2007 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) Identify successful weed management approaches currently employed by organic farmers and conduct on-farm research to test innovative strategies. Identify cultivars of agronomic crops with improved capacity to compete with and suppress weeds. Develop equipment and practices to manage cover crops and control weeds in minimum-tillage organic production systems. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) Conduct a survey of organic farms in the mid-Atlantic area to identify successful weed management approaches and successful farmers. Identify farms for in-depth analysis of their weed management systems and for testing advanced weed management systems based on research station trials. At the Rodale Institute research fields, conduct agronomic cultivar evaluations and cover crop management trials. Cultivars will be tested for yield loss in adjacent weedy and weed-free plots and for suppression of weed biomass and potential seed production. Cover crop species in monocultures and mixtures will be tested in combination with various minimum-tillage management practices to determine systems that reduce weed pressure but maintain crop productivity and profitability. 3.Progress Report This report documents research conducted under a specific cooperative agreement between ARS and The Rodale Institute. Additional details of related research can be found in the report for the parent project 1265-22000-164-00D Development of Biologically Based Control Methodologies for Weeds in Agricultural and Natural Areas. Weed biomass data from twenty-five years of the long-term Farming Systems Trial was used to assess long-term relationships between weed and crop performance in organic and conventional corn and soybean production. Corn and soybean field trials were performed to select cultivars with early vigor and canopy closure, ability to tolerate weeds, and high yield potential. Studies exploring the effects of soybean planting date and cultipacking on weed biomass and soybean yield gave mixed results including complex interactions with weather, particularly the level of soil moisture. A successful Field Day to outreach the findings of this research was carried out as part of this project on Friday, July 20, 2007, at The Rodale Institute Research Farm in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. The audience consisted of farmers, extension specialists, soil and weed science specialists, policy makers, members of PA county planning commissions, environmental protection agency staff and environmental educators and students. Outreach to farmers covering the latest information on organic weed management has appeared regularly on the NewFarm.org website. These studies will be continued in subsequent years. This project was monitored by a meeting of collaborators on February 21, 2007 and by email periodically during the year.