Location: Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory
Project Number: 8042-21660-005-034-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2015
End Date: Aug 31, 2020
Objective:
1.Investigate the factors affecting economic performance of organic farms by:
a. Quantifying the effects of nutrient management, weeds, soil management, weather and their interactions on grain yield and economic performance of organic systems at the long-term FSP.
b. Developing carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium budgets of FSP full plots based on 20 years of data and evaluate how these are impacted by reduced poultry litter applications in microplots.
2. Disseminate research results at field days, an annual regional workshop, and webinars (NRCS, Organic Working Group).
Approach:
ARS will:
1. Establish research microplots within the long-term Farming Systems Project (FSP) that is part of the Lower Chesapeake Bay LTAR site to isolate soil nitrogen, poultry litter additions, and weed competition as factors impacting crop yield, economic performance, and environmental services.
2. Compile carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium balances for 20 years of FSP data and identify impacts of microplots on these balances.
