Key Points
- Objective: To evaluate the yield and economic impact of an organic corn management program compared to conventional farming practices.
- Lower Yield, Higher Economics: When solely comparing yield, the organic program had yield losses of 27.9 Bu/A. When we take a look at the economics of the two programs, organic corn is a huge success! Using a $7/Bu sale price, our organic corn crop had a positive return of $321.05/A over our conventional corn program.
- Weed Control: Our main concern with this organic corn program was weed control, and this will still be a major concern in future years of this study.
Let’s talk organic! Is it worth implementing organic farming practices? Can you produce enough yield for it to be worth it?
We know buyers are willing to pay a premium for organic produce, but we wanted to put it to the test and run real numbers to see if it is worth challenging the status quo of conventional farming practices.
2023 was our first true organic study at the PTI Farm and we are excited to see how this kind of crop might produce an economic advantage for growers.
When solely comparing yield, the organic program had yield losses of 27.9 Bu/A when compared to conventional farming methods. If we stop there, many growers would be quite hesitant to commit to organic corn. However, when we take a look at the economics of the two programs, organic corn is a huge success! Using a $7/Bu sale price, our organic corn crop had a positive return of $321.05/A over a conventional corn program.
Our main concern with this organic corn program was weed control, and this will still be a major concern in future years of this study. However, with the use of a Treffler weed tiner and row crop cultivation, we were able to manage the weeds quite well.
When it comes to organic crops, it looks like the proof may be in the economics rather than the yield when comparing it to a conventional program!
Past Study Videos
InsidePTI S4•E16
Organic Corn Weed Control
Study Details
Study data collected 2023 at the PTI Farm in Pontiac, IL.
| Planting Date | 2023 - May 15 | Rotation | CAB |
| Row Width | 30" | Population | 36K |
| Corn Prices | 2023 - $5.31 / $7.00 |
Conventional Program:
| Tillage | Fall Disk Ripper/Spring Soil Finisher | ||
| Dry Fertilizer Fall Applied | 30" | ||
| 240# Nitrogen | 25% Weed-N-Feed, 25% Conceal®, 50% SideDress | ||
| Conventional Herbicide | 2 Pass Pre/Post | ||
| Traited Seed | $350/Bag | ||
| Fungicide | VT Growth Stage Application |
Organic Program:
| Fall Applied Sea-90 | 150# Dehydrated Sea-Water/Sodium Chloride | ||
| 2 Ton Litter | Fall Applied Dry Chicken Litter | ||
| Treffler Weed Tine | 4 Passes for Weed Control | ||
| Row Crop Cultivation | 2 Passes | ||
| Organic Seed | $315/Bag | ||
| Bio-Fungicide | VT Growth Stage Application | ||
| Tillage | Fall Disk Ripper/Spring Soil Finisher |
*All products organic certified
