Organic Compared with Conventional Wheat Had Competitive Yields during the Early Years of Organic Production in the Northeast USA

Abstract

Organic wheat production has increased significantly because of increased demand by consumers. We used the same variety to evaluate organic (seed treatment) and conventional wheat (no seed treatment) under no-till conditions in 2016 and 2018 with recommended (296 kernels/m2 and 80 kg N/ha) and high inputs (420 kernels/m2 and 56 + 56 kg N/ha) to identify the best organic management practices. Organic compared with conventional wheat with recommended inputs had ~13% lower yields in 2016 but ~7.5% higher yields with high inputs in 2018. Organic wheat emerged 1 to 1.5 days earlier, had 10 to 38% higher plant establishment rates, and had similar weed densities (<0.25 weeds/m2) to high input conventional wheat, which received a fall herbicide. Organic compared with conventional wheat had lower grain N% (0.3 to 0.45% in 2016 and 0.17 to 0.27% in 2018). Organic compared with conventional wheat had mostly higher spike densities, especially with high inputs (~60 more spikes/m2 in 2016 and ~130 more in 2018), probably because of better plant establishment, but mostly lower kernels/spike and kernel weight. Organic compared with conventional wheat had comparable yields, probably because of its competitiveness with weeds. We recommend that growers use recommended seeding and N rates on organic wheat because high seeding rates did not improve weed control, and high N rates were not economical.