Economic outcomes for transitioning to organic forage production. Issue 2 (7th July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kubesch, Jonathan O. C.; Nave, R. L. G.; Griffith, A. P.; Cui, S.; Bates, G. E.
• Is Part Of: Crop, forage & turfgrass management. Volume 8:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-07-07
• Subjects: Crop science -- Periodicals; Agronomy -- Periodicals; Forage -- Periodicals; Turf management -- Periodicals; Agronomy; Crop science; Forage; Turf management; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 633
• DOI: 10.1002/cft2.20178
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2374-3832

Abstract

Abstract: Research on the use of forages to transition cropland to organic production is limited. Our objective was to determine the cost of transitioning from conventional to organic production using perennial and annual forage systems. The study was conducted at the Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center, in Spring Hill, TN. Five forage treatments were compared: tall fescue [ Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.] monoculture, bermudagrass [ Cynodon dactlyon (L.) Pers.] monoculture, tall fescue and alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) mixture, bermudagrass and alfalfa mixture, and an annual rotation of a cool‐season mixture, including winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) and winter pea ( Pisum sativum L.), and a warm‐season mixture of sorghum–sudangrass [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench × S.orghum sudanese (Piper) Stapf] and cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.]. Perennial forages were established in 2017 and 2018 following orchard removal and a fallow period. Regular production measurements began in 2019 when the plots achieved full organic certification status. Tall fescue had the lowest cost for the overall transition period. However, on a cost per unit of dry matter (DM) forage mass and on a cost per unit of crude protein (CP) basis, all treatments were similar, with a range between US$0.02 and $0.03 lb –1 for DM forage mass and between $0.15 and $0.20 lb –1 for CP, except for the more costly bermudagrass monoculture that was $0.06 lb –1 DM forage mass and $0.40 lb –1 CP. Given the lack of a premium during the transition period, tall fescue was the most cost‐effective transition forage. Core Ideas: Grass and grass‐legume stands had comparable costs in transitioning organic forages. Establishment outcomes should be emphasized in economic analyses, especially for transitional organic production. Bermudagrass monoculture was the most expensive forage species selection.