ALL THINGS ORGANIC - High protein organic wheat

by Ian Cushon
March 19, 1998

Organic buyers want the cream of the crop in terms of protein and baking quality from Canadian Western red spring wheat. Protein content in wheat is affected by the availability of nitrogen and weather conditions during the growing season. We can't do much about the weather, so we should put our effort into providing a fertile soil, rich in nitrogen. In organic production, nitrogen is provided by adding animal manure and green manure. Mixed farms have the advantage of being able to spread their nutrient-rich manure. But not all organic farms have livestock and few mixed farmers have the livestock base to adequately provide nutrients to sustain all their organic acres.

So many successful organic farmers use several types of green manure legumes as plowdowns - crops they grow intending to plow them under later to fertilize the soil. As with yellow blossom sweet clover, these crops are grown for their ability to fix nitrogen from the air and turn it into nutrient-rich plant material that is returned to the soil.

While yellow blossom sweetclover is the most common plowdown, there are other annual and perennial options. Alfalfa is the most common perennial option. It is usually under-seeded with a cereal crop because it is not competitive in the first two years of establishment. A small amount of sweet clover is often under-seeded at the same time, to give the alfalfa a chance to establish in the second year. Deciding how long to keep an alfalfa field will depend on what you are using it for and how good a stand it is. For an organic farm, where the primary objective is soil improvement, three to five years would be normal. Alfalfa uses a lot of moisture. After it is plowed down, this can affect the yield of the following crop in drier regions. For this reason, it is most suited to moister areas of the Prairies.

When considering alfalfa, farmers should base their decision on whether they have livestock to feed alfalfa, or a nearby dehydration plant to sell alfalfa to, or other markets. Seed production, whether conventional or organic, is another option that makes alfalfa an attractive choice for some farms. But there are other important reasons to consider alfalfa as part of your rotation. Once established, deep rooted alfalfa is competitive with perennials weeds such as Canada thistle. Farmers also report after an alfalfa stand is plowed down, there are fewer annual weed problems for several years. Alfalfa leaves the soil fertile, which is important in establishing vigorous crops that compete well with weeds. Alfalfa also provides good wildlife habitat for nesting waterfowl and other birds.

Red clover, another perennial, is shorter lived than alfalfa and produces less dry matter. It is also resistant to sweet clover weevil damage, which can make it a good substitute for yellow blossom sweet clover. Clover and alfalfas don't fit in all crop rotations. In the event of sweet clover winterkill or weevil damage, farmers will need a backup annual legume to fill the void. Annual legumes are also suitable for drier regions because they use less soil moisture.

There are several options. Three of the more promising are Indian Head lentil, Chickling vetch and Sirius feed peas. All three were tested at Agriculture Canada's Swift Current Research Centre to provide farmers with recommendations for summerfallow substitutes. Planting an annual legume for a green manure on summerfallow will reduce soil erosion and increase crop yields, especially if combined with snow trap strips in drier areas.

Anyone who summerfallows should try to incorporate a green manure crop into their rotation. As the cost of nitrogen fertilizers rise, this is a way to produce your own. Annual green manure crops can also produce rotational benefits that boost yields more than can be explained by the additional nitrogen alone.

In Ag Canada's research results, the vetch and pea produced substantially more dry matter and fixed more nitrogen than the lentil. The pea was the most competitive with weeds. The vetch was more drought tolerant and established itself earlier, thus using less soil moisture. This characteristic makes it more suitable for drier regions. In selecting a green manure, seed availability and cost are important factors. At this time vetch seed is relatively expensive and in short supply. It is available only from licensed seed growers under the name AC GreenFix. Sirius feed pea seed costs per acre are lower and supplies are more available. Indian Head lentil seeding costs are the lowest and good supplies have been available in past years. Any of the three, with good management, will improve and protect your soil and produce good yields. Remember, legumes must be inoculated properly to ensure nitrogen fixation, good seed production and growth. Inoculants are fragile living organisms, so pay close attention to the directions.

Good soil fertility provided by the plowdown of some green manures and a little of the right weather will go a long way in producing good yields of high protein wheat. As with all new crops and technology, start with a small acreage and see how it works for you over a few years.

Ian Cushon
Moose Creek Organic Farm Inc.
P.O. Box 85
Oxbow, Saskatchewan
Canada, S0C 2B0

Tel. 306-483-5034
FAX 306-483-2799
Cell 306-483-8257
E-mail: coldridge@sasktel.net