Organic no-till soybean production: is it possible in Ontario?

 

Organic soybean production relies on a significant amount of tillage. When done well, yields can rival conventional production. There are drawbacks, however, including a high labour demand in the spring and the potential for soil degradation over time. Cover crop-based organic no-till soybean production techniques have been developed in recent years and proven to work in parts of the US. The question is, will they work under Ontario’s climate and soils?

 

Cover crop-based organic no-till soybean production uses a roller crimper, a drum with chevron-shaped blades (Figure 1) that’s used to crimp the stems of rye (or another suitable plant) once it’s flowering and kills it. You then seed soybeans into the mulch. If it’s thick enough, it provides season-long weed suppression. The cover crop-based organic no-till system offers advantages in terms of labour savings and soil health improvements.

 

 

On-farm experiences with organic no-till soybean production in Ontario over the past decade have yielded mixed results. As part of a two-year OSCIA Tier 2 trial, Heartland Soil and Crop Improvement Association is evaluating cover crop-based organic soybean production using established best practices. The goal is to identify barriers to success and develop recommendations specific for Ontario conditions.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.