Organic wheat and small grains are produced on relatively few acres in the inland Pacific Northwest. The objective of this study was to examine how the nitrogen (N) dynamics of cropping systems (CSs) produced during the transition phase impacted organic wheat yield and protein levels in the first 2 years of certified organic production. Certified organic spring wheat (SW) was produced in 2006 and winter wheat (WW) in 2007 following nine, 3-year transitional cereal, small grain and legume-intensive CSs. SW and WW following perennial alfalfa + oat/pea forage or 3 years of legume green manure tended to be more productive than wheat that followed systems that contained a small grain crop for at least 1 year during the transition. In addition to increasing soil N, well-established stands of forage and green manure provided adequate cover to reduce weed establishment prior to organic production. Effective weed control strategies were as important as increasing soil inorganic N levels for improving organic wheat production. Choice of crop type, cultivar and rotation is important in organic wheat systems and in this study, WW had better stand establishment, competition with weeds and higher overall yield than SW and would be a better-suited class of wheat for organic production in situations where spring weeds are the dominant problem. Regardless of CS or crop type, supplemental soil fertility (primarily N) during the organic production phase will be necessary to maintain high soil N levels and wheat yields in these dryland systems.

Organic producers in Minnesota and North Dakota, USA, indicated that they wanted to participate in hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Thell) variety evaluations. The objectives were to determine if a farmer–researcher developed scoring system could be used to rank wheat varieties for yield potential when grown in certified organic fields, identify views of organic producers about on-farm research, and identify the educational impact of the participatory variety evaluation process. Hard red spring wheat varieties were compared for grain yield at six locations on certified organic farms in Minnesota and North Dakota over a three-year period. A scoring system was developed and then used to identify the relative rank of adapted varieties for yield. Producers were asked to rank all varieties on a scale from 1 to 9, where 1 is lowest yield potential and 9 is highest yield potential. Producers were able to distinguish higher producing varieties as a group in 2003 and 2004. ‘Oklee’ a high yielding variety was ranked lowest in 2005. There was a significant linear relationship between producer ranking and yield (P<0.05) even though producers could not pick the highest yielding varieties consistently in the field. The producer survey showed that grain yield, protein content, wheat scab resistance, leaf disease resistance, early seedling vigor, test weight and canopy closure were traits producers valued most in a variety. Heading date, impact on succeeding crops, straw and stubble production were ranked lower. Multi-year variety evaluation on certified organic land was highly valued by the producers surveyed. From an educational perspective, the exercise was successful in that producers had to observe individual varieties carefully in order to come to a consensus producer ranking. The model of participatory research can be used for a variety of field research projects and field days.