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Project Profiles
Organic Corn Seed Production
Organic animal production has increased fifty percent since Fall 2006 in
New York, while organic grain production has only increased eight percent,
says Lakeview Organic Grain feed mill manager Mary-Howell Martens.
“We need more acres of organic field corn in production,” Martens says.
Mary-Howell
and her husband Klaas own and operate the mill and a 1,400-acre,
organic-certified diversified vegetable and grains farm in Penn Yan, NY, 60
miles southeast of Rochester. They are working with Cornell University plant
breeder Dr. Margaret Smith on a project funded for two years by the New York
Farm Viability Institute to develop New York-bred hybrids for field corn seed
production.
Photo: Left: The Lakeview Organic Grain crew. Mary-Howell and Klaas
Martens are third and fourth form the left. Photographer: Spencer Tulis
Smith says there are currently few – and no New York – sources for organic
field corn seed. Lakeview Organic Grain supplies three-quarters of New York’s
organic dairies with seed from Midwest suppliers.
Mary-Howell says, “With a truly competitive, reliable product, uniquely-bred
and adapted for New York growing conditions, the market here will explode.
Most of our customers manage 15- to 60-cow herds in New York. The more organic
grain and field corn seed we can produce and sell in New York, the more
benefits we can keep here.”
She
adds, “We need seed adaptable for the area where it will be grown, and organic
farmers need modern corn breeding in our hybrids to advance yield, disease
resistance, standability and quality. You can buy good seed in Missouri, but
it may not do well in New York. This project is developing hybrids uniquely
suited to New York.”
Cornell placed trials at the Martens farm early in the breeding process in
2002. Smith says, “Two likely parent plants – typically inbred and weak on
their own - are crossed to create vigor in hybrid offspring. Subsequent
selection and pairings increase yield, stalk and root strength, stability and
quality in the hybrid seed.”
The Martens say the results of variety and hybrid breeding trials of
Cornell-bred corn on their farm are equal to any commercially-purchased hybrid
seed for organic or conventional production with the bonus of being tested
under New York soil and climate.
“Seed production is a high stakes, billions-of-dollars-a-year industry. The
Cornell hybrid yield numbers in our plots have been impressive at over 200
bushels per acre,” Klaas says. “Inbred corn plants need higher fertility under
stress than we ever imagined. To overcome the drought effect on the hybrids’
weak-rooted parent plants, I doubled the rate of application of composted
chicken manure with excellent results.
“Weed control and maintaining fertility consistently challenge organic
growers. Providing a high level of the proper fertility to a crop enhances its
competitiveness, making weed control efforts much more effective. If this year
is any indication, then supplying much higher fertility will help us solve
many production problems including the weeds, ” he adds.
“The time needed to breed quality seed is why funding from the New York Farm
Viability Institute and others in the public sector is so important. State and
federal tax dollars make possible this early stage on-farm research that moves
the state of the science forward. Our work with Dr. Smith and other Cornell
researchers has provided the foundation for the growth of our farm and mill
business. Future harvests will benefit the public,” Klaas says.
As more New York growers bring organic field corn seed to the commercial
market, the project will assess the economics of organic seed production.
Published data about the economic opportunities is expected by early 2009. The
Martens say they will have a viable organic field corn seed production
enterprise by 2010-11.
For more info on this organic corn seed project:
• Dr. Margaret Smith, Cornell University, 607-255-1654
This article first appeared in the January 2008 issue of American
Agriculturist.