Organic corn holds its own in Ohio

WOOSTER, Ohio – Given the right conditions, organic farming can produce, on average, as much corn per acre in Ohio as conventional farming can, according to an Ohio State University study.
Even better. Corn hybrids grown in last year’s Ohio State Organic Corn Performance Test produced 13 percent more corn per acre than the statewide average yield – most of that conventional corn – and topped the record-high state average yield by four bushels per acre.
One hybrid tested did even better, beating last year’s state average corn yield by nearly 50 percent.
The results show “how well organic corn can perform under good management and weather conditions,” said Deb Stinner, a scientist on the study and the head of Ohio State’s Organic Food and Farming Education and Research program.
Until now, organic corn yields in Ohio “were thought to be considerably lower than conventional yields,” Stinner said, though exceptions –