Demand for organic products, including poultry and livestock, have increased over the past decade. With this increase in demand, an increased need for organic grain supply has developed. However, there is limited information currently available on organic production systems for grain production in Texas. Current practices for organic grain production in Texas rely on conventional tillage for weed control and manure application to meet crop N demand. Conservation tillage and use of cover crops are management practices that are expected to improve on current management practices and will be essential for sustainable production of organic grain. A two-year study was initiated in Burleson County, TX to evaluate four management practices for three grain crops in rotation in an organic management system. Management practices evaluated include different tillage practices and cover crops treatment combinations of legume no-till (LNT), double cover no-till (DCNT), and double cover conventional till (DCCT) compared to current practices (CP). Conventional tillage practices, with or without cover crops, produced better plant stands, greater biomass and leaf area for corn compared to corn planted into cover crop residue in the second year of the study. Both corn and grain sorghum grain yields were improved in one out of two years for CP compared to other management systems. Competition for resources (water, nutrient, light, etc.) by weeds and cover crops likely reduced grain yield. Cover crops, especially legume cover crops, as part of intensive rotations did improve N supply within the production system resulting in greater soil nitrate-N concentration after each year of organic management. However, logistics surrounding planting and terminating cover crops can pose problems within organic systems. Additional studies are needed to identify appropriate summer and winter cover crops species. Alternative tillage practices should be explored to improve crop establishment, especially when cover crops are present.
