Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** increasing organic grain and forage…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** increasing organic grain and forage production is crucial to meet the escalating demand for these products for human and animal consumption. However, organic systems typically experience multiple production challenges that lower yields compared to non-organic counterparts, with a larger yield GAP for field grain crops. Although acreage under organic field grain crops is increasing, domestic production remains insufficient to meet consumer demand. Sustainable intensification of existing organic production systems is thus needed. Double cropping, harvesting two crops from the same land in one year, can help decrease the GAP between market demand and domestic production. The long growing season of the southeastern U.S. Provides favorable conditions for double cropping, which is already practiced by conventional producers and many transitioning producers in this region. Stakeholders have expressed interest in implementing this yield-boosting strategy in organic systems. Using a system approach, we will evaluate multi-tactic organic double-crop strategies (growing a winter grain/forage crop before soybean) relative to full-season soybeans in tennessee and florida, which have distinct climate and soil types. We will test several rotational options as well as residue and weed management techniques to optimize production (grain and forage yield and quality), weed pressure, nematode occurrence (specifically in florida), profitability, nutrient cycling, soil carbon accumulation, and soil health. The research outcomes will be shared with stakeholders through comprehensive extension and education programs at both locations.