Rick Clark: organic farming with cover crops and no tillage
Indiana fifth-generation farmer Rick Clark combines organic farming, no-till and systematic cover crops, placing soil care at the foundation of production and reduced external inputs.
Cover crops take on more functions
At Farm Green, Clark describes mixtures maintaining living roots, protecting surfaces and suppressing weeds. Species selection follows the desired function. Mixtures and rotations form a system aimed at improving life and gradually reducing input dependence.
Organic and no-till together
The combination requires planning cover and competing vegetation management. In Rodale’s organic no-till systems, a roller-crimper lays cover down as residue; suitable equipment sows the next crop through this protective layer.
Field trials
A Rodale and Pennsylvania university research programme tested organic no-till maize into roller-crimped hairy vetch without additional nitrogen or weed control. Yields varied substantially among sites and years. Cover density and biomass, effective termination and planter settings were decisive.
The whole cropping sequence
Cover must establish early enough and produce sufficient biomass. Its management must match main-crop planting and equipment. Success connects these steps: an implement choice accompanies species, rotation and timing decisions.
Our field work
We aim to use cover for olive grove protection and regeneration with less disturbance, linking vegetation management, compost and liquid applications, and microscopy following our School training.