TOC Presents: Science of Soil1:30 - 2:45 p.m.

Jessica Shade, | Director of Science Programs, The Organic CenterMichel Cavigelli| Lead Scientist, USDA ARS Farming Systems ProjectJeff Moyer| Executive Director, Rodale InstituteKathleen Delate| Professor, Iowa State UniversityDeborah Koons Garcia| Filmmaker, Symphony of Soil

TOC Presents: Science of Soil1:30 - 2:45 p.m.

Jessica Shade, | Director of Science Programs, The Organic CenterMichel Cavigelli| Lead Scientist, USDA ARS Farming Systems ProjectJeff Moyer| Executive Director, Rodale InstituteKathleen Delate| Professor, Iowa State UniversityDeborah Koons Garcia| Filmmaker, Symphony of Soil

Michel CavigelliSustainable Agricultural Systems Lab

Beltsville Agricultural Research Center

Presented at OTA All Things Organic/Expo East, Sept. 17, 2015, Baltimore, MD

Science of the Soil at the Long-Term Farming Systems Project

The Beltsville Farming Systems Project

• Plots established 1996

• 4 replicated blocks

• Commercial scale farming equipment

• One of 5 US LTARs with NT and Organic

• Only US LTAR with 3 different organic

treatments and NT

FSP Cropping Systems

NO TILL Corn-rye-Soybean-Wheat/Soybean

CHISEL TILL Corn-rye-Soybean-Wheat/Soybean

ORGANIC, 2-YEAR Corn-rye-Soybean-vetch

ORGANIC, 3-YEAR Corn-rye-Soybean-Wheat/vetch

ORGANIC, 6-YEAR Corn-rye-Soybean-Wheat/Alfalfa

Soil Organic Carbon to 1 m Depth (Mg C ha-1)

ba

Cavigelli et al., 2013

Chart1

No Till

Organic 3-year

Soil C to 1 m depth (Mg C ha-1)

54.9

60.8

Sheet1

Soil C to 1 m depth (Mg C ha-1)

No Till54.9

Organic 3-year60.8

To resize chart data range, drag lower right corner of range.

Cavigelli et al. 2012

Potentially different SOC sequestration mechanisms

System

Soil Carbon in 1 m soil profile

g C m-2

Soil Conditioning Index

(from RUSLE2*)

No-till 5555 ab 0.75Chisel Till 5195 b 0.07Organic, 3-yr C-r-S-W-v

6158 a -0.34

RUSLE2 K Factor = 0.28, western MD, 2-5% slope; Pilkowski and Cavigelli. 2008. unpub’d

Actual vs. Predicted SOC

SystemPotentially

mineralizable N

Frequency of manure

application

CT 229 b NA

NT 241 b NA

Org2 297 a 1 of 2 yrs

Org3 323 a 2 of 3 years

Org6 325 a 2 of 6 years

Spargo et al., 2011

SOC and Soil Fertility

Spargo et al. 2011

Soil fertility impacts on crop yield

Green et al. 2005

Aggregate Stability (%) 0-5 cm

Chart1

CT

NT

Org2

Org3

Org6

a

b

b

Column1

0.4

0.74

0.4

Sheet1

Column1

CT0.4

NT0.74

Org2

Org30.4

Org6

To resize chart data range, drag lower right corner of range.

020406080

100120140160

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

CTNTOrg2Org3Org6

Soil penetrometer resistance (psi) FSP, November 2014

Depth (inch)Data collected by Jude Maul

Soil Hardness

Chart1

Sheet1

Series 1Series 2Series 3

Category 14.32.42

Category 22.54.42

Category 33.51.83

Category 44.52.85

To resize chart data range, drag lower right corner of range.

Cavigelli et al. 2012

Soil N2O emissions

Global Warming PotentialCO2 eqvt

(kg CO2eqvt ha-1 yr-1)

System ∆Soil C* N2OEnergy + Lime GWP*

Chisel Till 1080 a 406 ab 862 2348 a

No-Till 0 b 303 b 807 1110 b

Organic -1953 c 737 a 344** -872 c*** Negative value indicates mitigation of global warming** Strongly dependent on manure transportation distance

Cavigelli et al. 2009

• Longer, more complex crop rotations in organic systems have– Greater corn yields (30%)– Lower weed pressure (68%)– Less economic risk (4-7 fold)– Reduce dependence on manure (and P

loading) (33-50%)– Reduced soil N2O emissions (50%)– Reduced soil erosion (37-62%)

Importance of Crop Rotation in Organic Farming

Cavigelli et al. 2013

TOC Presents: Science of Soil1:30 - 2:45 p.m.

Jeff Moyer| Executive Director, Rodale Institute

TOC Presents: Science of Soil1:30 - 2:45 p.m.

Questions?

TOC Presents: Science of Soil1:30 - 2:45 p.m.

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