Organic feed grains research in Atlantic Canada

A. Hammermeister^1*, D. H. Lynch¹, H. Naas² and R. C. Martin¹

Organic farmers in the Maritimes are seeking cost-effective and high protein crops, including peas intercropped with cereals, lupins and flax. In multi-site-year trials, barley and oat monocrops yielded 2-3 t ha-1, compared with 3-4 t ha-1 for peas intercropped or alone. Protein contents were <12% for cereal monocrops, 15-20% for pea intercrops, and 23% for peas alone. In on-farm trials, the mean yield of oat-pea intercrops increased by 0.15 t ha-1 and protein content increased by 2%, compared to oat monocrops. Yield of imported lupins ranged from 0.4-4.1 t ha-1 with >40% protein in some varieties. Protein yield was 1.5 t ha-1 for white lupins and <0.6 t ha-1 for yellow and blue lupins. Disease, heat stress and wireworm limited some varieties. Flax has many feed benefits and >20% protein. Yields in 2005 trials were 0.1-1.3 t ha-1; with reductions due to soil conditions, drought, and tine weeding losses.

Full Presentation

Source
Organic Agriculture Research Symposium - Natural Sciences, Held at the 25th Guelph Organic Conference, January 2006


Author Locations & Affiliations
(1) Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada, Dept. of Plant and Animal Sciences, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, P.O. Box 550, Truro NS, B2N 5E3.
(2) (Deceased) Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 440 University Avenue, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, C1A 4N6
* Corresponding Author: Andy Hammermeister ahammermeister@nsac.ca


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