , pp. 164 - 170
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003

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