Ohio On-Farm Organic Grains Trials Are Flourishing
Since 2017, OSU Extension has highlighted on-farm research results in the Ohio State Digital Ag Program's annual eFields report. In the past three years, the number of organic farms participating in the Ohio State eFields program has steadily grown. According to Elizabeth Hawkins, who manages the Ohio State eFields on-farm trials program, around 10% of this year’s eFields trials were done on certified organic ground! Each of these reports displays the USDA National Organic Program’s certification seal.
Thank you to the farmers and county extension educators who collaborated on these projects, and to Eric Richer for cultivating connections and ideas into project that other growers can learn from.
The Ohio State University eFields program is dedicated to connecting science to the field. This program utilizes modern technologies and information to conduct on-farm, field-scale research. The program provides farmers and their advisors with timely, data-driven, and actionable information to help with increasing efficiency and profitability.
2025 projects:
-
Hybrid Trial – Sunflowers: Union County, page 232
Understand the impact of using hybrid seed versus open pollinated seed on harvest yield and moisture in sunflowers -
Biologicals – Sunflowers: Union County, page 226
Understand the impact of using a seed treatment on harvest yield and moisture in sunflowers -
Biologicals – Sunflowers: Henry County, page 224
Measure sunflower yield response of a Beauveria bassiana (Bb), a seed treatment designed to improve the flow of the seed through the planter, at planting - Biologicals – Flint Corn: Union County, page 222
Understand the impact of using a seed treatment on harvest yield and moisture in flint corn - Biologicals – Seed Treatment: Ottawa County, page 132
Determine if an organic seed treatment with B4 and HeadsUp (biological on-seed products applied to improve plant performance) increases yield in organic soybeans - Biologicals – Seed Treatment: Madison County, page 128 and 130
Determine if an organic seed treatment with B4 and HeadsUp (biological on-seed products applied to improve plant performance) increases yield in organic soybeans - Biologicals – Seed Treatment: Fulton County, page 126
Determine if an organic seed treatment with B4 and HeadsUp (biological on-seed products applied to improve plant performance) increases yield in organic soybeans - Wheat Straw Removal: Fulton County, page 120
Measure corn yield response to different management practices of wheat straw and cover crop red clover - Flaming for Weed Control: Madison County, page 68
Determine if flaming corn for weed control sets back the development of corn, leading to higher moisture at harvest - Biologicals - Beauvaria bassiana: Fulton County, page 54
Determine if seed treated with Beauveria bassiana (a seed treatment to improve the flow of the seed through the planter) results in higher yields - Alfalfa Management Prior to Corn: Fulton County, page 52
Investigate the yield impacts of various spring alfalfa management practices on the subsequent corn crop
Browse or search through all eFields trials
See a pdf of organic trials only
Interested in getting involved?
In addition to eFields, Ohio State has also developed eBarns for livestock and forage, and ePLUS for produce, landscape, urban, and specialty crops.
If you are interested in helping with the planning of, or hosting, a research project in 2026, please contact Eric Richer at richer.5@osu.edu or Cassy Brown at brown.1844@osu.edu or reach out directly to an Ohio State researcher or educator in your area. We would love to see the number of organic projects in next year’s report continue to increase, and we can help team you up with an extension educator or researcher who is open to working with you and your production system.
More Organic Research at 2026 Ohio State Organic Grains Conference
The January 2026 Ohio State Organic Grains Conference again offered opportunities to discuss and develop organic research. This year, conference planners added a series of breakout sessions focused specifically on research, which included:
-
Brief presentations by eFields university and farmer research teams.
-
From the Ground Up project update featuring manager Alex Jefferies and organic node farmer leader Scott Stoller
-
Update from Osler Ortez and Eli Dean on their organic corn seeding rate trial
-
A session comparing organic vs. conventional grain production budgets based on farmer data
-
Brief poster presentations from university staff and students from four states
-
A poster session as part of the conference trade show
The conference also featured top-notch organic university researchers like Matt Ryan from Cornell and Erin Silva from University of Wisconsin Madison. In general, the conference has been a great vehicle to connect organic farmers to extension professionals who can help them design and carry out research, and a way for extension professionals to learn more about organic agriculture, thanks to support from Ohio SARE.
Learn more about the conference and resources at go.osu.edu/OrganicGrains.