Article Index
Organic Grain in the current market
Seed supply
Soil fertility
Weed and disease management
Tillage
All Pages

Organic grain was the largest organic export from Australia until the recent drought conditions established across south Australia. Since that time export markets have continued to express interest, but supply has severely reduced.
In the current circumstances most organic grain sales are to domestic processors, principally millers and breakfast cereal manufacturers.

As the organic dairy and livestock sector continues to grow, there are also substantial markets for feed grains.
In the current market climate organic growers are generally able to obtain contracts to purchase grain at the time of harvest. Grain not sold immediately must be kept in certified storage. Most growers have significant storage on farm, generally with forced air or inert gas treatments for pest control.

Generally speaking Conversion produce sells less readily than Organic, although the consumer decision to purchase is also affected by other factors including sensual and processing quality of the produce.

Some growers are able to find premium markets for conversion grain, including the following:

• Conversion grain may sell when organic grain is in short supply
• An organic buyer may offer a lesser premium in order to ensure access to future certified organic product
• During the recent drought some organic livestock operators received special dispensation to use a percentage of conversion feed
• The domestic chicken feed market
• Quality grain, especially sought-after varieties, may sell for a good price on conventional markets

Seed supply

Certified organic growers are expected to source their seed from certified producers when available. There may be exceptions to this guideline, especially where particular species or varieties are not available, or where there is a need to introduce new genetic material (e.g. for disease resistance). There is a small new industry developing to supply certified organic seed.

If non-organic seed is used, it must be untreated. If the only seed available is treated, it must be grown on for a generation to produce organic seed on-farm.

Many organic growers save most of their own seed, only purchasing seed or seedlings to renew and invigorate genetic material. Some organic growers develop longstanding relationships with other organic farmer and supply seed for each other.

Soil fertility

Major soil deficiencies should be established by analysis and corrected using permitted materials such as rock phosphates and acceptable forms of trace elements. Some growers also use compost tea and microbial inoculants.

Correction of pH and soil condition can be achieved with lime, gypsum, sulphur and organic matter.

Organic growing places great emphasis on recycling of nutrient and organic matter, which is achieved largely by retention of crop stubble, green manures and use of composted organic materials, and careful grazing management.

Some organic growers base their crop rotation plans on multiple factors, including nitrogen production, pest and disease resistance, and inclusion of crops that produce residues for incorporation (including leaf, stalk and root mass).

Weed and disease management

Growers may need to control serious weed and disease problems with synthetic chemicals before the conversion period begins. Weeds such as couch can be controlled by organic methods but it is best to control very large areas of infestation before starting the conversion, to begin with a clean slate. If paddocks are not very clean prior to conversion, serious consideration should be given to a clean up application of herbicide, followed by a regime of quarantine, hygiene, use of good rotations and quick response to weed invasion, to prevent re-establishment of major weeds.

Similarly, soil diseases can be controlled by good hygiene; crop rotation; use of fallow and occasional use of permitted products or practices such as bio-fumigation, provided inoculation levels of pathogens are not very high.

Tillage

Organic growers often use alternative tillage, minimum tillage and minimum inversion soil tillage techniques. Minimum inversion tillage includes various techniques that reduce the amount of ‘turning over’ of soil, and leave the vertical structure of the soil profile almost intact.

These cultivation systems may require the acquisition of different tools. Appropriate treatments include:

• Permanent beds or tramways, so that wheel traffic is never applied to the actual growing area. Permanent minimum tillage beds are generally combined with precision planting techniques
• Deep loosening techniques including ripping and shaking or aerating tools
• Alternative tillage including use of Rollison ploughs (ground driven star weeders) and the Lely Roterra, or similar machines
• Inter-row weeders such as finger or needle weeders
• Rod weeders
• Furrow ploughs or disk ploughs used carefully when soil moisture is ideal and with attention to varying the depth of use (or combining with deep ripping) to avoid development of a hardpan
• Tine cultivators used at shallow depth