Transitioning from Conventional to Organic Production for the CSW Rotation
John Hanchar, Farm Business Management Specialist
Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops
Summary
- A multiyear agronomic study of conventional and organic CSW cropping systems, including transition period agronomics, provided data for an economic analysis designed to identify the optimal crop sequence for the conventional to organic transition period.
- Net Present Value (NPV) analysis of a feasible set of crop sequences for the CSW cropping system, rotation during the transition period yielded the following optimal sequence, where acres are allocated equally among corn, soybean, wheat annually
- Conventional corn as an entry crop for the transition period precedes organic red clover which precedes organic corn
- Conventional soybean as an entry crop for the transition period precedes organic corn which precedes organic soybean
- Conventional small grain, barley as an entry crop for the transition period precedes organic soybean which precedes organic wheat/red clover
- Growing conditions to date for the multiyear agronomic study comparing a conventional to an organic CSW cropping system affected results.
Transitioning from Conventional to Organic Production for a CSW Rotation (pdf; 151KB)
- View this article for a detailed description of the economic analysis.
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