Multifunctional Cover Crops in Organic Grain Production Systems.

The protection of soil resources and minimization of all forms of pollution are at the heart of organic agriculture yet high reliance on mechanical weeding in these systems pose a significant challenge due to the development of soil compaction by machinery traffic. Soil compaction in organic systems may create a vicious loop where mechanical weeding generates soil compaction decreasing the competitive ability of crops while favoring weeds, thus creating a pressing need for additional tillage. The use of deep-rooted cover crops with bio-fumigant effect i.e, brassicas and mustards, held promise to solve the convoluted issue yet research in this area is currently missing. Thus, our objective was to evaluate the use of deep rooted cover crops alone and in mixtures to alleviate soil compaction and suppress weeds in organic grain farms. Four certified organic fields were used and two compacted and non compacted areas were identified by the producers in each farm to establish our experimental plots. Two compaction levels and four combinations of cover crop treatments were arranged in a split plot design with two reps at each of four locations.  Results from the first year of our participatory on-farm research will be shown.