RESEARCH RESULTS

An on-farm trial of microbial seed treatments for organic field corn in the Finger Lakes, New York

Investigator:Anu Rangarajan, Dept. of Horticulture, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Project location: Finger Lakes Region, New York State

OFRF funding for this project was awarded in Spring 2004.

Project links: Complete project report (13 pp) submitted by Anu Rangarajan.

Summary
In an effort to promote more consistent and higher stand counts and crop vigor in organic field corn, we tested the effectiveness of four commercial microbial seed inoculants and one compost inoculant on stand, early vigor, and yield of corn crops on organic field crop farms in the Finger Lakes region of New York.

Project objectives were to:

• Trial a range of certified organic, seed-applied beneficial microbial inoculants that claim to improve emergence and early vigor of crops, using established  organic farms as trialing sites;
• Compare these treatments to controls provided by the farmers' typical experience;
• Document and share information on the efficacy of these products with both organic farmers and the research and extension community.

A trial was conducted on four organically managed fields planted to field corn in 2004, in which four microbial inoculants (Kodiak, Yieldshield, T-22 Planter Box, and Mycostop Mix), and one sieved dairy manure compost were applied to corn seed prior to planting.

No significant differences were found among treatments and a control treatment without any applied inoculant to seed, and stand and corn yield in all treatments were good. In 2004, soil temperatures at the time of planting the trial were adequate for rapid germination and growth of corn, so that the establishing corn crop may not have faced any limitation from soil pathogens that these biofungicidal treatments were intended to alleviate. In previous years when stand was poor in some organic corn fields, records of air temperature show that soil temperatures were likely lower, which would have favored seed and root rot pathogens relative to germinating corn seedlings. 

More challenging conditions to early corn growth may be required in future years of a trial to demonstrate the utility in an on-farm setting of microbial or compost inoculants for seed.

A final report describing the results of this project was submitted in April 2005.