FARMING IN THE DELMARVA (DELAWARE-MARYLAND-VIRGINIA) REGION IS DOMINATED BY COMMODITY GRAIN PRODUCTION (PARTICULARLY CORN, SOYBEANS, AND WHEAT) WHICH HAS INHERENTLY LOW VALUE (~$600) AND PROFIT (~$200) PER ACRE, RESULTING IN A TREND TOWARD FEWER BUT LARGER FARMS. ORGANIC GRAIN PRODUCTION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BOOST FARMER PROFITS VIA PREMIUM PRICES ABOUT DOUBLE CONVENTIONAL PRICES AND NEW MARKETS OPENING UP FOR ORGANIC CORN AND SOYBEAN. THUS CONVERTING TO ORGANIC GRAIN PRODUCTION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO GREATLY ENHANCE FARMER INCOME, EVEN IF ORGANIC YIELDS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN CONVENTIONAL. HOWEVER, THE THREE-YEAR TRANSITION PERIOD REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE ORGANIC FARMING STATUS PRESENTS A MAJOR BARRIER TO WIDER ORGANIC GRAIN PRODUCTION BECAUSE DURING THIS PERIOD FARMERS RECEIVE ONLY CONVENTIONAL PRICES BUT MUST FORGO THEIR CUSTOMARY USE OF SYNTHETIC FERTILIZERS, HERBICIDES, AND PESTICIDES UPON WHICH THEY HAVE DEPENDED FOR HIGH-YIELD PRODUCTION. AS A RESULT, FARMERS ARE FACED WITH PRODUCING SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER YIELDS, SOMETIMES AT HIGHER COSTS, WHILE RECEIVING CONVENTIONAL PRICES FOR THEIR GRAIN. THESE FACTORS RESULT IN THE LIKELIHOOD OF FARMERS EXPERIENCING MUCH LOWER PROFITS, OR EVEN NET LOSSES, DURING THE THREE TRANSITION YEARS.THE US AS A NATION IS THE WORLD'S MAJOR EXPORTER OF CORN, SOYBEANS AND OTHER GRAINS, WHILE IT HAS HAD TO IMPORT MOST OF ITS ORGANICALLY CERTIFIED SUPPLY OF THESE FEED GRAINS TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE US ORGANIC POULTRY AND LIVESTOCK INDUSTRIES. THE DEMAND AND PRICES FOR ORGANIC GRAIN ARE SO MUCH HIGHER THAN FOR CONVENTIONAL GRAIN THAT FRAUD IS BEING UNCOVERED. TO MEET THE GROWING DEMAND, THE AMOUNT OF CERTIFIED LAND PRODUCING ORGANIC CORN AND SOYBEANS WILL HAVE TO TRIPLE FROM THE CURRENT 650,000 ACRES TO APPROXIMATELY 2 MILLION ACRES IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. CHICKEN PRODUCERS IN THE REGION ARE AGGRESSIVELY SEEKING DOMESTIC SOURCES OF ORGANIC GRAIN TO LOWER THEIR DEPENDENCE ON IMPORTS. FURTHER, LOW MILK PRICES ARE SPURRING DAIRY FARMERSTOWARD ORGANIC WHICH WILL REQUIRE STILL MORE ORGANIC GRAINS. THUS, THERE IS A GREAT NEED TO FIND WAYS TO MAKE THE TRANSITION TO ORGANIC PRODUCTION EASIER AND LESS RISKY FOR GRAIN FARMERSCONSUMERS PURCHASE ORGANIC FOOD BOTH FOR FOOD SAFETY (FEWER PESTICIDE RESIDUES) AND FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS (LESS IMPACT ON WATER QUALITY AND CLIMATE). THERE IS GOOD EVIDENCE THAT ORGANIC FOODS DO, INDEED, CONTAIN LOWER LEVELS OF PESTICIDE RESIDUES THAN CONVENTIONALLY PRODUCED FOOD, ALTHOUGH THIS DIFFERENCE IS LESS FOR GRAIN CROPS THAN FOR FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. ORGANIC FARMING IS OFTEN PERCEIVED AS ALSO HAVING FEWER DAMAGING IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT COMPARED TO OTHER FARMING SYSTEMS THAT USE SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS. HOWEVER, THE CHANGE IN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS DUE TO THE TRANSITION FROM "CONVENTIONAL" TO ORGANIC FARMING COULD BE EITHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE, DEPENDING ON THE PARTICULAR SYSTEM OF PRACTICES UTILIZED IN THE CONVENTIONAL AND ORGANIC SYSTEMS.IN MARYLAND, MOST GRAIN FARMS CONSIDERED TO BE "CONVENTIONAL" PRACTICE SOME FORM OF NO-TILL AGRICULTURE, GROW SOME COVER CROPS AND USE STRICT NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PLANS WITH SPLIT FERTILIZER APPLICATIONS AND RESTRICTED APPLICATION RATES OF ANIMAL MANURES, NITROGEN, AND PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZERS. MOST ORGANIC FARMERS USE ANIMAL MANURES AS WELL AS LEGUME COVER CROPS TO MAINTAIN SOIL FERTILITY AND RELY ON TILLAGE TO PREPARE SEEDBEDS, INCORPORATE AMENDMENTS, AND CONTROL WEEDS. SINCE THE RATIO OF AVAILABLE P/N IN MANURES AND COMPOSTS FAR EXCEEDS THAT REQUIRED BY CROPS, MANURE USE IS RESTRICTED BY MARYLAND NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS TO ALLOWABLE P LEVELS, OFTEN RESTRICTING OR EVEN EXCLUDING MANURE AND COMPOST AS FERTILITY OPTIONS FOR ORGANIC FARMERS. THESE LIMITATIONS ON MANURE AND COMPOST AND THE VERY HIGH COST OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS THAT ARE HIGH IN N BUT LOW IN P MAKE COVER CROPS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO ORGANIC FARMS.WHETHER CONVERTING LAND FROM CONVENTIONAL TO ORGANIC GRAIN PRODUCTION WOULD REDUCE OR INCREASE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS IS AN OPEN QUESTION, ESPECIALLY IN THE DELMARVA REGION WHERE THE MAJORITY OF CONVENTIONAL FARMERS ALREADY EMPLOY SUCH CONSERVATION PRACTICES AS INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT, NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT, AND COVER CROPS. SINCE MARYLAND GRAIN FARMERS PREDOMINANTLY USE NO-TILL OR MINIMUM-TILL SOIL MANAGEMENT, A SWITCH TO TRADITIONAL ORGANIC FARMING METHODS COULD INVOLVE SIGNIFICANT INCREASES SOIL DISTURBANCE, LIKELY ACCOMPANIED BY GREATER EROSION, AND RUNOFF LOSSES, ESPECIALLY DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD WHEN SOIL ORGANIC MATTER HAS NOT YET BEEN BUILT UP. ALSO, ORGANIC AND VEGETATIVE (LEGUME) NITROGEN INPUTS ARE NOT AS EASILY AND PRECISELY TIMED AND CONTROLLED AS ARE INORGANIC FERTILIZER, SO IT IS UNCLEAR AS TO WHETHER NUTRIENT LOSSES WOULD DECREASE OR INCREASE WITH CONVERSION TO ORGANIC FARMING.ORGANIC PRODUCTION, PER SE, MAY NOT REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS SUCH AS SEDIMENT AND NUTRIENT LOSS AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. HOWEVER, ORGANIC GRAIN PRODUCTION, IF DONE REGENERATIVELY, MAY MINIMIZE THESE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES. AMONG THESE, NUTRIENT LOSS REDUCTION IS VITALLY IMPORTANT GIVEN THAT ABOUT 40% OF NUTRIENT POLLUTION TO THE CHESAPEAKE BAY COMES FROM AGRICULTURE. OTHER ECOSYSTEM SERVICES FROM REGENERATIVE ORGANIC FARMING MAY INCLUDE CARBON SEQUESTRATION, SOIL EROSION CONTROL, PROTECTION OF ABOVE AND BELOW-GROUND BIODIVERSITY, AND PROVISION OF CLEAN WATER TO AQUIFERS AND STREAMS. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO RESEARCH A SUITE OF PRACTICES THAT MAKE ORGANIC FARMING MORE REGENERATIVE THAN TYPICALLY PRACTICED. THEREFORE, THE ADOPTION OF ORGANIC FARMING PRESENTS A RARE OPPORTUNITY FOR GRAIN FARMERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE ON THE DELMARVA PENINSULA, TO REALIZE INCREASED INCOME AS WELL AS POTENTIALLY PROVIDE BETTER STEWARDSHIP OF THEIR LAND AND WATER.THIS PROJECT'S OVERALL AIM IS TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES AND PRACTICES TO MINIMIZE SOIL DISTURBANCE, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, AND INPUT COSTS WHILE PROVIDING PROFITS DURING THE TRANSITION COMPARABLE TO THOSE REALIZED UNDER CONVENTIONAL GRAIN FARMING.WE PROPOSE AN INTEGRATED RESEARCH-EXTENSION PROJECT TO MENTOR TRANSITIONING FARMERS AND DEVELOP SYSTEMS TO MINIMIZE SOIL DISTURBANCE, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, AND INPUT COSTS WHILE PROVIDING PROFITABILITY DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD. THE RESEARCH GOAL IS TO COMPARE FOUR TRANSITION STRATEGIES ALONG A CONTINUUM OF SOIL DISTURBANCE, SOIL COVER, AND INPUT COST. THESE WILL BE REPLICATED IN FARM-EQUIPMENT SCALE PLOTS ON CONTRASTING SOIL AT TWO RESEARCH STATIONS AND ON TWO OR MORE COMMERCIAL FARMS. THEY WILL BE EVALUATED FOR EFFECTS ON SOIL HEALTH, LEACHING AND RUNOFF NUTRIENT LOSS, CROP YIELDS, PROFITABILITY, AND EASE OF MANAGEMENT. IN ORDER OF LEAST TO MOST DISTURBANCE, THE FOUR SYSTEMS ARE 1) PERENNIAL ALFALFA-GRASS HAY, UNTILLED; 2) MINIMUM-TILL CORN-SOYBEAN-WHEAT ROTATION WITH PRECISION-ZONED HIGH-BIOMASS DIVERSE COVER CROPS; 3) REDUCED-TILL CORN-SOYBEAN-WHEAT WITH HIGH-BIOMASS COVER CROPS; AND 4) TRADITIONAL FULL-TILLAGE ORGANIC SOYBEAN-CORN, WITH SIMPLE COVER CROPS AND INPUT SUBSTITUTION (USING ORGANIC-APPRO ED FORMS OF THE SAME TYPES OF INPUTS USED BY CONVENTIONAL FARMS). THE PROJECT WILL ASSESS THE IMPACTS OF THESE TRANSITION STRATEGIES ON SOIL HEALTH, FARM PROFITABILITY, AND CROP PRODUCTIVITY. IT WILL INCLUDE AN OUTREACH COMPONENT THAT INVOLVES FARMERS IN THE RESEARCH AND EMPLOYES EXPERIENCED ORGANIC GRAIN FARMERS IN MENTORING FARMERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING HOW TO TRANSITION TO ORGANIC PRODUCTION.