Weed Control in Cash Crops and New Organic Markets Roger Rivest, Marketer, Keystone Grain This presentation will show equipment used for weed control for organic cash cropping from pre planting to post harvest including: tine weeding, rotary hoeing, cultivating, harvesting equipment and settings.

1. Controlling Weeds In Organic
Cropping Systems
Name of Presenter

2. Value of Organic
>$2.2B organic sales in Canada (retail)
$30B USA, $20B EU (2012 - US$)
~ 1.9% of total food sales (US)
growing 10-20% per year
limited sales in food service industry
large potential growth market
Canada imports 80-85% of organic consumption
export 70-80% of Grain production (to USA, EU,
Asia)

4. What is it?
• A method of holistic & natural production
• Organic farmers chose not to use synthetic
fertilizers, pesticides, GMO (>36 months)
• It is not old science or no science
• It is not “do nothing”
• Requires more management and knowledge,
then required in conventional farming

5. What’s Not Permitted
• genetically modified crops
• synthetically produced pesticides and
fertilizers
• sewage sludge and municipal wastes
• antibiotics, growth hormones
• Industrial live stock barns

6. Philosophy
• Organic systems rely on prevention
rather than cure.
– Promote, Holistic & natural systems to
enhance production of crops.
– Promote Alfalfa hay (red clover)
– Compost, organic fertilizers, based on
good soil test.
• “If it is found in nature it can be
broken down by nature”

7. Standards
• National Standard of Canada for Organic
Agriculture
– Canadian Organic Regime
– revised 2013
• Standards applied by certification bodies

8. Certification Marks

9. Certification Bodies
• Certification bodies each have their own standard
based on similar principles (IFOAM, CODEX,
national standards, etc)
• All major certification bodies in Canada are
accredited to USDA National Organic Program
(NOP)
• COR - Certification of the production
process and the product.
• Can no longer certify the farm under new
regulations

10. Organic Crops
• Must have a good rotation
• (Alfalfa hay, Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, or
Cereals or Spelt)
• Cultivate early spring – repeat @2 weeks
• Plant late May – early June
• Tine harrow before emergence
• Tine harrow or rotary hoe after emergence
• Row cultivate (2x)
• Walk fields

17. Weeder harrow

27. Martin Weeder.MOV

29. Manufarm – 519-825-7354

39. Organic Soybeans
2012 Crop Year
Roger Rivest

54. IFOAM criteria for organic inputs
• Necessity.
• Natural – mineral, plant, or animal origin
• Low impact on the environment, including:
environmental safety, degradability, acute toxicity
to non-target organisms, long-term chronic
toxicity, chemically synthesized products and
heavy metals.
• Human health.
• Ethical aspects – animal welfare.
• Socio-economic aspects.

56. Name of Presenter