The information you need to grow organic field crops in New York.
Production Information
- Agronomic Comparisons of Conventional and Organic Maize during the Transition to an Organic Cropping System - Agronomy 2018, 8, 113. research article co-authored by William Cox and Jerry Cherney, SIPS Soil and Crop Sciences, about the evaluation of conventional and organic maize with recommended and high seeding and N rates in New York to identify the best organic management practices during the transition. (webpage and PDF)
- Corn Density Effect on Interseeded Cover Crops, Weeds, and Grain Yield - Agronomy 2018, Vol. 110 No. 6, p. 2478-2487. Research article co-authored by Antonio DiTommaso and Matthew Ryan, SIPS Soil and Crop Sciences, about the effect of corn density on cover crop biomass, the suppression of weeds, and effect on corn grain yield.
- Cover Crops Considerations - What is the best cover crop for nitrogen (N) fixation? The most effective weed suppressor? One that will increase water infiltration? Is there a cover crop that performs all of these functions, and how will it fit into my crop rotation?
- Crop Budgets and Cost & Return Studies for Organic Grain in Western New York extension bulletin and associated Organic Grain Transition Period Cost Analysis Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet tool (with link to instructional video)
The ecology of weed management - online webinar presentation by Chuck Mohler
Integrated Weed Management Practices for Controlling Unwanted Vegetation - article authored by Lynn M. Sosnoskie, Specialty Crop Weed Scientist, Horticulture
Maize Cultivar Performance under Diverse Organic Production Systems - research article co-authored by Margaret Smith, SIPS Plant Breeding & Genetics, about field corn, with performance just about grain corn in organic production systems.
Organic No-Till Planted Soybean Production Guide - Farmers interested in using the rolled cover crop organic no-till soybean system can now find techniques and tips in the new guide produced by the Sustainable Cropping Systems Lab at Cornell University. The “Organic No-Till Planted Soybean Production” guide aims to provide information to farmers that will help them be successful with this production system.
Organic weed management - Understanding these more general topics will assist you in managing weeds that are not specifically treated in the Major Weeds section, and assist you in developing strategies for controlling several species of weeds at once.
Reduced Tillage in Organic Systems Handbook - A handbook for improving soil health in both organic and conventional vegetable, row crop, and small grain systems is now available at no charge from Cornell Cooperative Extension and partners that made possible a popular field day event that served as the basis for the handbook.
Using mulch from cover crops to facilitate organic no-till soybean and maize production. A review. - research article co-authored by Matt Ryan, SIPS Soil & Crop Sciences.
Want more? The New York Certified Organic (NYCO) field crop meetings and mailing list
NYCO winter meetings have grown from a gathering of six organic grain producers in the Martens Farms farmhouse kitchen in 1992 to filling the auditorium at Cornell AgriTech in Geneva. To find out about upcoming meetings and receive a weekly summary of messages from members, join the NYCO mailing list by sending an email to NYCO-group-L-request [at] cornell.edu (NYCO-group-L-request[at]cornell[dot]edu). For the subject of your email, type the single word join and leave the body of the message blank.
Roots: an exploration of cover crops belowground delves into 15 commonly planted cover crop species.
Integrated Pest Management
- New York State Integrated Pest Management: Livestock and Field Crops - We help you deal with pests—with the weeds, insects, and plant diseases that infest your crops, and the mites, ticks, flies, and lice that plague your livestock.
- NYS IPM online course for Field Corn Insect Pests - YouTube
Research
Areas of research include perennial grains, forage intercropping, cover crop interseeding, and cover crop rotational no-till.
Provides outreach materials and support practitioner training, field days, and soil health assessments on collaborating farms from all types of systems.
Offers the Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health which is designed for farmers, gardeners, agricultural service providers, landscape managers and researchers who want to go beyond simply testing the nutrient levels of their soils.
Recommended External Resources
- ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture
- Cornell Small Farms Program
- Growing Organic with NRCS
- National Organic Program
- Natural and Working Lands (greenhouse gas reduction strategies)
- NOFA-NY: Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York
- NY FarmNet
- Organic Agriculture from eXtension
- Organic Materials Review Institute
- Organic Production from SARE
- Organic Transition Guide from SARE
- USDA NRCS Training Webinars
- USDA Organic

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