We are thrilled to have had 11 research poster abstracts submitted from 4 institutions in our first year of hosting a poster sesssion. Thank you to all who submitted. The abstracts below are in the order we received them.
* Poster titles marked with an asterisk were featured in a Research Poster Lightning Session on Wednesday, January 7 at 2:15 p.m. in the Mangrove Room.
High-speed disk versus relay cover cropping: comparing two tillage reduction strategies in an organic corn-soy-wheat rotation.*
Abbe Hamilton, John Wallace, Mary Barbercheck, Moriah Bilenky, Christina Voortman, Tosh Mazzone, Adriana Murillo-Williams, Sarah Cornelisse, Penn State University
Abstract: Reducing tillage in organic systems can save labor and energy, and improve beneficial insect habitat, but may reduce crop productivity and weed control. We compared two reduced tillage strategies across a three-year corn-soy-wheat rotation: In the Relay CC treatment, we prioritized relay cover cropping, eliminating tillage in the cover crops prior to corn and soybean. In the Shallow-Till treatment, we used a high-speed compact disk (HSCD) as our primary tillage implement, leaving the ground undisturbed below a four-inch depth. We designed these two rotational systems to compare two different strategies of tillage reduction: Relay CC maximizes the length of time between tillage events, while Shallow-Till features more frequent soil disturbance to a shallower depth.
The Shallow-Till treatment resulted in greater overall tillage intensity, a shallower soil compaction layer, higher weed pressure, lower N delivery to corn, which in turn resulted in lower corn yields and net income. The Relay CC treatment, on the other hand, had a slightly lower average soil organic matter percentage. Results suggest that the HSCD requires more deliberate adjustments in agronomic practices and timings, and may need to be integrated with other primary tillage types, in order to promote sustainable field conditions and revenues.
Flame Weeding: An Alternative for Minimizing Cultivation Passes in Organic Corn Production Systems*
Mercy Odemba, Elijah N. Dean, Cassandra C. Brown, Eugene P. Law, The Ohio State University
Abstract: Weed management is a critical component of organic corn (Zea mays L.) production where herbicides are not utilized. While cultivation is fundamental to organic weed control, excessive cultivation can negatively impact soil health. In 2024, an on-farm research trial at Timberlane Organic Farms in Bellevue, Ohio, evaluated the efficacy of replacing a final pre-plant cultivation pass with flame weeding at two application timings in organic corn. Treatments included standard management practices with multiple pre-planting cultivation passes for cover crop incorporation, seedbed preparation, and weed management, followed by inter-row cultivation and in-row flame weeding at V3/V4 corn growth stage as a positive control. Two experimental flame weeding treatments utilized flame either one week after planting but prior to emergence (pre-emergence) or 2 to 3 weeks after planting (post-emergence). Plots without the final cultivation pass or early season flame treatments served as negative control. Significant differences in early-season weed density (F=3.85, P=0.009) and late-season biomass (F=9.76, P=0.000007) were observed between the negative control and the other methods. The post-emergence treatment showed the lowest mean weed density (3.95±0.), while the pre-emergence treatment had the lowest mean biomass (3.33±1.07 g). Weed density and biomass in both flaming treatments were similar to the standard treatment. These results suggest that flame weeding provides weed control comparable to the standard cultivation while reducing soil disturbance and eliminating weeds before they set seeds, thereby preserving soil structure and minimizing weed seed production in organic corn systems.
Managing Ohio Weed Seed Banks by Implementing Chaff Lining and Impact Mills
Amber Emmons, Daniel Doretto, Mercy Odemba, Eugene Law, The Ohio State University
Abstract: Long-term management of troublesome weeds can be achieved by reducing their seeds in the weed seed bank. Harvest weed seed control (HWSC) is a weed management strategy that can potentially help reduce the density of the weed seed bank. Chaff lining is a practice of HWSC where farmers windrow their chaff to concentrate weed seeds into a smaller area of the field, allowing for targeted management and creating a less hospitable germination environment. Impact mills attach to the back of the combine, and the fine chaff is ground up in the mill. Evaluating the use of impact mills and chaff lining are two separate research projects. The impact mill study will begin in the 2026 growing season on an organic farm comparing the effectiveness of the impact mill and cover crop treatments. The objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of chaff lining in Ohio through an on-farm strip trial that compares chaff lining to no chaff lining with varied herbicide treatments. The pre-emergence only plots had the most weeds at the end of the growing season. Herbicide program significantly influenced yield (p = 0.0012) while there was no effect from the chaff lining as this was the first year. The impact mill study will begin in the 2026 growing season on an organic farm comparing the effectiveness of the impact mill and cover crop treatments. This study will be repeated for 4 years, and this information will help determine if it is an effective tool for Ohio Farmers.
Developing Computer Vision-Based Weed and Crop Mapping Technology
Daniel Doretto, Michael Grimes, Kyle Ohanian, Mercy Odemba, Colin Barclay, Anthony Dobbels, Alyssa Essman, Maria Laura Cangiano, Zachary Grzywacz, Steven Mirsky, Eugene Law, The Ohio State University
Abstract: Within a crop field, crop performance and weed pressure vary spatially due to biotic and abiotic factors, including management practices. Advances in computer vision and machine learning have enabled mapping technologies capable of quantifying spatial variation in cash crops, cover crops, and individual weed species’ growth at the sub-field scale, providing insights into management effects on weed population dynamics and impacts of weed interference on crop performance, supporting data-driven decisions.
This project, now in its fourth year, advances development and field-scale testing of computer vision-based mapping technologies capable of quantifying spatial variation in weeds, cover crops, and cash crops. These technologies, collectively known as PlantMap3D, integrate low-cost stereo cameras (OAK-D) with cloud-based image processing pipelines to automate species identification, density estimation, and biomass mapping. Conducted through collaboration between USDA-ARS, the Precision Sustainable Agriculture (PSA) and Getting Rid Of Weeds (GROW) networks, PlantMap3D builds upon open-access image repositories for five cash crop, 15 cover crop, and 44 weed species, biomass calibration pipelines, and prototype desktop and mobile interfaces.
Field calibration began in 2022 and involves collecting images and ground-truth biomass data from crop and cover crop plots across a range of weed pressure levels. Imagery from fixed camera heights along transects is automatically annotated, georeferenced, and uploaded for model training and validation. In 2025, collaborations with growers enabled installation of prototype systems on commercial sprayers to collect test imagery under real operational conditions.
Iterative testing is expected to yield a user-friendly, open-source mapping tool capable of identifying and quantifying weeds, cover crops, and soybeans across diverse environments, informing site-specific interventions and long-term sustainability assessments.
How Planting Density Influences In-Row Weed Pressure in Organic Corn
Michael Ahiador, Osler Ortez, Eric Richer, Eugene Law, The Ohio State University
Abstract: Weed management is a major challenge faced by organic corn farmers. Due to the exclusion of synthetic herbicides from organic production, farmers rely on mechanical cultivation, but this method is costly, requiring high inputs of time, labor, fuel, and specialized equipment. Cultivation also leaves many in-row weeds behind which compete with the crop throughout the growing season, reducing yields and producing weed seeds that replenish the seedbank. This project explores options for cultural weed management that can be integrated with cultivation and other strategies to provide weed control in organic systems. It examines how different seeding rates and row spacings affect in-row weed pressure in organic corn.
The study will take place at the OSU certified organic research farm in Wooster, OH and on several organic farms in Ohio. On the OSU research farm a small plot trial will be conducted testing five seeding rates (28,000 – 44,000 seeds/acre) and two row spacings (30 and 60 inch) in a factorial RCBD. At each of the on-farm sites, farmer collaborators will implement large strip trials testing the same five seeding rates. At each of these sites, data will be collected on early-season weed density for major weed species. In-row weed survival after cultivation will also be tracked. It is expected that higher seeding rates and narrower rows shade the ground faster, reduce in-row weed growth, and reduce surviving weeds. This work will give organic farmers simple practical information to improve weed control while reducing the need for costly labor-intensive cultivation.
Integrating Livestock and Crop Systems Improves Soil Biological Health: A Study on 31 Ohio Farms
Cassandra C. Brown, Louceline Fleuridor, Ryan Haden, Douglas Jackson-Smith, Marilia Chiavegato, The Ohio State University
Abstract: Enhancing soil health is central to an organic farming approach. However, basic recommendations for how to best improve soil health have changed through the years and opinions vary. As part of a USDA-funded study to explore the benefits and tradeoffs of integrating crop and livestock production, our team collected data from 31 grain, livestock, and diversified farms in northeast and northwest Ohio. We collected and analyzed soil and manure samples and interviewed farmers to collect field management history on cropping, tillage, and more, focusing on 86 fields. Farm types varied by design in their approach to crop-livestock integration and included certified organic, low-input farms, and conventional farms of different scales, intensities, and levels of diversification. Almost all biological soil health indicators in the study showed improvement with the use of perennial crops. Manure tended to increase soil health values too, but the difference was not statistically significant. (In other words, it could have happened by chance.) Our team also ran a multivariate analysis, which helps identify the variables in a complex system that have the strongest explaining power. We found the use of perennials and manure were the most influential factors in improving soil biological health measure, even when controlling for differences in other factors such as cover crop use, and tillage. Based on this study, manure and using perennials deserve more attention and conversation as key tools for building soil health.
Linking arthropod biodiversity and weed communities in organic and ecologically-intensified agroecosystems
Coy St. Clair, Hira Poudel, W.G. Johnson, Julie Young, Christian H. Krupke, Purdue University
Abstract: Organic agriculture is a growing sector of the farming industry, driven by increasing consumer demand for sustainably produced food. Organic farming purports to offer environmental and economic benefits by avoiding synthetic inputs and emphasizing ecological balance, but faces challenges in achieving stable yields and preserving long-term soil health. In particular, organic systems frequently encounter heavy weed pressure due to lack of herbicide use. Ecological intensification—practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, and mixed/inter-cropping—may help organic agriculture capitalize on its promise of crop production that is both sustainable and stable. Specifically, ecological intensification has the potential to provide desirable habitat for numerous beneficial species, including weed seed predators. We examined the relationship between weed communities and arthropod biodiversity in traditional organic plots and ecologically-intensified plots in 2023 and 2024 in Indiana, USA. We hypothesized that ecologically-intensified plots would have more weed seed predators, and that the abundance of weed seed predators would influence the abundance and diversity of weed species. In 2023, traditional organic treatments were soybeans and oats; ecologically-intensified treatments were soybeans with a rye cover crop and oats with reduced tillage. In 2024, traditional organic treatments were corn and oats; ecologically-intensified treatments were corn intercropped with cowpea and soybean with a rye cover crop. Weeds were surveyed in early August (2023) or September (2024). To assess arthropod diversity, eight pitfall traps were placed in each plot for both years. Results are discussed with an emphasis on ground-dwelling arthropod diversity and abundance.
Meeting the Needs of Ohio Organic Grain Growers
Eric Richer, Cassandra C. Brown, Osler Ortez, Grant Davis, Kendall Lovejoy, Clifton Martin, Kayla Wyse, The Ohio State University; Ashley Adair, Purdue University
Abstract: Historically, Ohio organic grain growers have had limited opportunities for professional development in organic farm management and agronomy. Nationally, Ohio ranks 5th in the total number of organic farms and 6th in the number of acres in transition to organic. Ohio has over 850 organic grain farmers on 111,000 certified acres. To address the needs of these growers, the OSU Organic Grains Conference was developed in 2023 with an Extension planning team with input from consultants and growers. The conference, now preparing for its 4th year, focuses on meeting needs of commercial organic grain growers and crop consultants in the Eastern Corn Belt.
This poster will discuss the conference planning and delivery strategy including development of the educational program, sponsor-vender partnerships, organic food sourcing, and program marketing. It will also summarize the impact data collected from the conferences including knowledge gain and further research needed. Preliminary data from the 2025 conference show that attendees came from seven states and Canada and represented over 49,000 acres of certified organic grain production. Ninety-six percent of farmers surveyed indicated they learned at least one new practice that will improve their farm.
Digging Into Organic Soil Health: What We Learned from 90 Indiana Field Sites*
Arsen Yerlan, Annie Benson, Yichao Rui, Aaliyah Carlisle, Md. Moyeed Hasan Talukde, Purdue University
Abstract: Indiana ranks ninth nationally in overall agricultural production, yet its certified organic acreage remains disproportionately low compared to neighboring Midwestern states. Limited data exists on organic management practices and the challenges facing organic farmers in Indiana. To address this gap, we conducted a statewide soil health census of organic farms, collecting soil samples and management data from 90 field sites. Each soil sample was analyzed for a suite of biological, chemical, and physical indicators of soil health. We also documented key management practices, including crop rotations (quantified using the Rotational Complexity Index), tillage intensity (via the Soil Tillage Intensity Rating, or STIR), and the number of days each field maintained living cover. Our objectives were twofold: (1) to characterize the status of organic farming in Indiana, and (2) to assess the relationships between management practices, biophysical conditions, and soil health metrics. To explore statewide patterns, we conducted linear regressions and created heatmaps to visualize variation in key biological indicators, including permanganate-oxidizable carbon (POxC), particulate organic matter carbon (PMC), organic matter (OM), and ACE protein content. Among field types, grazed pastures exhibited the highest biological activity. To determine the most influential drivers of soil health, we will apply a random forest machine learning algorithm, incorporating both management and environmental variables. Our findings will help clarify how organic management practices influence soil health under diverse conditions. These insights can inform recommendations for enhancing soil quality and promoting sustainable, resilient farming systems in Indiana.
Assessing Weed Seed Predation by Ground Beetles in Ecologically Intensified Organic Cropping Systems
Hira Poudel and Christian H. Krupke, Purdue University
Abstract: Weed seed predation by ground beetles (Carabidae) is a vital ecosystem service in organic and low-input agricultural systems. However, the extent to which Carabidae contribute to seed removal, particularly in diversified organic cropping systems designed for ecological intensification, remains underexplored. This study investigates weed seed removal rates under varying levels of predator access to isolate the seed predation role of Carabidae in eco-intensive organic systems and standard organic systems. Previous research has demonstrated that vertebrates and invertebrates influence seed fate, but few studies have differentiated their effects in ecologically intensified systems. Addressing this gap, we deployed seed cards containing a mixture of three common weed species: giant ragweed, green foxtail, and redroot pigweed across three predator exclusion treatments: no access (control), invertebrate-only access, and full access. The experiment was conducted for 13 weeks concurrently with pitfall trapping during the growing season. We measured seed removal after 7 days of exposure and calculated weed seed predation (WSP) to quantify seed consumption by carabidae and all predators. Full results, including treatment-level differences in seed predation rates and carabidae activity, will be presented at the conference. Statistical analysis will be done using one-way ANOVA with exclusion type, seed species, cropping system, and their interaction as fixed effects, followed by a post hoc Tukey’s test. The relationship between carabid activity density and weed seed removal percentage will be explored using linear correlation analysis. This study aims to better understand the functional role of ground beetles in weed suppression and inform the design of cropping systems that support ecological pest regulation.
Kellogg Biological Station Long-term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR)*
Christine Charles, Phil Robertson, Brook Wilke, Tayler Ulbrich, Michigan State University
Abstract: The Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) site is part of the USDA’s LTAR network, established to develop national, long-term strategies for sustainable agricultural production. We use research and stakeholder input to compare conventional agriculture (Business as Usual) with a system for the future (Aspirational Cropping System)—designed in collaboration with Michigan agricultural stakeholders to represent what Michigan agriculture could look like in 30 years.
The Aspirational System aims to maximize stable profits and positive environmental outcomes by incorporating advanced technologies that promote crop diversity, nutrient circularity and efficiency, animal integration, active root growth, and soil protection.
Long-term, field-scale research increases the likelihood of durable solutions to the economic, environmental, and social challenges that farms and rural communities face now and in the future. Datasets that span decades capture changes in plant, soil, water, and pest interactions in response to events such as droughts, pest outbreaks, and market volatility.
Each year, an interdisciplinary team of scientists and stakeholders collects data to compare the success of Business-As-Usual and Aspirational Systems. This research partnership works to improve economic and environmental outcomes for Midwest farms and farm families through a unique long-term perspective.
Our Stakeholder Advisory Board guides the direction and priorities for research at the KBS LTAR. The board includes leaders across Michigan agriculture—farmers, NGOs, agribusiness representatives, and state and federal agency partners—who work together to bridge the gap between the agricultural systems needed by present and future generations.